Hi all,
I’m 5'8", 838mm PBH (highest measurement after many tries), 725-730mm saddle height. I have a 57cm Charlie with Albatross bars on order, but could change to a 53.
Will at Riv assured me that either the 53 or 57 will work fine with the right stem, and I can safely make the decision based on aesthetic considerations (seatpost and stem exposure). I trust that’s true, but I enjoy overthinking this type of decision, so I wanted to solicit opinions.
Some things I’m considering:
Fit: I’m currently on a Surly Preamble, size M, which has 570 ETT, 391 reach, and 567 stack with flat bars on a 9cm slightly upsloping stem (spacers maxed). On this bike I feel a bit stretched and hunched while sitting, but a higher and shorter stem made me feel too upright for this bike. I also feel constrained while standing, in that it feels like I’m “out of bike,” up against the bars and too far out over the front wheel. Additionally, I tend to find that positioning my saddle somewhat forward on the seat post helps my pedaling ergonomics. This all has me thinking that I'd benefit from more forward space in the cockpit (so I can go forward on the Albatross bars when standing, then back, but not too far back, when sitting), and this seems more easily achievable with the 57. The 53 has a longer ETT than the Preamble (583), but shorter reach (380) gives me pause, especially with the slack head tube angle.
Ride: I came across this post from Tani at Blue Lug, who asserts that the 57 Charlie has a markedly different (more momentum-friendly, less “zippy”) feel than the 49, which he’d previously ridden with Albastache bars. I’m ever-so-slightly worried about the 57 feeling less quick and agile than the 53 (I’ll be using the bike for city commuting sometimes), though if I chose the 53 I think I’d worry about missing out on added stability and comfort (I’ll also be using it for paved trail riding).
Versatility: I suspect I’ll like swept-back bars, but I don’t know for sure! Having the option of drops (Will said they’ll only work on the 53) or Wavies without a short stem (Will advised they’d work on the 57 with a 6-7cm stem) would be nice.
Aesthetics: I don’t love a slammed seat post (Tani’s 57 set to 70cm saddle height doesn’t look great to me), but I think the 57 will look ok with 9.5cm exposed (as should be the case with a Brooks B17). I like a Nitto Technomic stem set to a medium-ish height, and it might wind up looking high on the 53 if that’s winds up feeling best. So I think aesthetics point toward the 57.
Thoughts? Thanks!
What a great thread. I'm 6'1" w/ an 84.5 PBH and I generally like longer bikes. I recently purchased a 61 Platypus from someone on this list, but I haven't picked it up yet. I'm pretty comfortable riding in the drops on an traditional road bike geometry so i think the length will be an advantage.
I went over to Walnut Creek in late February to test ride some of the new models, especially the Charlie. I have a PBH of just about 85cm, close enough to Grant's that I rode a few of his bikes. According to the geometry chart either a 53cm or 57cm Charlie would work for me. The 53 seemed a little cramped, but the 57 was great. Then Grant put me on his 61cm Charlie, with "don't pay any attention to the size, just ride it". It was just as good as the 57cm.. Grant basically says if you can comfortable straddle the bike, you can comfortable ride it. And the larger size comes with a quality that Grant can describe but I can't, that makes it more stable.
I eventually went with a Homer frame, but only because I wanted more luggage carrying capacity that Charlie is recommended for.
And, if I didn't live in a second floor walkup studio apartment, I would absolutely get the platypus giganticus, the 60cm. That bike has the most deluxe ride I can recall experiencing.
Don't be afraid of the 61cm Charlie.
Pat
On Saturday, September 27, 2025 at 9:48:50 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:
I have an 81 cm PBH and I stand at 5’6”. I could have gone either 53 or 57, said Grant, but I went with 53, and I like it a lot.
On Friday, September 26, 2025 at 12:12:19 PM UTC-4 Mike Gillespie wrote:
I’m considering a Charlie purchase for this round of frames. At 5’11” and a PBH of 86.5cm I’m in the middle of the sizing range for the 57cm and just over the lower limit for the 61cm. After seeing the attached photo of Grant’s ride on a Blue Lug blog, I’m considering going with the 61. According to the blog post, Grant’s PBH is 85cm, and he’s actually under the lower sizing recommendation of 86cm.
From the geometry chart it appears the greatest difference between the 57 and 61 frames is increased stack height (+4.9cm) with only minor increase in reach. The effective top tube increase is only 1cm. Meanwhile, the reach calculation shows an actual decrease of 0.7cm. (This seems counterintuitive to me and I’m thinking it’s a typo, or am I wrong)? Regardless, I’m intrigued by Grant’s setup and wonder if there’s any downside that I’m missing. Any recommendations?
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