Tall ladies - what size frame?

[Meg McKilty]

Call some LBS's to see if they have a frame-fitting machine. I had one done and they told me what size I needed (long legs, arms, and torso) and I fit a 54-56.

You may want to try a 56 or 58.

[Thorn]

Yeah...find a good fitter. My current bike is fitted by inseam so I currently ride a 60cm with a short reach stem. That, with my 38cm handlebars, makes the bike a bit skittish. And, because the bike is long, on steep inclines (18% or more), the front wheel pops up and I waste time keeping the bike onthe ground.

On vacation, I rented a 52cm. Yep, the mechanic based his fit on reach, not inseam. He swung the handlebars up (nifty adjustable stem) so they were only a bit lower than the saddle (about like my bike) and the bike "fit". The first couple of times I stood up to climb, I had balance issues due to the change in center of gravity, but once I adjusted, the bike was actually nice. We saw some really steep climbs (over 20%) and never did the wheel pick up. And, descending, I actually felt I controlled the bike.

I'm now in the process of replacing my road bike. My solution? Custom. I jokingly state I need a 60cm WSD. Oh, I have a 36" inseam without the arms or torso to match--I stand just shy of 6', but have a wing span of only 5'8". I don't know where the new bike will be size-wize, but, for me, I suspect I'll be going smaller rather than larger.

Good luck

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Keep in mind that different bikes have different geometries and tube angles, so you can't just say something universal like "I take a 58cm frame". A 58 of one brand bike might be just right for you but two other brand bikes in 58 might feel respectively too large and too small for you.
Standover/inseam height can also be an unreliable factor- for example some top tubes slant down, and going by standover measurement might put you on a bike that would be too long, giving you major reach problems.

Men tend to have less problems getting bikes that fit them well, since most bikes are designed with men's proportions in mind to begin with. Some lucky women have proportions that work well with this geometry.
But just read the threads here on TE to find the gazillions of women who buy standard road bikes (because that's what the LBS had and they assured them it was their size- based on standover height) and then go home and struggle with trying to make the reach a lot shorter so they are better balanced and not uncomfortable. There is a lot that can be tweaked by a good fitter to correct reach and other factors, but there is not much to be done if the frame is simply too big or small to begin with, or if the top tube is just too long.

If you are serious about a bike that fits you really well, there is no substitute for test riding. This is even more important if you are not a very experienced rider. And of course if you go with a bike custom built to your measurements it should certainly fit well then.

[GLC1968]

If you have really long legs, but a shorter torso, it sounds like you would be a candidate for a WSD frame in a larger size. Just doing a quick look, the largest WSD frame size for both Trek and Specialized are 56cm and they both have TT lengths just shy of 55 cm. This is approximately the same TT length as the men's 54cm Allez (Specialized).

Terry (makes only women's bikes) has the Isis and the Symmetry in a 23 inch which is approximately a 58cm. BUT, the Terry TT length for this size is only 53 cm - significantly shorter.

I would think that you would want to shop around the largest WSD frames you can find (there are more options than just Trek and Specialized, those were just the two I checked first). Compare options and sizing and if you can find actual bikes, try them for fit. You can make some adjustments via stem length and handlebar reach, but you don't want to have to rely on these changes to force a bike to fit you. Get as close as you can with geometry, and then fine tune with part changes.

If it makes you feel any better, I'm the exact opposite of you. I have long torso and very short legs. I had to do a lot of shopping around (and fit tweaking) before I found a stock bike that would work for me. I know that my next 'upgrade' will be custom, but until I can afford that, I was able to get a bike that fits me extremely well. Good luck!