"Bellsouth Ijit 2.0" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:I'm wanting get a Trek 520 for the wife. They come in 17", 19", so on.
She's 5'4" and rides a 15" mtb. Her road bike sizing (according to rule
of
Quoted message said:thumb) would be 19" (49cm)? TIA.
The real rule of thumb is that she should be able to comfortably stand
over the top tube without making contact in case she ever has to dismount
in a hurry. It can be just as intensely painful for a woman to hit her
"sensitive" area on the top tube as it is for a man.
We used to fit most riders with at least one inch of clearance over the
top tube because there is a good likelihood that the rider's knees will
flex during an emergency dismount and the inch provides some insurance
against contact.
Riders with longer legs relative to their overall height can experience
some handlebar height problems with a frame that's a little too small.
They will have to have the seatpost extended more which will force them
into a more aerodynamic position which may not be comfortable for casual
riding.
You mentioned a touring bike which would suggest that she would be looking
for a more upright riding position - versus high performance riding down
on the drops. She might need to get a shorter stem for arm and neck
comfort or even one of the Nitto high rise stems.
I can ride 54cm to 57cm frames. I used to ride 54cm frames for racing and
riding around town where quick dismounts were common. For longer touring
rides a larger 57cm frame was better for me because the bars were 15cm
(~.600"😉 higher and were more comfortable in an upright position.
Chas.