Frame Job

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• @Darren H

  When I had a bike fitting, it was suggested that as long as the contact points were correct, you should go for as small a frame as possible. Technically according to the Cervelo measurement charts I should be on a 56 cm frame (and had one), but after the fitting I now ride a 54 cm frame with a slightly longer stem and larger saddle to bar drop - the difference in performance/efficiency is genuinely noticeable - I'm a convert to smaller frames, even though club mates reckon I should be on a larger frame! (I smile as I kick their arses).

  There is no greater joy for the peanut gallery than to accuse someone of riding too small a frame. Believe me.

  @simon

  After I went as low as I am now, I found my front wheel overweighted on the technical bits as well. Then I built up my core and not I'm not just a lump on the bars; my weight is more evenly balanced and I can control how much the front wheel gets weighted, adding or removing weight as needed for the terrain.

• @Chris interesting, Im on a 56 @5'10"/ I have a good amount of post and a 120cm stem, but I like the streched feel as opposed to the feeling bunched up.

• @sthilzy

  Went to visit mother dear's place last weekend and she found a Bicycle Guide, May 1991 magazine in her pile of women's magazines. Had a flick through it found this little gem of a ad;

  It's Pineapple Karen!

  Design - The RB-1 designed like European road bikes were in the mid 70"²s (and the best modern ones still are). The long top tube and shallow seat tube to keep your butt back and your back flat - a fine position for hard, fast riding on the cobbles of Flanders or on any road in America.

  So here's your choice:You can ride a thoroughly modern, extremely stylish road bike built with the newest materials and the latest parts . . . and watch it go out of style next year when fashions change.

  I had such a wicked crush on her in my teens.

• I'm 5'11", and I've always ridden a 56c with an 80-100mm stem.  As I get closer to n+1 again, I've been trying a few 54's, and I have it say, it has given me some food for thought.

• @G'rilla

  Let's not forget that when it comes to bikes, tiny measurements can make a big difference. One cm in wheelbase can feel very different, or a single degree of seat tube.

  For most road races, being on a tiny frame probably just puts the rider in more of a TT position over the front wheel. I don't think you would see people doing that for a crit or CX where steering and maneuverability is a bigger issue.

  A brilliant sports writer named Geoffrey Grosenbach penned an amazing, Pulitzer prize worthy article on bike geometry in this month's Cyclocross Magazine.

  Lets also not forget that fitting and geometry principles matter less when you tend to run with your bike rather than ride it.

  Good boy wearing your V-Kit in that photo.

• @ScottyCycles62

  In my opinion, someone your size shouldn't be on a stem shorter than 12cm. You have at least 3 or 4 cm of reach to play with, which means you can go down several frame sizes. And as @ChrisO says, they make seat pins as long as 450mm, so seat height being a problem is just an illusion.

  @kixsand

  I don't believe stem length has been standardized, so I don't know what length you mean. That said, 12cm is a good starting point and in my opinion should be considered the standard.

• something that never gets talked about is Bar width.

• @frank

  Thanks for your attention to details but I thought it was obvious he rides -6 and since stem c-c measures 140 mm. I should have add - before 6 in one sentence. The fact stays right though the longer the stem the higher the bars if you use -6 stem. For that very reason I also use -17 on my bikes - it looks great and puts me in a reach I want while the bars remain low.

  Another fact you should remember is you only mount the stem on + degree if your name starts with Floyd and ends in Landis.

• @Nate

  Ah, I found it. The relevant part of the CONI manual, for your reading pleasure.

  Thanks Nate. Is the Coni manual the big blue soft cover Italian book? If so I used to own that, loaded it to some punk and never saw it again. I bet it would fit us all to Merckx size frames, which is what I always grew up believing. He was not on a 50cm steel frame, by golly, and you kids, get off my lawn!

• @TommyTubolare

  Another fact you should remember is you only mount the stem on + degree if your name starts with Floyd and ends in Landis.

  +1...it must have been that bad hip.