54 frame to small for 6'1?

samfinister

Hi All,

Ive got a very good offer for a focus cayo evo 6.0 bike, but its a M frame. Im currently riding a small bike at the min, but its very old. I have a bike ride coming up on the 1st of sept and i thought it would be good to get a different bike before then.
But is the frame too small? if so is it worth buying and adding a longer stem?

Thanks!

carrock

If you are riding a small bike at 6 1 then a medium bike would better than that but still too small.

Most people at your height ride a 56 or 58 so a 54 would be too small. Even with a 130mm stem you would have a big saddle to bar drop. Never buy a bike the wrong size because it is cheap.

Grill

Depends entirely on your morphology. I'm just shy of 6' and ride M frames with the saddle pushed forward and 110mm stem. It would be worth getting a fitting and seeing if you can work with the stack and reach.

samfinister

Would i be able to ride it comfortably?
Or am i just hoping because its such a bargain?

sloppyschleckonds

Gilbert rode a 51 at Paris - Roubaix and he's over 6 foot

Grill

Probably. Making a small frame fit is pretty easy whereas one that's too large will never feel right. There are pros bigger than you who ride even smaller frames but not vice versa.

mfin

I'm 6ft, ideal effective top tube length for me is 555mm and Headtube about 150mm riding a 120mm stem, that's in the ballpark of a lot of companies Medium frames, my Cervelo is a 54cm with 548mm tt and 140mm ht and I ride that with a 130mm stem with 7mm of spacers.

Everybody's different proportions though... you have to know your bike fit AND have ridden it a lot and tweaked as necessary.

samfinister

So really if i do get it, i need to ride it around alot and change things to make it fit better. but its doable?

markos1963

It would be ok if your femur length was shorter than average for your height. You can make it fit if this is the case i.e. layback seat post and longer stem.

mfin

Eh? that all depends on Seat Tube angle, you don't stretch a position by moving the seat back, that's a daft thing to do. There's a right height for a saddle and a right distance that the saddle is behind the bottom bracket, that's the first part of a correct bike fit really (after your cleats are in the right position for you on your shoe).

mfin

samfinister wrote:

So really if i do get it, i need to ride it around alot and change things to make it fit better. but its doable?

Might be ok, might not. Depends on your proportions and your position. If you ride in a relatively aggressive position it could work. If you ride in the Mary Poppins position then no chance really.