sizing question.

[Leighcal]

Recently I have been toying with the idea of getting myself a road bike. Nothing modern though. Something reasonably priced and nice riding. I've been looking locally and there's a few bikes about but I have no idea what size I should ideally be looking for? For mtb I like a smaller frame with long top tube, kind of stretched out.
I haven't thrown a leg over a road bike since my teens so about 15-18 years and back then it was probably way too big for me so very uncomfortable. My rough measurements are 32" inside leg, 30" arm length. Whether that helps I'm not sure. I do know that different frames will fit better than others and be different sizes etc.
So just as a rough guide what sort of measurements should I be looking for? Obviously I can gain extra cm here and there with different stem and moving seat etc.
Thanks in advance
Leigh

 

[hamster]

I'd try a 54cm as a starting point. The top tube on a road bike is shorter as the hand position is much further forward on the bars.

In my experience bar height is much more critical than on MTBs - typically the bars are set too low. This is fine for pro-racers who are under 30 and paid to be in pain anyway. For the rest of us the bars need to be 2-5cm lower than the saddle and no more.

 

[PaulSE]

Quite an interesting piece on trends in bar height here http://inrng.com/2013/01/cycling-position-change/

 

[Robbied196]

If British a 22" frame