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Home > Forum > Triathlon Forum > Help me size a road bike for my girlfriend!

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Help me size a road bike for my girlfriend!
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BCtriguy1
Aug 1, 14 13:24
Post #1 of 12 (6917 views)
I've been trying to get my girlfriend interested in road riding for a while now, and on our way back from IMC this week she mentioned "I think I would like to see what this whole cycling this is all about". She is no foreigner to endurance sports, and currently runs around a 3:05 open marathon. I am looking forward to her now being able to kick my ass at two sports instead of just one. But anyways....

She knows nothing about bikes, so I'll be doing most of the searching on used sites to narrow down some choices. We want to keep costs low to see if she really catches the bug, so we aren't looking to shell out $200 - $300 for a proper fitting on a $700 bike. I'm not really familiar with sizes other then what I would be riding, so I'm looking to you all for sizing recommendations. I know sizes vary from brand to brand, so I think it would be best to hear responses like "I'm close to her size and ride a so-and-so sized Felt, or Trek, or whatever". We are just looking at road bikes, nothing tri-related.

In bare feet, she is 5'5" with a 31" inseam, and relatively normal proportions (arm/leg length and whatnot). Any help would be appreciated as I'm really hoping to jump on this new found interest and get her riding for the tail end of the summer!

Thanks!
Long Chile was a silly place.
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Re: Help me size a road bike for my girlfriend! [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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edbikebabe
Aug 1, 14 14:40
Post #2 of 12 (6902 views)
I'm 5'6"/5'7" (haven't measured in a while) and have normal length legs (so helpful here...). I ride a 53cm womens Orbea and previously had a 52cm Cannondale.

I'd guess she'd be in the 51cm range - 48 sounds too small. I've found that mens/unisex frames in the big brands (Trek, Specialized, Cannondale) fit me very well with no real modifications needed. I found the mens Orbea's to be very long in the top tube - I was super stretched out, which is why I bought a women's frame.

FWIW - I prefer a slightly smaller frame. It just feels "better" and I feel safer/more in control.
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Re: Help me size a road bike for my girlfriend! [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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Agilecipher
Aug 1, 14 15:03
Post #3 of 12 (6893 views)
What I've learned is that it's less about size and more about geometry - a given size can be distributed differently across brands. I'd highly recommend going into a shop and having someone fit her then maybe finding an older bike with a similar geometry. Then the new "perfect fit" bike can be the goal if she falls in love with cycling (heaven knows I did).

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Re: Help me size a road bike for my girlfriend! [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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blackthugcat
Aug 1, 14 17:15
Post #4 of 12 (6882 views)
I'm 5' 5" with about a 30.5" inseam as far as I can tell when I convert from metric.

I ride a 48cm Specialized Ruby with a Jett saddle and love it. Every time I get on it I'm thinking how comfortable it is.

I've done an IM, couple of Alpine Classics and more century rides on it than I can remember, so it's got the runs on the board:-)
Last edited by: blackthugcat: Aug 1, 14 17:18
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Re: Help me size a road bike for my girlfriend! [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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katcycles
Aug 2, 14 8:38
Post #5 of 12 (6834 views)
I'm 5'6" with a 32" inseam and ride a 51 Amira...also with a Jett saddle. I previously had a 51 orbea mitis (not a dama,) and also fit well on a Trek 52 WSD Madone.
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Re: Help me size a road bike for my girlfriend! [AC Tri Girl] [ In reply to ]
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themadcyclist
Aug 3, 14 5:30
Post #6 of 12 (6769 views)
AC Tri Girl wrote:
What I've learned is that it's less about size and more about geometry - a given size can be distributed differently across brands. I'd highly recommend going into a shop and having someone fit her then maybe finding an older bike with a similar geometry. Then the new "perfect fit" bike can be the goal if she falls in love with cycling (heaven knows I did).

This! A 48cm frame in one manufacturer may be equivalent to a 51cm frame from another - you need to know how the different manufacturers measure/spec the frames. I am the same size as your girlfriend and have ridden everything from 48 to 51 but the 51 in some manufacturers lines would be way too big for me and a 48 in other manufacturers lines would be way too small for me.

If you can, go to a couple of shops and see what would work - then go shop on-line. See if you can find something used that she can actually try first. Err on the side of smaller rather than slightly too big. It is much easier to make a slightly smaller frame fit and it will be more comfortable and easier to handle. If you try to make a frame that is too big fit, she will always feel stretched out, and handling becomes compromised/twitchy if you have to go with a really short stem to make the bike fit.

Good luck shopping!
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Re: Help me size a road bike for my girlfriend! [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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AndyPants
Aug 3, 14 8:30
Post #7 of 12 (6755 views)
I am 5'6" with a 30" inseam and I ride a 49cm frame size. I tried a 51 before and it was just too big - I could make it work with an aero cockpit but when in road config, it was too stretched out for me. I am short torso/longer leg so stack/reach ratio is key for me. Good luck! AP
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Re: Help me size a road bike for my girlfriend! [AndyPants] [ In reply to ]
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wasasherpafirst
Aug 4, 14 10:48
Post #8 of 12 (6694 views)
5'5" (and a half) with a 31" inseam and I ride a 51cm Cannondale. Good luck to you!
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Re: Help me size a road bike for my girlfriend! [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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mmrocker13
Aug 5, 14 3:46
Post #9 of 12 (6661 views)
Out of all my bikes, I love my Giants the best. Good value, and I like the way I fit in them. I'm on a medium, shed probably be a small.

I'm 5'9" and a bit, inseam 34.5" (all legs). In general, I've found road bikes easier to find a good fit, and have ranged anywhere from a 51 to a 56 depending on brand, but am usually fine on a 53/54 or medium.
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Re: Help me size a road bike for my girlfriend! [mmrocker13] [ In reply to ]
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SBR_bestgoodbad
Aug 6, 14 4:50
Post #10 of 12 (6601 views)
Try this ....

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/...itCalculatorBike.jsp
Such a Bad Runner
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Re: Help me size a road bike for my girlfriend! [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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ChanceG
Aug 9, 14 8:27
Post #11 of 12 (6447 views)
A proper fit will make her riding even that much more enjoyable.
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Re: Help me size a road bike for my girlfriend! [ChanceG] [ In reply to ]
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BCtriguy1
Aug 9, 14 8:38
Post #12 of 12 (6445 views)
I understand that, but a proper fitting isn't exactly in the budget right now. She mainly wants to use the bike for cruising around, and doing some short solo rides (under 40k type stuff). I know road bikes have more wiggle room for fitting then tri bikes, so we just want to get something in the ballpark where can get her on the trainer on, get her leg angles right, and adjust her front end for comfort, which will most likely be something in a more upright position.

We tested out a used 50cm trek 2200 the other day, which ended up being too long for her.
Long Chile was a silly place.
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