I’ve got a buddy that wants to get into riding. The only problem: he is 6"6’ with about 6 feet of that being legs. He went to get fitted and was told that he may have to go custom. Custom may price him out of getting into the sport. Anyone out there know of any companies that make a road bike for a guy this big?
I’m 6’3" and my 61cm Jamis Eclipse is a pretty darn big frame. He may have some luck there.
How much is he looking to spend? I have a few larger frames that I am selling. I’m 6’5" so it should work. Gimme a budget and I’ll see what I can come up with.
Cannondale used to make some huge frames… like 65-67. Not sure if they still do. LeMonds have a long top tube, so their 61 may do the trick. I’m 6’2" and would ride a 57 lemond, to give you an idea. trek has a 63cm 2300. Bianchi’s 63’s are too small.
Also, check out BMC. I was comfortable on a 57 BMC SL01
Surley may be able to help you out… but it’s low-grade steel
Gunnar is probably the cheapest custom option
I’m 6’6" with a 37" inseam. I can make most stock 61/62 bikes work. Longer legs vs. torso will actually make it easier to find a fit on a stock bike.
My TT bike is a custom Yaqui, but I think the custom price from Ves was only $200 more then stock.
scott
He’s been looking at bikes around $800. From what I can tell he wants to stay in that range as much as he can. It’s his first serious bike, so he doesn’t want to spend too much.
hmmm… i am the guy in question, i believe the guy originally tried to size me on a 62cm specialized allez and he said it was way too small, that he didn’t feel right selling me something that out of proportion, that i was bent over way too much
i am fairly ignorant in all this…
but he said that i would need closer to a 66 ?? he recommended trying fuji and i am going to try to go to another place tonight… just looking for some help before paying for something custom $
I’m 6’5" w/ ~ 36" inseam. Been riding a stock 63cm Cannondale frame for several years. It’s great.
I believe Lennard Zinn specializes in making bikes for tall people.
TREK goes to 63, should be able to get a decent bike for $800.
the guy last night recommended zinn and this site…
however the 63 trek didn’t fit either… and zinn is very $$$
i will look into the cannondales also, but last night they only had hybrid cannondales, no road bikes (i don’t think)
from what was explained to me last night the jump between 6’3" or so to 6’6" can make a huge difference(?), getting the front bars to raise up to a reasonable height to match the seat seemed to be the challenge, not that i couldn’t reach it but that it was fairly uncomfortable from the start, i was straining to look up i was bent over so far down
“He’s been looking at bikes around $800.”
A guy in our road group is 6’5" and just picked up a second hand 61 cm Lemond on ebay that fits him. Lemonds are really great steel bikes and the second hand ones aren’t super expensive. As mentioned they tend to have longer than average top tubes so a second hand Lemond could be the ticket. Here’s an example of what to to look for.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=98084&item=7153455464&rd=1
I’m 6’7" with a 36" inseam and ride a 61cm Cervelo P2k. My seattube is nearly maxxed out, and I have two spacers at the front, but with a FIST fit it fits me like a glove.
I am 6’6" and, like what others have said, I have had no problems with 61/62 cm frames. Different companies measure frames differently. You should be able to find a stock frame that will fit. The person fitting you saw you in person and he could be right in his assessment, but I would get a second and third opinion if possible.
I’m 6’9" with a 39" inseam and rode a Trek 1500 63cm for two years before getting a custom. I didn’t want to spend much at first because I wanted to make sure I liked the sport. I think I paid $950. They make a 63cm in the 1000 model but I thought the extra money was worth some better quality components. The 1000 can be had for 6 or 700 I think. Yeah, the bike was a little small, but it worked fine. Just get a long seatpost and a long stem. By the way, I got Zinn extra long cranks on my new bike and they’re awesome. Back to your friend, he should be fine on a 63cm. Also check out the new Trek Pilot series. They go to 63cm and raise the bars up higher. This way if you have to have alot of seatpost you’re not bending way over to get to the bars. Just check out Treks website, it has information on the different models and can point you to a dealer in your area.
Dude, I’m 6’4" and 203lb. I’ve got an extra 63cm Cannondale CAAD4 with Ultegra, DuraAce STI, an all carbon fork and carbon seatpost. Really nice Team Seaco paint job. E-mail me for more info.
Check out a 63cm Felt F65 or F55. Those bikes are too big for me, and I’m 6’2". Tough to beat the value and should leave plenty of cash for the ancillary purchases that make riding enjoyable.
Regards,
sd
Seconding an earlier post, I’m 6’-6", 195 lbs and race on a 61cm Cervelo P2k. I love it. My road bike is a 64cm Specialized S-Works, and I think that frame is actually a little big for me, but it still works pretty well. The $800 price range makes things tougher, but I have nothing but good things to say about both Cervelo and Specialized. Though I have an S-Works, I think the primary difference between that and their less expensive models are frame material and components (which means your friend should be able to find something cheaper that fits). If I were willing to pay for a professional fit job, I have not doubt that both bikes could be adjusted to fit quite well.
As for custom - I’ve thought about it, but I’ve always felt like I was just ‘this’ side of needing it. It would fun, for sure, but I still believe that I have a wide variety of stock options out there that will work if I’m careful. The other thing to consider is that if your friend is just getting into cycling / triathlon, it’s not entirely unreasonable to deal with a fit that’s in the ‘close but not quite’ category until he’s sure he loves it. Then he can plunk down $1500-$2000 and get something more carefully tailored to his needs.
Just my .02…
.