# Anyone know what frame size Levi Leipheimer rides?



## ping771 (Apr 10, 2006)

I was watching Levi in the Tour de California, and the Madone he's on looks tiny, and he's got a way long stem, like a 120mm. They say he's a 5'7" but it looks like he's riding a 50 or 52cm?? If I rode a 52, I'd have to use an 80mm stem. 
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2...7/california07/california077/JD_TOC07_stg7005


I'm his height, but I was told that I had to ride a 50cm frame, which has a slight slope. When I was told that, I decided against the Madone. 

I saw video interview where Levi said that his Trek was off the shelf. http://kwc.org/cycling/2006/12/

Any thoughts?


----------



## QUiTSPiNiNArOuND (Mar 15, 2002)

he rides a 54cm with a 110mm stem


----------



## ping771 (Apr 10, 2006)

QUiTSPiNiNArOuND said:


> he rides a 54cm with a 110mm stem


Wow! How do you know that?


----------



## toyota (Sep 4, 2006)

ping771 said:


> I was watching Levi in the Tour de California, and the Madone he's on looks tiny, and he's got a way long stem, like a 120mm. They say he's a 5'7" but it looks like he's riding a 50 or 52cm?? If I rode a 52, I'd have to use an 80mm stem.
> http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2...7/california07/california077/JD_TOC07_stg7005
> 
> 
> ...


 His bike doesnt look that tiny and I can clearly tell its a 54cm. Im also 5'7 but ride a 52cm as for as a Trek goes. A 50cm IS tiny and I cant imagine someone 5'7 riding one.


----------



## rd12vman (Jan 28, 2007)

Levi has a long torso and short legs I think. This would explain why his Madone has very little seatpost showing and also why he may very well be on a 54cm for the benefits of the extra tt length over a 52cm and the longish 120mm stem. I am built with similar proportions but on a larger scale. I am 6'1" and I ride a 61cm Tarmac with 130mm stem.


----------



## mav616 (Mar 30, 2006)

I looked for the info on cyclingnews, I thought i read before that he was riding a 50cm Trek, with a 53cm top tube length.....frustrated now, i can't find it...


----------



## Mark McM (Jun 18, 2005)

ping771 said:


> I was watching Levi in the Tour de California, and the Madone he's on looks tiny, and he's got a way long stem, like a 120mm. They say he's a 5'7" but it looks like he's riding a 50 or 52cm?? If I rode a 52, I'd have to use an 80mm stem.
> http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2...7/california07/california077/JD_TOC07_stg7005
> 
> 
> ...


This is an interesting discussion, but I'm not sure how pertinent it is. Everybody is built differently, so bike fit is an individual matter.

For what its worth, I'm also about 5' 7" (or maybe a 1/2" less), and I ride an equivalent of a 54cm Madone, with a 120mm stem. I actually have legs a smidgeon longer than average (and therefore a torso a smidgeon shorter than average), but I also have long forearms and very flexible back.


----------



## ping771 (Apr 10, 2006)

Mark McM said:


> This is an interesting discussion, but I'm not sure how pertinent it is. Everybody is built differently, so bike fit is an individual matter.
> 
> For what its worth, I'm also about 5' 7" (or maybe a 1/2" less), and I ride an equivalent of a 54cm Madone, with a 120mm stem. I actually have legs a smidgeon longer than average (and therefore a torso a smidgeon shorter than average), but I also have long forearms and very flexible back.


Yes, you're right. Forearm (and overall arm) length and flexibilty are significant factors regarding reach and stem length. I guess the root reason I started this thread is that I never got that comfortable on a Trek on a 52cm. And I was riding a 90mm stem to boot. Granted my forearms are a tad shorter than normal. Treks naturally have longish top tubes and short head tubes. Then I look at Levi, who's my size, and people are saying he's riding a 54cm with a 110 or 120cm, and I'm like how's that possible on a stock frame? I began to wonder if these pro riders are really using off the shelf frames. Also, it seems that Levi's TT bike looks custom. The stock small sized TTx run kinda big too.


----------



## toyota (Sep 4, 2006)

ping771 said:


> Yes, you're right. Forearm (and overall arm) length and flexibilty are significant factors regarding reach and stem length. I guess the root reason I started this thread is that I never got that comfortable on a Trek on a 52cm. And I was riding a 90mm stem to boot. Granted my forearms are a tad shorter than normal. Treks naturally have longish top tubes and short head tubes. Then I look at Levi, who's my size, and people are saying he's riding a 54cm with a 110 or 120cm, and I'm like how's that possible on a stock frame? I began to wonder if these pro riders are really using off the shelf frames. Also, it seems that Levi's TT bike looks custom. The stock small sized TTx run kinda big too.


 He is riding all stock bikes. His TT bike has very little post showing compared to any other rider. You are like me in that we both have short arms. The manager at one of the local bike shops is just under 5'7 and he rides a 54cm Madone with a 110 stem and it fits him perfectly.


----------



## ping771 (Apr 10, 2006)

toyota said:


> He is riding all stock bikes. His TT bike has very little post showing compared to any other rider. You are like me in that we both have short arms. The manager at one of the local bike shops is just under 5'7 and he rides a 54cm Madone with a 110 stem and it fits him perfectly.


Are you my height? Do you ride a trek--what size?


----------



## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

I thought he rode a 52? no?? :idea:


OP... I'm 5'9'' and I can ride a 54cm Madone or a 58cm even to be honest. So, just go with what fits you I guess in this case. Try what works and feels best for you.

Good luck. And, thanks for the video link. :thumbsup:


----------



## toyota (Sep 4, 2006)

ping771 said:


> Are you my height? Do you ride a trek--what size?


 As I said earlier I am also 5'7. I have owned many Treks all of them 52cm with 90 to 100mm stems.


----------



## Tak962 (Oct 24, 2004)

deteled


----------



## toyota (Sep 4, 2006)

Tak962 said:


> At ToC last week, one of his backup bikes had a tape with "Levi - 52" written with a sharpy. I'm guessing he rides a 52. It looked pretty tiny.


 I have looked at tons pics and video from TOC his bike is clearly a 54cm. He rode a 52cm Specialized with what appears to be atleast a 110 or 120 stem so a 54cm Trek with a 110 stem makes perfect sense.


----------



## outdoors-maniac (Nov 15, 2005)

toyota said:


> I have looked at tons pics and video from TOC his bike is clearly a 54cm. He rode a 52cm Specialized with what appears to be atleast a 110 or 120 stem so a 54cm Trek with a 110 stem makes perfect sense.


Someone should just call the team spokesperson and ask them.... haha so that way we will all know for sure.


----------



## sevencycle (Apr 23, 2006)

Doesnt Discovery ride stock framesets. 50cm 53 tt would not be a stock size. I do have same haircut as Levi but it didnt make me any faster.


----------



## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

sevencycle said:


> Doesnt Discovery ride stock framesets. 50cm 53 tt would not be a stock size. I do have same haircut as Levi but it didnt make me any faster.



Then it's obviously not those measurements now right?


----------



## harvestlaser (May 13, 2004)

the cyclingnews measurement could have been c-c instead of c-t who know? i will tell you that trek didnt make a custom frame for levi.


----------



## Evan Evans (Sep 14, 2004)

Levi's bike looks to be smaller than a 54-cc. 54 c-t maybe. Many euro-pros ride long bikes. I once read an artical by Davis Phinny explaining how is set-up got longer as time went on.
Lemond road a very long bike.
Ulrich used a 130 stem.

The thing that struck me about the bike setups at the ToC was the high position of the 
brake/shift levers. Like bull horns.


----------



## toyota (Sep 4, 2006)

Evan Evans said:


> *Levi's bike looks to be smaller than a 54-cc. 54 c-t maybe.* Many euro-pros ride long bikes. I once read an artical by Davis Phinny explaining how is set-up got longer as time went on.
> Lemond road a very long bike.
> Ulrich used a 130 stem.
> 
> ...


 This is the Trek forums and Trek measures to the top of the seat tube. A 54cm Trek measures 51cm c to c. When Lemond Bikes used OCLV frames back in the late 90s they called them 47 thru 59cm but they were just rebadged 50 thru 62cm Trek frames.


----------



## ping771 (Apr 10, 2006)

Another compact rider is Paolo Bettini, who rides a 49cm Specialized Tarmac (it mentions it halfway down the article):
http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/2007/probikes/?id=quickstep_specialized_boonen

Bettini is listed as 1.68 or 1.69m in height (5'6"). As Levi is at most 1in taller than him, it seems improbable that he rides a 54cm Trek. 

Btw, is it just me or does Levi looks almost like Lance? I had to do a double take on almost photo I saw of Levi in the TOC to make sure it was Levi. A case in point:


----------



## toyota (Sep 4, 2006)

ping771 said:


> Another compact rider is Paolo Bettini, who rides a 49cm Specialized Tarmac (it mentions it halfway down the article):
> http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/2007/probikes/?id=quickstep_specialized_boonen
> 
> Bettini is listed as 1.68 or 1.69m in height (5'6"). As Levi is at most 1in taller than him, *it seems improbable that he rides a 54cm Trek*.
> ...


*LEVI RIDES A 54CM TREK!* There are plenty of people that are 5'7 and ride a 54cm Trek. I already gave you an example of my local store manager that is under 5'7. Bettini could ride a 52cm Specialized but he wanted the smallest frame he could fit on. Levi rode a 52cm Specialized with what appears to be a 120 stem so a 54cm Trek with a 110 stem makes perfect sense. Also an inch or two in height can make a huge difference when it comes to bike size .


----------



## Daddy yo yo (Apr 2, 2005)

ping771 said:


> Btw, is it just me or does Levi looks almost like Lance?


it's just you.


----------

