Newbie - Advice required

Easyrider642

Hello all, I'm after some advice regarding buying my first road bike. I'm a little apprehensive over sizing more than anything and have been to a number of well known retailers in the past week to try many different bikes in different sizes and I am even more confused now than I was last week.

I've got my eye on a cube and someone once told me that cubes were undersized but it doesn't seem to be the case any more where the geometry of a 56 seems very similar to 56 of other manufacturers.

However I've tried a 54, 56 and 58 and they all seem very comfortable and the assistants keep telling me that any of the sizes "will do" which I have been annoyed at being told that in 7 or 8 shops now.

My question therefore is I'm 5'11 with an inside leg of approx 33', does anyone else of similar stature own a cube if so what size?

The_Wicker_Man

Try getting a bike fit first, such as a retul one first. Can be a bit pricey but worth it in the longrun and once you have the bike fit done, you can then buy the perfect sized bike.

Frank Wilson

I am same measurements as you and ride a 55, but not a Cube so geometry may be different.

cougie

56 sounds ballpark to me but if in any doubt you can make a smaller frame fit you. You're stuffed if it's too big though.

Your shop should be able to guide you and explain why one is different to another. If they can't then go elsewhere. Done be fixed on cube. There's lots of good bikes out there.

yiannism

I have the same measurements as you, i used to drive an Orbea Avant 53 size, but it was a little small for me. Now i have Bianchi infinito and its a perfect fit on 55 size.

ZMC888

I'm about your size, a bit taller, but a bit shorter in the leg. I've got a Fuji in 52 and a Specialized in 56. Sounds silly but they both work very well for me, though I'm quite bendy from yoga and stuff, and enjoy a smaller frame from years on MTBs.

I think a 56 would probably be OK, but in your position I'd go for a 54 or 55. Personally I think it doesn't matter that much as long as your bike isn't too big or crazy small. I think a bike fit likely just gives you from 0-50 watts depending on how much your self configured fit was not optimal.

blackstar500

Same measurement as yourself ..ride a 56 but could do with a shorter stem maybe 80cm currently on 110

svetty

ZMC888 wrote:

.....I think a bike fit likely just gives you from 0-50 watts depending on how much your self configured fit was not optimal.

To get 50 watts it would have to be an improvement on the most extremely ill-fitting bike possible. Unicycle??

bobones

54 or 56 - For the same model of bike, a 54 will have shorter head tube so you can have more saddle to bar drop for a racier position. 56 will have you in a more relaxed position. Either will work. I am 5'11 with 33" inside leg and my good bike is a 54, my winter bike is a medium with a 55cm effective top tube, and I have 2 other road bikes which are 56s and also very comfortable.

daniel_b

bobones wrote:

54 or 56 - For the same model of bike, a 54 will have shorter head tube so you can have more saddle to bar drop for a racier position. 56 will have you in a more relaxed position. Either will work. I am 5'11 with 33" inside leg and my good bike is a 54, my winter bike is a medium with a 55cm effective top tube, and I have 2 other road bikes which are 56s and also very comfortable.

Similar for me - I am 5ft 10, with a 34" inseam, and used to ride a 56, but the top tube (And I think that is a key measurement) was too long - I now run that bike as a turbo bike with a short stem, and now ride 54's elsewhere.

540\545 seems to be my optimum TT length, with a set back seatpost, and either a 90 or 100mm stem.

As the op's upper torso is 2", or 5cm more than mine, I would have thought that would put you on a 56, with something between a 110 & 130 stem - reach and flexibility\preferences will come into play of course.

Easyrider642

Thanks for all the advice I finally managed to track down a 56 cube attain and it felt very good. Now just to decide whether to go for the attain sl disc or the gtc race for just another £100 which is very tempting.

mfin

Easyrider642 wrote:

Thanks for all the advice I finally managed to track down a 56 cube attain and it felt very good. Now just to decide whether to go for the attain sl disc or the gtc race for just another £100 which is very tempting.

Now you've mentioned the bike and looking back at your height etc, it does confirm that the 53 or 58 would be too big for you in that model. So, 56 would be the only candidate. As long as you can get low enough on it, meaning the stem can be positioned low enough for you (it wouldn't for some people your height), then you should be able to make it fit. That's the only thing really that stands out in the geometry of it immediately, that its head tube is quite long, so anything that heads towards any position that's not relaxed would not be possible. Don't be surprised if you end up with it slammed and maybe wishing you could go lower (if you are relatively flexible and/or young).

Seeing as you said it felt good you should be ok, but what I have said might get you to sit on it again and think about how low you can get it to go on the front (a bit more difficult to ascertain when you have little experience).

Easyrider642

That's very interesting. Trouble is I have nothing to compare the geometry of this bike against as it will be my first real bike. It's all very well it feeling comfortable in the shop but that is nothing until you take it out for real.

My problem now is that I tried this bike in a shop 300 miles from where I live and won't be near again soon and there isn't another bike shop within 75 miles that sells anything I'm remotely interested in or can afford.

I feel I want a more relaxed fit to begin with more orienteered towards endurance than racing but I'd hate to spend all the money only for it to feel awful a week later and I'm stuck with a huge paperweight.

Looks like it could be back to the drawing board again for 6 months which I did in April when I bought a bike from Decathlon but arrived damaged and had to send it back. Awful customer experience btw

Easyrider642

Looking at the Geometry I feel a 53 may be ok? No chance to try one this side of the new year now unfortunately

mfin

Easyrider642 wrote:

Looking at the Geometry I feel a 53 may be ok? No chance to try one this side of the new year now unfortunately

No, at your height the 53cm just looks too small. If the 56cm doesn't fit, the geometry characteristics of the bike are wrong for you.

Like I said before, you could likely be fine on that 56cm, if you're young you could find yourself riding it slammed, and then you could go for a negative rise stem.

IF you can't sit on it again, could you maybe go sit on something else and see how something else feels that has a lower front end?

It might be worth saying how old and flexy you are, if you are in your 40s or 50s and it's your first bike the likelihood of it being fine are higher, if you're in your low 20s and are thinking of racing it might not prove to be not low enough, who knows, only you ...but it seems you've already answered this question above, in saying you want something for a more "endurance" fit, and this is.

Remember if you buy you will likely sell it on or demote it to winter duties within a year or so if you really take up cycling.