# Short legs.... Giant M size or S?



## domo (Apr 17, 2005)

i am 5'9" tall with an inseam of only 80cm... That means that I need a frame that is 52cm c-c... I am looking for giant composite but my body proportions are making me wonder which size to get.. according to frame size, i need a small Giant but by height i will need a medium.... 

I am not that flexible so a medium sized frame might mean a ultra short stem(90mm), less drops and a stem this short makes handling twitchy for me... a Small on the other hand will mean lots of seatpost exposed but i can use a 120mm stem which i prefer to a 90mm...

Instincts tell me to get the S but before i put my money in anything, maybe the giant owners here can give me some input? I am a weekend racer who is currently on a size 52cm c-c frame with a 54cm top-tube and a 110mm stem....Thanks...


----------



## timmineo (Apr 26, 2005)

*I am the same situation..TCR med or Small*

I am 5'8", and according to the Lemond measurement my frame size should be a 52cm (my inseam is 30"). I am currently riding a TCR 1 composite medium, I feel a bit extended even with the 100cm stem on it and I have the saddle on the 7 level..so not too high. But if I get the small I have to jack the seat way up! Any other feedback on this topic. I have traditionally ridden a 54 w/ a short stem, but am ordering a TCR advanced this upcoming month and not sure if I should go small to fit my torso better. I hate to go even shorter on the stem because I lose the feeling of the bike. Wish Giant could address this better or have some FAQs regarding this. I work in a shop and constantly deal with this issue because so many people are between sizes...YIKES!

Please help...


----------



## Savedsol (Sep 23, 2004)

I'm 5'10" with and wear a 30 to 31" inseam in my pants. When I was measured the shop guy said "Jeez, you're all torso!". Anyway a Med is the way to go at your height. A small will be too short of a reach. Smalls are for people under 5'6


----------



## chorus88 (Sep 10, 2003)

*I've seen a 5'-9" rider on a SMALL 2005 TCR Comp*

I'm 5'-6" with a (SM) 05'TCR Comp with 11cm Magic stem & (2x10) mm carbon spacers.
I've seen a 5'-9" rider on a (SM) 05'TCR Comp with a 12 cm stem (w/20 mm conical spacer & 10 mm spacer). A large section of the carbon seatpost was exposed & the seat was set all the way back.
IMHO, find a (MED) 05'TCR Comp and test ride it.


----------



## BaadDawg (Mar 27, 2003)

Savedsol said:


> I'm 5'10" with and wear a 30 to 31" inseam in my pants. When I was measured the shop guy said "Jeez, you're all torso!". Anyway a Med is the way to go at your height. A small will be too short of a reach. Smalls are for people under 5'6


I am nearly identical to you and I ride an 03 TCR Composite medium with a 110mm stem.


----------



## timmineo (Apr 26, 2005)

BaadDawg said:


> I am nearly identical to you and I ride an 03 TCR Composite medium with a 110mm stem.


Yep...definately a medium...I test rode both. The small is WAY too small...I had to put the seat post just past max height, long stem and all the way set back..my medium TCR w/ a 100mm stem works perfect!

Now I am waiting for the advanced frame to get back in stock!

thanks


----------



## Italianrider76 (May 13, 2005)

Lets not forget however that for 2005 the small size has been revised from 44cm to 46.5cm If you're 5'9" I think the medium (50cm) should do you fine.


----------



## greatdane (Aug 11, 2005)

*short legs, short arms -- where to find a short frame? help!*

Hi guys,

I thought I will add my sad story to this sizing problem discussion. I am 4'11" and have 26" in seam -- and I could never imagine that I won't be able to find a road bicycle for my size. The smallest of the frames on the market (that I know of ), 43-44cm, have 27" stand over height. Do you know of any manufacturer that produces something smaller or at least adjustable? I used to ride a small Peugeot (that was stolen in New York, of course) and it did fit perfectly. But the contemporary bikes are just too big! Does anyone has any suggestions? Thanks.


----------



## kuma (Aug 23, 2004)

greatdane said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> I thought I will add my sad story to this sizing problem discussion. I am 4'11" and have 26" in seam -- and I could never imagine that I won't be able to find a road bicycle for my size. The smallest of the frames on the market (that I know of ), 43-44cm, have 27" stand over height. Do you know of any manufacturer that produces something smaller or at least adjustable? I used to ride a small Peugeot (that was stolen in New York, of course) and it did fit perfectly. But the contemporary bikes are just too big! Does anyone has any suggestions? Thanks.


Being 5'2", I am in a smiliar boat as you. I had a chance to test ride a XS Giant TCR Limited. Boy that bike is TINY. It felt really good, definitely worth checking out. The website lists the effective top tube at 521mm but with the height I had to run my seat at, the ETT was less than 500mm!


----------



## Ben S (Jul 14, 2002)

I'm in a similar situation as well. 5'9", 31 in. inseam. I was sold a 54 cm bike over a year ago and even switched to 90mm stem. I now realize the bike is too big. I've been looking at Giant's among others, as a replacement. I was told I am a small size in Giant bikes. BTW, Giant makes an XS, so small isn't the smallest size. Just make sure you are properly fitted, whatever bike you buy.


----------



## Savedsol (Sep 23, 2004)

Ben, you are a Giant M. I'm 5' 10" with a 30/31" inseam. I'm riding a M with a 120 stem. A Small is for people under 5' 6"


----------



## Ben S (Jul 14, 2002)

You, know, I went for a very short spin on a Giant Small last weekend. I rode about 4 different bikes. I told the LBS that my 54cm Felt is too stretched out and they starting fitting me on smalls. I will say these guys were "family" bike shop guys, not real good LBS.


----------



## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

domo said:


> i am 5'9" tall with an inseam of only 80cm... That means that I need a frame that is 52cm c-c... I am looking for giant composite but my body proportions are making me wonder which size to get.. according to frame size, i need a small Giant but by height i will need a medium....
> 
> I am not that flexible so a medium sized frame might mean a ultra short stem(90mm), less drops and a stem this short makes handling twitchy for me... a Small on the other hand will mean lots of seatpost exposed but i can use a 120mm stem which i prefer to a 90mm...
> 
> Instincts tell me to get the S but before i put my money in anything, maybe the giant owners here can give me some input? I am a weekend racer who is currently on a size 52cm c-c frame with a 54cm top-tube and a 110mm stem....Thanks...


I don't ride a Giant but your bike fit issues are very familiar to me. 

I'm 5'-8.25"/173.5cm tall and legs are 31"/79.5cm short . I have proportionally long thighs for my overall leg length and I've always ridden with a lot of saddle setback. My sternal notch measurement is 144.75cm. My arms aren't very long at 74.25cm but I have wide shoulders which means I use 46cm (outside to outside) wide bars. Plus I have small hands which means the brake lever and bar setup is tricky. Classic Italian shallow drop bars are the best. 

I've been riding and racing for over 20 years and have had many different bikes. It's been a difficult challenge to get dialed in but I've learned that going with the larger frame always works best for me. 

My current bike which fits me perfectly is a size small Time. That's equal to a non-sloping/compact 53cm frame. The top tube is 54cm and I use a 14cm stem with no spacers. Personally if I went with a 12cm or 13cm stem my neck and shoulders would fatigue and get sore. Keep in mind that I have my saddle almost slammed all the way even with a 73 degree seat tube angle. Setback isn't the way to increase cockpit space but I just happen to need the extra setback.

Most people cringe at or shy away from such a long stem but it's just fine. The truth is that 14cm stems work very well for many pro cyclist and are more common amongst the pros than most people realise. Not that I'm a pro.

You may not be suited to being as stretched as me but I guess I'd be surprised if your virtual top tube and stem combo length should be any more than 2cm less then mine. Granted, Giant's geometry is different from Time's geometry but still I'd be surprised

Perhaps you're less flexible than me but on the other hand you're .75" taller than me. 
You couldn't really have your saddle set back more than I do.

I was looking a Giant's sizing/fit info. and in particular this caught attention, "But what makes Giant's Compact Road geometry truly superior is that only five frame sizes are needed to achieve a custom fit, for virtually every size of rider. Giant's designers have found that only four "ranges" of frame size are necessary, with the final fit being determined by the saddle height and handlebar stem reach and height. This eliminates the need for creating several frame sizes in small millimeter increments."

The reality is that what makes Giant's Compact Road geometry is truly superior for Giant in that they only need to have tooling to produce four or five different frame sizes. Plus they have the benefit of haveing an inventory comprised of generalized or less specific frame sizes. Their system benefits them more than people like us.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from buying a Giant because I'm sure there are other factors which make it the bike of your choice. I just wanted to point that out.


----------



## tthomlaw (Sep 14, 2005)

*My two cents*

I know this thread is a bit old, but I had to chime in based on a couple of the posts I read. A couple people indicated in their posts that because you are a certain height that you should use a particular size frame (either based on what Giant says on its web site or some other divine wisdom). I disagree. I am 5'8" and I just bought a new small T-Mobile TCR Comp frame. Technically, I should ride a medium frame. However, based on my build, even at 5'8", I was too stretched out over the medium frame (and this is based on Giant's own laser fitting system). A small frame and a 110mm stem works perfectly for me. Obviously, everyone is different, but that is really the point to this post.

If you have not been biking long enough to know what you are comfortable riding, you should to work with your LBS to find the bike that fits you the best.


----------



## bedazzle410 (Sep 26, 2005)

tthomlaw said:


> I know this thread is a bit old, but I had to chime in based on a couple of the posts I read. A couple people indicated in their posts that because you are a certain height that you should use a particular size frame (either based on what Giant says on its web site or some other divine wisdom). I disagree. I am 5'8" and I just bought a new small T-Mobile TCR Comp frame. Technically, I should ride a medium frame. However, based on my build, even at 5'8", I was too stretched out over the medium frame (and this is based on Giant's own laser fitting system). A small frame and a 110mm stem works perfectly for me. Obviously, everyone is different, but that is really the point to this post.
> 
> If you have not been biking long enough to know what you are comfortable riding, you should to work with your LBS to find the bike that fits you the best.


I need some advice on whether to get a large TCR advanced or the new M/L. My inseam is 92cm, torso 603.25mm, arm 669.036mm,shoulder 431.8mm. I currently ride a 58cm cc conventional frame with a100mm stem. With the new M/L the top tube is 570mm so I will need a 120mm stem to have 69cm of reach. The large has a top tube of 585mm so my current stem will work. I road a lrge with a 90mm stem with some rise in the stemand was most comforable in the drops. I feel that the total differnce in seat height to stem height will only be about 10mm because the head tube on l is 175mm and 160 mm on the m/l. Please give me your views


----------



## Clevor (Sep 8, 2005)

You need to be careful about sizing based on these 'fit calculators' you see on vendors websites. I'm Asian and have the typical short legs and longer upper body. When I use the fit calculators they tell me to use a 50 cm c-to-c frame, because of my short 28" pants inseam/30" bike inseam. I went into a bike store to check out bikes and 50 cm is way too small! I fit more like a 52-53 cm.

I am 5'8" and currently ride a MED TCR Comp 1. Keep in mind the TT is 55.36", rather longish. I use a standard 110 mm stem and while I could be a bit stretched out, the bike fits me correctly when I sight down the handlebar (obscures the front hub) and I get 1 cm clearance to my elbow with my knee flexed and my hands in drops.

On a conventional frame I'd fit a 52-53 cm, even though standover height might be minimal.

Point of all this: best to check the bike you want in-store, though this is not always feasible.


----------



## aliensporebomb (Jul 2, 2002)

*Thinking....*

Remember too - I'm about 5 feet 6 and a half inches tall. Any bike I get needs
to have a lower standover height.. At the time I got my TCR2 the only size that
was available was small. They now produce XS (extra small). Here's a pic of 
the bike in case you were wondering what it looked like.


----------



## tcrmann (Sep 21, 2005)

*PROPER SIZING / "B I K E F I T "*

Sizing ; " B I K E F I T " should be done at a shop that understands your individual riding needs. www.giantbicycles.com SIZING for TCR Road bikes ; Check ot their site for 2006 SIZES . When the shop does your FIT ; they really need to set you up on a trainer to check your flexabilty, comfort , position with the shoe/ pedal / cleat combo that you plan on using. Then , they can help determine all the paramaters ; REACH , DROP , CRANK Length ETC.........................I see way too many people who are " ill fitted " to their bikes . They don ' t have their weight distribubuted properly, too many spacers under the stem to compensate for wrong size frame, too little or not enough seat post showing . It ' s amazing how just a few mm / OR cm adjustments can make a H U G H difference in your performance and comfort. A perfect example are saddles . I have seen a number of posts on this as well as other sites on ; www.fizik.com Airone saddle. The shape / length of this saddle is quite different than others. The trick is to tilt the nose down from level , ever so slightlly , to make the main body of the saddle level . The Airone works great then. You can then take advantage of it' s extra length to help you power up some of those vicious climbs more efficently and effectivly !! Check out some excellent FIT articles at ; www.pezcyclingnews.com SEARCH ; CYFAC ; www.veloeuropa.com


----------

