Frame size question.

ianhaylett · May 2015

Hi Everyone - I am 54, weigh too much and have decided to become a MAMIL. Please treat me gently.

I have a chance of buying a Boardman Road Sport Limited Edition for £300 including new clips and pedals, cost new £500. I'm not going racing, not going long rides, we don't live near any hills and it will be use for excercise.

I am 5'10" and the guide says I should look at a 55.5cm frame. The seller says he is 5'11" and the frame is 53cm, but he says it fits him perfectly. The max height for a 53cm is 5'9".

In other words, as a newbie, and given what I will be doing on it, the saving on the bike looks great and the frame size seems ok to me. Will I regret this particular shortcut?

Thanks all.
Ian

drlodge · May 2015

Its hard to tell exactly since a frame "size" can mean different things.

I'm a smidge shorter than you and typically fit a "54" frame. From what you say, the bike should fit fine.

The most important frame measurement IMO is "effective top tube" length. This is the measurement of the top tube, from centre of head tube where the top tube meets it, going horizontally to the centre of seat tube (the top tube will likely slope downwards, take the measurement parallel to the ground). My bike eTT is 54.5cm, you'll need a similar measurement I would guess. Stem length can be changed but only a bit, saddle height can be adjusted a lot.

kajjal · May 2015

It is easy enough to make a bike that is a little small fit but almost impossible to make a bike that is too big fit. Have a go on the bike to test the sizing and if the front is too low try flipping the stem into the upright position.

Also some people have relatively longer bodies than legs which means they often need a smaller bike size than the charts suggest.

Just be sure the bike is the right size for you.

simon_masterson · May 2015

I would expect you take the smaller size rather than the larger, but it depends on your proportions. Those of us that have long legs and short torsos (like me) often end up with different size frames than others the same height of more regular proportions.

fatdaz · May 2015

Kajjal wrote:

It is easy enough to make a bike that is a little small fit but almost impossible to make a bike that is too big fit. Have a go on the bike to test the sizing and if the front is too low try flipping the stem into the upright position.

Also some people have relatively longer bodies than legs which means they often need a smaller bike size than the charts suggest.

Just be sure the bike is the right size for you.

It's the other way around. I have short legs and a long body so I need a bigger frame than my height would suggest. I'm 5' 10" and my bikes are all 56-58cm.

CrazyRider · May 2015

Everybody physical is difference. Don't believe the other.
The best way is trying test on it

Grill · May 2015

Sounds like you're talking about the same size frame. That frame in medium has a top tub of 55.5 and a seat tube of 53. heck where he's getting the 53 measurement as the size down has a 54 top tube.

Frame size question.

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