Gravel Bike - Sizing Query

jetsetrossij0mMY_qR

Afternoon all and just a quick query if i may in the hope that someone out there is 5' 9" with a 29" inside leg!?

After a long wait my new Boardman ADV 8.9 2021 arrived last week but, in short, its too big! Having considered sizing charts and recommendations I ordered the medium but no real room to stand over the top tube and seat only just level with the bars. Although i could have got on with it, I decided it should go back as, if spending £1000 on a bike, it needs to be right!

Boardman ADV 8.9 2021

So, given that the Small is not available as is i am back to the drawing board in picking a suitable Gravel/Adventure bike for £1000 (buying under Cycle2Work)

Any advice would be appreciated as new to drop bar bikes and feel like my dimensions are a challenge to the sizing charts.

Thanks

N0bodyOfTheGoat

If there's one measurement that seems to create issues with bike size, from my experience, it's the legs... Because the reference measurement people use is inconsistant.

Cycling inseam is not the same as trouser inseam https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/size-guide.html

I'm 5'10" with a cycling inseam of ~32" (if I'm buying trousers, I would be looking at 29-30").
My https://www.cube.eu/en/2016/road-race/attain/cube-attain-gtc-pro-disc-greynflashred-2016/ is the 58cm frame.
I can stand over the top tube in bare feet and feel my casual Boardman MTB trousers very lightly touching the tube.
When wearing my DHB Dorika Carbon cycling shoes with the Time 3-bolt cleat, standover clearance to teh top tube increases by ~2.5cm.
With the pedal at bottom dead centre, in line with the seat tube, the top of my Time Xpro 10 pedal to the top of the saddle is ~90cm

If you only tried riding the medium frame in thin soled trainers on basic non-clipless pedals, the extra height of a clipless system could make all the difference.

oxoman

Colleague at work similar size to you got the medium and yep it was definitely to big, he was lucky he did a deal and has managed to get small frame cxr instead. I got my lads xs Boardman hardtail a few years ago and apart from putting a normal length seat post on to replace the one I cut down for him when he first had it, it still fits him and he's 5' 8" now. From observations I'm guessing Boardman sizes run larger than other manufacturers.

jetsetrossij0mMY_qR

Hi and thanks for the response.

I used the intrusive book method as you suggest so confident in having the inseam measurement correct at 29".

In bare feet i was resting on the top tube and i tried all my various cycling footwear but still getting no comfortable standover clearance over the top tube.....

The perils of limited dimensions!

jetsetrossij0mMY_qR

oxoman said:

Colleague at work similar size to you got the medium and yep it was definitely to big, he was lucky he did a deal and has managed to get small frame cxr instead. I got my lads xs Boardman hardtail a few years ago and apart from putting a normal length seat post on to replace the one I cut down for him when he first had it, it still fits him and he's 5' 8" now. From observations I'm guessing Boardman sizes run larger than other manufacturers.

Thanks for the response and i am glad it is not just me!

N0bodyOfTheGoat

jetsetrossij0mMY_qR said:

Hi and thanks for the response.

I used the intrusive book method as you suggest so confident in having the inseam measurement correct at 29".

In bare feet i was resting on the top tube and i tried all my various cycling footwear but still getting no comfortable standover clearance over the top tube.....

The perils of limited dimensions!

So given the inside leg sizing of 74-82cm for the small frame using the book method as per the table on https://www.halfords.com/bikes/adventure-bikes/boardman-adv-8.9-mens-adventure-bike-2021---s-m-l-xl-frames-389606.html , what made you think the medium with 78-85cm cycling inseam would work, when 29" is ~73.66cm?

oxoman

Jet set I'm actually shorter inseam than you at 28"

jetsetrossij0mMY_qR

Oxoman. given your shared challenge on leg length what size/set up do you have?

oxoman

Lads Boardman team hardtail I pinch is an xs frame but small would be better tbh.
I have medium giant defy and anthem but I ride a small TCX.
My Commute bike is a Moda Bolero which I believe was around a 52 frame. I've also rode a Dawes in a 48 for a few years. According to the lads at work and that I ride with on Boardmans they found if they went up a size they seemed very stretched out. TBH most of them are C2W lads for the first time and not ridden for a long time. Your best bet is to try and get a sit on the bike to size up properly. I personally have to be careful as a shortarsed person as one makes medium can be to big for me.

jetsetrossij0mMY_qR

Managed to get a Small version of the Boardman ADV and looking forward to getting it this week.. thanks Oxoman for the advice and solidarity...