I just recently bought a P3 in 55 cm. I had someone tell me I should have bought a size 52cm. On the Cervelo website it says someone my size typically rides a 54cm or a 55cm. I am 5’ 10" with a 32 inseam. I know it is hard to say without me posting a pic, although does this sound fine? I am not sure if the shop I bought it from sold me the correct size?
IIRC, the 52 and 55 have the same or nearly the same head tube length and vertical height. The difference is in the top tube length.
I think the 52 is really meant for “short” folks with long legs/short torso who need a shorter top tube to get the cockpit distance correct - someone like me at 5’8" but with 33.5" inseam. A while ago I asked about this on the Cervelo website and that was the jist of the response I got.
To me, it sounds like you got the correct size. Does it feel too long in the cockpit?
Seems to feel fine, better when I ride the nose of my saddle. I had a guy tell me your tri bike should be two to three sizes smaller than your road bike. And my if I do the the math I should ride a 55cm road bike. I was also looking at the Kestrel KM40 in size 52cm as I have friends my size that ride this bike. It says on the Cervelo site that if you ride a 55cm road bike you shiould ride a 55cm Cervelo tt/tri bike. But most people I talk with say tri bikes should be three sizes smaller?
What seat angle do you ride at? If you ride steep, I 'd say the 55 is/was probably the better fit. If you ride shallow, the 52 is probably the right choice.
I was wondering the same thing about the sizing of a tri bike, and Cervelo’s. I am your size and ride a 55cm P3 also. I would be interested in Tom D’s opinion on this…
I ride my P3 steep. But was still wondering if the Cervelo tri bike should be smaller in general than my road bike. As I am being told from some tri friends that it should be two to three sizes smaller…
Just to add to the data pool - I’m 6’2" and ride a 55cm P3.
OT
I am 5-10 and ride a P3 54cm steep!
i just went through the same turmoil. i’m 5’10" with a 33" inseam. my FIST-certified LBS preferred to put me on a 52 (700c), but said i was really in between that and a 55. i went with the 55 and i’m glad i did.
i had to put the seat post in the forward position to get into my range. i like to ride on the steep side, so if i went slack, i’m not sure the 55 would fit. in my forward setup, my elbows clear my knees by an inch or two, and my knees clear the armrests by a half inch or so. if i shortened my top tube, i.e. gone with a 52, i don’t think i would have these clearances.
note that i have only 15mm of spacers and a 100mm stem.
you should fit the bike to your riding style. for me: steep=55… slack=52.
Just to add more data to the discussion. I’m 5’9" with a 30 inseam and ride a 52 P3 it fits me like a glove. Also, I ride in the 75 degree seat tube position with a 100 mm stem.
Cheers!
Trevor
Another P3 user:
5’9" with a 30" inseam and riding a 54" P3 with a 90 mm stem.
One thing to note about the P3 is that the higher the seat - the shorter the effective top tube length and the steeper you are. This is due to the fact that the seat post doesn’t angle straight down to the BB like it would on 99.9% of the bikes out there. On all those bikes changing the height of the seat has no effect on how steep someone sits. So on a 55cm P3 with a 34" inseam and the seat post extended out relatively high - I have my seat post facing rearward but I believe my effective angle is about 78-79 degrees.
IMO, one of the huge benefits of the P3 is this flexibility.
OT
I am 5-10 and ride a P3 54cm steep!
Same here.
Seems to feel fine, better when I ride the nose of my saddle. I had a guy tell me your tri bike should be two to three sizes smaller than your road bike.
This is not necessarily true for a couple of reasons. First of all, you can’t even say that you need a certain size of road bike. You may need a 54cm Cervelo yet a 57cm Colnago and they would fit the same. So if your road bikes can vary that much, the idea of choosing a tri bike 3cm smaller than your road bike becomes rather silly, expecially when you’re comparing different brands.
Secondly, the concerns you have wit htri fit are different from road fit, so there is no fool-proof rule. Some may ride tri bikes a size smaller than their road bike, others may ride the same size or bigger. On average people seem to ride Cervelo tri bikes similar in size to Cervelo road bikes, but that is just the average, there is a considerable spread. And people riding in a relaxed position tend to ride a smaller frame than those riding in a forward position.
As for your case, the “average you” would ride a 55cm but there would be people your height who would ride the 52cm, it all depends on how your height is distributed over torso and inseam, what your position is, how flexible you are, etc.
Thanks everyone, I feel beter about my bike size now.
Same size as you and I ride a 54 with a great fit!
Looking at buying a Kestrel Talon SL for trainingand road riding. Anyone have one that is around my size. I have been on both the 52cm and the 55cm. I think I will end up buying the 55cm with a smaller stem? This is waht the bike shop thought, although another shop thought the 52cm would be better?
How many bikes do you have?
Just two now, my P3 and a hybrid bike. Need a road bike and like the Talon SL…