Triban 3 sizing advice

Jouen
Jouen Posts: 3
edited November 2012 in Road buying advice
Over Summer I started cycling and have racked up a few thousand miles on my heavy steel hybrid, now I've got my eyes on a road bike and have decided to get a Triban 3. I know the only true way to see if a bike is right for you is to try it out, but I live miles away from the nearest Decathlon and can't find the time to go anyway, so I was wondering if anybody had some advice.

My current hybrid has a 49cm seat tube and a 57cm top tube and I think it fits me quite well. I'm quite a small guy (5'6" with an inside leg of 29.5") so I probably should be looking at the 51cm/20.8" size (with this being the top tube length it seems). However, the 51cm model has 650c wheels which really puts me off because I'm used to 700c and there is so much more choice and availability for wheels, tubes, tyres and fenders. As a result I'm now looking at the 54cm/21.26" model with a 45cm seat tube and 700c wheels.

From research it seems like the Triban 3 is a small bike, with the 54cm being more like other manufacturers 52cm bikes. I've never ridden a road bike for any duration before so I'm not sure how the sizing guidelines differ from hybrid bikes. I'd like to know if anybody with similar measurements to me has any experience with the 54cm and what they would recommend.

Thanks.

Comments

  • no experience with the 54 but i did have the 60cm and it measured to a 58cm frame.
  • Jouen
    Jouen Posts: 3
    Yeah they seem to run a bit small. After a bit more research and chatting to people who have experience with the bike I think I'll go with a 54. It's at the top end of my size range but it won't be cripplingly uncomfortable and I really don't want 650c wheels. People seem to think that after flipping the stem and fiddling with the hoods a bit it should be a perfect fit, and if worst comes to worst I can buy a 90mm stem to make the bike smaller. After doing some measuring I'm convinced it will be more or less the same size as my current hybrid so I doubt I'll have problems.
  • hi there

    i have the triban 3 in 54cm. i am a 29 inch leg and the top tube is pretty good size. its far enough away to keep the plums safe.

    hope this helps

    adrian