Bicycles for tall people!

Mark Blewett said:

From my requirements, Im looking at racer / touring bikes.. however being on the slightly tall
side at 6'5".. I'd appreciate any advice. What concerns me is the reach from saddle to the
handlebars... esp since I have had back problems.

Depends what riding position you prefer and what your proportions are (back vs legs, etc). If may be
impossible to find an off-the-peg bike with a long enough top tube if you want a serious flat-backed
racing position, but you might be just about ok with the largest sizes if happier a bit more upright
that that; more likely still with a typical touring position. Longer stems (with more horizontal
extension) can be used but there's a limit to what's available and how far you can go before
handling becomes horrible: 130 to 140mm, I find. A seatpost with more layback than average might
help. A longer one may be required as well. A good dealer will swap post and stem free of charge if
they're keen on your business.

Even at 6' 2", I find head tube height - therefore handlebar height - is a problem. However, a riser
stem can get the bars high enough, and you should ask for forks with a full-length uncut steerer if
the bike uses the threadless system.

~PB

"Mark Blewett" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]... <snip>

Quoted message said:

From my requirements, Im looking at racer / touring bikes.. however being on the slightly tall
side at 6'5".. I'd appreciate any advice. What concerns me is the reach from saddle to the
handlebars... esp since I have had back problems. Any other tall cyclists out there who care to
share some information?

Price wise... I'm looking at around £350-£400.. including all the extras.. flaps, lights, lock,
cover (it's gonna be stored outside), full tank of... :o) etc... Unfortunately that is outside a
custom build... so given that I can comfortably sit on a factory build how should I proportion my
spending? At the moment I'm considering something along price of the Dawes Giro 200... but
slightly concerned at how much I should budget for the extras.

My first thought is that buying oversized equipment is always more expensive.

If I was looking at £400 all-in (locks, lights etc), then I'd consider second hand. You won't get
the locks thrown in, as decent ones are kept, likewise lights. So, with cheap locks and lights,
you're down to £350.

You'll have to get a cover for the bike at night. It'll rust to bits outside. Take another tenner or
so off for that.

At £340 and 6ft 5" you'll need to make sure the frame size is correct. A visit to your LBS is the
best bet here to get an opinion.

Hope you find something, but I think it's optimistic to find something comfortable and reliable. Put
another hundred into the kitty, and look through the second hand market? No experience in road bikes
myself, but the prices in the shop today were around £1100 for a decent model. I didn't even check
the prices on the expensive ones. Very light though, and I want one.

Pete Biggs <[email hidden]> wrote:

: Depends what riding position you prefer and what your proportions are (back vs legs, etc). If may
: be impossible to find an off-the-peg bike with a long enough top tube if you want a serious
: flat-backed racing position

I'd say he'd be ok with a Cannondale - they do dales in very large sizes (up to 65cm ISTR) though I
doubt there's a shop in the country that has one in stock and I don't think they do all models in
the very large sizes. Well worth a look though.

Arhtur

--
Arthur Clune clune.orgclune.orgOpen ↗ "Techolibertarians make a philosophy out of a personality defect"
- Paulina Borsook

Arthur Clune said:

Pete Biggs said:

Depends what riding position you prefer and what your proportions are (back vs legs, etc). If may
be impossible to find an off-the-peg bike with a long enough top tube if you want a serious
flat-backed racing position

I'd say he'd be ok with a Cannondale - they do dales in very large sizes (up to 65cm ISTR) though
I doubt there's a shop in the country that has one in stock and I don't think they do all models
in the very large sizes. Well worth a look though.

I've seen a 68cm as standard in the touring range but at 6'6" I find my fairly readily available
63cm to be a great fit. The other advantage is Cannondales are known as stiff frames and are good in
the large sizes. Quite a few frames which are more giving in average sizes become a bit noodly in
the very large sizes.

Tony

--
"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything." Mark Twain

Tony Raven said:

Arthur Clune wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'd say he'd be ok with a Cannondale - they do dales in very large sizes (up to 65cm ISTR) though
I doubt there's a shop in the country that has one in stock and I don't think they do all models
in the very large sizes. Well worth a look though.

I've seen a 68cm as standard in the touring range but at 6'6" I find my fairly readily available
63cm to be a great fit.

I can confirm that. I'm 6'7" and used to ride a 63cm Giant hybrid which I was very happy with, even
on a number of longer tours.

With the introduction of sloping top tubes ("compact frame"😉 some manufacturers including Giant
reduced their range to only three sizes.

I was rather sceptical about that, but when I decided to get a new bike, I test rode a Giant in XL
(60cm) and found it to be a good fit. A thousand miles later I'm still happy with it.

Seat post extension is well within limits and with an adjustable stem it's easy to fit the handlebar
position to requirements.

Trek still do 25" (63cm) frames, although when I asked about availability in the local bike shop it
was a matter of months rather than weeks.

Andy

Mark Blewett <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

From my requirements, Im looking at racer / touring bikes.. however being on the slightly tall
side at 6'5".. I'd appreciate any advice. What concerns me is the reach from saddle to the
handlebars... esp since I have had back problems. Any other tall cyclists out there who care to
share some information?

I,m 6ft3 and find the largest size in most bike ranges give enough saddle height with an inch or two
to spare on the seatpost (above the max height marks). Handlebar height is always a problem. For the
older quill type stems you can buy longers stems to get enough height. For Ahead type stems you can
get a device that clamps on top of the stem raising the bars by about 2 inches. If thats not enough
using an adjustable A head stem combined with the stem raiser should do the job. The Stem raiser is
sold by both Halfords and Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative as well as other shops. One brand is made by
"ZOOM". I,ve also suffered back problems and you might want to consider carefully whether its a
racing or touring style bike you go for. Slightlt wider touring tyres while still reasonably fast
rolling give a bit more cushioning. I use a suspension seatpost on my commuter and touring bikes as
well. If you don,t mind flat bars then a lot of manufacturers are doing hybrid style bikes which are
suitable for touring. IE 28-38 mm tyres higher geared than mountain bikes and ideally (in the price
range you are looking at) without suspension. Shops tend to be selling off 2003 models around now
before stocking up on the 2004 models for christmas. cheers Iain C

iarocu said:

Mark Blewett <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Handlebar height is always a problem. For the older quill type stems you can buy longers stems to
get enough height. For Ahead type stems you can get a device that clamps on top of the stem
raising the bars by about 2 inches. If thats not enough using an adjustable A head stem combined
with the stem raiser should do the job. The Stem raiser is sold by both Halfords and Edinburgh
Bicycle Cooperative as well as other shops. One brand is made by "ZOOM".

Another alternative for a quill stem is to get the quill-ahead converter - basically a quill stem
that is just a vertical post. You can set it at the maximum and then put an ahead stem on at the top
sans spacers (which are not needed).

Tony

--
"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything." Mark Twain

Tony Raven said:

iarocu said:

Handlebar height is always a problem. For the older quill type stems you can buy longers stems to
get enough height. For Ahead type stems you can get a device that clamps on top of the stem
raising the bars by about 2 inches. If thats not enough using an adjustable A head stem combined
with the stem raiser should do the job. The Stem raiser is sold by both Halfords and Edinburgh
Bicycle Cooperative as well as other shops. One brand is made by "ZOOM".

That won't be necessary if a stem with sufficient rise can be found - and there are a few with very
steep angles if needed.

Quoted message said:

Another alternative for a quill stem is to get the quill-ahead converter - basically a quill stem
that is just a vertical post. You can set it at the maximum and then put an ahead stem on at the
top sans spacers (which are not needed).

I agree that is a good solution because it's easier to find good quality ahead stems with the
necessary angle (the adaptor shafts aren't very long, btw) and with 25.8/26.0 bar clamp. Most quills
are 73 degrees with quite short shafts and most don't have front opening clamps either.

~PB

elyob said:

"Mark Blewett" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]... <snip>

Quoted message said:

From my requirements, Im looking at racer / touring bikes.. however being on the slightly tall
side at 6'5".. I'd appreciate any advice. What concerns me is the reach from saddle to the
handlebars... esp since I have had back problems. Any other tall cyclists out there who care to
share some information?

Price wise... I'm looking at around £350-£400..

<snip>

Quoted message said:

My first thought is that buying oversized equipment is always more expensive.

Certainly seems more expensive than the last bike I had 20 years ago! Spent ~£80 for a secondhand
bike, alloy frame with centre pull brakes.. replaced the bearings etc, re-built, re-spayed the frame
by hand.. didn't look expensive, but reliable and a good ride... certainly better than the average
racer at the time. Then bought a Dawes (can't remember the cost) when I was at 6th form... nicked
within the first 6 months :o(.. and the last time I cycled

Quoted message said:

If I was looking at £400 all-in (locks, lights etc), then I'd consider second hand. You won't get
the locks thrown in, as decent ones are kept, likewise lights. So, with cheap locks and lights,
you're down to £350.

Thanks, that was the approximate costs for the extras I was thinking. Are mud guards normally
included... most of the pics I see on sites seem to be missing them?

Quoted message said:

You'll have to get a cover for the bike at night. It'll rust to bits outside. Take another tenner
or so off for that.

... and a damp seat too :o)

Quoted message said:

At £340 and 6ft 5" you'll need to make sure the frame size is correct. A visit to your LBS is the
best bet here to get an opinion.

LBS? Local Bike Store?

Quoted message said:

Hope you find something, but I think it's optimistic to find something comfortable and reliable.
Put another hundred into the kitty, and look through the second hand market?

That is a possibility... I think I'd happy to buy secondhand, and rebuild. Where's the best
place to look?

Quoted message said:

No experience in road bikes myself, but the prices in the shop today were around £1100 for a
decent model. I didn't even check the prices on the expensive ones. Very light though, and I
want one.

So do I, but it's out my price range... for the time being at least until I get hooked!

Regards Mark

(iarocu) said:

Mark Blewett <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

From my requirements, Im looking at racer / touring bikes.. however being on the slightly tall
side at 6'5".. I'd appreciate any advice. What concerns me is the reach from saddle to the
handlebars... esp since I have had back problems. Any other tall cyclists out there who care to
share some information?

I,m 6ft3 and find the largest size in most bike ranges give enough saddle height with an inch or
two to spare on the seatpost (above the max height marks).

Thats what I thought from looking at various frame specs.

Quoted message said:

Handlebar height is always a problem.

Must admit I was more concerned with handlebar to seat distance.

Quoted message said:

For the older quill type stems you can buy longers stems to get enough height. For Ahead type
stems you can get a device that clamps on top of the stem raising the bars by about 2 inches. If
thats not enough using an adjustable A head stem combined with the stem raiser should do the job.
The Stem raiser is sold by both Halfords and Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative as well as other shops.
One brand is made by "ZOOM".

Thanks for the info. I guess there are different "standards" of stems, which to be honest I know
little about.. how standard are they? Do different companies have their own standards? The reason I
ask its perhaps a more universal standard, would give me more options?

Quoted message said:

I,ve also suffered back problems and you might want to consider carefully whether its a racing
or touring style bike you go for.

To be honest I'm not sure... possibly something inbetween :o) For the most part I'd like to use it
locally... for work and in the evenings (wimbledon comman and richmond parks are near by), then
again I'd like to get on the train (well at least to start with!!!) and go down for a weekend in the
new forest etc.

Quoted message said:

Slightlt wider touring tyres while still reasonably fast rolling give a bit more cushioning. I use
a suspension seatpost on my commuter and touring bikes as well.

Sounds like a sensible option for me. Would a "good" shop charge for changing the tyres?

Quoted message said:

If you don,t mind flat bars then a lot of manufacturers are

From experience I must admit I do prefer drop handle bars... but normally riding in the up
right position.

Quoted message said:

doing hybrid style bikes which are suitable for touring. IE 28-38 mm tyres higher geared than
mountain bikes and ideally (in the price range you are looking at) without suspension. Shops tend
to be selling off 2003 models around now before stocking up on the 2004 models for christmas.

It's all about timing... and now seems a good time to buy from what I've read (also Jan/Feb).

Thanks Mark

Pete Biggs said:

Mark Blewett said:

From my requirements, Im looking at racer / touring bikes.. however being on the slightly tall
side at 6'5".. I'd appreciate any advice. What concerns me is the reach from saddle to the
handlebars... esp since I have had back problems.

Depends what riding position you prefer and what your proportions are (back vs legs, etc).

From my experience of gliding, "short" (relative!) legs but a long body... I'm not looking for an
areo-dynamic position.. but also I'd like a bicycle which doesn't put too much stress on my back
because it's the wrong size.

Quoted message said:

If may be impossible to find an off-the-peg bike with a long enough top tube if you want a serious
flat-backed racing position, but you might be just about ok with the largest sizes if happier a
bit more upright that that; more likely still with a typical touring position.

I'm not looking to break the sound barrier... a comfortable position would be good. From my
searching (for example habcycles.comroad.htmlOpen ↗), the standover height should not be a
problem.... floor to crouch being ~89cm", so a 62 or 64cm frame. What concerns me its the top-tube
length at 59.5cm.. doing some measurements... sounds very small... given ~65cm from chair to mid
shoulder, and 70cm from mid shoulder to palm... whatever.... it's going to be a very upright
position!!

Quoted message said:

Longer stems (with more horizontal extension) can be used but there's a limit to what's
available and how far you can go before handling becomes horrible: 130 to 140mm, I find.

130-140mm in the hortizontal direction (relative to the head stem angle?). Sounds a lot.. I take it
takes awhile to get used to it?

Quoted message said:

A seatpost with more layback than average might help. A longer one may be required as well.

Sorry... I'm not up with the terms... Layback?

Quoted message said:

A good dealer will swap post and stem free of charge if they're keen on your business.

I hope so!

Quoted message said:

Even at 6' 2", I find head tube height - therefore handlebar height - is a problem. However, a
riser stem can get the bars high enough, and you should ask for forks with a full-length uncut
steerer if the bike uses the threadless system.

I never considers the handlebar height being a problem (having not tried any for size yet).. so
thats for the heads up.

Thanks Mark