[Jim311]

I'm about 6 foot tall, with a 32 inseam. I'm searching for a road bike frame online, and I realized that everything is in centimeters! I know the ideal solution is to go to a shop and get measured for a frame, but what might you guys guess I should be riding in terms of frame size? I'm used to the S/M/L mountain bike world. I typically ride a large frame when it comes to MTB. Can some of you guys help a brutha out? I'm also going to be leaving this bike at my mom's house, and she's maybe an inch or two shorter than me and I'd like her to be able to ride it occaisionally as well. Help a brutha out!

 

[JMH]

Approximately 57-59cm, depending on the particular frame. Top tube length and seat angle relationship are more important than seat tube length.

JMH

I'm about 6 foot tall, with a 32 inseam. I'm searching for a road bike frame online, and I realized that everything is in centimeters! I know the ideal solution is to go to a shop and get measured for a frame, but what might you guys guess I should be riding in terms of frame size? I'm used to the S/M/L mountain bike world. I typically ride a large frame when it comes to MTB. Can some of you guys help a brutha out? I'm also going to be leaving this bike at my mom's house, and she's maybe an inch or two shorter than me and I'd like her to be able to ride it occaisionally as well. Help a brutha out!

 

[MUSTCLIME]

54-56c......here is my 2 cents.....do not do it, different riding position = different parts of the legs/butt get the workout.....I bought a road bike, rode the hell out of it in the wet season....got on my mtb and felt weak:madman: ..........Bin there, done that..........
Now is have a hard tail with speed citys set up jusl like my mtb. I love passing roadies on it......really ticks them off.

 

[Jim311]

54-56c......here is my 2 cents.....do not do it, different riding position = different parts of the legs/butt get the workout.....I bought a road bike, rode the hell out of it in the wet season....got on my mtb and felt weak:madman: ..........Bin there, done that..........
Now is have a hard tail with speed citys set up jusl like my mtb. I love passing roadies on it......really ticks them off.

Well, it's really for my mom.. generally if I have time to ride it's going to be on some dirt. She wants a pure road bike for whatever reason, so I figured I'd build her up a "budget build" and maybe try my hand at road riding. Maybe I'll like it.

 

[Tracerboy]

Not sure about your size question, but would definitely encourage you to get a proper fitting at your LBS. Or bring your mom to get fitted. Road bike fit is definitely more exact than MTB fit. The precision of fit impacts your pedal efficiency, your comfot, etc. On an MTB depending on your riding style, you might spend a decent amount of time out of the saddle. On a road bike, you are in the sadlle a lot more. As far as using different parts of your legs, etc, this is true, but as you live in Florida (so do I) you can cross train year round and not worry about the road riding throwing off your MTB riding or vice versa. Actually, road riding mixed in with MTB riding can really improve your riding on both bikes.

 

[Jim311]

Not sure about your size question, but would definitely encourage you to get a proper fitting at your LBS. Or bring your mom to get fitted. Road bike fit is definitely more exact than MTB fit. The precision of fit impacts your pedal efficiency, your comfot, etc. On an MTB depending on your riding style, you might spend a decent amount of time out of the saddle. On a road bike, you are in the sadlle a lot more. As far as using different parts of your legs, etc, this is true, but as you live in Florida (so do I) you can cross train year round and not worry about the road riding throwing off your MTB riding or vice versa. Actually, road riding mixed in with MTB riding can really improve your riding on both bikes.

The trails I like to ride don't give me a good consistant cardio workout.. my heart rate isn't elevated for very long because I can't pedal hard at a fast pace on the trails I like to ride. They're technical and challenging but they don't tax me physically, so I'm hoping a road bike will. Is there any way I can measure myself for a road bike? I want to come up with a realistic compromise of so that both of us can ride it. In all reality though, I'll be the one riding this bike the most. She says she's going to ride it all the time, but she said that about the mountain bike that I inherited because she never rode it.

 

[serious]

MUSTCLIME: ... here is my 2 cents.....do not do it, different riding position = different parts of the legs/butt get the workout.....I bought a road bike, rode the hell out of it in the wet season....got on my mtb and felt weak

Huh? How do you explain that the large majority of succesful mountain bike racers use the road bike for training (and they log far more miles on the road than off road).

 

[sonyisdope]

If you are used to the S/M/L world of mountain biking, don't ditch it! Look into a road bike that utilizes compact geometry. I am quite fond of compact geometry, as it will afford you more standover height, and from my own personal experience, I find the goemetry a better counterpart to typical XC mountain bike geometry.

Check out KHS, they give you a lot of bike for the buck, and use compact geometry. From what you said in your initial post, I would definetly look into a road bike with compact geometry.

 

[IAmCosmo]

I ride a Specialized Allez road bike. Compact geometry (sloping top tube) and it fits me really well. I ride a 17-18" (M) mountain bike, and I wear 30" inseam pants. Not sure what my actual inseam measurement is. I ride a 56cm road bike frame.

 

[J-mizzle]

Don't listen....

Don't listen to the haters...........

I am the exact same height and inseam as you and I bought a 56 which I felt is great after shortening the stem a little. I can absolutely hammer. If I had to do it again though I would get a 54.

I would howver recommend if for you and your mother....getting a bike that is like a 53,52 maybe......

Standover is going to be the main issue as stems can always be adjusted....

Get a road bike and tear it up....they are great and you might find that you might find yourself wanting to ride on more and more.....The speed is just as addicting as that of the dirt....

Good Luck,
John

 

[ribaldmanikin]

If you're not sure if you'll like it, you can always do what I've done. I picked up a nice vintage road bike at a garage sale for $25. It's barely over 20 lbs., and at the very least, it has cut a few minutes off my commute. It seems to make more sense than dropping $1000 on a new bike when you're not sure if you'll use it.

 

[Jim311]

If you're not sure if you'll like it, you can always do what I've done. I picked up a nice vintage road bike at a garage sale for $25. It's barely over 20 lbs., and at the very least, it has cut a few minutes off my commute. It seems to make more sense than dropping $1000 on a new bike when you're not sure if you'll use it.

Well, I'm going to pick up a frame on Ebay in the 200 dollar range. Then I'll just sell a bunch of leftover parts from a mountain bike I just parted out to recoup the cash for some middle of the road road parts. I think I can do it for under a grand.. hopefully!

 

[loco-gringo]

At 6' I would suggest a 55 - 57 cm top tube. If the manufacturer doesn't measure TT for you, skip them. I disagree that you can fix most things with a stem. I am actually 5'11" and have a 56cm top tube IRD Impala. I won't discourage you, as I like buying bikes, but I caution you to shop wisely. I would really go to a shop and get sized. Once you know what bike fits you, if you insist on shopping online, you can get top tube measurements and go from there. Good luck. If you have specific questions, feel free to PM me.

Edit - for under a grand you can buy a nicely speced bike. I could get you something with 105/Ultegra from my good friend's shop here, but you can find a good bike online new for around $800 - 900 with a 105 group.

 

[smw]

I'm about 6 foot tall, with a 32 inseam. I'm searching for a road bike frame online, and I realized that everything is in centimeters! I know the ideal solution is to go to a shop and get measured for a frame, but what might you guys guess I should be riding in terms of frame size? I'm used to the S/M/L mountain bike world. I typically ride a large frame when it comes to MTB. Can some of you guys help a brutha out? I'm also going to be leaving this bike at my mom's house, and she's maybe an inch or two shorter than me and I'd like her to be able to ride it occaisionally as well. Help a brutha out!

Go get sized first. I am 6'3 with a 35 inseam and I ride a Trek 1500. Great bike for the dough. I would venture a guess at a 58-59 cm. I ride a XL mountian bike by the way.

Sean

 

[Cyclopod]

I'm pretty sure the the formula is 70% of inseam length. I've got a 30 inch inseam and have a 20in / 52cm road frame (C to C). It assumes for 1 inch standover clearance. It's supposed to take into account seat tube angle and BB height, but as long as there within standard range.

 

[skiahh]

I'm pretty sure the the formula is 70% of inseam length. I've got a 30 inch inseam and have a 20in / 52cm road frame (C to C). It assumes for 1 inch standover clearance. It's supposed to take into account seat tube angle and BB height, but as long as there within standard range.

Wow... I think I'm about 6' with a 32" inseam (measured from floor to very top of leg) and I'm very comfortably on a 59cm frame. Road sizes aren't measured in TT, but in seat tube. The TT dimension, like in mountain bikes, is significant as well, but sizewise, you're looking at the seat tube length, typically measured from the center of the crank to the center of the top tube. some may go top to top, center to top etc, so read the small print.

Start here to get detailed instructions and a pretty good sizing guide: www.wrenchscience.com.

54-56c......here is my 2 cents.....do not do it, different riding position = different parts of the legs/butt get the workout.....I bought a road bike, rode the hell out of it in the wet season....got on my mtb and felt weak ..........Bin there, done that..........

Done that poorly, I must say. Road riding will increase your endurance and strength on a mountain bike if you put the miles on. Even just a few miles a week and I feel the difference on my MTB. Yes, you do have to get adjusted to the differences in riding positions, but your capacity for pedaling is so much better after road riding - even if it's not dedicated training.

 

[skiahh]

I'm pretty sure the the formula is 70% of inseam length. I've got a 30 inch inseam and have a 20in / 52cm road frame (C to C). It assumes for 1 inch standover clearance. It's supposed to take into account seat tube angle and BB height, but as long as there within standard range.

Wow... I think I'm about 6' with a 32" inseam (measured from floor to very top of leg) and I'm very comfortably on a 59cm frame. Road sizes aren't measured in TT, but in seat tube. The TT dimension, like in mountain bikes, is significant as well, but sizewise, you're looking at the seat tube length, typically measured from the center of the crank to the center of the top tube. some may go top to top, center to top etc, so read the small print.

Start here to get detailed instructions and a pretty good sizing guide: www.wrenchscience.com.

54-56c......here is my 2 cents.....do not do it, different riding position = different parts of the legs/butt get the workout.....I bought a road bike, rode the hell out of it in the wet season....got on my mtb and felt weak ..........Bin there, done that..........

Done that poorly, I must say. Road riding will increase your endurance and strength on a mountain bike if you put the miles on. Even just a few miles a week and I feel the difference on my MTB. Yes, you do have to get adjusted to the differences in riding positions, but your capacity for pedaling is so much better after road riding - even if it's not dedicated training.

 

[Capt_phun]

You are more than welcome to come over to the dark side where you will find this question answered a million times:
ww.roadbikereview.com

Another good online fit is www.competitivecyclist.com
click on road, then in the bottom right corner is the "fit" link.

Whoever says they can't cross train on a road bike is full of B.S. You can build an incredible base with road miles that would take forever riding mountain bike only.

 

[meloh1]

Although road bikes are "sized" by the seat tube, it's not the most critical measurement. The top tube is by far more important and a has a greater impact on handling, comfort and overall enjoyment of the ride. I've never completely figured out why manufacturers use the seat tube for their sizing. One reason could be it's the easiest way to size a bike (but not the best). Another could be, that's the way it's always been done. Figure out what top tube measurement suits you best and the rest will follow, unless you're a biological freak.

 

[Ricko]

Traitor Scum!!

Just kidding , You'l like having a roadie bike around, it's a nice change of pace from MTB. I'm 5'10" with a 30" inseam and ride a 56cm so that should put you in about a 58cm I figure. All the sizing charts say I should be on a 54cm with my dimentions but every 54 I rode felt cramped so I went with a 56 and couldn't be happier.

There's nothing I like better then hopping on my roadie after spending a few days riding MTB. The difference between a 33lb FS trailbike and an 18lb road bike is simply astounding!:eekster: