New bike, looks like childs bike?

Brava210
Brava210 Posts: 64
edited September 2012 in Road beginners
Silly title..... After a massive load of hassle I have now in my possession a new Felt Z95 :D
I am only 5-5 and 29 inside leg so Wiggle suggested 51cm frame.
It seems to feel not too bad, very quick. The frame just looks very small although I am short :oops:
Does this sound like the right size?
When riding with hands on the hoods,looking down the bars are almost parallel with the front axle
I know its the relaxed geometry type frame.



Gary
Boardman Pro Carbon (Nowt wrong with Boardman)
Boardman Team Hybrid
(I need to lose weight)

Comments

  • Mikey41
    Mikey41 Posts: 690
    Sounds about right to me, I'm 5-8 / 5-9 and would be looking at 53cm / 54cm.

    Basically if you don't feel cramped or stretched out, then it's right.
    Giant Defy 2 (2012)
    Giant Defy Advanced 2 (2013)
    Giant Revel 1 Ltd (2013)
    Strava
  • I'm 5' 7" with 29 IL. Both my bikes are 51cm - and both a perfect fit. I sat on a lot of bikes before buying.
  • Cheers thanks for the reassurance.

    Gary
    Boardman Pro Carbon (Nowt wrong with Boardman)
    Boardman Team Hybrid
    (I need to lose weight)
  • Mikey41 wrote:
    Sounds about right to me, I'm 5-8 / 5-9 and would be looking at 53cm / 54cm.

    Basically if you don't feel cramped or stretched out, then it's right.

    See that's odd. I'm 5,9" and my new Canyon is a 56cm and fits perfectly, maybe even slightly small!
  • Mikey41
    Mikey41 Posts: 690
    Hmm, checking the charts again, I could have been wrong. When I'm ready to buy I'll have to go sit on some bikes and see for sure.
    Giant Defy 2 (2012)
    Giant Defy Advanced 2 (2013)
    Giant Revel 1 Ltd (2013)
    Strava
  • I have a very short everything, I had a carrera TDF 54 cm, which to me felt too big so I took it back
    Although when looking at it in the shop it looks small.
    The felt size chart does say 51 or 54
    Boardman Pro Carbon (Nowt wrong with Boardman)
    Boardman Team Hybrid
    (I need to lose weight)
  • shane r
    shane r Posts: 326
    I'm 5'9" with 29 inseam.

    I have a Ribble 52cm.

    I have just ordered a Dolan and supplied them with my pro bike fit stats and they are building me a 48cm.

    Geometry makes masses of difference from frame to frame.

    One thing to also note, if you have a 'short' inseam like me you should be on 170 cranks-but very few prebuilt bikes come with short cranks like that.
    Coupla Road Bikes
  • can't comment on whether the size is correct, but i have a 61cm Z85 and the compact geometry means i still have a pretty long seatpost and for the untrained eye (like mine) it looks too small. Stand it up next to my housemates horizontal top tube though and despite the frame shape, you can easily see all the contact points are where they should be
  • I may take a look at a boardman 53cm
    Boardman Pro Carbon (Nowt wrong with Boardman)
    Boardman Team Hybrid
    (I need to lose weight)
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    I'm 5'6" but with longer legs / shorter body have a 31" inside leg. I'm a 51 or 52 in most road bike sizes, so I'd say you're on the right size frame.
  • NITR8s
    NITR8s Posts: 688
    Im 5,4 with a 28 inside leg. I ride a 44cm Pinarello. I know the sizing is different to other bikes have been advised it is about a 48/49cm normal frame. It looks tiny compared to everyone elses frame, but I was measured up and fitted by LBS.
  • I have manually measured from top of seat post to centre of bottom bracket and it's 48cm. Ugh?
    Boardman Pro Carbon (Nowt wrong with Boardman)
    Boardman Team Hybrid
    (I need to lose weight)
  • lef
    lef Posts: 728
    baldwin471 wrote:
    Mikey41 wrote:
    Sounds about right to me, I'm 5-8 / 5-9 and would be looking at 53cm / 54cm.

    Basically if you don't feel cramped or stretched out, then it's right.

    See that's odd. I'm 5,9" and my new Canyon is a 56cm and fits perfectly, maybe even slightly small!

    Maybe you have a longer than average torso (or maybe I have shorter than average torso!). I am 5' 9"(and a half...all important!) and have the 54 and reach is perfect with a 100mm stem, not the pokey 90mm standard stem that comes on a 54. The Canyon fit calculator isn't that great in my opinion. It said 56 for me but I can assure you it would have been too large, for me at least. I'm sure I could have gone down to a 52 with a 120mm stem if I wanted to follow the 'pro look' but that doesn't really interest me.

    The felt probably looks small because it is the same reason a 60 frame looks huge, it's because it is. As long as it doesn't look like a bmx (planet X!) I wouldn't worry about it.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    http://www.feltbicycles.com/USA/2013/Ro ... s/Z95.aspx

    You can see from their geometry chart that for a size 51 none of the dimensions is exactly 51cm. Top tube length is closest. Seat tube, as you've discovered, is a lot shorter.

    I'd still say you have the right size
  • I am just under 5'4" with a 30" inseam and I'm on a 48cm Specialized bike - though I'm female and it's women specific!

    If I measure from the top of the seat tube to the centre of the crank it comes to far less - cant remember exactly now but I think I was about 43cm.
  • Ooh that is small ;)
    So I assume a 53 boardman would be too big

    Gary
    Boardman Pro Carbon (Nowt wrong with Boardman)
    Boardman Team Hybrid
    (I need to lose weight)
  • Brava210 wrote:
    Ooh that is small ;)
    So I assume a 53 boardman would be too big

    Gary

    My 53cm Boardman fits me fine (Apart from the stem was too long) and my 56cm Canyon fits me perfectly. Weird innit?
  • baldwin471 wrote:
    Brava210 wrote:
    Ooh that is small ;)
    So I assume a 53 boardman would be too big

    Gary

    My 53cm Boardman fits me fine (Apart from the stem was too long) and my 56cm Canyon fits me perfectly. Weird innit?

    How tall are you etc
    Boardman Pro Carbon (Nowt wrong with Boardman)
    Boardman Team Hybrid
    (I need to lose weight)
  • Brava210 wrote:
    baldwin471 wrote:
    Brava210 wrote:
    Ooh that is small ;)
    So I assume a 53 boardman would be too big

    Gary

    My 53cm Boardman fits me fine (Apart from the stem was too long) and my 56cm Canyon fits me perfectly. Weird innit?

    How tall are you etc

    175cm 85cm inseam. Different frame geometry remember.
  • Brava - I have a 51cm Boardman Road Team (my inside leg is 29"). I tried both the 51 and 53. Both fitted me, as much as I could see in a Halfords 'busy store' environment. I chose the 51 and I believe I chose correctly. But that was a gamble. I think you have to go out on the bike to know. Given your own measurements, I would suggest the 51 is ideal. There are a few tweaks you can make to the sizing that will help. (Reverse stem, seatpost up and down, saddle rail movement).
  • I have flipped the stem, I went out on the felt tonight and it feels good and controllable.
    I just want to make sure while I still can return the Felt that it is right.
    I was looking at the road boardman today at £669, the frame is lovely but the components are not as good as the felts
    I can get a 20% discount at Halfords so I am still thinking it over :(
    Boardman Pro Carbon (Nowt wrong with Boardman)
    Boardman Team Hybrid
    (I need to lose weight)
  • Surely seeing as the seat tube is actually 47.5cm rather than the 51cm I was expecting.
    This means I need the saddle up higher making the riding position with more weight on the hands?
    This is the reason I went for the z series felt, for the relaxed geometry.
    Would it be better with a longer seat tube and shorter seat post?

    Gary
    Boardman Pro Carbon (Nowt wrong with Boardman)
    Boardman Team Hybrid
    (I need to lose weight)
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    I'm 6 foot and ride a 53cm, because the frame is long for a given size.

    Comparing different seat tube lengths between manufacturers means near enough nothing because the rest of the geometry can vary so much. A bike from Brand A can have a longer top tube than a bike from Brand B that's nominally 'bigger'.
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • Paul E
    Paul E Posts: 2,052
    I always look at top tube length to see how well a frame will fit me, I'm on a 54cm trek which fits fine with a 100mm stem, I might even need to go to 110mm but I did have a 56cm Sectuer and that never really felt right even with a 90mm stem
  • The top tube on the felt is 47cm which I feel is short, online calculator says I should need a 55 cm top tube ?

    Gary
    Boardman Pro Carbon (Nowt wrong with Boardman)
    Boardman Team Hybrid
    (I need to lose weight)
  • Well the Felt went back, and I now have a Boardman Road 53cm which was a bargain at £495
    It feels better with a slightly shorter stem and it has a beautifully crafted frame too :D


    Gary
    Boardman Pro Carbon (Nowt wrong with Boardman)
    Boardman Team Hybrid
    (I need to lose weight)