Sizing 58 or 60 to 4

**rcannon100** · 08-03-2013, 07:32 PM

25 or 6 to 4. Alright.... be honest.... who knows the reference without clicking on the link??

The saga of The Kid and The Bike continues. The short list is officially down to one bike: The Specialized Allez Elite (which is ironically where we began). He did try a Surly Cross Check today and loved it. But then we found an Allez.... I'm not surprised. A young punk is going to like a nimble aluminum bike that is going to feel like speed. We tried it out at City Bikes Adams Morgan (they still have the mural on the wall from when that use to be Ben and Jerry's). He went over and did Merridian Hill which, on the Allez, he referred to as a "small mound."

So here is the question. He is 6'3" His pants inseam is 34. He is 17 years +. The bikes he has tried have been 58, 60 and 62. No doubt, 62 was too big. He got on a Synapse 58 and loved it. He got on a Trek 1.2 58, and it was clearly too small. He likes the Allez 58.... But I am really worried its too small for him. My handy dandy size chart says that someone his size is a 60 (where 58 is on the bottom of the acceptable scale and 62 is on the top).

I mean, there are variations between vendors and frames, and the way in which different vendors measure... but.... is worried dad right?? Doesnt 58 seem too small?

My thought is to make him try out the 60 again. If anything we could shorten the stem. I would rather get him the bike that is slightly on the large size.... he will grown just a bit more.

Thoughts? And thanks for all the input from the peanut gallery.

PS One of the ironic things about Adam's Morgan.... I met my wife in the WABA office..... only back in 1989 that office was AYUDA Legal Services and we were both there on summer internships.

**Dirt** · 08-03-2013, 07:38 PM

The measurements that are important are the horizontal top tube and the horizontal top tube + stem length. Companies will measure from the center of the bottom bracket to a random point in space and call a bike a "58 cm", but that doesn't mean that it is the same as any other company's 58cm. I ride anything from a 57-64cm frames. The horizontal top tube measurement is always the same. 59.5cm with a 120mm stem pretty much always fits.

**hozn** · 08-03-2013, 09:59 PM

Yeah, what Dirt said. Effective top-tube is what you want to compare. If I was betting, though, I would put my money on a normal size 58 being too small for someone 6'3". I am 6'1" with a 34 inseam (pant size, anyway) and find an ETT of 58.5cm with a 110mm stem to be about right for me. That seems to usually land me around a 58-60 frame size. I have a buddy who is 6'2" and rides a size 61 Fuji frame. So obviously everyone is differently dimensioned, but it is probably at least worth finding the Allez 60 to test it out.

**rcannon100** · 08-04-2013, 05:23 PM

Test rode a Specialized Allez Sport 61 today. He just did not like it. Did not like the reach. Then he test rode the 58 and he was immediately happier. *Le Sigh*

**hozn** · 08-04-2013, 05:40 PM

If this is his first road bike (?) it may make sense that he would rather be a little closer to the bars too. I know that it was only after riding for awhile/getting more flexible that I came to appreciate that my first road frame was too small. As long as his knees aren't hitting the handlebars on out-of-seat climbing, he should be ok. (And maybe the 58 really does fit his proportions better.)

**KLizotte** · 08-04-2013, 07:10 PM

A lot will depend on the length of his torso and arm length. If those are proportionally on the short side it would make sense that he is more comfortable on the 58.

**rcannon100** · 08-04-2013, 08:02 PM

BTW... my avatar... The Kid designed that years ago as part of the Arlington Vehicle Decal Competition. It was one of the four finalists that year but did not win. It lost to well... a decal of the Arlington History Museum. The graphic is suppose to be of the Rosslyn skyline from the MVT.