genesis owners - frame size

I'm 6'1" and ride a Genesis Volant in 56. I have short legs for my height so it's more or less spot on for me - a nice comfortable ride over long distances.

I've had a Genesis for about nine months. I expected to need a 54 but tried a 56 and it was, and is, a great fit. I'm 5'10" and have short (approx 30") legs. Plenty of seat post exposed an the setup looks good.
On the face of it a 56 would seem pretty small for you.

I bought a Genesis Equilibrium in the summer. I too deliberated over size for a couple of weeks. My carbon bike is a size 56 with a TT of 565mm. After reading many Genesis forums I plumped for the 58 Genesis, the top tube as said above is 567mm, so next to no difference. I built it up with a 110mm stem.

Really happy with the 58, my mate says of all my bikes it looks the best fit. I am just over 6'1". Also my brother in law took on spin on it the other week, he is 5'11" and said he found it comfortable.

I'm 5ft 10 and normally ride 56's - my three road bikes range between 560 - 570 top tube.

If you're over 6ft, I'd say 58 should be fine surely?

And I also use 44cm bars. Not at all a bit wide.

(But then I have had 20 years previously on a mountain bike!)

Noticed you live in Leicester ......... Give lovevelo a ring in derby 01332 295934
Had my equilibrium built and fitted by him. I took my old bike to his shop he took some measurements and made some changes to my current set up, different stem etc

I then specified frame colour groupe set, wheels , bars and seat .... He then built the bike from the frame up .

I ended up with a hand built bike fitted for less than RRP price and fantastic service

A 56cm Allez has a 565mm effective top tube, so almost exactly the same. genesis don't publish stack and reach for their bikes unfortunately, which are the two measurements that are most directly comparable.

you might find the 44cm bars a bit wide, mind

genesis frames aren't long in the top tube. So a 58cm equilibrium actually has a 567mm top tube and for that reason you could more accurately describe it as a 57cm, as the top tube measurement has much more bearing on fit than the length of the seat tube.

best to check the top tube length of the bike/s you normally ride to see how they compare. In my experience, genesis road frames size up on the small side. swapping out the 120mm stem for a 110mm one isn't going to do any harm.

At a shade under 6 foot I ride a 56cm Genesis and it fits me perfectly (though I was careful to choose a size with measurements/geometry almost the same as my previous bike). The 58cm didn't. However I prefer a slightly short top tube. Whether the 58cm is suitable for you is something only you can tell, it depends very much on your position on the bike. Reducing the stem length will make the steering a bit more sensitive, but it's a matter of personal choice how you like it. Handling on the supplied stem length is excellent, so it may well be perfectly acceptable with a shorter stem, but it's a personal preference.

Fair enough. Good luck with new bike when you make your choice.

Buy the bike that fits you, not the one on special offer - or in this case the one available now.

If a 58 is right for you OK, but if it is really a 56 that is right for you then don't do it.