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I’m riding Trek Domane 4.3 2015. According to my height (165 cms) I should be riding 52 frame size(according to Trek size chart). The current bike my riding is 54. The only modification I have done is reduced stem size from 90 to 70 mm.

I have done many long distance rides on my current bike. The longest distance I have done is 1000kms that too comfortably.

One of my rider friend suggested me that right frame size can make me efficient and faster.

Do I seriously consider buying right frame size? Or should I continue riding current bike?

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    Consider that there are many people who are "in between" two standard sizes, and they seem to survive. It's probably better to have a bike a size too small than a size too large, but reducing stem extension is often a good way to deal with a "too large" bike. I did the same on my old bike, and I survived, more or less. A lot has to do with your riding style, and the conditions you ride in.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Commented Oct 29, 2018 at 17:06
  • Does size effects handling of the bike?
    – ssharma
    Commented Oct 29, 2018 at 17:21
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    A bigger bike will handle slightly slower, just because it's bigger, and weigh a little more. Bear in mind that a shorter stem quickens the steering.
    – Argenti Apparatus
    Commented Oct 29, 2018 at 17:58
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    Fit affects handling.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Commented Oct 29, 2018 at 19:49
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    Peoples torso/arm/leg and even tibia vs femur lengths vary enormously, as does flexibility and other bio-mechanics. No one can tell ideal bike size from height alone. Lucky for the manufacturers you can get 'close enuf, most of da time' from a chart and tweak it with stems, crank lengths, seat post offsets etc, so its 'close enuf nearly all da time'
    – mattnz
    Commented Oct 29, 2018 at 20:35

3 Answers 3

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Frame size is one number. Bike fit is made up of many variables, some of which are fixed to the frame, some (add you've found) aren't. And people aren't all the same proportions (see for example the ape index).

If the bike is adequately comfortable for the rides you do, it's worth sticking with. It sounds like you might have found yourself an endurance fit, so for short races it could be possible to get more efficiency. If you're not racing (even just a friendly sprint), I doubt you'll notice the difference.

Perhaps your friend is giving you an excuse to buy a new bike, but you don't need it, and in your position I certainly wouldn't get a new one if that meant losing this one that seems to suit you.

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It's possible that you would be better off on the smaller size frame, but determining how much improvement you would see depends on multiple factors.

The amount of time/distance and at what level you are riding obviously is a big factor. If you are riding long distances or training for racing bike fit matters a whole lot more than if you are casually riding 10 miles a week. Your relative proportions also matter. If you have relatively short legs and long arms a size above the nominal size for your height may be appropriate.

What I would do is examine your fit on the bike and see if there is anything obviously problematic. Many bike stores offer a fitting service, and many will do a rough assessment if they think they can persuade you to buy another bike.

If you want to assess your fit yourself, basic sizing advice can be found on the web. The basic procedure is to set saddle height and fore-aft position properly relative to the bottom bracket, then look at the angles of your torso and arms to see if the bars are too far away or low, or too high.

If you have have managed to get a reasonable fit by shortening the stem you may be OK. If the bike really is too big, and you are leant forward too far, or you hands are too far away it will affect the power you can output and possibly cause discomfort or pain.

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You would be better off with a frame that's down a size(52ish). It's always better off to move down a size on a road bike. Reducing the stem length definitely helped the problem. You can also try to adjust the saddle layback and saddle height to make you more upright. You can also try to change the stem to make your bar higher.

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