Frame size

[Chodak]

I switched from mountain biking to road cycling a year ago when I moved away from the hills, and bought a lovely titanium audax bike from my LBS on the thinking that this bike should do me for many years, summer and winter. I've built up to c80-100 miles a day at weekends and am doing some shorter audax rides, but would like to continue building up the distance to longer randonneur rides. However, as I do longer rides I've become aware that the frame may actually be a bit big for me, so am considering getting a custom built steel frame to replace the current titanium "off the peg" one. However before I lash out and incur the wrath of the better half for my spend-thrift ways, I would like some advice on whether it's worth it or not.

I'm 5' 6", 30" inside leg. My bike has a compact frame, with a 55cm virtual top tube length. Stand-over height is no problem, but even with the shortest stem on, my hands (thumbs particularly) ache after a long ride. I've raised the bars to the highest they will go and can't get a shorter stem, hence the thinking to get a custom frame for longer rides. But would a better fitting frame bring any other benefits other than a bit more wrist comfort? Does this frame sound too big to you? Does a shorter frame bring any dis-advantages even if customer made by a reputable builder like Mercian, Yates or Roberts? Am I just being a wuss as everyone gets aching wrists etc after a long ride? What would you do, supposing the money was available?

Advice greatly appreciated!

[random37]

Without ever having met you, it does sound a bit big. But If you ask for advice on this forum, you'll get widely disparate views. Thing is, although there's a lot of knowledge, unfortunately we can't offer you good advice because we can't see you.
Why not go and see Paul Hewitt? He has a frame fitting session that's £50. Well worth it on its own, but it's refunded if you buy one of his excellent bikes.

[stewartpratt]

You're a fairly average size, which means (a) you'll be able to test ride other bikes easily, and (b) you'll be able to find something off the peg that fits. And that means you can avoid both guesswork and the premium price of custom geometry (though if you want to pay for a special frame there's no harm in that). Find yourself a bike shop with a good range in stock and try stuff out. Everyone's a slightly different shape and prefers a slightly different position.

[Halla]

The frame size is probably about right for your height/ inside leg. Not sure what forks you have. Do you have drop bars or straights. What handle bar tape/ grips do you have. If your frame was too long you would probably suffer with back, shoulder or neck pain.

For reference it would be worth reading the long distance cyclist's handbook by Simon Doughty, he is a very experienced randonneur.

Best of luck.

[Framed]

In 1979 I blew all my savings on having a superb road frame built for me by Alf Hetchins in Southend. Being a complete ignoramus re frame building, and having up to then only ever had second-hand road-bikes, which I'd been able to try before buying privately, I made the fatal mistake of merely quoting my inside leg measurement, which I assumed would give rise to a 22" frame.

I paid a lot of dosh, collected the frame, built it up and set off on a week's East Anglia tour, based on YHAs at the time. By day four I was crippled by horrendous back pain and couldn't continue the tour! Only later did I realise that the length of the top tube was enormous and far too long for me, so be sure to get this aspect sorted out Matey!

[Wesh-Laurence]

I am 5'8" and have limited experience of cycling. I believe that a lot of bike manufacturers don't make bikes for smaller people like us (even though I may almost be average height). I have therefore had a problem finding a bike small enough for me. It was easier to resolve the problem with straight handlebars, I bought a small framed bike and then replaced the handlebars with a higher rise one and a shorter stem to bring the grips closer to me.

However trying to find a bike to fit me with drop handlebars has been more difficult. I couldn't afford the "bespoke" bike and therefore I have bought a 52cm framed Specialized Tricross which just about fits me. I think the 49cm frame would have been too small, my knees would be too close to the handlebars and the 54cm too large, I would have been overreaching. One shop suggested I should have a 54 or 56cm frame but the 56cm certainly would have been far too big, the standover height on the 52cm is only just adequate.

It sounds as though you are seriously into cycling and therefore if you can't achieve what you want with off the shelf bikes then bespoke would seem to be a sensible option. Shops generally do not hold stocks of off the shelf bikes for people of our height. As far as bespoke is concerned it depends on where you live here in South London I have Roberts and Pearsons close to me another contributor has mentioned Hewitt.

[JEJV]

... and can't get a shorter stem ...

What stem have you got ? And what bar clamp diameter ?

[Punk_shore]

I've seen handlebar stems fitted back-to-front. Not sure what the purists would make of this.

[JEJV]

I've seen handlebar stems fitted back-to-front.

Right. Downhill stems go down to 35mm for 1 1/8" steerer / 1 1/8" oversize bar.
Thorn do a 30mm stem for 1 1/8" steerer with 1" bar clamp.

Not sure what the purists would make of this.

Worse than one pannier, no doubt.

[stewartpratt]

Worse than one pannier, no doubt.

Very much so!

[Chodak]

JEJV, no idea on diameter but length is 4cm as I've measured it, i.e. straight from headset to bars with not enough gap to get a small bell fitted on.

[JEJV]

JEJV, no idea on diameter but length is 4cm as I've measured it, i.e. straight from headset to bars with not enough gap to get a small bell fitted on.

Fancy modern stuff tends to be 31.8mm == 1 1/8" ("oversize" road or MTB)

26.0 mm is usual for drops.

25.4 mm is usual for straight or riser bars (or Harleys)

22.2 mm is BMX (or non-agricultural motorcycles)

Your measurement is centre to centre ? That is, from an imaginary line down the axis of the steerer tube to a a line through the centre of the bulge in the bars where the bars are clamped ?

You can tell the difference between 31.8 and 26 mm bar clamp diameter with a ruler.

with not enough gap to get a small bell fitted on.

You mean there is something like a tube between the steerer and the bars, that you tried to put a bell on ?
In that case, you can go back nearly the length of that tube.

Can you post a pic of the stem on the bike, with a ruler next to it ?

[JEJV]

Worse than one pannier, no doubt.

Very much so!

I mean, with one pannier you could claim it was because of theft. But with a reversed stem, reasonable doubt is a lot more tricky. You'd have to claim it was vandalism, and you couldn't put it right, because your Allen keys were in the other pannier - which was just stolen.

[djnotts]

Sorry if this sounds obvious, but you are measuring inside leg length correctly - not trouser size?!

As already said, it doesn't sound as if your dimensions are sufficiently "non-average" to demand a custom build (and many such builders seem to expect YOU to fit THEIR preconceptions (often race bike style - which is the last thing you want!).

Try a few stock bikes. Particularly so-called hybrids or "sportifs" which tend to have longer head tubes. Altho' there are those who will scoff, flat bars (with bar ends) are probably the best solution.

[Freddie]

I'm 5' 6", 30" inside leg. My bike has a compact frame, with a 55cm virtual top tube length. Stand-over height is no problem, but even with the shortest stem on, my hands (thumbs particularly) ache after a long ride. I've raised the bars to the highest they will go and can't get a shorter stem, hence the thinking to get a custom frame for longer rides.

How short is the shortest stem and how high are the bars. A picture would certainly help.

Presuming your MTB fitted you properly, take the combined length of it's top tube and stem, minus the forward extension of your road bike drop bars to the back end of your brake lever hoods and you have a reasonable idea of the combined amount of top tube/stem you need for your road bike.

Altho' there are those who will scoff, flat bars (with bar ends) are probably the best solution.

Anyone willing to do 80 to 100 miles on such a setup is some kind of masochist. It's also kinda sad this one gets trotted out every time someone has a fitting issue.