Hey everyone! If you were buying a used bike to be your only bike for training and racing, would you sacrifice comfort of a “correct” size frame to size down to a bike with better components?
I’m a runner that did my first Tri at NYC on a borrowed bike and really enjoyed the bike leg. Looking at getting used road bike that will be used for everything… Training, racing, fun rides with the kids, etc. Don’t plan to ride a ton and want something relatively fast and versatile. I’m 6’0" with a 32" measured inseam. My out stretched arm length is 68", so slightly less than height (72"). Sizing charts lead me to a 56cm (large) road bike. The bike I used for NYC was a 54cm (medium) 90s era Cannondale R600.
I’m now looking at two used Specialized Allez about the same price. Both are about 5 years old. One is a 56cm base model (8 speed rear, Shimano 2300 set). Other is higher end 54cm Mid-Comp Apex with 10 speed rear Sram Apex. I think the low end bike retailed new for about $750 and the higher end one went for about $1,450 new.
Should I go for the smaller bike with better components or the “right size” low end bike? I put right size in quotes, because I’ve never had a fit (don’t plan to pay for one) and not sure what is my right size. I’m new to cycling, so don’t know what I don’t know.
I’m leaning toward the better but smaller bike, because I think I’m willing to sacrifice some comfort for performance. I’ve read that some like to size down for racing, but not sure if that applies to road bikes or just Tri and TT bikes. Also, The old 54cm Canny that I rode at NYC seemed fine. I rode it for a couple weeks before the race and then at the Tri. Very happy with my time for the race.
I’m making appointments to check them both out, but would really appreciate any input from people with more knowledge and experience than me, which is probably everyone else on this board.
Hey everyone! If you were buying a used bike to be your only bike for training and racing, would you sacrifice comfort of a “correct” size frame to size down to a bike with better components?
Never. Buy for fit first and foremost. Components are very easy to upgrade over time. And, many of the entry-level components are still very good. Fit, however, is very difficult to fix with upgrades. At your size, a 54cm bike would likely be on the too-small end of the spectrum for you.
I would go for comfort/fit over components if I had to choose. That said, I’m not an expert on sizing and I’m not sure if the 54 would be a bad fit for you. I just know for me I go from a 56cm road to a 54cm TT. I’ll leave it to the ST fit experts to determine which frame would be a better fit for you personally.
Fit first. If you are uncomfortable when you ride, you won’t want to ride.
I completely understand now wanting to pay for a professional fit, but I would suggest trying to get as close as possible. I found the fit calculator on Competitive Cyclist to be pretty close for my TT/Tri fit. They have a Road version too that you can try out. Another option is to either take measurements of the bike you used for the race, or look up the geometry online. 54 in one brand may not be a 54 in another brand (or even model to model within a brand).
Although the charts are a good place to start, without a proper fit, it’s hard to know for sure. That said…
Based on the newer size charts, there’s 1.6 cm difference in the top tube and 2.5 cm difference in the head tube. The top tube difference is easily resolved with stem/bars. Maybe the head tube is too - with stem/spacers.
If you’re flexible, I’d lead toward the 54. But, that’s a complete WAG. Without info on your weight, leg length, and flexibility, it’s just a wild-assed guess.
While I’m not a big fan of Claris 2300, I would always choose fit over components. That said, there’s often more than one frame size in a product line that can be manipulated, via stem spacer and stem length choices, to a correct fit. I’m pretty much exactly your size, and could probably find a good fit with either one of those frames.
I’m going to check out both to see how they feel. Question… Say I buy the 54 and later realize it is too small. Can that be corrected by buying a longer bar stem or something? I’m just thinking that would be a cheaper fix than if I buy the lower end bike, and later am disappointed with the gearing/components and want to upgrade the components.
Of course, I could always wait for a better 56cm to show up, but I’ve been searching for months. Been hard what I want in terms of quality, price, and my size.
Say I buy the 54 and later realize it is too small. Can that be corrected by buying a longer bar stem or something?
Most likely, yes. Stem’s come in many lengths. And, unless they cut the seat post, that can likely be high enough for you as well. One spot that could be an issue is if they cut the steerer tube, and you need a taller stack on the stem than the used bike has. However, you can get a stem with a steep positive angle to compensate for that too-- it just looks a little funky.
As a recent nearby checkpoint, a neighbor just bought a bike under similar objectives as yours. He spent $700 on a ~10 year old, 56cm Felt F4C with an 10-speed Ultegra/Dura Ace mix. His bike sounds much better than the ones you are seeing at a lower price. It took him about a month to find his on Craigslist. He is 5-11, and the 56cm F4C is a perfect fit for him.
exxxvii - Thanks. Good info. I’ve got options either way.
If these don’t work out, I’ll chill, focus on my fall marathon while keep searching for a good deal. I’m in no rush now, so have time to make a smart choice.
Of course, I could always wait for a better 56cm to show up, but I’ve been searching for months. Been hard what I want in terms of quality, price, and my size.
What is your price point?
The cheaper Shimano stuff, like the 8 speed, is simply not as nice as the more modern 11 speed (or even 10) groups. I’d pass on that if it was a bike that you really wanted to get a little more serious with.
If you haven’t yet tried, post a ‘want’ add in the slowtwich classifieds. There’s a good chance you’ll get a hit as there’s far too many of us here with multiple bikes and the endless urge to upgrade;).
I just gave a 2009 Allez away. It was the full 5600 version and retailed for about $1400. My bike had about 25,000 mile on it, about 5 years of crit racing, and more than its share of wrecks. My point being that they are great bikes but typically bought to abuse so they aren’t worth much after a few years.
You don’t say how tall you are (not that it is a tell all data point) but a 56 Allez of that era is built around a 5"10 to 6’1 athlete. The 54 is built around a 5’8" to 5’11" athlete (roughly) so if you are not too much over average height a 54 will probably fit, and with a few changes, almost certainly will fit.
More importantly, there is no way I would spend any money on a 5 year old bike with 8 speed SORA on it. New that group worked OK. 5 years later it will be a challenge to keep working smoothly. Plus 8 speed SORA (2200) had huge jumps between gears in the back. You will quickly not be happy.
My point being that they are great bikes but typically bought to abuse so they aren’t worth much after a few years.
I don’t know about that. Yeah, some were bought and ridden/raced a lot and are knackered by now. But that was also a bike that was highly recommended as a gateway bike, something that somebody who was considering serious road cycling for the first time (or the first time in a while) should buy. I bet there are a lot of people who did buy one with the intention of riding them a lot, but, for whatever reason, didn’t follow through.
my previous road bike was a 2011 Allez. I’m exactly the same dimensions/lengths you posted, except for 70in arm reach. 56 was the perfect size for me.
It also had lower components, but with the help of a few fellow riders who upgraded their stuff, and ebay, I eventually ended up with an Ultegra 10 speed groupset for not a lot of scratch. I also learned a LOT about how to put a bike together, making adjustments, and maintenance.
Fit is obviously important, but IMO it’s a bigger factor if you plan on doing lots of long riding. If you’re only going out for one to 2 hours at a time, I think you can tinker with stem/bars/spacers to find a position thats plenty comfy enough. If you’re routinely going to spend 4 or 5 hours in the saddle, go for fit all the way.
For example, I ride a 54 cm. I wanted to rent a bike on a trip to vegas, they only had 52s available that day. I took one out, rode 30 miles on thr hilly red rock canyon loop road and it felt perfectly fine.
Seems like a false choice to me - there are more than 2 used bikes for sale, go find one that’s the right size for you AND has decent components. Personally I’d recommend going 10 speed at a minimum, not because I think it offers any particular advantage over 8 or 9 speed, but because as time goes by I think it will be harder to get decent quality spares. Whatever you do, don’t buy a bike that’s the wrong size, you’ll always regret it.
As an aside, everybody is different and bikes have different geometries so sizing isn’t always comparable but I’d say that a 54cm 90s era Cannondale was quite possibly 2 sizes too small for you. I’m almost exactly the same height and inseam as you, I had 2 Cannondales of that era (lovely bikes, first one was written off in an accident and second one I sold to a friend as a starter bike), both in 56cm, and I like a small road frame as I ride with quite a big drop. I definitely couldn’t have gone any smaller, and had quite a few people telling me I should have gone for a 58cm. I’m not sure how the Specialized Allex geometry compares to a 90s Cannondale, but I’d be surprised if 54cm fitted the same on both.
Thanks for all the replies. Real good info from all. Here’s a follow up:
I rode the 56cm base Allez last week. It felt great! Very comfortable, smooth, solid ride. I really loved how this bike felt when I rode it. My only issue was that if seemed like I got up to top gear too easily. I knew I’d be wanting at least another gear on long flats and downhills. I still made a low but fair offer, but he wouldn’t move much on price, so I walked.
Instead of looking at the 54 (2x10), which was a 2012, I expanded my search area. I found a 2015 Allez Sport (2x9 Sora with carbon fork) listed for the same price ($500) as the 2013 base Allez I had checked out. It was posted that day. It was a bit of a drive, but worth the trip. Bike looked brand new and test ride felt great, so I bought it. Happy with my “new” used bike. So, in the end I found a bike that was correct size, newer, with groupset between the two bikes I was looking at.
Regarding my original question on fit v. components, I think one could go either way to a degree. Yes, of course fit is critical, but if I had found a really nice higher end bike for a really great price that was a size smaller, I would be ok buying it and making it fit.
The right answer is, in my best consultant’s voice, “It depends.”
Over the years, I’ve found it easier to make a road bike fit, but not always. I can’t make a Ridley work for me without Frankenbiking it. Small size and I need a 140 or 150 stem. Next size up and I need a -24 stem. Both work ok, but look funny.
Tri bikes tend to be much harder to make work and the results are usually less than satisfying.
I have your same height and inseam. I have found that 54 feels a little small, 58 a little big… I think you’ll be very happy on a 56, and it will give you a lot more flexibility in setting up your position.