Bike fit on a 6ft5/60cm combination

[Twilkes]

I bought this Cannondale secondhand online so didn't ride it before buying, but 60cm is about what I should be riding based on a few guides and Cannondales size up large apparently. The next size up, 63cm, has an extra 23mm of stack which I don't really need (34" inside leg), and only 6mm extra reach so not much additional length. I did switch the stem from 110mm to 130mm.

I've done 100 mile days on it and felt as comfortable as on any other bike, and actually find lower bars more comfortable as it properly engages my back muscles. I also tend to stay in the drops as I find them more comfortable than the hoods, especially after double wrapping the bars.

But when I took a photo of it I was surprised how close over the bars my shoulders were. From glancing in shop windows I always thought the angle of my back and arms were about the same, but in the pic below my back is flatter and my arms more vertical than I was expecting (albeit this was while bracing against the fence, but with slightly more bent arms this is fairly close to my riding position).

Would I find a longer bike more comfortable, or is it just whatever works for you?

 

[Sharky]

Can you do a side photo with the near leg at 6 o'clock. Your saddle could be a bit on the low side, but can't tell from the photos.

The bike does look a little on the small size. An old rule of thumb was height in inches divided by 3. This gives a 25" frame or 63 cms. However for modern frames, the tendency is for a smaller frame.

But if you are already comfortable, I would stick with what you have and fine tune over time.

 

[Twilkes]

Can you do a side photo with the near leg at 6 o'clock. Your saddle could be a bit on the low side, but can't tell from the photos.

The bike does look a little on the small size. An old rule of thumb was height in inches divided by 3. This gives a 25" frame or 63 cms. However for modern frames, the tendency is for a smaller frame.

But if you are already comfortable, I would stick with what you have and fine tune over time.

Yeah it's more out of curiosity than anything, I'm not buying another bike any time soon and it's not worth the extra 10mm of buying another stem. Quite often the largest size of a bike in a range doesn't actually add much length, and 34" inside leg isn't particularly huge. It might explain why I find it harder to ride out of the saddle though.

 

[Twilkes]

I've recently dropped the saddle a little and it's much more comfortable with no perceivable drawback in performance so I'm happy with the position too.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Great example of bike size guides being just that. You're only an inch 1/2 taller than me with the same inseam and a visibly longer torso.

Yet I am perfectly happy on a 54cm frame w/ 130mm stem... The extra 60mm would cripple me

 

[Milkfloat]

I am 6’4” an ride a 58cm Cannondale, albeit with a 130mm stem extra slammed. A 60cm frame worked for me, but the 58 just felt better. I am the same with Giant (L rather than XL), but on a Canyon I go for the XL. I think I just prefer a slightly smaller frame than conventional.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I am 6'2", and I use a longer stem, but in your case, while it looks a tad short in length, the distance appears to be good. You could get some handlebars with longer reach for a more aero feel when you wanted it, or move your saddle back.

 

[Twilkes]

Great example of bike size guides being just that. You're only an inch 1/2 taller than me with the same inseam and a visibly longer torso.

Yet I am perfectly happy on a 54cm frame w/ 130mm stem... The extra 60mm would cripple me

Interestingly, the difference in reach between a 54cm and a 60cm Cannondale Optimo is only 18mm! The difference in top tube measurement is only 44mm, and the various tube angles are changed such that the reach isn't actually much different. So Cannondale for one are building taller bikes, not so much longer bikes.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Wheelbase just looks too short for the height of the rider. All a long stem is doing is moving the centre of gravity forward and putting more weight on the front wheel. Would be better to have a shorter stem and a longer top tube.

 

[Drago]

I wouldn't be overly worried. Nothing, but nothing, is more important than comfort when it comes to sizing a bike.

Nothing.

The most mechanically efficient set up in the world won't be of any use if it's not comfortable, or starts causing you comfort issues before too long in the saddle.

And it's difficult to tell too much by eye, because any bike looks small when a really big feller is riding it. No matter how big a bike is the wheels dont get any larger, and the visual effect is of a bike that's too small, but I dont5 really see that here.

Ride it a bit and if its comfortable and not causing you any issues then I'd be disinclined to mess with it too much.

FWIW I'm an inch shorter than you, but longer in leg and arm, shorter in torso, and I'd be riding the same size bike. You do seem slightly shorter of leg and longer in body than is perhaps the average, whatever that is, for someone around our height, but I can't see that being a major issue.

First indications are good. Now ride it a bit, see if the comfort remains good and if the steering feel seems kosher with that length stem and your positioning. Good luck.

 

[Twilkes]

if the steering feel seems kosher with that length stem and your positioning. Good luck.

That's maybe the only thing I would change - when out of the saddle, it can take some muscle tension to hold the bars straight, as the longer stem seems to mean that any pushing/pulling on the bars also tends to move the wheel, especially in the drops.

I'll not be getting a new bike for a good few years, but I'll pay more attention to reach and try for a shorter stem next time.

 

[figbat]

My first observation is that your pelvis is rotated forward a lot, meaning your back is fairly flat hence adding length forwards. If you look at the pro's you'll mostly see that their pelvises are more upright, meaning that the lower back is more upright and their backs curve forwards. They then keep a bent arm as they have a core strength that means they don't need to 'lean' on the bars as much.

There's not much you can (quickly) do about this - if this is your riding position then you have to either work around it or work on it. As @Drago says though, comfortable is comfortable regardless how it looks. I am aware that I have a fairly inflexible spine and poor core strength which informs saddle choice and bike fit for me. Interestingly I tend to try and shorten bikes for comfort; I'm 5'10" and did have a 56cm Synapse which was really a bit big for me so I ran a short stem. My current Fuji Altamira is 53cm and is a generally good fit, but I have shortened the stem a bit on that too to try and push me back and curve my spine a little.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Interestingly, the difference in reach between a 54cm and a 60cm Cannondale Optimo is only 18mm! The difference in top tube measurement is only 44mm, and the various tube angles are changed such that the reach isn't actually much different. So Cannondale for one are building taller bikes, not so much longer bikes.

Doesnt seem to be a pattern to it. I've had identical frames in two sizes only 6mm different. However they had different stem lengths and different bars so the 6mm in TT can become nearer 30mm + the reach of the handlebar + the relative position of the hoods all add MM.

My main concern is usually getting enough saddle height without running too close to the max end of a 350mm post 😮

 

[Twilkes]

My first observation is that your pelvis is rotated forward a lot, meaning your back is fairly flat hence adding length forwards. If you look at the pro's you'll mostly see that their pelvises are more upright, meaning that the lower back is more upright and their backs curve forwards. They then keep a bent arm as they have a core strength that means they don't need to 'lean' on the bars as much.

There's not much you can (quickly) do about this - if this is your riding position then you have to either work around it or work on it. As @Drago says though, comfortable is comfortable regardless how it looks. I am aware that I have a fairly inflexible spine and poor core strength which informs saddle choice and bike fit for me. Interestingly I tend to try and shorten bikes for comfort; I'm 5'10" and did have a 56cm Synapse which was really a bit big for me so I ran a short stem. My current Fuji Altamira is 53cm and is a generally good fit, but I have shortened the stem a bit on that too to try and push me back and curve my spine a little.

My understanding is that forward pelvic tilt is desirable, keeping the spine as straight as possible; as a tall guy with experience of back pain, doing anything mildly strenuous with a bent back is generally a no-no.

Pro riders have a multitude of different positions, you'll see as many flat backs as round backs.

"Crucially, the forward ‘lean’ required to achieve this reach should come from the pelvis rotating at the hip, rather than flexing (bending) the back (which should remain as straight as possible – see figure 4)."

https://www.peakendurancesport.com/...age riders to ride,the help of a professional.[/QUOTE]

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Basing position off a pros is like basing HR training off someone elses heart, it absolutely doesn't apply to you.