alfredthegreat

Looking at getting a steamroller, I am 188cm/6'2 with an 86cm/34inch inseam. Interested to know who else rides a 59cm and what dimensions they are. Ideally I think I want the stack of the 62cm but the reach of 59cm. Any other info welcome, bars, riding position, stem length, spacers etc

abshipp 

Welcome to the forums

Quick clarification here, do you mean 34" pant inseam or 34" cycling inseam (sometimes referred to as pubic bone height)?

Just asking because I'm 6'2" and wear a 34" pant, but my cycling inseam is around 36". Long legs and short torso.

Are you planning on a drop bar build or something with upright bars?

alfredthegreat

Thankyou (: Its nice to feel welcomed

My cycling inseam is 35"

I plan on putting on drop bars (currently thinking of Salsa cowbells reach:68 drop:115 paired with an 80mm steam)

Which I plan on having drop bar brake levers on too where i spend most of my time on the hoods

abshipp 

Depending on how your aesthetic tastes go, I would probably go with the 59cm if I was in your shoes.

If a bike is way too small then things start to look pretty silly with super long seatposts and lots of spacers under the stem but I wouldn't think it would be that bad on the 59 vs the 62. Also, it's way easier to make a small bike bigger than make a big one smaller

seat_boy

I'm an inch taller than you, and I would definitely go with the 62cm. Surlys need all the stack they can get.

Altimis

Depending on riding styles really.

Street/trick/gravel riding, you probably want more compacts (smaller) if you only have to choose bigger or smaller, go smaller.

But if somehow you transition to Track riding (velodrome riding), you want as big as you can stretches out to get more aero. Go bigger frame.

Its different and depend on what your goals...

FrenchDude

Hello,

I'm more or less the same high than you (probably heavier, I'm a big guy..92kgs..I know.. far too much) and I had a real love story with a 59 Steamroller.
I added some photos for you to see hat it requires for a 1,85m guy... well the system tells me that as i'm new I'm not allowed to post photos, so in case just request them

Not sure what you intend to do with it.
I first used it as a commuter, it is great for that, but you can easily find cheaper and lighter bikes for commuting.
By that time I was in a long distance club, and one day my geared carbon-high tech-modern-trendy road bike had a crank problem and I took the Surly.. I was astonished, and spent two years (around 30 000 km) doing long distance with it, the longest i've done i a 400 km brevet

If the Steamroller is just a pleasant, expensive commuter, a little bit heavy for a singlespeed, it's a wonderful (and I really mean wonderful) and impressive long distance single sped bike.

As far as my memory is good, the crank was a FSA Gimondi in 175mm , the free wheel a Shimano, handlebar, stem and seatpost from Ritchey, brakes lever CraneCreek and and Shimano brakes. I used various pedals, hand built wheels on Mavic Open Pro rims, and various SMP saddle (the only ones my ass accepts).

Hope this helps

Luc

Sonofamechanic 

I’d agree....you need to size up from what you normally ride to make a Surly Steamroller work well. Something about their single-speed/fixed riding style that works better with a bigger frame.

Broctoon

FWIW, here is my setup...

I am 5'10" with about a 34" inseam. I normally ride a 56 cm frame. I have a 59cm Steamroller. I found a good deal on it years ago and decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did. It works well for me.

I want a pretty upright position, and I have about 80mm of spacers under the stem. There's also a few mm of rise in the stem itself, and 35 mm rise in the handlebar (Cinelli Pepper, which I love, BTW). This all means I don't lean forward much at all, and I can ride quite a while without any discomfort. Of course my choice of seat contributes to this situation; I have a Fabric Scoop. I can stand flat-footed over the frame with just a wee bit of clearance between the top tube and my crotch.

If I'd picked a smaller frame, I would not be able to achieve this much grip height without doing something really wonky, like a crazy number of spacers, super steep stem, or ridiculously tall bar rise. Steamrollers have a horizontal top tube, definitely not on the current trend toward "endurance" geometry.

One downside is there's not much seat post showing, just 4 or 5 cm (I think I have a 170mm crank). It's not really a problem, although I can't mount a big taillight there, have to clamp my workstand to the frame itself, and have just barely enough room for an SKS fender that straps to the seat post. If I were one of those guys who like to see a fistfull of seat post, it would irritate me. On the contrary, I think it looks pretty tuff.

I do not find that I have to stretch out too far to reach the bar, and I have a reasonable 60mm stem.

alfredthegreat , because it sounds like you're a couple inches taller than me, with at least as much leg, I think you'd want to go with 59cm at a minimum and perhaps the next size up. It depends on what kind of riding position you favor. The 59 (if there's enough fork protruding through the head tube) will allow you to be fairly upright. If you want to lean forward, you could ride a 56 with a long, flat stem. If you definitely want to sit up straight and don't like a lot of spacers, you could go up to 61-62cm (not sure what interval they offer).

I will say this as well: overall I am VERY happy with the bike. There is a lot to like about it, and not much that I can find fault with.