Short or long reach?

taran88
taran88 Posts: 4
edited May 2015 in Road buying advice
Im looking into buying a bike and since ive been riding a very old bike from friend to check if i liked cycling this will be the first bike where i really look into measurements and geometry.

I have measured myself and these are the results:

Inseam: 97 CM / 38.18 Inch
Total length: 195CM / 6.39 Ft
Arm span: 196CM / 6.4 Ft

So yeah im kinda tall, but im not sure if my legs are long compared to my torso. Ive read that in general tall people will also need a larg(er) toptube/long reach to match their length. (For instance a FELT AR15).

True right? But i assume that only applies to people with a average torso height.

My question being, what am i looking for? Is my torso/legs normal relative to eachother? Do i have relative long legs and short torso?

And what bike matches that? I assume with long legs and shorter torse you need a bike with a shorter top tube?

ps: i have been looking at this list to see what bikes come in larger sizes http://cyclingabout.com/list-of-xxl-xxx ... 2-63-64cm/

Comments

  • freefall_junkie
    freefall_junkie Posts: 123
    Sounds to me like you have fairly long leg/short torso proportions. For comparsion I am 188cm tall and I have a 92cm inseam. When getting a bike fit I was told I have very long legs for my height, which was one of the reasons for choosing my Bianchi Infinito CV. If you are not sure a proper bike fit will prevent expensive mistakes - a bike fit should be able to give you your ideal frame stack and reach which then allows you to choose between frames from different manufacturers. Be careful when comparing top tube lengths - the only meaningful comparison between frames is stack and reach.
  • taran88
    taran88 Posts: 4
    freefall_junkie wrote:
    Sounds to me like you have fairly long leg/short torso proportions. For comparsion I am 188cm tall and I have a 92cm inseam. When getting a bike fit I was told I have very long legs for my height, which was one of the reasons for choosing my Bianchi Infinito CV. If you are not sure a proper bike fit will prevent expensive mistakes - a bike fit should be able to give you your ideal frame stack and reach which then allows you to choose between frames from different manufacturers. Be careful when comparing top tube lengths - the only meaningful comparison between frames is stack and reach.

    Ok thanks. So sure. But lets say i do have a relative short torso. Does that mean i need a shorter reach?

    I mean, would a 61 bike with a reach around 405 be better than a bike with a reach around 420 then?
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,746
    Yes I'd have thought if you have long legs short torso a shorter reach would probably be what you are looking for as not only is your body short your legs will be relatively long so you will tend to have your saddle further back for a given knee relative to bottom bracket position. Maybe something with a relatively high stack too as long legs would mean a higher saddle, unless you want a big saddle to bar drop. That would be my understanding anyway I'm not a bike fitter though.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • taran88
    taran88 Posts: 4
    DeVlaeminck wrote:
    Yes I'd have thought if you have long legs short torso a shorter reach would probably be what you are looking for as not only is your body short your legs will be relatively long so you will tend to have your saddle further back for a given knee relative to bottom bracket position. Maybe something with a relatively high stack too as long legs would mean a higher saddle, unless you want a big saddle to bar drop. That would be my understanding anyway I'm not a bike fitter though.

    Those were my thoughts also but im no expert so thats why im asking here :)
  • darkhairedlord
    darkhairedlord Posts: 7,180
    don't over think it...yet!
    Go to bike shop, a real one, with bikes in it.
    Try some out for size, the shop will help you get the right size for you.

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