Comments on: Road Bike Frames, Size, Symmetry And Frame Materials

By: Tracey Carlisle

Tracey Carlisle — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:20:11 +0000

I am 6′9″ and 280 lbs….As a beginner cyclist & someone who doesn’t want to spend a fortune on a bicycle yet, is there even a bike out there for someone my size??? Thanks

By: rapid4me

rapid4me — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:36:20 +0000

I really appreciate the work you do for filling the site with good content, pleasant design and good friendly attitude to your readers! Keep on going and good luck!

By: carter yeatman

carter yeatman — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:39:33 +0000

there’s measurements and there’s measurements. i ride 2-3 times a week maybe 25 mi each ride. so i’m not a racer, but our roads are hilly and challenging enough. in my experience, there are two key measurements to determine good “rideability”. the first is the length of the seat post. some bikes are measured from the center of the bottom bracket to the center of where the top horizontal tube intersects the seat tube. that’s called c-c. or c-t-c (center to center). this basically determines two things… how “tall” the bike will be, ie the “standover” height, and sort of the minimum distance from your butt to the pedals. you really need to be able to stand over your bike with both feet flat or nearly so on the ground. and if the seat tube is too tall or too short, you could have issues pedaling.
the other key measurement is the length of the top tube from the center of the seat tube to the center of the head tube. this will really influence how far you have to lean forward to reach the handlebars, or whether you can sit up more straight. most of the other distances in bike geometry can be adjusted via fiddling with the various components on the bike, eg you can raise the handlebar with a different stem , etc.
now there is no standard among manufacturers for these measurements, so one makers seat tube length is c-t-c and another says it’s the same size, but they measure the distance from the center to, say, the top of the seat post. you have to pay attention.
i have personally found that it’s better to get a larger size rather than the smaller size when there’s a choice just for riding comfort. but i have also noticed that some bike shops will recommend going to the smaller size…. not sure why. i also think that the geometry chart in the article above could lead to too small a bike for enthusiastic riding. as they say, try different sizes out…

By: kimmel

kimmel — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:53:38 +0000

is this a nice bike for 280 bucks new http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/images/hour_blk_2100.jpg

By: Scott

Scott — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 02:21:09 +0000

Hello everyone, thought I better add my two bits of advice so to speak. I’m 6′2 and like many of the tall rider problems I have just read it’s not all doom and gloom. It can be very confusing with all the different sizes, shapes, types of bikes out there and you don’t know until you ride a bike for a while if you feel comfortable on it. It’s alright to say go ride a bike to see if you like it, but how many just go for a quick ride up the road and back to the shop. If you are going to buy a bike just on a quick ride then your setting yourself up for finding out the hard way as I have on occassion. If you want to buy a bike just based on a ride take it for a good ride, now I talking at least 10kms. It’s the only way your going to work it out for yourself. You have different size bikes, but you also have different size seats, different size seat posts, forward and back seat positions & tilt, different height handle bar risers, different size cranks, all of which can be changed to give you your best ride. My advice to you is if you are going to spend over $1500 on a bike then pay an extra $150 – $200 at a good shop with a bike fit system and have a bike fitted to your ideal riding position. I just brought a $2500.00 bike and the fitting was the best investiment I made.

By: alastair

alastair — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:13:57 +0000

Hi Sarah.
A Hybrid (not Hybird!) bike is a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike. The wheels are the size of a road bike, but will usually be fitted with off-road tires. The handle bars will be straight and flat like a mountain bike with the gears on the brake levers and have a large spread of lower gears than a road bike. It may or may not have suspension forks.

Hybrid bikes are perfect for on road and rough tracks and paths, but not for full off-road mountain courses. Most good bike shops should sell or be able to get hold of a Hybrid bike for you as all the top bike manufacturers make Hybrid bikes.

For your inseam I would suggest you go for the smaller sized frame, if you are considering a bike with a cross bar (man’s style) one with stand over height of less than your 29 inches, probably around a 15 inch frame. If you want a woman’s style frame then the step over isn’t as important.

Good luck Sarah, see if you can get a test ride before you buy.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:17:07 +0000

Hi! I’m 5′2′ female at the young age of 54. I’m looking for a bike that I can ride on a (smooth surface) sidewalk or a rough dirt trail. I need something lightweight in order to pick it up when I need to. What would be a good bike to look at?

By: Sanje

Sanje — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:12:47 +0000

Hi I’m 5′3 and looking to get a road bike. I need major help! What’s my size? I want to be able to stand over my bike and not hurt my crotch.

By: kayleigh

kayleigh — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:14:20 +0000

hia im 5′5 in height i was wonderin if you could tell me which size id most likely need either a 16 or 18 inch? thanks

By: patrick

patrick — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:13:52 +0000

Hi,i am 6,2 what height road bike can i use? thanks