Road bike fitting experts, a size question

[CRASH]

I'm thinking about getting back into Tri's in my old age. (I turn 44 next month) My last race bike was stolen and never replaced. I found a 60cm Tri bike for a decent price. But I don't think 60cm will fit me. I'm 6'4" with a 34" in seam. Any thoughts?

 

[Bicycle808]

First of all, that's awesome that you've got this ambition to compete in triathlons again. Congrats.

As for sizing, as i'm sure you know, there are several schools of thought re: road bike fit, plus there's lots of different possibilities for the fit needs of someone who is 6'4"; some guys are all legs, where other guys have a long torso, etc. Similarly, there are different design philosophies in terms of geometry, so a lot will depend on the specific bike. Generally speaking, though, a lot of ppl would think that 60cm is about right for someone 6'4". Personally, i'd shoot for a 62 or 63cm...

HTH
Rob

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

The trend these days is too ride a smaller frame size. I raced 56s in the 80s-90s, now I race and train on 54s and my cross bike is a 52. If it's not cost prohibitive, I'd get a basic fitting at a qualified shop.


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[CrazyDave]

I'm about 6'1, wear 34 inseam pants and my favorite ride is a 60 cm bike. Sounds like you got a few inches of torso on me. From the two conversations I have had with bike builders recently I would agree that this is a lot of personal choice. Both wanted to know my preferred riding positions and lots more measurements than just my inseam. Also the sizes of bikes I've ridden and preferred. Personally I would imagine that a bit small for ya, but its 90% preference I would say....I would guess you would want a long top tube 60 CM+ ...

 

[G-Matt]

Rock on crash at 44 my self I commend you . I was into some me adventure racing a couple years back & it was a blast , but the swim was substituted for a canoe. Also you had to map your course your self . I would thinks a good bike shop should be a help as you probably know Tri bike are a little different then , road race bikes and geometry are a little different on each bike .


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[Bendix]

IMHO it depends on what you're calling a 'tri' bike.

Conventional road bike with aero bars? Probably a couple cm too small, depending on how it's measured.

Dedicated TT/triathlon bike? Time for a test ride- with no really standardized frame design sizing can be all over the place. Depending on seat tube and handlebar design it's hard to even judge a modern TT bike by top tube length...

 

[CRASH]

Thanks for the opinions and encouragement. I've got about 60 pounds to lose, so I'm hoping this will motivate my fat butt to move.

 

[Bicycle808]

Bendix nailed it when he said there's really no "standard" geometry, but if we wanna speak more generally, the Tri bikes have a very steep (upright) seat-tube, which puts the seat closer to the headtube and the BB shell further to the rear of the bike. The top tubes also tend to be shorter on most tri bikes, basically to compensate for the aero bars. The trend is to go smaller, b/c the idea is that this will help facillitate dismounts. I'm not exactly buying it. That kind of thing makes sense with cyclocross bikes, where the BB is significantly higher and the rider is going to be dismounting and re-mounting frequently, but tri bikes tend to have a "normal" BB height, plus you're typically only dismounting one time. Then again, i never raced tri and i've never rode a tri bike for any amount of time beyond a lap around the block to assess issues and/or do a shake-down ride, post-repair. So, what do i know?

 

[CRASH]

IMHO it depends on what you're calling a 'tri' bike...

Probably a road bike set up like a Tri bike. I'll be on a strict budget, which is going to hurt, but I can't dump thousands into it.
Right now I've got a line on a 62cm '93 Cannondale R900 frame. I think that top tube will be long enough, and the seat tube of course will be tall enough. But outfitting a full bike from a frame will get pricy, so I haven't pulled the trigger on just buying the F/F.