road bike fit 48 vs 50 input?

[annie]

Inseam (which I just measured) is 28.5 in. Height is just a bit over 5'1. And I ride a 51 cm. Trek 5200 WSD. It is a great fit. Felt good on the first ride and every one since. I've done many centuries on it. Week-long tours. You'd think it wouldn't fit with my height, but it does. It has 650 wheels, or standover would be a problem. Maybe I have long arms, but I do not feel too stretched out. I don't get shoulder pain. It's a comfortable ride. Not sure what point I'm trying to make here ; I guess it's that you can use measurements as good guidelines but you need to ride the bike and trust your own judgement as to how it fits. Try take a longer test ride than around the block. If you have a friend who can go with you and watch you, that can be helpful, too. Plus you've got a back-up if you're trying to convince the salesperson that - no- the bike is not right for you. Anyway, good luck! Hope you find a bike for you.

annie

[tulip]

My advice is to do some serious test riding AND get a real fitting. I'm 5'6" and have a 31" inseam. Most road bikes that I have had over the years have been in the 54 cm range. Most road bikes that I have had have not been very comfortable.

I now have a 49cm (EDIT) road bike that fits me like a dream. It's wierd because one would think that a 49cm would be way to small for me, but it's not. I had a pro fit and everything is perfect. It's the most comfortable bike I have ever ridden (and I've ridden ALOT of bikes!)

Bike fit is part science (fitting) and part art (intuition and what feels right).

[sprout]

So strange, how people the same height/inseam are riding different sizes and are saying they are comfortable. Maybe we should start measuring our arms

[gromit68]

Sprout I love my bike. It is my first road bike. I wasn't completely happy with the lbs that sold it to me but I just go somewhere else now. I rode the bike today as far as my lungs would let me go,12.5miles. I'm eager for the cold to go away so I can put more miles on it.

[SadieKate]

So strange, how people the same height/inseam are riding different sizes and are saying they are comfortable. Maybe we should start measuring our arms

It has so much to do with torso and arm length as well as the height of the head tube (front end). Some riders want their bars higher and it helps to have a taller head tube to start with. You can never size a bike based on inseam alone.