if 2 frame sizes both seem comfortable...
Dr M
Posts: 171
i tried a 53 and a 55 C2C carbon Bianchi and both seemed ok. Is it better to go for the smaller one or the larger one? I'm 5ft 9 with shoes and 32 inch inseam. Cant find a Bianchi size chart anywhere :-(
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redddraggon wrote:Get the smaller one
I'm not wanting to seem ignorant or anything, but why go for the smaller one? I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation, I'm just curious as to what it is.0 -
Barrie_G wrote:redddraggon wrote:Get the smaller one
I'm not wanting to seem ignorant or anything, but why go for the smaller one? I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation, I'm just curious as to what it is.
Smaller frames look better than bigger frames - a smaller frame looks better with a 12cm stem than a big frame with a 9cm stem.
The frame will be lighter, and probably stiffer aswell.0 -
See, I knew there'd be a good reason
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plus you can make a small frame bigger by buying a longer stem and putting the seatpost up but there is only so much you can reduce the feel of a large frame.
as said - they are lighter, look better and may be stiffer.0 -
If it's too small your body position will feel cramped, especially when you stand up.0
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Dr M wrote:i tried a 53 and a 55 C2C carbon Bianchi and both seemed ok. Is it better to go for the smaller one or the larger one? I'm 5ft 9 with shoes and 32 inch inseam. Cant find a Bianchi size chart anywhere :-(
"Seems ok" can be a route to misery with a racing bike. Rather than going on the opinion of people on a forum who have never met you, haven't seen you on a bike, and haven't asked you what your definition of "seems ok" is, you might be better off paying for a decent fitting service before buying a bike, using one of the bike-fit calculators on the Internet, and/or getting a good book that will tell you how to choose a bike that really fits, like Zinn's Cycling Primer. A really well adjusted £500 bike will usually be faster and more comfortable than a mediocre fitting £1000. It's really worth making some effort here!
Reasonable starter links:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-sizing.html
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm0 -
redddraggon wrote:
Smaller frames look better than bigger frames - a smaller frame looks better with a 12cm stem than a big frame with a 9cm stem.
Let's not consider the effect on steering on braking then, shall we? We're talking style here!The frame will be lighter, and probably stiffer aswell.
And the effect of a longer seat post will be what, exactly?0 -
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meanwhile wrote:redddraggon wrote:
Smaller frames look better than bigger frames - a smaller frame looks better with a 12cm stem than a big frame with a 9cm stem.
Let's not consider the effect on steering on braking then, shall we? We're talking style here!The frame will be lighter, and probably stiffer aswell.
And the effect of a longer seat post will be what, exactly?
moving from a 90mm to a 120mm stem will have minimal effect on steering or braking and most people won't even notice the difference
the longer seatpost will at worst have no effect either and at best make for a more comfortable ride0 -
Buy the one that fits. If the bike shop can't help you're in the wrong shop.0
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well i booked in at a differnet shop this weekend to get a proper fitting done :-) Costs £50 but refundable if i buy a bike from them0
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That 50 quid will probably be the best money you spend on cycling related purchases. Getting measured and properly fitted is THE most important thing for cycling happiness in the future imo.0
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gkerr4 wrote:moving from a 90mm to a 120mm stem will have minimal effect on steering or braking and most people won't even notice the difference
If you can't notice the difference between length in a top tube and length in a steerer when braking hard, then you don't know how to brake hard.the longer seatpost will at worst have no effect either and at best make for a more comfortable ride
If you really believe this, you should market your own range of bike frames. They'd all have the same standover height - which might as well be about 20 inches - but different top tube lengths. There are reasons why road bikes don't look BMX bikes and the normal bottom of the barrel advice on bike fitting is to get a frame that you can just stand over without singing castrato.
Triangles are strong and rigid - this is the basis of bike conventional frame design. The closer to the double triangle of your frame you sit your weight, the better its properties will work for you - getting rigidity out out a non triangluated tube will take more weight. More frame and less seatpost will give a better handling bike, assuming that it fits, which is one reason why many elite riders prefer conventional to compact frames. You can even find some extreme TT designs where the tube slopes down from the seat to the head tube for this reason, although more than a little of this can bugger up the cornering by getting in the way of the rider's ability to lean his bodyweight.0 -
Please please please buy your bike from a shop that'll give you good advice, or see a fitter! You're spending a whole wedge of dosh, so spend a little more on buying the right thing. Just knowing your inseam tells us very little about which of these bikes will be best for you. We get a lot of people in here on bikes that are too long for them, but as above there are many factors to consider- like what sort of riding you do etc- is comfort a critical issue, would you be better served by a long flexy seatpost, can you get your hands high enough on the smaller frame without resorting loads of spacers and an up sloping stem (which is bound to foul up any aesthetic so called superiority of a small frame ;-) )
... and all of this on top of which bike's top tube length works better for you.
Don't want to discourage you, just worried about you landing up with a bike that doesn't suit you......
Good luck,
S.
www.thebikewhisperer.co.ukIf you're as fat as me, all bikes are bendy.0 -
scherrit wrote:Please please please buy your bike from a shop that'll give you good advice, or see a fitter!
And read a few online guides: there are different fitting systems and not every fitter will produce a result that is right for you. A few hours research can make a big difference.0 -
Get a human being to do the fitting for you - I found online calculators to be useless for me because they still blurted out standard frame measurements without any kind of detail such as stem length or saddle fore/aft or saddle height vs. bar height etc. etc.
Also, consider that you may not be a 'standard' size, for example I have proportionately longer legs than torso and to exacerbate that I have short arms. A person fitting you is more likely to notice that and make adjustments/swap parts as necessary to accommodate it.0
