Bike sizing advice required

[hopless500]

Looking at buying a bike with a 47cm frame - I'm only 5'2" and the current owner is 5'4", so I'm guessing this will be ok for me?

All/any advice gratefully received as I have no experience of how a road bike should fit me and I don't want to find I've got it wrong after buying it

 

[Boris Bajic]

Broadly, yes it will be in the ball park, but what TMN says above is right on the money.

We have an old 48cm Pinarello Angliru, which is (or has been) used by three family members: Wife 5' 5", daughter 5' 3" and son 5' 6" and still growing.

Different stem lengths and various saddle and bar adjustments have been done, but all are comfortable on it. I suspest my son is just about outgrowing it but we have nothing else under 52cm.

There is a (strong) school of thought that you will not know until you've ridden it, but I've bought unseen and unridden and have never found a geometry so unpalatable as to be unuseable.

Also, my children all came up through various kiddie bikes and then through the roadbike sizes we had at the time: 43cm, 48cm and 52cm. In all cases they simply got on, got comfortable and got riding. I think it is possible (particularly for the leisure rider) to get too swept up in the quest for the ultimate fit.

With a little imagination, a couple of stems of different lengths and a plumb line you can usually find a set-up that suits on a bike that is (in theory) about the right frame size.

Good luck. If you like it, I'd buy it.

 

[hopless500]

Will be seeing it Friday. It's a bit of a hike from here so it's odds on that by the end of Friday, assuming it feels ok, it will be mine

 

[Banjo]

According to this size guide it may be a tiny bit small for you.

http://www.tredz.co.uk/sizing_guides.aspx

Guides are only guides though a full fitting uses several body measurements ,not just height/leg length.

Try it but dont buy it if your not happy .A bike that doesnt fit wont be any fun..OK you can fit longer stems seatposts etc etc but far better to get it right.

 

[hopless500]

Thanks for that Banjo. Hadn't seen that guide when I was searching.
According to them 48cm would be ideal. I hope the extra 1cm won't make too much difference.

 

[Ningishzidda]

And most web based sizing guides measure the leg length wrong.

 

[Banjo]

A lot depends on your attitude to having a high seat compared to the bars. Personally I like the seat only an inch or two higher than the bars others would disagree.

If your new to roadbikes and the seat has to be much higher than the bars you may find it takes a bit of getting used to compared to the more upright position on a flat bar bike.

 

[Evogirl]

I'm 5ft 2" and bought a Ribble Gran Fondo 44cm frame it's just about perfect for me.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Depends where you measure from - to. Is it centre to centre, centre to top - of top tube, or seat tube, centre to virtual top tube centre - 47cm could mean lots of different things.

I'm 5ft 2" and bought a Ribble Gran Fondo 44cm frame it's just about perfect for me.

- for example the Gran Fondo has a sloping top tube, and the 44cm is centre BB to top of seat tube - I don't know what the measurement would be to the virtual top tube centre - probably around 47cm.