What size bike...

levi

You probably get a lot of threads like this but I'm looking at buying a single speed commuter - just something cheap and cheerful.

Problem is, I'm not sure what size bike to buy. I'm a girl, 5' 4.5" (the half counts :P) but I have long legs and a short body. My inseam is 31" I think - I know that 30" jeans are too short and 32" too long! I'm probably not being technical enough for you guys but I'll measure my inseam when I get home later.

I own a Specialized Sirrus - the 06 model I think, it's a medium frame. I find that reach is a bit too long for me. I shortened the stem recently which helped but it's still not that comfortable.

Should I got for a smaller frame or does it depend on the geometry of the bike?

I was thinking of something like this. Not necessarily that exact one, just that style.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Lumen

levi wrote: »

I'm a girl, 5' 4.5" (the half counts :P) but I have long legs...

It's very difficult to judge without seeing you on the bike. Got any pics?

ednwireland

Lumen wrote: »

It's very difficult to judge without seeing you on the bike. Got any pics?

smoooooth best way of getting a girl to post pics of herself on the interweb i've seen in ages

Lumen

ednwireland wrote: »

smoooooth best way of getting a girl to post pics of herself on the interweb i've seen in ages

I have no idea what you're talking about.

I posted ones of me on my first training log. What's good for the goose and all that

Lumen

More seriously...

The M sized Sirrus has a 545mm effective top tube, which is normal for about a 5'9" rider with the same inseam length as you. On a drop bar road bike. But the Sirrus is a hybrid, which AFAIK have shorter top tubes. So with that (and your short torso) it's not surprising that the bike feels a little big.

Suggest you go into a few shops and sit on different sized bikes to get a better feel. Or preferably take them for a short ride.

levi

Don't have any pics of me on my bike... I'm not *that* into it - just use my bike for commuting really.

I've actually been looking at this bike mainly. It comes in 49cm and 52cm... wondering which size would be best. I reckon I'd probably be better to get the smaller one but just wanted to see if I could get any good old boardsie advice.

Lumen

levi wrote: »

I've actually been looking at this bike mainly. It comes in 49cm and 52cm... wondering which size would be best. I reckon I'd probably be better to get the smaller one but just wanted to see if I could get any good old boardsie advice.

The 49cm is about the same size as your medium Sirrus, based on effective top tube length.

From here:

Size 47cm: 540mm
Size 49cm: 545mmm
Size 52cm: 547mm

As you can see, in the smaller sizes there is not much difference in top tube length (7mm between three sizes).

The only thing which differs significantly between those sizes is the standover height (736mm, 745mm, 762mm respectively).