Medium bike too big

[Polio]

I'm looking at a gravel bike. I am 162cm female but thinking of buying a medium even though the recommended height is 169cm.

Thanks

 

[vickster]

Do Not buy a bike that is known to be too big, however much a bargain it may seem. Just get a small or something else.
Too big bikes can lead to aches and pains and even injuries Comfort is the most important thing to consider when buying a bike, even more so than colour!

 

[All uphill]

Bike sizes are all over the place, there's no consistency between brands or even models.

The only way to know is to sit on them.

 

[bikingdad90]

@Polio if it’s a giant bike it’s likely to be too big as they come up with long reach. I just about feel comfortable on a small and your a good 8cm shorter than me or for those who use imperial 3 inches at 5ft 4 vs 5ft 7.

Specialized bikes on the other hand come up smaller and depending on your leg to body length you might be able to get away with a medium with a shorter stem (within reason) but it would still have an aggressive, long reach feel to it as you would be bottom end of the sizing scale.

At 5ft 7 I ride 48/52cm seat tubes and a 54cm top tube with a 80-100m stem, usually a size small.

Like @All uphill says, you need to go and have a sit and ride of different bikes.

 

[Kingfisher101]

I'd be thinking about buying a small or even XS if I were you OP. If you buy a medium it will be too big and you then will have to sell it on. You'll get neck and back pain from a bike that's too big.

 

[Cycleops]

I do like a bike that is on the larger side but I'd say unless you have actually ridden the bike don't chance it
So you talking about a medium or a small. Are you buying from the internet?

 

[Sterlo]

I'm looking at a gravel bike. I am 162cm female but thinking of buying a medium even though the recommended height is 169cm.

Thanks

How old are you, would you grow into it?

 

[Mo1959]

Same height as me and I would go extra small or small depending on make. Even my Specialized Ruby feels a smidgin too big at 51cm. I have always wished I had gone for 48cm at the time. Nothing worse than feeling slightly too stretched.

 

[biggs682]

Try both sizes and then decide

 

[Jody]

I'm looking at a gravel bike. I am 162cm female but thinking of buying a medium even though the recommended height is 169cm.

Thanks

I'm 5'5 and and wouldn't be buying a medium bike. Depending on your measurements you might even be more suited to an XS rather than a small

 

[grumpydad]

I'm looking at a gravel bike. I am 162cm female but thinking of buying a medium even though the recommended height is 169cm.

Thanks

I bought a new bike just before christmas, and was quite surprised just how difficult it is to get the right size, both of my older bikes are medium so I thought easy enough, just find a bike I like and pick medium, using the size charts on a number of websites I kept coming up as needing small,so once I decided what I wanted, popped along to my LBS and sat on a small and a medium, both felt ok in the shop but the owner advised to go with the small, so glad I did, I do need a shorter bar stem but apart from that, I'm loving my new small bike. My advice would be to go and sit on it if at all possible.

should have said, my new bike is a gravel bike, the cannondale topstone1 in a small👍

 

[cougie uk]

Don't buy a bike that's too big - and that's double if you're offroading on gravel with it.
If you come off in a hurry and land on the top tube - it's no fun for anyone.

 

[fossyant]

Go smaller if gravel definitely. You can always make a bike longer/bigger (new stem/seatpost), but not smaller.

Medium will be way too big.

 

[Polio]

Thanks everyone. Would buy xs or small depending on what fits