Sizing for a bike

[Pilotman28]

How would I size myself for a road bike? There's a guy on Craigslist locally who is selling a Cannondale R4000 Si with the hologram cranks for just $250 and it's a 56cm. I think my inseam is somewhere between 30-31". And is that even a decent deal for just the frame? How much would I look at spending to build it out decently?

[natepac]

thats me selling the bike and no you cant have it.

[Pilotman28]

Aw come on man. Give it to me :)

[carl]

ask for tom at cyclesport or victor or kieth at truly spokin. fit is THE most important thing. it's like buying shoes.

[sandfly]

How would I size myself for a road bike? There's a guy on Craigslist locally who is selling a Cannondale R4000 Si with the hologram cranks for just $250 and it's a 56cm. I think my inseam is somewhere between 30-31". And is that even a decent deal for just the frame? How much would I look at spending to build it out decently?

Just for reference, I ride a Cannondale with likely the same geometry (a 2003 R2000), my inseam is about 30" and it's a 54cm. Fits me well.

Getting fit at a shop would also help you pick your stem length, bar width, etc. since you're building up a frame.

[Pilotman28]

Yeah I'm thinking a 54 is what I'd really need ideally. How much do you think I would spend building up a bike with decent stuff on it? I'd like to know about how much building one would cost so if I come across a good one which is about the same price or cheaper I would just snag that instead.

[sandfly]

Yeah I'm thinking a 54 is what I'd really need ideally. How much do you think I would spend building up a bike with decent stuff on it? I'd like to know about how much building one would cost so if I come across a good one which is about the same price or cheaper I would just snag that instead.

The local shops could give you a price, & the online places have full build kits. New parts aren't that cheap - a grand or more for a full Ultegra or Campy Veloce gruppo and all the other stuff you'd need. SRAM stuff likely more $$ than that. Shimano 105 would be cheaper.

[gtkillerv]

How tall are you? Road bike sizing follows the same idea of mountain bikes. Ride the smallest frame that you can fit without doing anything freakish to the stem, seatpost, or seat. You want get the best neutral position as possible and then you can fine tune it from there. I will say that if you are of normal body proportions I can recommend a size to try just by your height. If you are not of normal proportion then you may be looking at making some changes to the three items I listed above.
To give you an idea, I am 6'1" and I ride a 56cm Cannondale. Different manufacturers size differently also. Bianchi sizes in odd sizes so a 57 will be the same a a 56 in the C-dale. So for that reason the most important fit will be the top tube length. For the C-dale it is also 56 cm, and that is the size that I look for when shopping for a bike. The 57 cm Bianchi has a 56cm top tube also. For manufacturers that size by small, medium, and large? You may have to make more changes to get a good fit. If you are new to road bikes then you may not feel a difference, but if you have spent a lot of time on a road bike it is difficult to make a lot of changes after you have spent so much time on a good fitting bike. For that reason I would recommend trying every bike possible you can get your hands on.
Bikes Plus does seem to put people on bikes that are too big so really pay attention to the size. That goes for any place you go. If you don't have much time on a road bike you may not know the difference in what feels right and what doesn't. Talk to Mark (Klien Guy) at Truly Spokin. He will steer you in the right direction. Vic would be a good source too. I don't work at Truly Spokin any longer but those guys can help you out. Just remember, if you talk to Vic he can come across a little odd, and some people are turned off by that, but it is just his personality. He is not really an ass.
Once you get that road bike come check out the roads in the Blackwater area. Low traffic and great roads. Every Saturday morning at 0730.
Good luck in the search and if you have any question let me know.