I realized the bike I have, the frame is a bit too big.

If I wiped out I could do some damage to my jimmies.

I don't know much about bikes, but I do know I need a slightly smaller frame.

I think I may go to a local bike store and see what they have.

funny, i'm 5'9.99999239829183394884" and had a 58, and dropped to a 56. I'm not aware of anyone making a 57 or 55...unless you have a custom built frame.

Bimmer, if you're on a 54 at 5'11", then your seat must sit really high or you have very short legs.

Pup, do you have clip-in shoes? if so, you may need to adjust the position of each cleat to make sure that isn't causing your knee pain. I changed from Look to Speedplay pedals, and had all kinds of issues with my left knee until i got it right...

One of the guys in one of the shops said that a lot of people get the wrong shoes and pedals (3 screw vs 2 screw) that lock their foot into an unnatural position as opposed to being to "float" slightly. And that this causes knee pain in some people. That will be a big deal for me. It took forever to find the right running shoes so I dont have unacceptable knee pain from running. If the bike makes them hurt it will be a $1000 boat anchor in a heartbeat!

Actually, I have found (from spending way too much time on the forums at Roadbikereview.com) that 54cm bike is the general "Rule of thumb" for someone of my height. As for having short legs, well, the person that gets stuck sitting behind me when I drive never seems to think that I have short legs.

I'm the exact same height and was fitted for a 56. For a girl I've got crazy long legs and arms. The guy at the bike shop said torso and arm length played in as much as leg length...he said to king of forget overall height.

Sorry, I just noticed that.....you failed to account for my lack of typing skills and poor proof reading .... make the 57 a 56.

Happy, the Storck frameset is a 55, but I also am more familiar with going by even numbers. I ride SPD cleats in Sidi shoes.

I believe that Mrs (to be) Pup's Cervelo is a 54, and I think it's a bit small for me. I'll check them out this evening for actual sizes.

I'll probably end up riding the Cannondale a bit longer for practicality's sake, but I need a professional fitting done on it.

BB1, text me the name of a good shop up there. My shop here is more of a repair shop. I've learned a bit about DIY stuff on my bike from the owner, but I don't know that he'll do a professional fitting. I'd love to hear whether or not my bike is the ride size for me. Seriously, though, if it is slightly large and I need to move on, it would probably fit you beautifully...

Sidi shoes? dang boy, those cost some bucks...

i like the SPD because of the flaot it gives my feet. my left foot angles in a bit at the heel over the right. The Looks caused issue, these don't.

From the center of the BB or from the bottom?

all these cyclists...we need MB Guard to sponsor a BOL Gran Fondo

No clue. The guy selling it said that although it is a 55, it is about the same feel as his 56cm Cannondale. He is a sponsored rider, so he certainly has a better "feel" for a bike than I do. I'm basically treating it like a 56.

I did call a shop at BB1's recommendation, and they'll do a fitting for me for $100.00. It might be worth it.

I'm not sure what a Gran Fondo is, but I agree that this is a good opportunity for BOL to sponsor a charity ride or something...Hmmmmmmm...

There are dozens of different frame dimensions to consider other than just the frame height. All of them are slightly different so a Trek 56 and a cannondale 56 are not going to feel the same. You can make small adjustments by adding and removing risers under your stem, different stem angles and lengths, different bar dimensions, different crank lengths, etc.

The only way to know for sure is to go to a shop and ride bikes.

Carbon is great if you are a serious racer, but you have to be really careful. A used frame could have small cracks from a crash or just small stress fractures that you can't see. Also, if you crash a carbon frame, you can have cracks that could lead to frame failure (not something you want during a 45 mph descent).

I have opted for an aluminum frame (though I do have carbon forks), because I don't really want to worry about destroying a frame by not getting the torque setting right when tightening my seat post or after dumping the bike. You may or may not want to check out this website to see some carbon fiber failures.

To be honest, I don't think that it makes a huge difference to anyone of our level. I have beaten guys that were riding full carbon frames in races before, and I have been beaten by guys who were riding bikes with much cheaper components than mine. The most important thing is that the bike fits and that you feel comfortable riding it.

I'm not sold on carbon. It just happens to be the construction of a nice frame I found.

So, I measured my bike.

Seat tube measured 57cm and top tube measured 59cm.

I'm reaching too far out. Also, I have a 120mm stem, so that doesn't help. That might explain the numbness I get in my hands after about 20 miles.

Meanwhile, I rode my fastest pace so far on Saturday, after 14 days out of the saddle, after stopping to reattach my seat bag and after almost crashing (gravel shoulder on a narrow country road). So, who knows.

So, I transferred my pedals and seat to Mrs (to be) Pup's Cervelo TT bike. It's a 54, and too small, but the ride was pretty good last week. It needed a tune up, so I attempted it myself Sunday morning before my ride....attempted.

I ended up transferring it all back over so I could do my ride at all.

I stopped by the bike shop to ask about a certain frame, a Cadillac aluminum frame with carbon seatstays and forks. It is in my bedroom right now, and it can be mine for $250.00. I don't know anything about Cadillac frames...except that I don't drive a Cadillac and am thinking the big ol' Caddy symbol on the bike is a bit cheesy.

Any thoughts about Cadillac frames?

Anyway, the owner of the bike shop said that he would recommend buying any of a number of no-name full carbon frames out there that are in the $400-500 range. He said they are the same frames that bear the names "Pinarello" or "Cerveol", etc and just lack the badging.

Searching a few of the websites, I found a few Pinarello Dogma frames in the $700 range. I'm thinking that they are fakes or factory rejects due to blemishes. Any thoughts on these or the "blanks" that I came across?