Bike Sizing?

I don't think it makes much difference as the angle difference between a standard road frame and a track frame is only a couple of degrees, which won't affect your position much.

I searched and searched on this when I was in the market for a track frame and never really found a satisfactory explanation.

I'm beginning to think there isn't one too. Perhaps people just assume that track bike=small and quick, but with the geometry difference that should happen anyway, and there's no need to go a size smaller. When you move your saddle fore-aft you have to make adjustments to height as well, so surely it's the same principle.

Cyclefit charge about 1/2 what I'm thinking of paying for a bike alone. So I think I'll find a good shop and get some advice.

I did say that Cyclefit were expensive. However, once they have measured you, you can use those measurements and settings on just about every bike that you'll ever own until you start to shrink with age. NIcole Cooke uses Cyclefit and she hasn't yet shrunk.

I'd say plus one to cliveo's cyclefit post.
I got mine done at mosquito, its about 120-150 quid, and it just means your bike is fitted to you, rather than vice versa, you can figure out your positions stem length, saddle height, seat position, etc through trial and error, which is what most people do, but it can be an expensive, time consuming, fiddly business.
Just bear in mind that you'll be wanting to ride for a long time, and probably if you're like many of us on here, wanting different bikes, so knowing your measurements and settings means its a snip to adjust any bike you have/may have in the future to your optimum position...

Will, when you eventually reach my advanced years, which you will not for more than a decade, you will realise that there is nothing noble about it. All I have to look forward to now are incontinence and immobility. This is why I am living out my days aspiring to be a hipster.

don't forget impotence Clive.

just incase your lower penis is not level i guess ?

how many do you have?

don't forget impotence Clive.

When that strikes I will resort to dopage, blurry vision, high blood pressure and other side-effects not withstanding!

my eyes are pretty bad - that's not a joke by the way - and I keep looking at your avatar and can't make out who it is clive?

Mo Sterling Lou and John

search for cyclefit on here

generally people who have not had it done think its too expensive but most people who have paid for it are happy with the results - though sometimes people are upset that the advice they receive is that they probably should not be trying to achieve an agressive track position on a road bike (lack of flexibility etc)

i got one done and am so much more comfortable on my bike as a result, plus i have the details for getting a frame built for me, though they give you the spec on how to set up bikes to get best position.

When that strikes I will resort to dopage, blurry vision, high blood pressure and other side-effects not withstanding!

apparently quite a dopage for climbing.

I think this should be stickied.

isn't stand over height the one you really need to look at
i have had a few comments about my gazelles being a bit small ( well the tt is i guess ) but the standover heights are prefect 1-2 cm gap between crotch and top tube ? isn't that the way to do it ?

What happens if you have a compact frame with a sloping top tube?

Standover height is utterly irrelevant in my view.

I just saw a post about sizing and got thinking "is my frame the correct size?" I'm too poor to get a proper fitting so did the calculator at the top of thread. The numbers from the calculator say I should be riding a much smaller roadie and track bike. Here are the results from the test;

Measurements

Inseam: 80
Trunk: 70
Forearm: 34
Arm: 69
Thigh: 61
Lower Leg: 58
Sternal Notch: 149
Total Body Height: 181

The Competitive Fit (cm)

Seat tube range c-c: 51.8 - 52.3
Seat tube range c-t: 53.4 - 53.9
Top tube length: 57.1 - 57.5
Stem Length: 11.6 - 12.2
BB-Saddle Position: 74.3 - 76.3
Saddle-Handlebar: 55.0 - 55.6
Saddle Setback: 3.0 - 3.4

The Eddy Fit (cm)

Seat tube range c-c: 53.0 - 53.5
Seat tube range c-t: 54.6 - 55.1
Top tube length: 57.1 - 57.5
Stem Length: 10.5 - 11.1
BB-Saddle Position: 73.5 - 75.5
Saddle-Handlebar: 55.8 - 56.4
Saddle Setback: 4.2 - 4.6

The French Fit (cm)

Seat tube range c-c: 54.7 - 55.2
Seat tube range c-t: 56.3 - 56.8
Top tube length: 58.3 - 58.7
Stem Length: 10.7 - 11.3
BB-Saddle Position: 71.8 - 73.8
Saddle-Handlebar: 57.5 - 58.1
Saddle Setback: 3.7 - 4.1

I'm 181cm (just over 5"11) tall with 80cm (31.5 inches) inseam. My roadie is a 56cm frame and my track bike is 54cm. Both bikes leave around 1cm's crotch to tube distance (shoes on!). The only pains I ever have is in the lower back and this goes if I shift my bag about; and my left knee gets a dull ache, but this is from a motorbike crash I had five years ago.

Do my frames sizes sound right or wrong?

Ahemm......Bomp!

Do my frames sizes sound right or wrong?

How the fuck should any of us know? None of us are qualified bike-fitters.

Any answer you get from here will be someone telling how it works for them, which has absolutely no bearing on what might be right for you. if you want concrete answers, go to cyclefit.

How the fuck should any of us know? None of us are qualified bike-fitters.

I must of missed the post about the newly appointed chairman ASM!

As I said I'm broke and cyclefit is way down the line priorities wise. I'm just after an indication as too if my frames are about the right size for me. I know it's different for everyone, but from the stat's I posted the results are way off from what I have at the moment.

I've been reading a few threads now, and alot of the approach to frames sizing is a bit naive.
Check your top tube, as thats far more important to be correct than ST- both in my experience and in what others (people who know shit) have said to me.
Its sounds like your riding a bike a little to small TT wise.
also your legs are very short- did you measure right up to where its supposed to be measured too?
I'm just saying as I'm 177cm and have an inseam of around 33":

Measurements

Inseam: 84
Trunk: 64
Forearm: 36
Arm: 64
Thigh: 57
Lower Leg: 51
Sternal Notch: 146
Total Body Height: 177

The Competitive Fit (cm)

Seat tube range c-c: 54.4 - 54.9
Seat tube range c-t: 56.1 - 56.6
Top tube length: 54.5 - 54.9
Stem Length: 11.2 - 11.8
BB-Saddle Position: 71.9 - 73.9
Saddle-Handlebar: 53.5 - 54.1
Saddle Setback: 5.6 - 6.0

The Eddy Fit (cm)

Seat tube range c-c: 55.6 - 56.1
Seat tube range c-t: 57.3 - 57.8
Top tube length: 54.5 - 54.9
Stem Length: 10.1 - 10.7
BB-Saddle Position: 71.1 - 73.1
Saddle-Handlebar: 54.3 - 54.9
Saddle Setback: 6.8 - 7.2

The French Fit (cm)

Seat tube range c-c: 57.3 - 57.8
Seat tube range c-t: 59.0 - 59.5
Top tube length: 55.7 - 56.1
Stem Length: 10.3 - 10.9
BB-Saddle Position: 69.4 - 71.4
Saddle-Handlebar: 56.0 - 56.6
Saddle Setback: 6.3 - 6.7

"I'm just after an indication as too if my frames are about the right size for me"

ride 60+ miles
your lower back, shoulders, knees and wrists will tell you a lot about your bikefit.

ride 60+ miles
your lower back, shoulders, knees and wrists will tell you a lot about your bikefit.

Good call. The longer you ride the more important you bike fit is. Riding 10mi to/from work isn't going to expose much in the way of poor fitting.

I've been reading a few threads now, and alot of the approach to frames sizing is a bit naive.
Check your top tube, as thats far more important to be correct than ST- both in my experience and in what others (people who know shit) have said to me.
Its sounds like your riding a bike a little to small TT wise.
also your legs are very short- did you measure right up to where its supposed to be measured too?
I'm just saying as I'm 177cm and have an inseam of around 33":

Measured from ground up to lower ball! I'll have spare time over the summer to hope to come on a ride with you guys, as Hippy says, I'm not riding enough miles to distinguish if my sizing is effecting me adversely.

Measured from ground up to lower ball!

There's your problem: lower ball isn't high enough; you should be measuring right up into your groin.

Good call. The longer you ride the more important you bike fit is. Riding 10mi to/from work isn't going to expose much in the way of poor fitting.

did for me! after about 7 miles my lower back is aching. it's why I'm going to the bike whisperer, they love you over there.

Chebeef, if you can scrape together something around £85 they're apparently pretty good.

I really need to get my shit together and get a TT position sorted and this bike built and give them back their frame spacers. Good customer fail.

There's your problem: lower ball isn't high enough; you should be measuring right up into your groin.

Ah sh*t, that's what it looked like they were measuring to in the pix. Obviousl until I can pay for it there will be inaccuracies.

I'll just do the calc again and see what comes up.