moving from MTB to Bianchi road bike - sizing question

saunaboy

Hi all,

new boy here, so please excuse any ignorance...!

I'm about to order a Bianchi road bike. Nirone model. I'm 5'10'' and average build. According to the size charts, I should be 57cm. But I've been for a quick & sit on a Bianchi in a LBS & the 57cm feels too big. There was no 55cm Bianch to try but I tried a Trek in 56cm. I was in Evans a few weeks ago & was recommended a 59cm, but TBH I didn't get the impression that they lad in the shop knew his stuff.

I'm thinking of going for the 55cm, as they guy in the shop says that...

1) 55cm should be fine & I should err on the side of comfort coming from a MTB
2) if it is a little small, there is potential to raise or move seat

Would you guys & girls think I'd be safe enough going for a 55cm based on the above. I'm going to abroad for a few weeks & want to order the bike for pickup once I'm home - the LBS claims there's delivery issues with bianchi due to a fire.

I'm riding about 150-180km/week at the moment on a MTB. I'd be looking to increase that once I get the speed machine.

All opinion greatly received !!!!!!!!!!!!

alfablue

The reach to the bars is the more important sizing issue, not the seat height. So the important dimension is top tube length. Other factors that affect reach are stem length, seatpost layback, and position of seat in the clamp. These can be adjusted to some extent to tailor the fit, but you need to have the top tube length in the right ball park to start with.

When comparing geometries between different models you need to look at the "effective" or "virtual" top tube length, as this is the distance horizontally between seatpost and head tube (the actual top tube will slope down to varying degrees so isn't a reliable measure between brands).

You may find a bike of brand X of a given size has an effective top tube (ETT) length different from that on a bike from Brand Y even if the frame sizes are nominally the same, so if you sit on a bike that is comfy for reach of Brand X then when looking at Brand Y, the one with the closest ETT will be the equivalent size.

I did order a mail order bike by closely comparing the geometry of a bike I had already that was comfy, this worked for me on this occasion.

Best thing is to go to a quality LBS and get a proper fitting. The good ones will have a jig for you to sit on to get the best fit.

mattward1979

Im 6'4" and feel way more comfortable on a 58cm frame as opposed to the 61cm frame that the majority of sizing charts reccomend.

Ride bikes of different sizes. I have a long torso and stumpy legs for a guy of my height (think the tallest Midget you ever met!) so no chart or calculator is going to work. For me the only way to get a right fit was to try out different frame sizes until I was comfy!

steve36

im 6`1" and ride a via nirone 57cm,it feels perfect to me

Philby

I'm 6 foot exactly and ride a 57cm Bianchi Via Nirone as well - as with steve36 it feels perfect, unlike a number of other brands I tried which came up too small or too large.

saunaboy

cheers for the opinions, much appreciated.

From what the three last posters are saying - it basically confirms how I felt. I'm not a particularly lanky 5'10'' and on the recommended 57cm I felt like I was in a sort of superman position. I'm not a racer or anything & feel more comfortable being able to sit up a bit.

vernthemerciless

I'm 5'9 and ride that same bike in a 55 but I have long legs which makes things awkward because while the seat tube was about perfect the LBS had to fit a slightly shorter stem to get it to fit just right. Fits perfectly now BTW.

Bear in mind that top tubes tend to vary by 2cm between frames and therefore the length can be corrected to some exten by replacing the stem. However, having a really long stem can make handling twitchy and can mean you shift more of your weight over the front wheel when out of the saddle.

I'd be careful f just buying something that feels right if you're not used to the riding position because if you've not ridden road bikes before what feels good basically doesn't mean much. I originally wanted to go for a 53 because it was instantly comfy but after a few months of riding I reckon I would have found it a bit small. Being fairly upright is all well and good but it's just making you go slower. Ideally you want to be as aero as you can comfortably be for hours on end.

careful

I am just under 5' 11" and recently got fitted for a Bianchi C2C. I got the 55cm which after 500 comfy miles (not all in one go) still seems perfect for me with a 11cm stem. Dont forget that Bianchi sizes are from b/b centre to centre of virtual top tube whereas some makers measure to the top of the virtual top tube. This means that a 55 is equivalent to approx 57 in some makes.

saunaboy

Careful - great stuff, cheers. That's pretty much convinced me.

How are you finding the C2C? It's a lovely looking bike - compared to the Treks of similar place in range the attention to detail in the frame looks better.

Which one do you have? I'm looking to get the Xenon-equipped model.

careful

Really pleased - it is exactly the compromise I wanted between performance and long distance comfort. I tested about 10 bikes and in the end it was between the Bianchi C2C Infinito Ultegra and the Scott CR1 pro. In the end the Bianchi won mainly cos it looks better IMO. I teted an Athena model, but I am far more comfortable with Shimano and wanted to keep compatibility with other wheels etc. The Ultegra comes with Fulcrum 7 as standard, but Epic cycles (brilliant) upgraded to Fulcrum 3 at the same price. Well pleased.

rolf_f

steve36 wrote:

im 6`1" and ride a via nirone 57cm,it feels perfect to me

Same height as me and no Bianchi fits me. Top tube too long. Down to all those Italians with short legs and long arms.......