How important is inseam vs standover height?

[phcollard]

So the girlfriend would love a new bike to go ride in Belgium at the end of the summer. She currently rides a Cross Check with a 52cm top tube.

I posted a wtb here for a 52cm frame and I got a couple good offers. One for a CIII with a sloping top tube, but looking up in the Google I also located a very nice Atlanta - level TT - which would be her first choice BUT I just checked the catalogs and it looks like this size Atlanta has a standover of 78.4cm while her inseam is 75.5cm.

So I'm wandering if that's gonna be an issue. I can't go one size down because she likes her bars almost level with the saddle and to get that would probably mean a long quill stem.

So what do you think? Better be with a sloping TT? Convince me :)

Thanks a lot,

Philippe.

[phcollard]

Damn I should have posted this in the fit section. Mods feel free to move!

[mvrider]

My wife and many of our female friends (let's say in their mid- to late-40s) ride frames approximately this size, and they all have benefitted from sloping top tubes. Perhaps it's because sloping top tubes enable comfortable handlebar heights in proportion to the standover height.

[ultraman6970]

IMO this is a delicate question because it will depends a lot of the bike. Basically the manufacturer can do the top tube as high as they wanted to do. Imagine those specialized with those humongous front tubes, put top tube true to the floor plane and you end up with a stand over that is just stupidly insane.

No idea how high is the BB shell in the serotta you are talking about, so it will depends. The other thing is... the serotta fits?? I mean... top tube is the right size?? The issue with compact geometry is that depending on the brand and models the stand over is just a dummy size that is worthless, the virtual top tube is 52??

BTW how tall is your g/f??

[rice rocket]

My inseam is 762mm and my current bike has a 793mm standover.

If she has proper mount and dismount techniques, it's really not an issue.

When coming to a stop, unclip your desired foot, shift your weight forward and onto the other foot, and lean over to the uncliipped side. When starting again, rotate your clipped in foot to ~30 degrees after top dead center, and put your whole weight on that foot to get going while lifting your body back onto the saddle.

[Puget Pounder]

While standover isn't as important for me, it is for my girlfriend. She has a sloped TT Bianchi Volpe and has had to hop off quickly in panic situations before. Back when she had a cannondale that was too big for her, she hurt herself pretty badly doing this. I am 5'4" and have level TT bikes that cuts it close when I'm straddling the bike, but it has never been a problem, even in panic situations.

I've learned that it's really hard to convince my lady about my opinions when it comes to bikes. If she thinks blue is ugly, then she's the boss.

[Bkat]

All we can offer are our opinions, but mine is...standover is important. Not the most important measurement when it comes to fit, but enough so that a standover height greater than inseam length would be a dealbreaker, both for me and for my wife.

Level top tubes are great aesthetically, but sloping can be far more practical and, in smaller size frames, a necessity.

[christian]

3 cm?

Non.

[phcollard]

Thanks guys. I respectfully agree, it's a deal breaker. That Atlanta was really pretty though but sloping it will be then. Especially since she is rather new to cycling, I don't want her to start hating the thing because her fit is not good.

Cheers!

[palincss]

3 cm?

Non.

You're saying 3 cm of standover clearance is insufficient?

[Bkat]

You're saying 3 cm of standover clearance is insufficient?

No. The top tube height is 3cm taller than her inseam. ("Atlanta has a standover of 78.4cm while her inseam is 75.5cm.")

Ow.

[phcollard]

You're saying 3 cm of standover clearance is insufficient?

In her case it's negative clearance. Standover is 3cm over her inseam.

[rockdude]

If you get on and off the bike properly Standover height is null and void.

[victoryfactory]

If you get on and off the bike properly Standover height is null and void.

As a person with short legs for my height I must respectfully disagree.

A top tube higher than your crotch is not the way to go.

It is clumsy, annoying and uncomfortable.
It restricts your bike mount/dismount in tight situations.
It will always feel like you are riding the wrong size frame.

Get a bike that you can stand over!

VF

[Mark McM]

The first question is, is 75.5 cm her inseam or her leg length? Inseam is just the length of a seam in a garment - leg length is the important dimension. True leg length (crotch to floor) can be 5 cm or more longer than inseam (mine is).

If 75.5 cm is her true leg length, then yes, a 78.4 cm stand over is too high.

[reggiebaseball]

This is retarded

on her very first ride your lady friend in going to slam her hoo ha 3cm deep into a steel bar.

What do you think your life is going to be like?

[phcollard]

This is retarded

Thanks for the compliment.

[pdmtong]

If you get on and off the bike properly Standover height is null and void.

this is true for mount/dismount but a PITA if you just want to stop, to takeoff your jacket or what not and straddle the bike with both feet planted

[palincss]

As a person with short legs for my height I must respectfully disagree.

A top tube higher than your crotch is not the way to go.

It is clumsy, annoying and uncomfortable.
It restricts your bike mount/dismount in tight situations.
It will always feel like you are riding the wrong size frame.

Get a bike that you can stand over!



It gets to be a real pain in the neck at loooooooong traffic lights, too. Yes, I do dismount correctly; yes I can stand there with one foot on the ground and the other on the pedal, thigh on the top tube. No problem, it's a just fine position, except after two or three minutes I can't hold it steady any more, and have to put both feet on the ground. And with negative clearance, just how do you do that?

[fuzzalow]

Not worth considering not just for reasons of stand-over but also for reasons of frame geometry.

Too much top tube, too much front-center and too much chainstay to go along with too much seat tube? So not only is the personal safety/comfort issue tossed aside, the handling and, dare I say, the nicety, of riding the bike now sucks too.

I would accept all of the above compromises if it would somehow guarantee I would be faster. Not gonna happen? Then fuhgeddabouddit. Not worth taking a deal where there is nothing but down-side in it.

[phcollard]

Not worth considering not just for reasons of stand-over but also for reasons of frame geometry.

Too much top tube, too much front-center and too much chainstay to go along with too much seat tube? So not only is the personal safety/comfort issue tossed aside, the handling and, dare I say, the nicety, of riding the bike now sucks too.

I would accept all of the above compromises if it would somehow guarantee I would be faster. Not gonna happen? Then fuhgeddabouddit. Not worth taking a deal where there is nothing but down-side in it.

Top tube is OK since that's what she rides right now and no complain. Her current ride is a Surly Cross Check so I'm sure she's gonna be faster on a Serotta anyways :)

But kidding aside reading all the comments here - thanks a lot folks - I understood the obvious issues with a negative clearance so I have already passed on the Atlanta. I'm now looking at a CdA which has the same TT length but it's sloping so no crushing of vital parts.

[cash05458]

thread was fun to read just for the term hoo ha...personally, prefer woo who...:p