Help! weird issue with sizing

[tudor_77]

Hi Guys,

Just bought a Cube Nature Pro from Tredz in a 54cm frame size, which according to Cubes own size guide should be a perfect fit for me at 5.10 1/2 with a 30" inside leg.

However, when standing over the bike my, erm, underside parts are extremely close to the top tube and I am having to have the saddle set very low (a fair bit lower than the handle bars) in order to reach the floor with my tip toes.

I feel as though this bike is a little on the big side for me but the guys at Tredz are insisting that this should be perfect for my size. They have said I can return for a refund if I want.

In your opinion, does it sound like this is too big for me and what would you do in such circumstances?

Edit: my previous hybrid was a Giant roam with a medium frame which fit me perfectly

Cheers

 

[AndyRM]

That does sound odd. But generally if you were stopped you'd be off the saddle with one foot resting on the floor. Being able to stand while sat in the saddle isn't particularly important.

 

[tudor_77]

Very true and thank you for the swift reply! I generally take a medium in Boardman and Giant so very baffled although I'm wondering if it is just the frame geometry as the top tube seems a lot more horizontal than the sloping top tube of the Giant roam I am used to. I will take it for a test run later I guess and hope they will still accept the return if it feels to large when actually on the move. Thanks again for the reply

 

[Cycleops]

As long as its comfortable for you and it passes the Victor Sylvester test (sufficient ballroom) it should be fine. You do seem to have rather short inseam for your height.
I think a smaller size would be a mistake.

 

[AndyRM]

Very true and thank you for the swift reply! I generally take a medium in Boardman and Giant so very baffled although I'm wondering if it is just the frame geometry as the top tube seems a lot more horizontal than the sloping top tube of the Giant roam I am used to. I will take it for a test run later I guess and hope they will still accept the return if it feels to large when actually on the move. Thanks again for the reply

No problem! Test ride sounds like a good idea, but I'd check with Tredz that they'd still honour their offer of a return. I can't see why they wouldn't, but I'd want to be sure.

 

[MichaelW2]

Will they refund if you take the bike out for a test?
It sounds too big. Compare the standover with your Giant. Do they both have the same bottom bracket height? What about the top tube length?

 

[MichaelW2]

You do seem to have rather short inseam for your height.
I think a smaller size would be a mistake.

If the OP has short legs/long torso then he needs a suitable bike with a dropped top tube such as Giant. This will give standing clearance without the shorter top tube of smaller sizes.

 

[T4tomo]

A smaller size will have a shorter top tube, which given you are tending to short legs/ long back personal geometry, wouldnt be ideal.

If you can reach both tip toes on the floor from the saddle, the saddle is too low.

Agree with the post above though, a sloped top tube style bike may help ballroom when stopped a junctions etc, which is generally done off the saddle, leaning one way or the other with one foot down and the other still clipped in.

 

[Globalti]

The bike shop staff are right and the bike is the right size. Forget the idea of touching the ground with both toes, that's an inaccurate guide.

The most important aspect of set up is saddle height. You can set this by sitting straight on the bike while leaning against a wall. With one pedal at the bottom of its stroke and your leg hanging loosely, not straight, your heel should just be contacting the pedal. Whether you can reach the ground or not is irrelevant compared with correct saddle height.

 

[si_c]

The bike shop staff are right and the bike is the right size. Forget the idea of touching the ground with both toes, that's an inaccurate guide.

The most important aspect of set up is saddle height. You can set this by sitting straight on the bike while leaning against a wall. With one pedal at the bottom of its stroke and your leg hanging loosely, not straight, your heel should just be contacting the pedal. Whether you can reach the ground or not is irrelevant compared with correct saddle height.

Pretty much this. How you stand over a bike can be affected by many things, for example you can raise the BB height a bit, which would cause you to have trouble reaching the ground whilst remaining seated, but still be the correct size for you. As @Globalti says above, a bike fits you if your saddle can be set to the correct height and you can comfortably reach the bars.

I'd measure the distance from the centre of the cranks to the top of the saddle on both bikes, and then from the same point on the saddle to the centre of the handlebars. If both are very similar then the bike is the correct size. You can allow a greater difference in the handlebar measurement provided you feel comfortable, this can be adjusted easily by changing stem length anyway.

 

[tudor_77]

Wow thanks for all the swift replies! Just been out on a test ride and it rides really well, with my cycling footwear on I recon I get enough clearance without any danger. The change in frame geometry really threw me and goes to show what a difference it makes to the perception of size. Looking forward to putting in many miles on this one through autumn and winter.

Thanks again for all the helpful responses

 

[gbb]

The bike shop staff are right and the bike is the right size. Forget the idea of touching the ground with both toes, that's an inaccurate guide.

The most important aspect of set up is saddle height. You can set this by sitting straight on the bike while leaning against a wall. With one pedal at the bottom of its stroke and your leg hanging loosely, not straight, your heel should just be contacting the pedal. Whether you can reach the ground or not is irrelevant compared with correct saddle height.

Up until this point, no-one had asked how the bike was set up while riding it..for all we know the saddle might have been set too high in the first place.

 

[ColinJ]

I meant to reply earlier but I see that it has been resolved now.

I might as well post what I was going to anyway... This 'standover' question isn't really relevant to sizing, although for obvious reasons being able to straddle the top tube without crippling genitals is desirable!

My best bike fits me perfectly. It has a horizontal top tube and I can only just stand over it. An inch higher and I'd be developing a high-pitched voice after emergency dismounts ...

As for getting feet down from the saddle ... I can't touch the ground with my feet at all with the bike upright! If I lean the bike a bit I can just get the tips of the toes on one foot down. This isn't relevant either - I don't put my feet on the ground when on the saddle. If I want to stop, I get down forwards of the saddle.

You can see my position in my avatar (above left). It is pretty obvious from that picture that I could not touch the ground.

 

[Globalti]

I'm the same; can hang both legs while moving and they won't touch the ground.

 

[Alan O]

Forget the idea of touching the ground with both toes, that's an inaccurate guide.

Indeed. When I'm on my saddle, my toes don't come close to reaching the ground. I mean, why would they? Why would I want to scrape the ground with my toes when I'm moving?

When I stop, which is the only time I want my feet to touch the ground, I move forward off the saddle.