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How to Choose the Right Size Heron Frame

Herons are designed a bit differently than most road bikes on the market today.  So, don’t be surprised to find that the right Heron for you is 2-3 centimeters larger than your other road bikes.  A larger frame will effectively raise the handlebars relative to the saddle.  This is good since most bikes today place the bars too low.  Even professional racers rarely use the drops any longer because they are too low to be useful. 

Because Herons are a little different, it can be difficult to decide which size frame to choose.  Here are a few of the considerations:

Top Tube Length and Stem Length.   It’s often useful to look at the sum of the top tube length and stem length on a bicycle to determine the “reach” to the handlebars.  If you own one bicycle that fits you well with a 57 cm top tube and a 10 cm stem,  it’s generally safe to assume that you would need a 9 cm stem on a bicycle with a 58 cm top tube to achieve the same reach.

However, the higher handlebars on Heron frames effectively reduce your reach by about 1 cm.  Compared to most bikes, the bars will be closer to you.   Using the example from above, you would need to use a 10 cm stem on a Heron frame with a 58 cm top tube to achieve a similar reach.

Standover Height.  People often ask for the standover heights of Heron frames, and this is difficult to answer for a couple of reasons.  First, the standover height of any bicycle is dependent on the size of the tires used.  A 700x23 tire will provide a much lower standover height than a 700x38 tire.  Second, our top tubes slope upward at 2 degrees.  This means that the standover height will vary depending on where you measure it along the top tube.

Some are concerned that since larger sizes are recommended for Herons that standover height will be an issue.  Generally, it should not be.  Our frames have lower bottom brackets than most road frames.  This will lower our top tubes compared to other frames of the same size.  Most people will be able to easily clear the top tube of a properly sized Heron with both feet flat on the ground.  Plus, it is important to consider that starting and stopping is properly done with one foot flat on the ground and the bicycle leaned to one side.  This lowers the top tube considerably. 

Head Tube Length.  Some have asked for the head tube lengths of Heron frames in order to compare handlebar height with another frame.  The assumption is that if the head tube is 1 cm taller then the handlebars will be 1 cm higher.  However, this is not true for two reasons.  First, Heron forks are taller than most forks.  Second, the steerer is left longer allowing you to add spacers to your headset.  It is the combination of fork length, head tube length, and steerer length above the head tube that determines your starting point for bar height.  Looking at head tube length only tells you part of the story.

So, how do you best determine the right size Heron? 

It is best to start with saddle height.  If you absolutely know your proper saddle height (measured from the center of the bottom bracket spindle to the top of the saddle parallel to the seat tube) you can look up the recommended size on the Heron sizing chart.

If you aren’t sure of your proper saddle height, you can get in the right ballpark with a measurement of your pubic bone height.  This is a simple measurement that a friend can help you with.  All you need is a hardcover book or a ruler and a tape measure.  Take off your shoes, stand with your feet several inches apart, hook the tape measure over the edge of the book or ruler, and pull it up to your crotch.  Have your friend hold the other end of the tape measure on the floor.  Make sure that you pull the book or ruler up firmly.  You are not measuring from the floor to flesh.  You want to measure to bone.

Once you have your pubic bone height, subtracting 10 cm will get you pretty close to your ideal saddle height.  Take the saddle height number and look up the recommended size on the Heron sizing chart.

For most people, the size that you get from the chart will be the right one for you.  However, not everyone is proportioned the same, and I like to look at the reach to the bars as a double-check.  If you already have a road bike that fits well, look at the sum of the top tube length and stem length.  Then, look at the top tube length of the Heron frame recommended in the sizing chart.  Determine what length stem will be necessary to get a total reach that is 1 cm longer than your other bike.  If your other bike has a 57 cm top tube and 9 cm stem and the recommended Heron also has a 57 cm top tube, then you will need a 10 cm stem.  If the stem length that you need is between 8 and 12 cm, you should be fine.