# Bike Fit. Fit Calculator Questions.



## Christoph (Jul 10, 2009)

I just did the Fit Calculator at competitivecyclist.com.

It give me "three types" of "fits": competitive, Eddy, and French. 

I'm 5'9'. Most of the bike shops I've gone to say to get a 56cm bike. 

What's that based on? On the fit calculator, seat tube range (c-t) for me came out as: "55.5-56" (for the French Fit). Is that what they are basing that on, size of frame from center to top? 

Also, tell me how all of this sizing fits into the "compact" frame vs. as more traditional straight bar (c-c) frame. 

Thanks.


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## M.J. (Jan 28, 2004)

Christoph said:


> I just did the Fit Calculator at competitivecyclist.com.
> 
> It give me "three types" of "fits": competitive, Eddy, and French.
> 
> ...


sounds like you should be directing most of these questions to the LBS you have been to:thumbsup: 

FYI - I've never heard of the three fit types


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## Christoph (Jul 10, 2009)

I just found out about "three kinds of fits" myself when I got the results from the Fit Calculator.

The bike shop guys around here have been nice enough, but most didn't have very sophisticated answers when I asked fitting questions. 

I'm sure they wouldn't know the difference between a Competive Fit, an Eddy Fit, or a French fit. Competivecyclist has a good explanation as to what these different types of fits are. I just wanted a little more ME specific detail as per my questions above.


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## M.J. (Jan 28, 2004)

Christoph said:


> I just found out about "three kinds of fits" myself when I got the results from the Fit Calculator.
> 
> The bike shop guys around here have been nice enough, but most didn't have very sophisticated answers when I asked fitting questions.
> 
> I'm sure they wouldn't know the difference between a Competive Fit, an Eddy Fit, or a French fit. Competivecyclist has a good explanation as to what these different types of fits are. I just wanted a little more ME specific detail as per my questions above.


except for porn, it's difficult to get ME details on the interweb 

I wouldn't get hung up on random / arbitrary labels of fits - the guys at the LBS should be able to help you get fitted professionally or get you on to a bike that fits


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## ThatsAPaddlin (Aug 13, 2003)

Definitely get some advice from the shop guys - there are some finer points a calculator won't show. I am 5'10" on a 54cm Madone, with long mast and long stem. Works better for me that a 56 would with std. stem and mast, just b/c the "hinge points" are in the right spot to make me feel more balanced.


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

Obviously, I can't say what a shop is basing their advice on, but it's probably not a competitor's web site. 

Truth is, unless you have unusual dimensions or particular limiters (injury, etc.) it's usually not too much trouble to get close enough based on height and inseam. The details of fit will vary quite a bit, but for something as nebulous as 'size', it's enough.

Note that 'size' is something of a myth. Two size 56's may fit very differently. Similarly, I have a 57 and a 63 that both fit identically with their stock equipment. Just to say, a single number means almost nothing.

All of which means, the 'compact' discussion has no answer. They are sized as if they have horizontal top tubes, so a 56 'compact' is roughly the same bike as a 56 in traditional geometry. But that neither means that it will fit or not.


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## seanyboy501 (Jun 28, 2009)

danl1 said:


> Obviously, I can't say what a shop is basing their advice on, but it's probably not a competitor's web site.
> 
> Truth is, unless you have unusual dimensions or particular limiters (injury, etc.) it's usually not too much trouble to get close enough based on height and inseam. The details of fit will vary quite a bit, but for something as nebulous as 'size', it's enough.
> 
> ...


I agree with this chap. I just purchased a bike off the web that has a 56cm (pedals to seat) frame. Being 6'0" I was worried that it could possibly be too small. But due to me having smaller than average legs it fits perfectly. (Adjusting the seat height can make a world of difference also).


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## Squidward (Dec 18, 2005)

At 5' 9", you're probably looking at a bike with a top tube of around 55cm. The problem I see with frame sizing is that there's too much variation out there and different manufacturers measure their bikes differently. Add compacts and semi-compacts to the mix and sizing is all over the place. For example, a 55cm standard Colnago frame, which is measured C-T-T (center to top), has a top tube length of about 55cm. A 51cm compact Colnago has a top tube of about 55cm. A 55cm Pedal Force RS (because I have one) has a top tube of 55cm, despite having a semi-sloping top tube. An older steel 52cm road bike I saw on eBay had a 55cm top tube. Some bike manufacturers measure their bikes C-T-C so a 53cm from one of these manufacturers would have a 55cm top tube. Get the idea? It's the top tube length that matters more to me than seat tube length.


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## jonnyonthespot (May 18, 2009)

Screw the fit calculator. Whenever I go looking for a new bike, the fitwhatever always gives me a different reading, and I know what my size should be. Ride the bike, and see your positioning on it. And pick the one you feel most comfortable riding. Everyone tells me that I should be riding a 56 cm but I have short legs and a much larger torso so I go with the 58 cm because I know it's better for me. Just ride the bikes, it's the only way of finding out.


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## raymonda (Jan 31, 2007)

I've never done a fitting like this and for giggles I went to the site to try it out. After 25 years of riding I found out that I have my bikes set up perfect. I've been riding somewhere between their competitive and Eddy set up.

So, they must be doing something right.:thumbsup:


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## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

*Had the same experience.*



raymonda said:


> I've never done a fitting like this and for giggles I went to the site to try it out. After 25 years of riding I found out that I have my bikes set up perfect. I've been riding somewhere between their competitive and Eddy set up.
> 
> So, they must be doing something right.:thumbsup:


I must have spent two years back in the 80s reading up about roadbike fit, taking measurements, riding long distances, making adjustments of saddle height and setback, different stems and handlebar widths, and finally arrived at a comfortable fit that hasn't changed in over 25 years.

A few months ago, just for kicks, I accessed wrenchscience. com fit program. It spit back pretty much exactly what took me those two years of intensive study and experimentation to figure out. This fit program uses measurements of not only height and leg (inseam) length, but also torso (breastbone to floor), and arm length (upper arm, forearm, hands), so would be pretty good about reach, avoiding the frequent problem of sizing a frame that ends up being too small.


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## Christoph (Jul 10, 2009)

I just did the wrenchscience fit test. It only recommends one size. It was a lot closer to the Competitive Fit. It would put me on a 54cm bike instead of a 56cm. Curiously though, the recommended saddle height was almost the same. It's cool to plug the numbers into both systems.


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## acid_rider (Nov 23, 2004)

i would not trust any calculators, and i have scars to prove it. 
IMO you need a good fitter to tell you what frame size and frame geometry will suit you. two people of identical weight and height may need different size/geometry frames. avoid calculators except to get you to a very rough ball-park i.e at 5 feet 9 inches you can rule out extra large, large and extra small frames. You could be best on frame of anywhere from 53cm to 56cm frame, depending on angles, flexiblity, body proportions etc.


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## RoboChrist (Mar 12, 2009)

The CC fit calculator is a bit of a mixed blessing at the best of times. For frame size I usually find the "competitive fit" to be closest to my actual chosen frame...all dimensions are based on a traditional frame with a level top tube.


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## dextor (Nov 10, 2008)

Also keep in mind that people with the same dimensions may have different levels of flexibility and musculature, so the exact same bike may feel really comfortable for one but very uncomfortable for the other.
I'm 5'9 and ride a size 52 cannondale r6 with a horizontal top tube length of 53.5. Competitive cyclist put me at 54-54.5 for the eddy fit. I'm quite comfortable in my bike, still experimenting with stem length.


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## RoboChrist (Mar 12, 2009)

dextor said:


> Also keep in mind that people with the same dimensions may have different levels of flexibility and musculature, so the exact same bike may feel really comfortable for one but very uncomfortable for the other.
> I'm 5'9 and ride a size 52 cannondale r6 with a horizontal top tube length of 53.5. Competitive cyclist put me at 54-54.5 for the eddy fit. I'm quite comfortable in my bike, still experimenting with stem length.


For me, the numbers for saddle height were too high, which practically defeats the whole purpose of using it in the first place. But....somehow I did manage to make a few adjustments that fell inline with the competitive fit numbers, even though they were out of the suggested range, ie moving the saddle down by so much (20mm) will require the saddle be moved back by so much (4mm), and it worked very well for me, perfect, as a matter of fact.


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## olr1 (Apr 2, 2005)

Ah.....the great bike fit question....

Aside from the problems of paying for one set of prejudices over another, all these bike fitting calculators assume that fit is a single given set of statistics, rather than seeing fit as a dynamic process that changes over time.

Example; me and my stem length; I've used stems from 140mm all the way down to 70mm depending on the time of year, the amount of racing I do, the height of the head tube on whichever bike I'm on, the fashion, the state of my neck and back, and so on.

The only real, cast iron, 100% way of sorting out your fit is to try it out, and that takes time; it's an evolution, and one that makes you understand yourself and your biking better.


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## MatLad (Mar 29, 2008)

A combination of a fit calculator, your own experience and the advice from you LBS sizing expert is the way to go.

Start off with the Fit Calculator. I really like the one at competitivecyclist.com because of the amount of measurements it requires and the fact it has written and video instructions on how to do the measurements. They require far more measurements than any 'professional' fitting that I have had and it is pretty hard to mess. up. For me, I already knew what size bike I liked for the riding style I prefer... and the calculator was pretty spot on. It is much better than just going by height and inseam (which is what most bike shops ask).

Go ahead and print out the results of the online fit test, go to your local LBS and test out the various sizes in the range of the print-out.

While many people take the word of the LBS 'expert', I don't recommend that as the only advice. I have been fitted by several experts over the years and they have recommended anything from a 56 to a 60cm frame... so obviously there is a great amount of subjectivity in their fitting techniques. 

At a little over 6', I prefer the comfort of a larger frame, such as a 58 or 60. I have found the larger frames to be MUCH more comfortable for the longer rides and the calculator just confirmed what took me 8 years of using different styles and sizes of bikes on Ragbrai to learn. For my style of riding (I prefer a french fit), bigger is better.

Sooo, maybe start with the fit calculator, then use test riding and an LBS fitting to help narrow down the best fit for you. The fit calculators can be great and they do have their place, but make sure they are not the only thing you go by.


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## fallzboater (Feb 16, 2003)

I totally ignore seat tube length when frame shopping. The important fit dimensions are STA, horizontal TT length, and HT length (account for whether an integrated or traditional headset is used).


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