Is my frame too big ?
I recently purchased a new Intense Fenix road frame as a result of it being a very good deal. Now here is my dilema, I am 5' 10" and the frame is a 58cm with a 55cm centre to top of top tube. When I stand over the bike with my road shoes on and wearing my cycling shorts I have about 3cm of clearance.
When I sit on the bike the reach feels ok to the bars.
Anyone out there able to comment as to whether the frame is too large?
When I sit on the bike the reach feels ok to the bars.
Anyone out there able to comment as to whether the frame is too large?
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Comments
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I would say it's a little bit big, but adaptable.0
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I could try and sell it, but my problem is that I won't be able to get a 56cm for the discount price I paid.
Tough one.0 -
How long is the top tube measured horizontally from centre of seat pin to centre of head tube?0
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56cm0
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doues sound a bit big,i think that bike has a virtual tt length of 560mm but you say it feels ok so shouldnt be a problem,if it is then just fit a shorter stem.0
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dont you mean 3mm of clearance? I am 6ft and have a 21" frame (54cm) and there is about 25mm or 1" of clearance.
I would have said that if you were the height you say you are then for a mountain bike it wold have been about 18" frame for you. So if a road bike then maybe 19" frame needed or a 46cm frame size (bottom bracket to top tube)0 -
My biggest concern is other people thinking "His bike is too big for him" :oops:0
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I ride a pre-08 trek (last generation) that has a 56.2 horizontal top tube with a 100mm stem and i'm 5'10 and a half. i think it fits me fine, and i have long legs with relatively short torso.
maybe you can try a shorter (90 or 100mm) stem? a lot of people think a 100 stem is short these days because of what they see on pro bikes. i think the pros use ridiculously long stems (140) so they can ride a smaller frame and therefore have a more agressive position as well as a stiffer frame. this is because most molded carbons frames are not custom built anymore. i don't know how that affects the rider weight distribution and bar response though. i might well be wrong about this but i hope this helps.0 -
flanagaj wrote:Spitchips wrote:dont you mean 3mm of clearance? I am 6ft and have a 21" frame (54cm) and there is about 25mm or 1" of clearance.
What would I gain by posting incorrect measurements?
i'm sure no one here think you are lying about the measurements...misunderstanding
3cm is quite a lot of clearance, and the frame doesn't even have a heavily sloped top tube. maybe you have really long legs and short torso?0 -
akcc05 wrote:flanagaj wrote:Spitchips wrote:dont you mean 3mm of clearance? I am 6ft and have a 21" frame (54cm) and there is about 25mm or 1" of clearance.
What would I gain by posting incorrect measurements?
i'm sure no one here think you are lying about the measurements...misunderstanding
3cm is quite a lot of clearance, and the frame doesn't even have a heavily sloped top tube. maybe you have really long legs and short torso?
Centre of BB -> top of top tube = 55cm or if I measure vertically it is 54cm. Not sure if this is the norm for a 58cm frame and the reason why I have 3cm of clearance0 -
i just looked at the geometry of the fenix, i think it has quite a weird geometry...like you said it has a 56 top tube on the 58 seat tube frame...and the size 60 has a 57 top tube.
seems like intense just has a strange sizing. from the look of it, their size 58 is a 'normal' 56. and they don't seem to make larger sizes with longer top tube like 58(L) or 59(XL), maybe because they are quite niche in the road market?
i think you should be fine with a 100mm stem, but of course it all depends on your body proportions ultimately, like arms length and torso/leg ratioflanagaj wrote:My biggest concern is other people thinking "His bike is too big for him" :oops:
your bike is not too big for you, ok maybe a wee bit too big but not everyone has a custom built, everyone has to make minor adjustments on stems, saddle/seatpost setback etc. and who cares what other people think anyway?0 -
Hi there.
Have you got a photae of you sitting on your bike? Might help here.
Cheers, Andy0 -
That is a good idea. I will get one taken and posted.
By the way, thanks for all your advice, especially as I am now thinking that the frame might be ok.0 -
Given a road bike should be sized principally by top tube length (you only need enough clearance to be able to stand on the ground straddling the top tube - no more), then I'd suggest that's OK - depending on how your dimensions are. At 5'9" I have a 56cm top tube which fits me perfectly. The only other issue being head tube length, but you don't mention a problem with not being able to get your bars low enough!0
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flanagaj wrote:56cm
My frame has 160 mm HT and I have 25 mm of spacers and I still have a drop in the region of 70 mm. Spec 56 frames have TTs longer than yours I think.0 -
I'm 5'10" and ride a frame with a 55cm TT and a 90mm stem. It's a fraction long for my tastes, but only a fraction (The previous road bikes I've had have been 54s). That said, its fine for long rides, and the short stem makes for razor sharp handling. I wouldn't want to go any bigger though.0
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I think the main reason i think it looks big is that it is replacing my Raleigh R700 which is a 52cm with a 100mm stem. Which was most likely far too small for me. So now that I have gone to the other end of the spectrum it feels weird.0
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If you have a good local bike shop get them to have a look at you on the bike and then if necessary it can be adjusted to tweak your position.Everybodies torso,shoulder width,leg length and shoe size varies so even if you are the same height you might need a different size frame to some one else of your height.So to ask if the frames to big.....It can't be really answered here!0
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I always understood that it was the top tube that is more important - I am 5'10"and my previous bikes range from 54cm to 55.5cm. (All have 54cm c-t seat tubes.)
I've just bought a Ridley Crossbow cyclocross bike that quite frankly looked too big in the shop, and a tape measure confirmed a quite large 58cm c-t seat tube. However, it has a 54.5cm c-c top tube, which is well within my normal range. Initially I still wasn't entirely convinved, but I've now got a few miles on it and its fine. (I assume the larger frame is to make it easier to shoulder.)0 -
Border Cyclist wrote:I always understood that it was the top tube that is more important - I am 5'10"and my previous bikes range from 54cm to 55.5cm. (All have 54cm c-t seat tubes.)
Top tube length is important, but the resulting frame size can be a bit skewed because of varying seat tube and head tube angles between different manufacturers. The most important value to look at is "reach".
There's a presentation from Cervelo on reach here - http://www.cervelo.com/content.aspx?t=C ... tePapers#1
Worth a look...0 -
flanagaj wrote:I recently purchased a new Intense Fenix road frame as a result of it being a very good deal. Now here is my dilema, I am 5' 10" and the frame is a 58cm with a 55cm centre to top of top tube. When I stand over the bike with my road shoes on and wearing my cycling shorts I have about 3cm of clearance.
When I sit on the bike the reach feels ok to the bars.
Anyone out there able to comment as to whether the frame is too large?0 -
Nuggs wrote:flanagaj wrote:I recently purchased a new Intense Fenix road frame as a result of it being a very good deal. Now here is my dilema, I am 5' 10" and the frame is a 58cm with a 55cm centre to top of top tube. When I stand over the bike with my road shoes on and wearing my cycling shorts I have about 3cm of clearance.
When I sit on the bike the reach feels ok to the bars.
Anyone out there able to comment as to whether the frame is too large?
if there is no problem why are posting the ******** thread?0 -
"My biggest concern is other people thinking "His bike is too big for him" "
It cares not one iota what others think, if it works for you then it is fine. You are riding the darn thing not anyone else. I ride a big bike, but it works for me. I'm 6ft & ride a Giant SCRC4 58cm & a Trek 1.2 60cm. I have quite a long reach but have had serious knee problems in the past & it's better for me to reach down to the pedals a little, than be in a cramped position. We're all built differently, remember that.0 -
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