bike size

[chicagogal]

I am 5'6'' and I usually fit ~53-54cm frames. However, it really depends on you individual geometry (inseam, torso length, etc). What size are you being told to get? what bike?

[KnottedYet]

Within the same brand, most folks can fit two different sizes. Between brands, two different sized bikes can actually be nearly the same size.

[Owlie]

It's like trying to buy jeans.

My bike is a 50 cm and I'm about your height (5'6.5-7", 32-3" inseam)

[nscrbug]

I'm 5'6" and I ride a 51cm. When I bought my first road bike, I was put on a 54cm Trek WSD...which turned out to be too big for me. I'm pretty sure they were just trying to dump the bike, since it was last year's model...so they "made" it fit me, which didn't work out too well.

[trista]

I am between 5'6" and 7 and ride a 54 cm Trek.

[VeloVT]

I'm 5'6". A 52 is a good place to start for me. I can do smaller with a setback seatpost and longer stem - and depending on the exact sizing/geometry of the bike, sometimes a hair bigger with some adjustments.

I have two bikes right now. One is a 52 with a small amount of setback and a 100mm stem. The other is a 49 with a lot of setback and a 120mm stem. They both fit, although I'm looking for a 73 deg stem (no rise) for the smaller bike to stretch out just a hair more.

Your body proportions, flexibility and to some extent, fitness level will dictate what feels best for you - it's a good idea to try different bikes and to talk to the peeps at the bike shop about what you're feeling.

[jessmarimba]

I'm 5'7" and have a 53 cm that feels scary and too big and I won't ride it. But I'm not all that used to skinny tires or drop bars, either