Frame Size for Sarah

Question: I am trying to fit myself to a road bike. My inseam is 84cm and I am 6' 3" tall. Could you please tell me what size bike I should be looking for?
Thank You,
Sarah.

Hi Sarah,

You are a tall girl, that's for sure at six foot three tall; you're in side leg measures in at 84 cm's, which is 33 inches. Now with a horizontal top tub frame you should take 10 to 11 inches off you're in seam measurement, this would give you a frame size of 22 inch's. This measurement is taken from the center of the bottom bracket to the center of the top tube, not quite the top of the seat tube.

If you are looking at a slopping top tube you have to investigate the web-sites of the frame makers and look for the virtual seat tube length to where it would be if the frame was of a horizontal top tube style. There are many women's specific bikes with shorter top tubes etc. you are tall so maybe a man's designed bike could be a good fit also, so I suggest you should try them both. A good bike shop should be able to help you with the correct size and show you some women's specific bikes and explain the differences and which would fit you the best.

If you want more information on frame design have a look at our Bike Frame Sizes, Geometry, Angles and All That!  article which will explain more about the differences between all the frame designs and geometries, which could help you make your decision on the correct frame size. The best thing you could do is find a local bike shop with a bike fitting rig, this will give you a near exact fit, from the frame size to stem, crank length and all the other dimensions.

I hope this helps, let us know how you get on and which bike you decide on.