Height, size, reach..

chatlow

Looking at a new bike and don't want to make the mistake of it being too big or small. I am 5'9" with a 32" inseam. So a fairly short torso. On paper I should be cycling a medium 54cm. Unfortunately one of the 54cm bikes I tried felt a little stretched out, so I've got the option of a shorter stem for the 54 or a longer stem on a 51cm. Does it matter which one I choose?

arran77

If you're dead set on a particular make and model and don't want to change from that then within reason I'd err on the side of caution and go smaller as it's much easier to make a small bike bigger than vice versa.

Dezza

Get a cycle fit. I wish I had before buying my first bikes, would have saved me a lot of cash and injury.

mfin

54cm frames can vary a lot. You actually need to at least understand Effective Toptube Length, Seattube Angle, Headtube Length and Bottom Bracket Drop, plus how they interact and affect the fit. (The 54cm part has nothing to do with any of these)

drlodge

Sounds to me you are about a "54cm" frame size. The issue with going to a smaller frame is that you will also get a smaller head tube, which means the drop from saddle to bars will be even greater. I would seek some expert bike fit advice otherwise you risk making a big mistake.

Do you feel simply too stretched out, or too much weight on your hands?

chatlow

drlodge wrote:

Sounds to me you are about a "54cm" frame size. The issue with going to a smaller frame is that you will also get a smaller head tube, which means the drop from saddle to bars will be even greater. I would seek some expert bike fit advice otherwise you risk making a big mistake.

Do you feel simply too stretched out, or too much weight on your hands?

Both stretched out and too much weight on my hands. This bike is a 54cm and it's referring to top tube length, not seat tube, but I will look at the other aspects of bike fitting before I buy.

Moonbiker

What bike was it?

cornerblock

Dezza wrote:

Get a cycle fit. I wish I had before buying my first bikes, would have saved me a lot of cash and injury.

^^^^^^^^^^^

This is the best advice.

jonny_trousers

drlodge wrote:

Sounds to me you are about a "54cm" frame size. The issue with going to a smaller frame is that you will also get a smaller head tube, which means the drop from saddle to bars will be even greater. I would seek some expert bike fit advice otherwise you risk making a big mistake.

Do you feel simply too stretched out, or too much weight on your hands?

^Yeah, these are the points you need to consider. I've owned bikes that have been both too long and too short for me and they each present different issues.

I'm not sure I'd recommend a bike fit particularly, but I would suggest you try both size frames prior to buying. The difference between a 54cm and a 51cm frame will mean all kinds of different angles.

If I had to give an opinion I'd say go 54 with a shorter stem.

darkhairedlord

I take it you already have a road bike?
Does it fit?
If it does then just look up or measure the geometry and compare with the new one.
54, 56,58 etc is largely irrelevant.
The only numbers that mean anything are the stack and reach. Get these close and the rest will dial out with stem length and seat set back.

marshall_a

I'm a similar size to yourself and personally I fit around a 54-55cm effective top tube length with 110\120mm stem (so usually 53\54cm seat tube), but with an inline seatpost. I've tried shorter stems but was never really comfortable with stock layback posts, even with saddle to bar distance the same or less than I have now, as my centre of gravity or balance always seemed out.

This has even allowed me to drop the bar height as my weight isn't going forward as much as it's better supported by the saddle and my legs on the pedals (plus improved core strength), so might be worth a try if it's an option when testing the bike(s) out.

duckson

5ft 8.5in, 30.5in inside leg and i have a small (listed as 52cm) Scott CR1 SL.

ETT is 530mm, 520mm seat tube, seat tube angle is 74.5deg, headtube is 136mm, 110mm stem and 25mm setback post and its perfect for me.
I had a Boardman Team Carbon in medium which had a 555mm ETT and found it slightly too big a bike for me, 100mm stem on that but seat further forward (73.5 deg seat tube angle).