57cm or 59cm?

Goodson1974

Hi all

I'm about to buy my first road bike and i'm in a bit of a quandry.

I'm going to be getting a Bianchi Via Nirone Mirage and i don't know whether to get the 57cm or the 59cm.

When i went to my local stockist a couple of weeks ago, he looked me up and down and said i'd need a 59.

He wheeled one round for me and let me sit on it, but i couldn't really tell if it felt right for me as i've only ridden mountain bikes before and the whole positioning on the bike felt rather alien!

I'm 6'1" and i don't know if this makes me too big for a 57 or not. I wanted to go and try both sizes, but i've just got off the phone to my LBS to be told that he's out of stock and won't be getting any of the 2008 models in again.

I'm going to have a look around online and see if i can get it in the sales.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

campagchris

Heres a link to give you an idea.Im 6ft and ride a 56cm frame it was a top tube length that I bought mine for.
http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CC ... ATOR_INTRO

Goodson1974

campagchris wrote:

Heres a link to give you an idea.Im 6ft and ride a 56cm frame it was a top tube length that I bought mine for.
http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CC ... ATOR_INTRO

Thanks for the link. Here are the results: -

Measurements

---

Inseam: 88.5
Trunk: 67
Forearm: 35
Arm: 70
Thigh: 60.5
Lower Leg: 57
Sternal Notch: 153
Total Body Height: 186


The Competitive Fit (cm)

---

Seat tube range c-c: 57.3 - 57.8
Seat tube range c-t: 59.1 - 59.6
Top tube length: 56.6 - 57.0
Stem Length: 11.8 - 12.4
BB-Saddle Position: 81.6 - 83.6
Saddle-Handlebar: 55.8 - 56.4
Saddle Setback: 5.7 - 6.1


The Eddy Fit (cm)

---

Seat tube range c-c: 58.5 - 59.0
Seat tube range c-t: 60.3 - 60.8
Top tube length: 56.6 - 57.0
Stem Length: 10.7 - 11.3
BB-Saddle Position: 80.8 - 82.8
Saddle-Handlebar: 56.6 - 57.2
Saddle Setback: 6.9 - 7.3


The French Fit (cm)

---

Seat tube range c-c: 60.2 - 60.7
Seat tube range c-t: 62.0 - 62.5
Top tube length: 57.8 - 58.2
Stem Length: 10.9 - 11.5
BB-Saddle Position: 79.1 - 81.1
Saddle-Handlebar: 58.3 - 58.9
Saddle Setback: 6.4 - 6.8

I'm not exactly sure what this all means! I'm probably being thick!

Lagavulin

Goodson1974 wrote:

[Thanks for the link. Here are the results: -

Measurements

---

Inseam: 88.5
Trunk: 67
Forearm: 35
Arm: 70
Thigh: 60.5
Lower Leg: 57
Sternal Notch: 153
Total Body Height: 186


The Competitive Fit (cm)

---

Seat tube range c-c: 57.3 - 57.8
Seat tube range c-t: 59.1 - 59.6
Top tube length: 56.6 - 57.0
Stem Length: 11.8 - 12.4
BB-Saddle Position: 81.6 - 83.6
Saddle-Handlebar: 55.8 - 56.4
Saddle Setback: 5.7 - 6.1


The Eddy Fit (cm)

---

Seat tube range c-c: 58.5 - 59.0
Seat tube range c-t: 60.3 - 60.8
Top tube length: 56.6 - 57.0
Stem Length: 10.7 - 11.3
BB-Saddle Position: 80.8 - 82.8
Saddle-Handlebar: 56.6 - 57.2
Saddle Setback: 6.9 - 7.3


The French Fit (cm)

---

Seat tube range c-c: 60.2 - 60.7
Seat tube range c-t: 62.0 - 62.5
Top tube length: 57.8 - 58.2
Stem Length: 10.9 - 11.5
BB-Saddle Position: 79.1 - 81.1
Saddle-Handlebar: 58.3 - 58.9
Saddle Setback: 6.4 - 6.8

It may only be a guide but these are closer to 57 than they are 59.

oldwelshman

Goodson1974 wrote:

Hi all

I'm about to buy my first road bike and i'm in a bit of a quandry.

I'm going to be getting a Bianchi Via Nirone Mirage and i don't know whether to get the 57cm or the 59cm.

When i went to my local stockist a couple of weeks ago, he looked me up and down and said i'd need a 59.

He wheeled one round for me and let me sit on it, but i couldn't really tell if it felt right for me as i've only ridden mountain bikes before and the whole positioning on the bike felt rather alien!

I'm 6'1" and i don't know if this makes me too big for a 57 or not. I wanted to go and try both sizes, but i've just got off the phone to my LBS to be told that he's out of stock and won't be getting any of the 2008 models in again.

I'm going to have a look around online and see if i can get it in the sales.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If your 6'1" unless you have short legs you shopuld be ok with 57 or 59 cm depending on personal choice.
Racing 57cm with higher longer seat post and shorter top tube, sportive gereral riding probably 59 with a less compact riding position. Possibly

Bronzie

oldwelshman wrote:

Racing 57cm with higher longer seat post and shorter top tube, sportive gereral riding probably 59 with a less compact riding position. Possibly

I'd say the other way round! Racing on 59cm (more stretched / aero), sportives on 57cm for comfort.

I'd say 57cm is probably the one to go for. I'm 6'2" and ride 58cm frames generally.

Juju_uk_68

To be honest, the thing I found as a noob to bike sizing (road) after years of mtb'ing, is that its easy to get confused by the frame size quoted.

The important thing is not stand over frame size, but length of top tube from seat to head tubes.

For example, as a 5'7 every indication is that I should be on a 52-54 size frame. But I got a shorter top body/arm than some. Ideal suit for me is a short jacket and regular legs.

In the end, I tried 53 cm frames, and generally I could only just reach the hoods, certainly hard to cycle. So in the end, I got a 50cm frame. Technically should be far too small for me, but its perfect in stretch, and the saddle is high enough to get a really good leg position.

AceOnTheLine

The sizing seems to vary according to manufacturer. I tired a Spesh Allez 09 where I needed a 58, a cannondale synapse 08 where I needed a 56 and a Scott Speedster s40 where I needed (and eventually bought after some hard negotiating!) a 54.

I guess it depends on the geometry of the frame and the position you find most comfortable.

pjcs

Hi - I don't know where you live but I picked up my first road bike on Friday - a Bianchi Nirone 7 Xenon from AW Cycles in Reading. They do a fitting service which costs £35, £50 or £100 depending on level and then refund it against the cost of a bike if you buy one. They changed the handlebars and stem on mine to get the right geometry for no extra cost - excellent service!

Goodson1974

pjcs wrote:

Hi - I don't know where you live but I picked up my first road bike on Friday - a Bianchi Nirone 7 Xenon from AW Cycles in Reading. They do a fitting service which costs £35, £50 or £100 depending on level and then refund it against the cost of a bike if you buy one. They changed the handlebars and stem on mine to get the right geometry for no extra cost - excellent service!

I'm in Norwich, and there doesn't appear to be anywhere in the area that offers a proper fitting service. There's only one Bianchi stockist in Norwich and they've sold out!!

It would be cool if any of the LBS's offered a service like AW Cycles.

How are you getting on with your Bianchi?

pjcs

How are you getting on with your Bianchi?

Really good thanks - just trying to fit it in with the off road riding I do and there's only so many hours in the day! Doing 100K weekend after next though so that'll break in the saddle (or it'll break something else!!!) :shock: