What size bike?

The Northern Monkey
The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
edited April 2009 in Commuting chat
Hey,
just wondering what size roadie/fixie I should be trying.

I'm current;y riding a 17-18" MTB and am 6ft-6ft1ish.

Needs something to get to uni on but i'm really stuck size wise!!

Cheers,
Ben

edit: I mean i have no idea what the 56,58,60,62cm etc etc etc are relevant to in mtb terms :( or what size I should loo at in the 1st place!
Santa Cruz Butcher

Comments

  • snooks
    snooks Posts: 1,521
    edited March 2009
    Go to your LBS and ask them, they stick you on a roadie and see how it looks.

    I ride a 19" (kona) MTB and a 56cm (felt) road bike and I'm 5'9/5'10

    But that's what I find comfortable... and your MTB frame sounds a bit small...I've also got a 17" frame that I know is too small, but I have the saddle well back and put flat bars on it and use it for commuting so it's handy for nipping in and out of gaps.

    The only way to find out is to experiment :) Oh and to make it a bit more complex, different brands take their measurements from different places. so a 55 Bianchi isn't 1cm smaller than a 56 Trek

    It's all a bit daunting, but go to a number of bike shops and test ride as many bikes as you can, and see what measurement they recommend for you, hopefully they'll all be the same.
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  • the_hundredth_idiot
    the_hundredth_idiot Posts: 813
    I was about to post this link until I read your edit and realised I no longer understood your question! :?:

    A 17" or 18" MTB frame seems a little small for someone your height! I've got a 19" frame MTB and I'm only 5' 9" - although admittedly I could probably do with a slightly smaller frame - an 18" frame would probably be perfect for me.

    The road bike size equivalent to a 18" MTB would probably be about 54cm (or 21"). But at your height, an extra large 59cm ish frame would probably suit better.

    Your best bet is to go to a bike shop and sit on a few. Bike sizes can be quite different and it also depends on age (of bike) to an extent - I'm currently dithering about buying an old 70s "racer" and I've tried a couple of 23" (59cm) framed bikes have seemed to fit fine.
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  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    ok kewl cheers for the help guys.
    I did ride a 20" MTB but found it too large. I custom built up the bike in my sig (the surge) which is a 17/18" frame and is much more suited to me.

    The only problem is, i feel cheeky popping over my LBS for a test, as i'm unlikely to buy from them. They are heavily overpriced and don't stock fixies :(

    I'm not looking to spend much, i'm looking for 2nd hand via ebay/decathlon bikes.

    Literally just need something to get me to and from uni without al the rolling resistance i'm getting from riding on chunky freeride tyres!!
    That and the Surge is worth well over 1k and i'm not wanting to leave it anywhere!
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • snooks
    snooks Posts: 1,521
    bigbenj_08 wrote:
    The only problem is, i feel cheeky popping over my LBS for a test, as i'm unlikely to buy from them. They are heavily overpriced and don't stock fixies :(

    I'm not looking to spend much, i'm looking for 2nd hand via ebay/decathlon bikes.

    Do they know that? ;)

    If you feel like that (and I do too btw), go to a chain like Evans/bike hut who have lots of different stores...Though I did get my bike from Evans in the end (bike2work scheme) but I did go to 4 different branches looking and playing with bikes
    FCN:5, 8 & 9
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    Watch out for HGVs
  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    Anyone recommend anything?

    I'm really pushing the funds at £300, a £100 scrapper would suit me fine!
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    Bigben, if you go to you lbs you might not buy a bike from them, but if they are friendly and happy to help you might well use them in the future for things like helmets, pumps, tubes and services, so cultivating you as a customer works for both parties! Buying a bike is a big purchase and no-one expects you to ride out on one the first time you go for a test ride. They might want you to but there's no obligation!

    What I would recommend, though, is you don't test ride any bikes way out of your price range as it might give you a taste for the forbidden meat and suddenly your £100 scrapper seems very unappealing...
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  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    Also, your Surge looks tiny! Do you sit up dead straight like a gentleman rider from the 1920s on it?
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • Bugly
    Bugly Posts: 520
    6foot 1 ride 18inch full sus, new school carbon rood 56cm old school 531 58cm.

    59 is going to be a stretch and the seat is going to be a mite low, Best bet is to trial em but I would look at off the shelf frames that are 56cm; cranks if you spin 170 or 172, 175 if you mash. Stem prob around the 10cm mark
  • batch78
    batch78 Posts: 1,320
    Ben, get yourself a 56cm number, then get back over to the Mountain Bike forum!!!! :lol:
  • vorsprung
    vorsprung Posts: 1,953
    With a standard, old skool horizontal top tube you'd be something like a 23" or 23 1/2" frame

    As a lot of new frames aren't sized like this I tend to go on the "VTT" or "virtual top tube" length or the step over height

    VTT is the distance horizontally from the seatpost to the steerer tube, "as if" it had a old skool top tube.
    Step over height is the height that a built up bike would haveto get your leg over the top tube

    A VTT of 55cm suits me and I am 6'2"
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