So confused...

cranvey1234

Just cannot make my mind up as to what bike to buy.

I have a budget of around £550. The only bike I've test ridden was an Allez in 56 and 58cm. The smaller bike felt better, however, I have been told that reducing the stem size was on the 58 was probably the better bet. But felt more comfortable with the 56cm.

I ended up ordering a 56 online and am now regretting that choice. It seems that wherever I look, whatever measurements I put in, a 58cm ALWAYS comes out trumps. I used competitive cyclist's bike fit and it also recommended that the larger top tube would suit.

I'm overweight as we speak and probably not as flexible as I could be. I've also never ridden a road bike properly before which maybe why I preferred the more scrunched up feel on the smaller frame. Either way I want to cancel my order at the earliest opportunity and side for something else. But what?

What can you actually buy for £550 which is half decent and in a 58cm frame size?

PS if anyone would like to confirm frame sizes, I'm 6ft 1 and have a (bike) inside leg of 35 inches. (32-34 jean)

What to do!?

ugo.santalucia

Years ago I had an alley 56 and I am 5' 10"... I'd say you are a 58

cranvey1234

Yeah, I think I was just out of practice on a bike.

I ride an XL Specialized Crosstrail sport. Totally differenct marque, but large bike nonetheless.

joeweston3

Try something a little less aggressive, if you aren't particularly flexible and haven't owned a road bike before then I would suggest something a little more forgiving, something along the lines of a Cannondale Synapse or Giant Defy! You'll find that the Specialized Allez will always want to get you relatively low at the front and a little stretched out as it is a similar geometry to a Tarmac, where as something like the Synapse or Defy will be little more relaxed at the front and a little comfier as well! IME if you are 56/58 in Specialized then I would suggest try a 56 in the Cannondale, I have no experience of Giant though so you would be best seeking someone elses advice!

ugo.santalucia

I disagree... stick to the Allez, it's a lovely frame!

cranvey1234

Allez feels nice to be honest.

Just needs a tweak here and there to get the best fit I think. To be honest, with the discounts available at the moment, I can get a 15' Allez for £440 all said and done. That leaves a lovely pot available for future upgrades.

Cannondales are lovely though!

Grill

I'm just shy of 6' and would ride that frame in a 54 even though all the fit calculators say otherwise. Point is, if you feel conformable on the 56 then it's fine. You can adjust a small bike to fit with no problems, but with a bike that's too large there's always going to be a more noticeable compromise.

cranvey1234

This also leads me to biting the bullet and buying the cannondale you know.. I've heard the CAAD8 and Synapse are slightly larger than most other brands with sizing. Meaning that it would probably fit comfortably between the 56 and 58 dilemma I'm currently having... Need to make a decision by morning as that's when I need to cancel the original order.

northpole

In 2006 I was recovering from a severe lower lumbar problem and my back man recommended cycling as the way to start back into exercise. I went to two cycle surgery outlets and both advised that I was definitely a 58. Deferring to their better knowledge I bought a 58cm Roubaix Pro. I later replaced it (still have it for commuting) with an xl wilier cento uno which felt much better to me. These are the equivalent of 57cm. That in turn was replaced with a colnago c59 size 54s which feels very similar to the cento uno.

I still use the roubaix for the daily commute and after weekend rides on the other bikes I say to myself most Monday mornings - the roubaix just feels too big. My suspicion is that you would be fine with a 56cm allez which, like all bikes, you should have it properly set up to suit your shape ie advice on saddle position (fore/ aft/ up/ down); stem length; spacers to set handle bar height. Unlikely that your body is lying to you! Incidentally, I am 6' 1", 34/34 jeans and back in the day when recovering I was very inflexible!

Peter

on-yer-bike

Im 5-10 and I had a 54 Allez with a 120mm stem. Had a few spacers though to raise the handlebars. Dont compare one brands 58 to another they can vary significantly. I think Spech come up quite large. Dont compare a Roubaix to an Allez the Roubaix is higher at the front.

ayjaycee

Just goes to show that no two people are alike. I'm about the same height as you and also ride both an Allez (2015 Elite) and Crosstrail (2012 Comp Disc) - the latter in winter and when out with the Mrs in the better weather. The Allez is a 56cm with a 120mm stem and the Crosstrail is a XL with a 110mm stem. Both fit me fine.

The position on the Allez was as a result of a bike fit by Andy at Bike Science Bike Science Bristol (top bloke by the way) and I transferred some of the measurements across to the Crosstrail with minor adjustments as advised by Andy.

Was I you, I would stick with the Allez, particularly if you got it on one of the deals which are currently widely available - if you didn't get it on a deal, send it back and buy one at the reduced price (or negotiate the current one down!). Great bike all round and I suspect that it will get a lot more comfortable for you as fitness and strength improve.

letap73

Grill wrote:

I'm just shy of 6' and would ride that frame in a 54 even though all the fit calculators say otherwise. Point is, if you feel conformable on the 56 then it's fine. You can adjust a small bike to fit with no problems, but with a bike that's too large there's always going to be a more noticeable compromise.

I would go with Grill here, you say the 56 is more comfortable, this trumps the online fit calculators. Height is not necessarily a completely true indicator of the correct bike size. I do know people who are 6ft plus who ride on bikes that would be considered 54s and also know people who ride 58s who are less than 6ft. It is a good idea to try other bikes.

kajjal

I am 6ft7 and ride a 62cm Trek which going by the charts is a size too small for me. It fits me fine , with the riding position I want and I don't get any aches or injuries. The charts are just a guide to get you in the right area, after that just choose what feels best and gives you the ride / position you are after. If the bike is a little small a longer or flipped stem can help.

ayjaycee

ayjaycee wrote:

The Allez is a 56cm with a 120mm stem and the Crosstrail is a XL with a 110mm stem. Both fit me fine.

CORRECTION The Allez does have a 120mm stem but I have just been out on the Crosstrail and noticed that the stem is actually a lot shorter at 70mm. Given the relative riding positions, I guess that makes a lot more sense!

pippi_langsamer-2

I used to have an S-Works E5, which they discontinued with the dawning of Tarmac etc, but I think they are essentially the now Allez. I'm 183cm or pretty much 6ft, and I rode a 56 (as I still do with all my bikes).

I'd stick with the 56.

I loved that bike. Wish I'd never sold it tbh....

ascurrell

Kajjal wrote:

I am 6ft7 and ride a 62cm Trek which going by the charts is a size too small for me. It fits me fine , with the riding position I want and I don't get any aches or injuries. The charts are just a guide to get you in the right area, after that just choose what feels best and gives you the ride / position you are after. If the bike is a little small a longer or flipped stem can help.

The stem flip is a great idea if the position is a little aggressive. If your flexibility improves you can always flip it back at a later stage. Regarding the sizing, really it's what you feel best on, different brands size in differnt ways.

southdownswolf

I'm 6ft and ride a 56 Allez, If I was to order again I would probably go a size smaller...
If the 56 feels a little too small then try a slightly longer stem to see if that helps. The Allez is a great bike that lasts people for many years, no need to spend another £500 on a similar bike if you can get the current bike to fit at a fraction of the cost. After all, if you can get it to fit with something as simple as a changed stem, that will leave you plenty of money for upgrades or a cycling holiday :-)

mpatts

height is sometimes quite unhelful - I had a 56 allez and I'm 5ft 9. I'm very long legged.

CptMuppet

I am 6ft and would consider myself over weight. I have a Giant Defy 3 with a M/L frame which I think is a 56, I wouldn't want anything bigger and feel very comfortable on it. I understand its a bit more relaxed than some bikes but it suits me just fine. I had never ridden a road bike before this only had MTBs before and it took a few weeks and tweaks for it to feel right.

thomasmorris

mpatts wrote:

height is sometimes quite unhelful - I had a 56 allez and I'm 5ft 9. I'm very long legged.

Which in itself is unusual (maybe personal preference).

If you're long legged, that means your body is short, so so the usual advice is going a size down is the better option as it's easier to get a good fit by raising the saddle on a smaller frame than by compromising steering stability (too short a stem) or seat layback (in line post) on a larger frame.

If you're 5ft 9 on a 56 with long legs then your upper body must be super stretched.. unless you've got a 70 mm stem on or something.

Matthewfalle

6'1 all leg, 32 inch waist and ride both a 57 and 56 with no troubles at all - I threw a 120mm stem on the 56 instead of my 110mm normal for the 57 but don't really notice any difference between them all. Half of me said that the 10mm extra would make up for the 10mm difference in frame size, half of me saw the £120 off discount and thought yeah, 10mm will make absolutely bugger all difference. Which was right.

If the cap fits, as they say .......

At the end of the day the problem with bicycles is that you can beat yourself up all day and night worrying about the length of this and the angle of that and the pressure of the tyres when riding up a hill in the rain but everyone is different - if you liked the 56 and it felt fine then don't worry about what forums/calculators/your mother's uncle's ex wife says.