Newbie alert - sizing (what, again ?)

Good day all, got myself an old MTB last summer as part of a get fit effort and now reckon If I'm going to spend time doing this more seriously then I need to look at a proper road bike. I like old stuff so it'll have to be retro and therefore secondhand. So, I need to know what size to look for in the first instance. I've looked at some of the common charts ( quoted here ) and as 5' 11" with a 33" inside leg it looks like a 58cm frame size. My question is, given that I'm not going to be doing any racing, and I won't see the other side of 50 again, should I be looking at a more upright stance which I have seen in certain posts would be better with a slightly bigger frame size ?

Or doesn't it really matter that much and I should just get on with looking for 58cm frames ?

Thank you for your patience, I'm a complete novice.

If you're looking at older English bikes you'll probably need a 23" frame, most listings you see will specify in inches. It also comes down to personal preference, some people prefer a slightly larger or smaller frame than the ideal size for them. If you go for a standard touring or racing style road bike you should have enough scope for adjusting it to suit you. Its all takes a bit of experimentation, you'll find the more riding you do the more you'll want to tweak the adjustments. There's plenty of info on the net about getting a bike to fit right. A touring bike should provide a more comfortable riding style, if you want a good day to day old school touring bike, something like a Dawes Galaxy would be a good choice

I am the same size as you (height and inside leg) and I just bought a 58cm Surly cross check last year. I was also a bit unsure on sizing as I hadn't ridden a drop bar bike since I was 15. It fits great, although I did change the stem for a slightly shorter one, but less rise to get the front axle hidden by the bars when I am on the hoods. This is apparently a good guide for a touring/audax position.
I find it comfy and can ride in all positions on the bars, with on the hoods my most common position. You can check all the measurements of the cross check here and use them to compare with any bikes you are looking at.
You may be able to size up to a 60cm to be a bit more upright, but I don't know personally. I would think you would be better going for a 58cm or 23" and adjusting the position with the stem. Of course if you are buying retro then you will have more movement with a quill stem.
Hope this helps.

Spanner in the works time.

I am also a little past 50 and took up road riding about six or seven months ago, after being an mtb only rider on and off since the late 1980's.

I am 6'1" with a 34" inside leg and taking advice from my roadie fanatic son (who is the same height and build as me, just slimmer and fitter :evil: ) I chose a 56cm / 22" frame, set up with a 110mm stem. I recently finished a second road bike, which is built to very similar dimensions. Both these bikes ride really well and fit me perfectly, although common convention would say they were much too small.

The best thing to do is visit a bike shop where they are able to give you a good idea of fit, as my personal opinion is that reach is probably more important than frame height when it comes to comfort from back, neck, shoulders and wrists.

Thanks for the advice, guys, I'll let you know how I get on.

I'm about 6'2" and both my bikes are 22.5", although I would probably have been better with 24" or 25" frames.

I found it quite easy to get the Carlton comfortable but I've never quite achieved it on the Dawes, even though I've had it longer. I suspect that a long-reach stem on the Dawes would make a big difference but I haven't got round to buying one yet.