Frame sizing for 5'8" rider - sorted

[Splatter Paint]

Can you folk help me out, please? I need something suitable for a 5'8" rider (male).

I'm 5'10" and find my 19" modern Kona with a 22"-ish (23.6" effective) top tube spot-on size wise. A 18" Kona is only 1/2" shorter in the top tube, so I'm thinking for the 5'8" rider the 17" frame with a inch shorter top-tube, would be about right. Does this sound logical?

A couple of medium Cannondales have come up in the for sale pages, but I think these will be too big. If you are around 5'8" would you mind posting up what size and what make bike / frame you ride, please? It will make buying something unseen easier. I'm after something post-2000.

Many thanks

SP

 

[marin man]

I am five foot seven and have a 17 inch klein and it is perfecto If your "riding style blah de blah" is different then it can have its top tube lengthened with a longer stem

 

[Kentphil]

It would make sense for a 5' 8" rider to get a 17" frame. I'm 5' 10" too and I also ride a 19" Kona. I thought Klein's had a strange sizing system not used by most bike companies?

Just found this (may help?)
http://web.archive.org/web/199812070113 ... izing.html

 

[marin man]

They do but my bikes are usually 18/19inch so I got the next size down and it is perfect for me.

 

[sastusbulbas]

I am 5'8 and prefer 17" bikes, though sometimes I have to go for top tube length.

Some 17" ish examples of what I found to fit me well would be the 17" Specialized range Stumpjumper M2 etc, 16" GT Zaskar, 17" Marin Rift Zone SE. I found the 17" Litespeed Tellico titanium a little short. a 17" Dean titanium was more suited to me, as would have been the 17" Titus Ti HT and later 2000 and after Merlin XLM's at 17" C-T.

I have also used 18" ish bikes such as the Trek 930, Stumpy M2, Marin Mount Vision, Klien Attitude, Dean Titanium, Fat Chance, Serotta CHT, GT Zaskar.

To be honest I fing a 16"-16.5"-17" seat tube C-T prefereable with a 22.5" seat tube which is usually 23" effective. (IE a 17" or less bike with the length of an 18" model)

Dean Colonel was spot on, on paper at 17" but I ran an 18" which had an 18" seat tube with a 23.5" effective top tube, but with a short stem.

I found that claimed on paper measurements were at times misleading, measured for a bike and buying the likes of Fat Chance or Serotta usually ended up with e not being happy with seat tube C-T length even though the top tube length was fine.

My current bikes.

Trek 930 which was an 18" but with a half inch cut from top of seat tube due to a split at the clamp.

Marin Rift Zone SE 17" (for sale)

NS Surge 2 Medium (like a 15"/16")

Giant Faith 2010 Medium (around 16.5"-17")

Commencal Supreme DH S/M (around 16.5"-17")

 

[Splatter Paint]

Cool, cheers for the replies fellas. From the sizing guide and your responses a 17" seems about right.

I've been looking at a 2010 Blast as a possible candidate, but the 17" Blast has a 23.5" top tube the same as my 19" 2005 Cindercone - arrg!

SP

 

[Tazio]

I'm 5'7" and ride 17" with 15" centre to centre and a 10 degree rise 120mm stem with flat bars. I think fairly big changes in riding comfort can be made with the choice of stem and whether or not to go with flat bars or risers. That's with a top tube length of 22" centre to centre.

 

[Splatter Paint]

All sorted now, it turns out the 2011 Blast has the long top-tube, while the 2010 has a similar design / geometry to my 1995 Cinder Cone. I bought a boxed, 2010 Blast, 17" off eBay for £300, half the RRP!

Not too much outlay and plenty of scope for upgrades if required.

I just have to do a 130 mile round trip to collect it.... :roll:

SP