Why I Changed Bike Size. Should You?

Have you changed bike sizes and improved in confidence and performance? 🚴📈

Bike shops originally put me on large sizes because of my height (181cm), but I have discovered I am way more comfortable and handle better medium sizes.

I'd like to encourage more riders to buy large bicycles, particularly 58 cm, so I will finally have a decent selection of used bikes to choose from. 😁 There's plenty of 56 cm and smaller used bikes, but larger bicycles are a bit more scarce on the used market.

Best thing I ever did going from S to XS although it does limit the number of brands I can choose from

professional bike software says "Stem Lenght". Oh dear.

I agree with Ollie, I had the ID Match with Hayden and he put me on the next size up and the difference is very noticeable, climbing better descending better , feel more comfortable and also getting lots of PNs 😃🚴🏻‍♂️

Trigonometry is also a huge factor in determining fit. The degrees/minutes of angle for the head tube and more importantly seat tube have a big impact on fit. Sheldon Brown was so kind enough to personally share this insight with me back in the day. IYKYK.

Size of my bikes varies across the fleet. I run 2 52S(56 trad, Ollie medium), 2 57 trad steel bikes, a 58 trad, and a 53cm TT bike. All can be sized to same basic measurements except the TT bike, which is a horrible torture instrument at best and largely is banished to the back of the shed while I race on the road bikes...

I am a bike fitters worst nightmare. My inseam is 91.4 cm. (36 inches). Due to some accidents, my torso is shortened, decreasing my reach AND I can't ride with a slammed stem. So custom it is.😂. The seat tube is crazy long, the top tube short. The head tube is long and the rake on the front fork is weird looking. It is a bike I can comfortably ride for hundreds of miles and have. Long story short. A good bike fit is worth every penny.🚴‍♀️

For me it Looks Olli is pushing shoulders quite far Forward. So its too big. But if it feels comfi it is okay i guess. Hanks Position Looks good

I mean you are coming from a bike fitting suggestion. But having sadly bought a bike that is a tat too big for me, I always can give the traditional advice.. when in doubt, buy smaller and adjust with stem and all…

As years go by, we (and the bike industry) gradually learn what works better. I think its shorter cranks now.

Nice video Ollie 👌🏻

Helpful Thanks

Go smaller if in doubt. Unless you are young and have the flexibility of a cat many bike fitters will set you up with an aggressive fit. This will lead them, like with Ollie, to suggest a larger size. There is way too much focus on speed over comfort within the bike industry. This serves a minority of cyclists well but also leads to some bad advice for many of us.

Going back to the mid 1980s, I'd always ridden 56cm frames. The only exception was a LeMond I got in 2000 which was a 55, but the geometry of Lemonds is such that it has something like a 56 top tube for that frame size. I have relatively shorter legs and a longer upper body, so I've always used stems that were 120-130mm. But in 2008, I got a great deal on an S-Works Tarmac SL that I could not pass up, so I grabbed it, even though it was only a 54. I found that I was fine with a top tube of 54.8 or whatever it was, rather than needing a 56 top tube. I ran a 130 stem on that bike and was extremely comfortable on it. For over 10 years, it was my main road bike, although I had others that I would rotate in which were larger. Still, the Specialized remained my favorite. I liked having a fair amount of seat post showing, as it didn't make my bike look so dorky, although it caused a bit more flex in the rear that I cared for. It's always good to try something that may be a bit different that what you've traditionally thought was set in stone.

Absolutely bet you some YouTube “bike fitter” will soon start sticking a set of scales under each wheel to check 50/50 weight distribution

Yes I used to ride 54/55 from ‘92-‘23 now my main bike and my backup are 57(L) and 56(M/L). It was a good decision.

Some of us would rather have larger bike and compensate with crank length, stem length and seat post setback, rather than deal with an undersized bike and the more aggressive position that is necessary for a proper fit. Those of us with a shorter inseam know this struggle.

I love how, if this bike had a level top tube, it would show about a handful of seat post -- the age-old way to eyeball if a bike is about the right size.