Bike Sizing

jds_1981

Hi,

I normally ride a mountain bike but am thinking of getting a road bike for my commute. I went & sat on a specialized Allez today. I'm a tiny bit over 5'7 which apparently means I would normally take the 54 inch frame. The shop only had a 56 inch frame which I tried & tbh felt okay. However, I'm not really sure what it is supposed to be like and didn't have a 54 to compare it to (although there was a trek 54" which also felt okay.)

As it's not in stock I'm tempted to order the 54" Allez online but don't want to have it arrive & realise it is too small.

Will 54" almost defintely be correct for me or is it impossible to tell?

Thanks

Blue Meanie

I'm 5'10 and I fit a 54 Allez, but prefer the 56. It's quite compact and normally has a lot of seat post showing.

It's more to do with the distance between your saddle and handle bar and where you're sat above the pedals, a 56 might feel very long when you get more supple and drop your stem/get used to the drops. My first real road bike was a Principia, with their super-compact geometry, and it was an alledged 49! Worked out more like 53... I liked the twitchy feel of a smaller frame as it reminded me more of my mtb.
Since riding road more and more, I now ride a 56 Gazelle and prefer the more stretched position. The Principia now belongs to my GF, and although she's a bit shorter than me she has nice long legs :P , but we had to change the stem and get narrower handlebars.
It's only seeing her on it that I now realise it was too small for me.

Get sat on the 54 before you spend if possible, but it sounds about right.

biondino

As Blue Meanie explains, these days the measurement you mention can mean almost anything, so it's hard to say for sure whether this frame'd fit you. However, I suspect not, and it's really hard to make a too-big frame fit (it's easier to make a smaller one bigger).

Another question - how long are your legs and torso? A longer torso can take a bigger bike, whereas a shorter torso would mean you'd be really stretched. Legs are easier to deal with to a point as that's more a function of saddle height (though of course the higher the saddle, the more stretched the position too).

jeremyrundle

This confuses me.

When I was young you were asked to sit on the bicycle, and place your foot on the ground, if you could do so comfortably with the seat at middle height the bicycle was ok.

Now I ride a Saracen, the ball of my foot reaches the ground and I can get on and off ok, but I see so many teenagers with these bikes that look like they are for ten year olds with the saddle two feet off the ground and they are 6', or riders of road bikes with the saddle so high I would need a ladder.

Is it simply a case these days of if it fits, is safe and comfortable, does it matter, !!!! I am confused.

the_hundredth_idiot

Compact geometry is the problem. Bikes used to be fairly standard design with flat top tubes but many bikes now have this compact geometry with sloping top tubes.

To the OP: I'm 5' 9" and I've got two road bikes - one a 55cm and the other a 54cm. I would guess that a 56cm might be a little too big for you but, by changing the length of the stem and other tweaks, a bike could still be made to fit you reasonably well.

The advantage of buying from a shop rather than second-hand or online is that that a decent bike shop should be able to ensure the bike fits you when you ride it out of the shop by making these tweaks. Definitely don't buy the wrong size just because that happens to be what the shop has in stock.

SimonLyons

Do a search for "Specialized sizing chart Allez" in google.
54cm 5'6 -5'9
56cm 5'9 - 6'0"

As a warning...
In 2009, I got a Defy.Tried a large in the shop - thought this is OK.
One I got it and started riding realised it was too stretched out and had to change the stem from 12cm to 9cm.

biondino

I'm 6 foot and my two road bikes are 58cm and 56cm, and comparing the two I reckon I'm about a 57cm, ideally.

invincible

i'm 5'7 & ride a 52cm allez

due to havent smaller legs & longer torso the 54 did feel ok to ride but i felt there wasnt enough clearance

can the shop not order in a 54 for you to try?

failing that isnt there a local evans or edinburgh who can order in a 54 for you with refundable deposit, the geometry is is same through spec range so its only a case of size checking

which spec were you after btw?

jds_1981

I went for the http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/productDeta ... egoryID=41
& ordered a 54" based off the sizing chart.

Thanks.

invincible

cool let us know how you get on with her 8)