Subject: Re: Bike Fit/Sizing Posted by: Robert on December 27, 2000 at 06:09:32: In Reply to: Bike Fit/Sizing posted by JeffW on December 25, 2000 at 03:35:39:

Message: >I am in the market for a new bike to replace my 13 year old Centurion. It is a 56cm frame. I have always been comfortable with the bike. >I almost bought a Lemond Zurich 01' 55cm. The bike/frame felt good when riding it. I am 5'11" with a 32" inseam. >My problem was that my toes/shoes could touch the rear of the front tire when the tire was turning left or right. This did not seem right to me and I did not get the bike. The dealer did not have a 57CM to try. I thought with a 57cm I would not have this problem. By the way I also had the problem on a 55cm Marin road bike. I have a 10.5" foot. The crank on the Lemond was a 175mm( should have been a 172.5, according to the web site). Two dealers said the same thing "that one gets used to this condition and that it is not a problem". It is a problem to me! I find this hard to believe. My shoes never touched any of my other bike tires. >How about you folks? Anybody run into this? >Please offer your feedback and thank you in advance. >JeffW I have this condition with both my road and mountain bikes. I'm about your size, 5'10", with a 32 inseam and ride a 56 c-c frame. However my feet are larger than yours, 12" (a size 46 road shoe). I have never had a problem riding the bikes, only when going real slow at stops, etc. But when my feet hit I just pedal a little more and they free up. Nothing to worry about. I've never gone down when this has happened. Like Jim said, the 175 cranks are too big for a road bike in that size. Mine are 170's and I like them a lot, I wouldn't change. I'm not sure if the Le Mond is measured center to center (c-c) or center to top (c-t). The same size frame can vary as much as 2cm, depending on how it's measured. Also different frames models, even from the same manufactuer, have different top tube lengths for the same size. Check out the frame fit guide at Colorado Cyclist; www.coloradocyclist.com/BikeFit/index.cfm It shows you what you need to know for a good start. If you like the specific bike a lot, the store should not have any problems with getting you the exact size you wish. If they do, go elsewhere. Custom bike orders should take less than one week. Don't get talked into bying an overstocked bike, many shops use these tactics.