Bike Sizing

[Ciar]

Hi,

i have a question which hopefully someone will be able to help with.

I was previously riding a large Cannondale Bad Boy 3 2016 which i had fitted, but i was told at the time it was just too small, as it seems at 6ft and with an inside leg of 32.5 i should have been on the XL. fast forward to 2017 and i decided to take the plunge and try those odd looking drop bar bikes people keep talking about.

Picked up a 56 GT Grade 105 size 56, it's enjoyable and it fits perfectly to me, but road bikes just aren't by bag so I shall keep it as a spare going forward, as i want to ride the Dunwich Dynamo eventually.

So on to my question if the 56 road bike fits well, what size Hybrid should i be aiming for please? would it be L or XL as the last time i looked Evans were pointing me at the L i was sniffing around, but decided against.

 

[vickster]

Depends on the brand, but I'd expect a large. XL will be too big most likely if 6ft

Go try and then buy. In London, Evans, Cycle Republic (not Halfords) and Cycle Surgery (e.g. Waterloo bridge branch) make that very easy

^^ As he said

 

[Ciar]

I will definitely be trying whatever i fancy buying, i did try the large cannondale and it was only after fitting did i find out it was too small

 

[vickster]

I will definitely be trying whatever i fancy buying, i did try the large cannondale and it was only after fitting did i find out it was too small

Did it feel too small? Who 'fitted' it? Did you try a longer stem? Did you actually own it?

 

[Ciar]

Did it feel too small? Who 'fitted' it? Did you try a longer stem? Did you actually own it?

Tt was fitted at Bespoke Cycles in the wharf, did it feel too small no not at all, as i said only discovered on fitting that it would have been better on the XL version, as for owning it ended up doing just over 2k miles on it, until i had enough!

 

[Ciar]

[QUOTE 5143154, member: 45"]I wouldn't take too much notice of people who tell you things are too big or too small. Bike shops often just have a squint at you on the bike before making a declaration (and sometimes their advice is based on what they have in stock). Even proper bike fits don't always make recommendations to the rider's liking. There are important considerations, like position on the saddle in relation to the cranks or the reach, but it very much depends on personal preference and your particular riding peculiarities.

The only real way to find out if a bike fits is to ride and tweak, ride and tweak.[/QUOTE]

Think i might have to follow this route, seems to be trial and error and adjustment is my best bet.

 

[vickster]

What makes/models are you looking at?

 

[Ciar]

What makes/models are you looking at?

Well generally hybrid and it will be Evans as it's cycle to work, i reckon either a BMC or Cannondale again. then again i might be tempted to try something else, as the GT has held up really well, but i did find my previous cannondale wasnt as well made.

 

[vickster]

Does it have to be Evans? Whyte R7 fast hybrids are excellent now with 1x11 groupsets, sold by Cyclesurgery

Pinnacle from Evans have a bombproof rep

 

[I like Skol]

Totally depends on the bike, even from the same manufacturer.

I'm 6' 1" and have a large GT Traffic from 2010, fits like a glove. In 2011I the bought a GT GTR Series3 road bike and confidently walked into the shop declaring I wanted a large. They sat me on the large, which we all agreed was tiny, and I left the shop with an XL, which fitted like a glove. Fast forward a few years and I bought a GT Grade 58cm online purely off the listed sizes and comparing with my other bikes. It fits me pretty well and once I fitted a shorter stem I am more than happy with it, but I do have a nagging feeling that the 56cm would suit my riding style and feel a little more lively for chucking it around on jumps and stuff.

Bike sizing is a minefield! Go and try them very carefully.

 

[Ciar]

Does it have to be Evans? Whyte R7 fast hybrids are excellent now with 1x11 groupsets, sold by Cyclesurgery

Pinnacle from Evans have a bombproof rep

yes sorry to say, but our company only uses the local Evans for the scheme. as i would love a Whyte as they do look lovely.

maybe i will give a Pinnacle a whirl this time round.

 

[Ciar]

[QUOTE 5143289, member: 45"]Evans do Cube. I've just bought a Cube on C2W. It's lovely.

Just sayin'[/QUOTE]

will take a gander, it's odd but in work the Evans website is awful none of the filters ever work. So i shall check once i get home and see what's available.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

if the 56 road bike fits well, what size Hybrid should i be aiming for please?

The Wiggle bike size guide shows comparative frame sizing for a given height across a variety of frame styles.
https://guides.wiggle.co.uk/wiggle-bike-size-guide

 

[Cycleops]

Most hybrids have a sloping top tube so you could go a bit bigger. I’m 6’1” and 34” inseam and my Specialized has a sloping top tube and is Large, just about perfect for me but I swapped out the stem for a shorter higher angled one.
I reckon L would be fine for you in a hybrid but be prepared to make some adjustments.

 

[Slick]

I think there's too many factors for there to be a definitive answer. I was checking out bikes last weekend, and once I decided that one in particular was too small I started checking out different frame dimensions and would of had to go to an XXL on one bike just to get close to the dimensions of the large frame of another. The bike shop did try and insist the smaller bike would be fine for me, but when my foot kept hitting the wheel, I knew I was flogging a dead horse. To 'be fair to them, they have offered to throw in a free professional bike fit, but they reckon the advice has changed to smaller frames and longer stems.