advice - please be kind

Hi
Bought a 1996 Giant Peleton beginning of the week. In good nick just needs new cables and front bearings greasing. However, when I bought it it was sold as correct size for someone 5ft11 (e.g.me), but when I got it home I found it is a 600mm frame. This is obviously too big for me. I have persevered with it and toyed with putting a shorted stem on it ( current one is 130mm), but I think I may be onto a lost cause as it is causing back and neck ache due to the riding position being wrong. I bought the bike for £85. Would I better to try to resell the bike and make the money back to get something the right size or should I persevere? Also, from the little research I have done,I may be able to sell it for more than £85.

J

Well The total reach is a important factor in determining if the bike fits. A shorter stem may help but maye not.

The seat tube length is a very loose way of buying a frame as the seat posted can be raised or lowered and the seat moved back and forth. However depending on your inside leg measurement and arm/torso length a 60cm frame may be O.K or worng. It also depends if that 60cm is a C-T or C-C measurement.

If you can post the C-C or C-T measurement, your inside leg and your arm/torso measurements then a better idea of the fit can be given. We will also need to know if its a compact or traditional style frame.

Not enough info I am afraid but it is possibly to big.

Hi
The measurements of the frame are
C-T 60cm
C-C 58cm
TT - 56cm

Inseam 77cm
Torso 52cm
Arms 56cm

In theory a starting point for top of seat to bottom bracket height should be 67 cm. You should be looking with a 77m inseam (30.5") at a 51-52 cm C-T traditional frame. So it is clear given your leg length this frame is way to big.

If you had a effective top tube of about 51 cm then you could run a 70 or 80mm stem. This is only a rough guide however.

I am 6 ft 1" with a 34" inside leg and I ride 57, 58 59cm frames.

Yes sell it and by something else.

Hi
Thanks for the advice. Any idea on what price to sell it at. I have posted pics on this forum. Now the problem of finding a reasonably priced 52 cm bike. All the ones around seem to be in the 60's

Don't know the spec or the condition and no offence to you but unless I personally inspoect a bike to asertain it condition I do not give a value.

Also the frame size I have given is an approximate starting point. It may be wrong. Utimatlaey beofre buying a bike you need to sit on it first unless you know from previous well fitted bikes what you acceptable range of frame sizes are.

IO have had two customer in this week bringing in frames too big for them . One was a 5ft7" lady who's husband was sold a 20" MTB frame by ba shop for her. It was never going to work likewise selling a bike as a gift without the recipiant trying it first.

Hi
Thanks for all the advice. How important is stand over height? I have zero clearance on the bike and the cranks are 175 Just wondering if I could get away with an 80 mm stem?

Size is relative. If you have not ridden much, you can often get used to frames that are less than optimum in size. I don't think that a 58 cm C/C frame is outrageously large for somebody your size. Less than optimum yes, but far from outrageous. If you like the rest of the bike, you could indeed simply switch out the stem for a shorter one. 130 mm is a very long stem for a 15 year old bike. Back then, the norm was generally about 100-110 mm for a 58 cm C/C frame. You should be aware that a smaller frame will put more strain on your neck, not less, as the bars will need to be lower than on a larger frame. I prefer a 56-57 cm C/C frame (I'm 6'1") so as to get the stem and bars at the height that I prefer, but can readily ride a 62 cm C/C frame if I accept the "sit up and beg" position much preferred by many vintage bike riders. I would suggest switching the stem out before doing thinking about selling the bike.

seabirch":8um8ly5t said:

Hi
Thanks for the advice. Any idea on what price to sell it at. I have posted pics on this forum. Now the problem of finding a reasonably priced 52 cm bike. All the ones around seem to be in the 60's

Click to expand...

52cm will be too small for you at 5'11". I'd recommend a 56cm or 57cm (centre to top). No point in trying to make your current ride fit imo.

I'd say your current bike is worth about £120. Seems a reasonable spec probably worth looking out for a frame and just transferring the parts over.

Get a 56cm c-c or c-t like the man says.
I'm 185cm and I have a 58c-c and it's big and I've got long legs. I need to put the seat as far forward as it will go to get comfortable.

I've gone down a notch or two 56 c-c & 57 c-c.