i have been offered a great deal on a bridgestone track frame. I'm 5'10 with a 30/31 in inseam. rumor has it that bridgestone's run a tad bit bigger and one should get a size or two smaller. I currently ride a 55cm 05 pista...the bridgestone is a 52... is it worth the hassle?

---thanks in advance

ask the seller to measure it and compare all the numbers to what you have.

does any one else my height have any similar experiences riding a smaller frame

dude, the seat tube measurement and approximate height are not sufficient. the standover depends on the bottom bracket height, for instance, which varies frame to frame. and the top tube length is really important for comfort, as well. everyone is shaped differently--I may be your height but have freakishly long legs and a short torso, making me want a taller seat tube and a shorter top tube. Or I could have short legs and long arms--and thus the seat tube would have to be shorter, the top tube longer. Height, in general, matters very little. Many people also like shorter frames, because they're more maneuverable. It's a matter of taste and comfort, neither of which anyone else can help you with.

Again, if you have a bike that fits you well, measure it out and then compare it to the frame you're offered--seat tube, top tube, standover. that will tell you what you need to know and will yield a far better result than asking for people's "experiences...[with] a smaller frame."

i'm 5'10" and i can go down to a 54cm tt (55 is perfect- in fact i had a 55 pista and that bike fit me so well...), but smaller than that and i feel like i'm on a kids bike. if it's 52 square i think you'll find it too small.