Wrong size...?

Jennyinwaiting

I'm a relatively short lady, at only 5ft 2, and currently ride a hybrid everywhere. But i'm planning to get a road bike soon too. I keep getting tempted by amazing offers... but they're in all the wrong sizes!

So, I was wondering if anyone could advise me as to how far is the maximum you should stray from your 'ideal' frame size? and, what are the risks/disadvantages to getting the wrong size?

In theory, I should ride a frame of 49-51cm, yet my hybrid is 47cm and seems perfect, so I'm not sure how strictly I should stick to size charts!

brin

the geometry of a road bike will be a different set up to your hybrid, try and get one near enough to the same spec as the one you have, top tube and seat tube are the main sizes.
you can twiddle with other sizes to fit.saddle height, stem length/angle etc. a reputable LBS should advise you.

Tom Butcher

I would find out what size was best and buy that - if it's the wrong size it's not a great deal. At your height I'd have thought you'd find something - whenever I look smaller sizes tend to be the ones left on special offer.

Jennyinwaiting

hehe, that's strange, cause all i seem to find is bikes at 54cm+!

I wouldn't buy a bike that's obviously the wrong size, and would always try it out first, But I just don't know what the long-term problems caused by a wrongly-sized bike would be. Can anyone tell me?
I ask mainly because I've recently been getting bad knee problems and couldn't work out why, but it just dawned on me that it could be because, although it seems a good fit, my bike is 3cm smaller than what's recommended for me!

Also, Evans claims that road bikes should be 1-2cm smaller than hybrids for an individual, but have any of you found this to be the case?

turnerjohn

I had a Time VXR (very expensive carbon race bike) which just didn't feel right...tried everything with it ... shorter stem..messed with the saddle etc...in the end bought a smaller Look 586 and wow the difference...far more comfortable (not too streached out) and no backache compared with the streached out Time.
Both frames were XS (I'm 5'7" but with 31" legs...courses issues with bike fit lol) but the Look's top tube length is 1.5cm shorter.
Road bikes its the top tube length thats most important, for comfort also look for a long headtube as this will give you a more upright position (your be used to from your hybrid).
I would look at Giant as they make women specific road bikes, but also small mens ones...def worth going to your local dealer and trying a few out first...dont want to buy the wrong bike in the first place (like I did lol) .
One point an out and out race bike will have a low front end (being better aerodynamics) but this can lead to backpain and shoulder issues...you need to introduce the body gradually to the position. I would look for a more "sportif" bike with a more relaxed geometry. Their almost as fast as an out and out racer, but far more comfortable.

Monty Dog

Top tube length is the critical dimension - comparing seat tube dimensions is often irrelevant - different makes measure it different too. It is likely that your road frame needs to be 'shorter' than your hybrid to compensate for the longer reach of the drop bars. I would expect that you are looking at a frame with a 'virtual' toptube dimension of about 50-51cm which takes you to the smallest possible sizes for a 700c-wheeled bike. I see many women riding too-big bikes because that's what the shop had, not what they needed. Heed the advise regarding getting the right size - go to a shop that offers a bike fit service and base your choice on those - go elsewhere if they try to sell you something else.

giant_man

Jennyinwaiting wrote:

I'm a relatively short lady, at only 5ft 2, and currently ride a hybrid everywhere. But i'm planning to get a road bike soon too. I keep getting tempted by amazing offers... but they're in all the wrong sizes!

So, I was wondering if anyone could advise me as to how far is the maximum you should stray from your 'ideal' frame size? and, what are the risks/disadvantages to getting the wrong size?

In theory, I should ride a frame of 49-51cm, yet my hybrid is 47cm and seems perfect, so I'm not sure how strictly I should stick to size charts!

The reason why your hybrid fits you is because of the geometry. Proper road bikes, they all have different geometries, the best thing for you to do imo is to get yourself measured properly and then with your own measurements at your disposal, you can get the ideal sized bike for you. You need to be happy with your bike and be totally comfortable with it. I wouldn't listen too much to the likes of Evans, they only want to shift bikes.

Jennyinwaiting

awesome, thanks for all the advice

The main problem is that I'm planning to buy a second-hand bike, which i'm most likely to buy online. I went to my local bike store yesterday and the guy there was really helpful, giving me plenty of advice on what to look for when buying second-hand bikes But, do you lot have any extra advice?

I reckon, what I may do is just go to some big chain stores and try out some road bikes, just to get an idea of sizing, and i'll look more into womens-specific models. I might even take part in one of the evans 'ride-it' events and try out a demo bike for the day. Sound like a good idea?

redddraggon

turnerjohn wrote:

(I'm 5'7" but with 31" legs...courses issues with bike fit lol)

Don't quite get you there. I'm also 5'7" but with 31" legs, and have no issues with bike fit.

Jennyinwaiting

I've now actually made a bid on a beautiful (men's!) carbon road bike that's a 49cm frame, yet the top tube is apx. 2.5cm shorter than that of my hybrid! Sounds perfect to me!
I'm sure I can adapt to such a different riding position with time, & it'd definitely be worth it!

redddraggon

Jennyinwaiting wrote:

I've now actually made a bid on a beautiful (men's!) carbon road bike that's a 49cm frame, yet the top tube is apx. 2.5cm shorter than that of my hybrid! Sounds perfect to me!
I'm sure I can adapt to such a different riding position with time, & it'd definitely be worth it!

Flat bar bikes normally have longer TTs than drop barred bikes, because generally flat bars have no reach, whereas drops have about 8cm reach.

Lillywhite

Jennyinwaiting wrote:

I've now actually made a bid on a beautiful (men's!) carbon road bike that's a 49cm frame, yet the top tube is apx. 2.5cm shorter than that of my hybrid!

You can customise with a stem of your choice which are available up to 14 cms long.

Monty Dog

Changing stem length isn't a fix for a badly fitting bike - riding a long frame with a short stem means the weight can be too far back and not centred between the wheels which can cause handling problems when cornering hard.

Jenny, remember than women in general have longer legs and shorter torsos than men, so make sure that frame is still correct for your reach. Reaching too far can cause neck and shoulder pain.

giant_man

Monty Dog wrote:

Changing stem length isn't a fix for a badly fitting bike - riding a long frame with a short stem means the weight can be too far back and not centred between the wheels which can cause handling problems when cornering hard.

Jenny, remember than women in general have longer legs and shorter torsos than men, so make sure that frame is still correct for your reach. Reaching too far can cause neck and shoulder pain.

+1 - There are no shortcuts Jenny, a wrong size frame is a wrong size frame, no matter which configurations of stem you choose. It starts with the frame.