61 cm vs 58cm Bike for 6f' 1" Person

Shark Sandwich
Shark Sandwich Posts: 77
edited April 2017 in Road buying advice
Hi everyone.

I currently ride a XXL (61cm) Spesh Allez which i have been riding a few years and am ready to upgrade to a new bike.

The bike is a good fit and I was looking at going for a tarmac in a similar size. However there seems to be so many good Bikes with better specs (and probably similar standard frames) available from online retailers (the usual suspects). But many of these brands' maximum size is 58cm.

I really don't want to go to my LBS and waste their time checking my bike sizing for me to just order elsewhere, so was wandering if anyone around my height had tried bikes of these size and had any feedback they could give.

Thanks

Comments

  • Green Lantern
    Green Lantern Posts: 64
    I am 6'1, and weigh 203 pounds. I had a 60 cm bike and went to a 58 cm on my new bike. Cornering is improved with being lower to the ground, and most importantly, I am very comfortable on the bike. I confirmed with several that a 60 cm for me was really too big. Fit also has to do with the stem, handlbar width, and saddle position (moving it forward or backward) so the pedal center is in the right position with your knee. There should be a gap between the top tube and yourself as well.
  • lycraholic
    lycraholic Posts: 127
    AFAIK the Tarmac also has a slightly longer top tube as well? I'd go for the 58 at a wild guess, but it depends entirely on your body shape.
  • frazered
    frazered Posts: 333
    edited July 2012
    edited - as realised mainly larges or 56cms were recommended to me! :oops:

    i am 6ft 1, 32-33 inside leg, 83kg and most bike shops I have been to have recommended 56cm

    Planet X - L
    Dolan - 56
    Specialized - 56 or 58
    Giant - Large
  • Shark Sandwich
    Shark Sandwich Posts: 77
    Thanks for the helpful advice guys. I'm pretty standard in terms of proportions for my height so i'm feeling more confident going for a 58. I may swing by an Evans and waste their time checking some 58s.

    Thanks
  • nochekmate
    nochekmate Posts: 3,460
    For normal proportions at 6ft 1 58cm frame should be plenty big enough
  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 20,800
    nochekmate wrote:
    For normal proportions at 6ft 1 58cm frame should be plenty big enough
    +1, depending on the actual bike geometry. I'm 6' and on a 56" Cannondale SuperSix - nice fit, and allows quite a racy set-up.
    https://www.facebook.com/unanglaisendiois
  • nbuuifx
    nbuuifx Posts: 302
    I'm 6'2" with a 33" inside leg.

    I've just purchased a 58cm Trek.

    I tried a 58cm Allez and found it a bit on the small side, I tried a Large Boardman (which they told me was a 55cm) and that felt just right. I tried a 60cm Giant and it was too big, only just cleared my nuts when standing over.


    My point being they all seem so different - and the Allez seems to be oversized compared to all the others so I'm not surprised you need a larger size for the Allez.
  • Leftfield
    Leftfield Posts: 11
    I'm just under 6'3" and bought an xl boardman road team. I think it's 57.5 frame and with a 33 inch inside leg is plenty big enough for me, in fact I have replaced the 130mm stem with a 90mm to prevent over stretching.
  • Evil Laugh
    Evil Laugh Posts: 1,412
    6'1" would be a 56 or 58 Tarmac.
  • stueys
    stueys Posts: 1,332
    Very difficult to draw blanket comparisons across the manufacturers, the geo can be quite different. Only well to tell is to try really and see what the reach feels like on the different bikes.
  • jon33
    jon33 Posts: 256
    Hi, I am having similar sizing issues. Sorry to hijack but there are some useful replies here if anyone could offer further advice.

    viewtopic.php?f=40020&t=12868904
  • MichaelW
    MichaelW Posts: 2,164
    Green Lantern wrote:
    Cornering is improved with being lower to the ground,
    Height from the ground (of the saddle and the rider) is varied by bottom bracket height and by crank length.
    Most bike sizes have the same bottom bracket height off the ground.
  • Shark Sandwich
    Shark Sandwich Posts: 77
    Is reach solely down to top tube length? From checking the geometry of 58cm most brands vs my allez, there is a maximum of 3cm more on the allez. Which I'm guessing can can be adjusted through saddle position and stem length?

    I would love to be able to test all the bikes i'm looking at, but Sheffield, Lancashire and Germany may not be possible at the moment!

    The fact that the Allez sizes large compared to other brands/models is interesting though, I am always surprised that i ride a 61cm where recommended frame for size is smaller. The bike is definitely comfortable, but maybe that is due high front end with a low saddle at the moment which I can replicate/get close too with some adjustments of the contact points.

    Thanks again for you replies
  • jamienorton
    jamienorton Posts: 182
    im 6'1 with 35" inseem, and ride 61cm rose with a fairly short tt, fits great.
  • t4tomo
    t4tomo Posts: 2,643
    Shark Sandwich wrote:
    I would love to be able to test all the bikes i'm looking at, but Sheffield, Lancashire and Germany may not be possible at the moment!

    It would make a good road trip though, particulalry if you are into decent beer and sausages.
    Bianchi Infinito CV
    Bianchi Via Nirone 7 Ultegra
    Brompton S Type
    Carrera Vengeance Ultimate Ltd
    Gary Fisher Aquila '98
    Front half of a Viking Saratoga Tandem
  • 4xlbiking
    4xlbiking Posts: 13
    jamienorton wrote:
    im 6'1 with 35" inseem, and ride 61cm rose with a fairly short tt, fits great.

    How long is your TT? I'm about the same height as you and same inseam. My frame is 61cm on my road bike. Curious here! Been having some pain. What size of stem do you have on the rose?
  • rawjunk
    rawjunk Posts: 9
    I'm 187 cm with 91 cm unseam and I ride 58 cm Cannondale Synapse Carbon with 110mm stem.
  • napoleond
    napoleond Posts: 5,992
    Don't account for reach by changing saddle position.
    Your saddle position should be set first then sort the reach afterwards.
    FWIW I'm 6'1 and ride a 58cm top tube bike.
    Insta: ATEnduranceCoaching
    ABCC Cycling Coach
  • shortfall
    shortfall Posts: 3,288
    In your situation I would pay for a bike fit and then you'll have a set of numbers for stack, saddle height, reach etc that you can cross reference with each manufacturers published figures. I bought a bike online by guesswork that ended up too small and spent the next 3 years mucking about trying to make it fit. I suffered 3 years of back and neck pain before selling it and going down the bespoke route. Act in haste etc.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,875
    Is everyone aware the OP is 5 years ago? To answer 4xl that is the more recent question, I would think 61cm is possibly on the large size. I'm a little over 6'1 and ride a 57cm bike, but we are all different as are our bikes so what works for me may not work for someone else. As shortfall says a fit is the best way to work out what is going on.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • wotnoshoeseh
    wotnoshoeseh Posts: 531
    It should be relatively easy to get the geometry of the Allez and then compare that to others. I'd also look at how the Allez is set up now. A short amount of seatpost showing would suggest that frame is a touch on the large side. To my mind a 61cm. frame is too large for a 6'1" bloke.
    I'm 5'11" and ride a 56 TT Felt, and a 57 Kinesis. The Kinesis has the stem slammed on it though, while the Felt has a few spacers on the stem.
    I'd have thought a 58 would be closer to the mark.

Categories