Have I bought too big a frame?

[Ed Walters 2]

I have bought a new roadbike with a horizontal frame and the measurements are as follows:Seat tube= 56cm c - c. Top tube length =58cm c -c, stem= 110mm.I am 5'11" (and 3/4&quot inside leg = 33.5cmOnly thing is when I have the saddle at the correct height for me there is only 3 inches of seat post showing whereas most riders I see have a good 4 or 5 inches showing.Now it occurred to me that I could have got a smaller frame and just raised the saddle -but then I''m sure the headtube would be too short and would mean too much of a drop to the bars.Question is ,how much is an acceptable drop to the tops of the bars from the saddle? More than a couple of inches seems excessive and uncomfortable to me.I am using the bike for training and fast(ish) riding, not touring. Am I being unduly paranoid or should I perhaps have bought a smaller size frame and accepted a greater drop to the bars than my 43 years would advocate is comfortable?Thanks. 

[phil parker]

Is the set up comfortable??The only way to tell is to get properly measured both for the frame size and the set up thereafter. There are quite a few threads debating this if you can successfully do a search on the forum.Having said that, for your height and inside leg (which I presume is 33.5 inches not cm?) a 56 cm c-c frame sounds about right.

[JJ]

I agree with Phil.  Given your measurements, a 56cm sounds about right - unless you have really got incredibly short legs!!!!I don't think there are any laws of acceptable drop from saddle to bars.  If you were to get a smaller frame with a shorter top tube so you might not be a stretched out but the head tube is not tall enough then you could play about with bar stem lengths or get one of those flip stems that gives you a bit of rise when you stick it on upside down to bring you a tad more upright.  If someone seems to fall between two sizes of a given bike, I think I'd be correct in saying you should go for the smaller one because if you go for the bigger one it restricts the amount of play you have with stems, saddle height etc. in order to get a good riding position.There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't be utterly comfortable on the bike.  Don't put up with discomfort.  It'll p*ss you off and maybe even cause you an injury.

[Ed Walters 2]

Thanks for the re-assurance. I haven't ridden the bike yet (it's a Ribble by the way) as I only got it on Friday and the rain yesterday persuaded my older steed out of the garage instead. Other bikes I have owned previously had 22" or 23" frames so I guess I have the right size. What isn't helping is the fact that I had an operation on my shoulder 3 months ago and pins inserted -so it is still a little uncomfortable stretching out on a bike.

[JJ]

Ed, I'm guessing you're comfy on the poor older steed that gets dragged out in the rain?! Have you set up the new bike so it's exactly the same set up (or as damn close) as the wet bike?  That's probably a daft question so I apologise...The shoulder sounds sore man!

[Ed Walters 2]

Comfort and the riding of a bicycle for 2 hours or more are what I would call mutually exclusive terms- though I understand what you mean and will compare the two set-ups.The shoulder is okayish but gets tired supporting my upper body on the bars after an hour or so. I am more apprehensive about injuring it by falling off.

[Ricco Zona]

56 would have been the way to go. Regarding the drop, many theories non laid in stone. Look at Cyclocross PRO Ryan Trebon who has a 30 cm drop from the saddle to the top of the bars. I would flip the stem and as the shoulder gets better drop it or leave it as is.Can you send it back and swap it. Old bike shapes don't always translate as some frame designers never took in the difference between ahead systems and quills. Also old bikes used to have shorter top tubes.

[Ed Walters 2]

I did get the 56cm frame.Guess it was a choice between this or the 54. I am fairly happy with the height of the bars on this frame (i.e. headtube length is ok) -it's just the effective top tube length which is longer- I have compared measurements between the new bike and the old and there is v.little in it. The old bike had a 58cm top tube but only a 90mm stem(new one is 110mm) so this is probably why the new one feels more of a stretch. I think I need to get out on the road and just see how it feels before panicking any further.Can always get a shorter stem/pull saddle further forward.

[J Mitchell]

I'm sure it's not a problem how far your seat tube sticks out unless it's clearly showing that the frame is too small (and that would probably mean you needed your seat all the way back as well). I wouldn't worry too much.