pro riders set up and bike sizes

BoydD

I've been searching the net trying to find the sizes used by some of the top pro riders with little success. Does anybody know a site with this info? Do pros use different size frames/set up depending on the type of stage. I appreciate the gearing may change but I'm more concerned about their actual fit on the bike.

This is just out of curiosity really. Their frames always look small to my uneducated eye.

csp

I think Paris-Roubaix bikes have longer top tubes.

dave_1

Pros used to slam back the saddle and lots of seat pin showing..slam back and high, flat back..it was in vogue in the 1980s, but I read of and see people with less radical more back friendly set ups. I think there is no correct set up and simply what suits you is best. It's like the spinning versus pushing gear debate..nobody really knows which works best and if the last TDF winner or Gilbert did it one style..everyone mimics that for a year or two till someone new comes along with new theory

--Darren--

Cycling New have a whole list of pro bike setup info, just need to search. Couple for starters

Nibalis

Van Garderen

Rule74Please

Frames tend to be 1 size smaller than used by public. Stems tend to be 130 or 140mm long to compensate. Longer stem makes the handling a little slower which is handy when surrounded by 200 riders all wanting to be in the same place at the same time.

Remember their employers don't care if they can walk at 50 as long as they are fast now. You should never use a pro setup to determine how you should look on a bike.

BoydD

thanks for the feedback, I always thought the frame sizes used looked small compared to recreational cyclists. --Darren-- thanks for the links, must have missed these.

Cleat Eastwood

cadels world champs bike



seems tiny but look at the size of the stem...its bigger than Rujano.

50cm BMC SLR01 Red
140mm Easton EA90 Stem
42cm EC90 Carbon Equipe Pro Bars
Campagnolo Super Record 2010
11-27 Cassette
172.5mm Cranks
Record front derailleur
Easton EC90 Tubular Wheels w/ Continental Competition Pro Ltd Tires
Speedplay Zero Ti Pedals (white)
Selle Italia Elite TT team edition saddle (white)
FSA Ceramic Headset
Swissstop Yellow Carbon Brake Pads

Rodrego Hernandez

Cadel won the worlds on a canyon

bigdaveskinnytyre

I was looking at the feature on the main site about Alex Dowsett's Dogma, I'm the same height as him but I'm assuming he has slightly shorter legs than me (his saddle is 15mm lower).

I ride a 58, he rides a 54. OK the geometry of our bikes will be slightly different (I ride a Roubaix) but I was surprised to see a 2 size difference I would have expected him to be on a 56.

I don't think I could handle his 14.5cm saddle to bar drop, especially as at my saddle height it would be nearer 16cm.

wjcrombie

bigdaveskinnytyre wrote:

I was looking at the feature on the main site about Alex Dowsett's Dogma, I'm the same height as him but I'm assuming he has slightly shorter legs than me (his saddle is 15mm lower).

I ride a 58, he rides a 54. OK the geometry of our bikes will be slightly different (I ride a Roubaix) but I was surprised to see a 2 size difference I would have expected him to be on a 56.

I don't think I could handle his 14.5cm saddle to bar drop, especially as at my saddle height it would be nearer 16cm.

Most recreational riders ride bikes that are to big for them. I am guessing you are an example - you should probably be riding a 56, not a 58 and Dowsett then fits perfectly into the 1 smaller than normal situation.

riding with lots of drop is more about making sure everything is not to long and then adapting to it slowly than anything else. Riding a smaller bike that you should helps keep everything nice and tight in terms of TT length.

Rodrego Hernandez

bigdaveskinnytyre wrote:

I was looking at the feature on the main site about Alex Dowsett's Dogma, I'm the same height as him but I'm assuming he has slightly shorter legs than me (his saddle is 15mm lower).

I ride a 58, he rides a 54. OK the geometry of our bikes will be slightly different (I ride a Roubaix) but I was surprised to see a 2 size difference I would have expected him to be on a 56.

I don't think I could handle his 14.5cm saddle to bar drop, especially as at my saddle height it would be nearer 16cm.

Dogmas size up big so you'd probably go a smaller size in one. Wiggins rides a 56 and he's 6 foot 2

rick_chasey

That's how you sit on a bike.

Tom Butcher

The geometry chart I'm looking at
http://www.competitivecyclist.com/frame/2012-Pinarello-dogma-2-10121.html

doesn't list a 58 Dogma and a different top tube length to the one quoted in the article for a 54 ?

That aside a 54 does seem very small for a 6 foot tall rider - especially if that figure of 53.5cm top tube is correct. Makes you wonder whether a short top tube with a long stem is the way to go or if it's a necessary evil to get sufficient saddle to bars drop.

Mind you Nibali is quoted in the first link as riding a more normal 12cm stem and he seems to handle a bike better than the rest.

Rodrego Hernandez

Wiggins rides a 56

bigdaveskinnytyre

wjcrombie wrote:

Most recreational riders ride bikes that are to big for them. I am guessing you are an example - you should probably be riding a 56, not a 58 and Dowsett then fits perfectly into the 1 smaller than normal situation.

riding with lots of drop is more about making sure everything is not to long and then adapting to it slowly than anything else. Riding a smaller bike that you should helps keep everything nice and tight in terms of TT length.

It may sound like I'm riding too large a bike but unfortunately for me anything smaller than a 57-58 and I start getting cramped in the top tube (Orangutan arms) and the head tubes become way too short. Back when I was racing and had a Look 585 (57) I had a 130mm stem but needed a couple of spacers (30mm) to get the bars high enough.

The 58 Roubaix with a 120 stem and no spacers gives me a similar reach to the Look and a slightly higher bar position without spacers (I'm not racing at the moment and ride a a slightly more relaxed position now) If I return to road racing I may trade for a Tarmac or similar which will give me pretty much the same reach and minimal spacers under the stem.

If I were to ride a Dogma I would go for a 57.5 to get the 57 top tube and a long enough head tube, if I were to go for the 56 it would require a lot of spacers and probably a 140 stem (personally not a fan of anything over 130).

Every bike fit I've had (and advice from my coach when I was racing) confirmed that I have always ridden an appropriate sized frame (my position is now a hybrid of cyclefit / coaches advice and a lot of experience), although bikefitting.com overcompensates for my arm length and for a while I was riding a custom frame with a 60cm top tube (the bike was stable if nothing else).

So that was a long winded way of saying I'm probably on the cusp of needing 56 or 58 but go larger for the longer top tube and head tube.

prawny

Gilbert is the same height as me and uses the same size frame I would, his stem is 2cm longer though, don't know how long his arms are
.He's 5kg lighter than me too, so that's all that stands between me and my fortune. No more cake this week!