background: I wrote to Rivendell. I wanted to understand the discrepancy between the 50 cm that the salesperson at the LBS measured on the Bleriot and the 52 cm in the specs on their website. I also told him what I thought my standover height was:


I don’t know the fellow and have no reason have an opinion about him or his opinion, but beyond people and titles and nervousness...going back to basic grey rocks and cold air and solids, liquids, and gases, just wiping out everything except simple, understandable, irrefutable fundamental things we can call Facts, please consider this: (by that I mean nothing more than “see if it makes sense to you.”)

€ if you grabbed the bike at the end of the top tube, then the location of the end of the top tube would matter.
€ if you don’t do that, it doesn’t. But where you DO grab matters. And it isn’t the end of the top tube.
€ the goal, the ultimate goal, is a riding position that is comfortable. If you aren’t that, you can’t achieve any of your other goals, whatever they may be (efficiency? Speed? Bike control?). If you are comfortable, good things will follow.
€ your riding position is determined ONLY by the spatial relationship of the cranks, saddle, and handlebar.
€ your PBH determines your crank height above the pedal. For you, that’s 64cm. I’m guessing that I would measure your PBH at 74.5 or even 75, because the way I make people do it is the (for lack of a brief term) “lift hard until it hurts and let’s not mess around” way. (note from mimi, this is how they find the pubic bone)
€ How far behind the pedals your saddle is...is largely a matter of preference, but in general, just shove the saddle most or all the way back on the seat post, and use a seat post with some offset. Don’t go by the “knee over pedal center” thing that 99 percent of bike-people go by. No time to shoot holes in it now, but trust me (or not)--that approach is quite holey.
€ Use a stem that allows you to get the handlebar at least 2cm higher than the saddle. The only stems I know that’ll do this are the Nitto Technomic Deluxe and the Nitto Technomic. Anybody who sells Bleriots can get them for you.
€ you’re a woman who’s 63.5 inches tall…get a 7cm or 8cm stem. There are all kinds of body proportions in women, not all are long-legged and short-torsoed...but all the women I’ve seen except super lanky ones taller than 5-9, have short arms.
€ Women always get bad bar-width advice. The bar is a lever that helps you control the bike. Your arms are weaker than your legs, so you need a longer lever to aid you in controlling your bike. Ride 44s. The “bars as wide as your shoulders” rule is like the earth is flat... The best drop bar you can get, the most comfortable, is a Nitto Noodle. Any Bleriot dealer can get it. They’ll suggest a 41...or maybe a Terry 36. Get 44s if you want more leverage against the bike.

Other models in your size, yes, but we sell most of these direct, not through dealers. Your dealer got his Bleriot from QBP, not from us. BUT....for an all-around versatile road bike, you can’t beat it. You aren’t missing out, not knowing about our other bikes. The Bleriot is a fantastic bike---you can do anything on it, almost, and it’s so comfortable, and it handles great. If you put the right parts on it, you’ll be in heaven, Mimi. It’s just such a nice bike.

Here’s our website stuff on the Bleriot. Maybe you’ve seen it:

http://www.rivbike.com/bikes/bleriot

The main site (rivbike.com) has other stuff on it, things that might be worth looking at for a minute or two.

http://www.rivbike.com/how_to_pick_y...iding_position

And

http://www.rivbike.com/how_to_pick_y...iding_position

Good luck with your bike. Any other questions, just ask. Please excuse any hint of brusqueness in this reply. I’m trying to do it quickly because I’ve got family to go to, and sometimes the efficient way of writing comes off harshly. I sure don’t mean it that way! I am happy to answer any question, and I don’t MEAN to interfere with your local advisors. I just love bikes, and I l like people, and I like my job, and I do this a lot, and…out of that comes some strong opinions, maybe.
Best to you,

Grant