General Cycling Discussion - making a bike bigger (pleasehelp)

well i got a bit of a project on my hands. i am sure some of the knowledgeable people here have the information to help me with this. i have a friend who is going out of the country for about a year and has lent me her bike trek 5200 54cm. now the problem is i am 6'5" so it is a little small for me, being in college right now i dont have the money to shell out for a decent road bike. so looking at the trek website the geometry section and converting cm to inches i have an idea of what i need to do. the top tube length is 54.6 cm while the bike i would the 62cm has a top tube of 59.2 cm. to fix this i would change the stem i currently have a 100mm and if i get a 140 mm that would give me an extra 4 cm bringing my top tube length to 58.6.. as far as the height the current seatpost seems fine if not i can always get a longer one. another thing i want to do is to raise the handle bars, i went to 2 bike shops they said i cant but they also wanted to sell me a bike. but i found this that says it can raise the stem 3 inches or 7.62 cm

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.html?SKU=12679

so guys tell me how does this sound to you. i am very new at bikes i have an old gt mountain bike i hardly ever used. also how hard would it be to put the riser and stem on, would i be able to do it myself? does anyone know a place where i can buy a cheap stem in size 140mmor 14cm? i am not looking to ride 100 miles a day just about 10 or 15, 3 to 4 times a week.

thanks
james

Hi,
1) Get a Thompson Setback post, or Raceface XYZ (try ebay)
2) Try a longer stem,, find a good LBS, and they will let you try a few
3) Lots of good used bikes out there, I rather suspect a good twenty year old bike that fits you would give more enjoyment than a new one you feel cramped on. And the Thompson seatpost, and a new stem will cost about the same as a nice old bike

The Trek 5200 is an expensive, high-end racing bike, as you undoubtedly know. The owner must be a very good friend indeed!

I would be very nervous about putting the amount of stress on a carbon steerer that would result from clamping a steerer extension plus an extra-long stem on top of it. I would also expext the handling tof the bike to suffer significantly.

I have a tough time imagining you will ever be comfortable on a bike that's this far out of your size range. Unless you have unusually short legs, you will not get the necessary saddle height from just raising the seat post, and again, I would hate to stress the seat tube by putting an extra-long post in it. And even then, you're never going to get your knees far enough back.

I'd be less nervous about experimenting if it was your own inexpensive bike, rather than somebody else's expensive one.

Late's advice makes the best sense to me: look for a used road bike that actually fits you.

RichC

That bike is far too smal for anybody who is 6'5" to ride. I wouldn't even bother, because it's pointless. You'll look like Arte Johnson riding the tricycle on the old "Laugh-In" TV show. Fuggetaboutit!

You can just give it to me :) I'm 5'7 and that frame would just fit me.. I ride a 53cm which is just right for me right now.. and figure you are almost a foot taller.

You are just flat TOO BIG for that bike. Do yourself and the bike a favor anf forget it.Besides,if you use a steerer extender,you will need an even longer stem. The whole idea is just insane.

Originally posted by Rich Clark
The Trek 5200 is an expensive, high-end racing bike, as you undoubtedly know. The owner must be a very good friend indeed!

I would be very nervous about putting the amount of stress on a carbon steerer that would result from clamping a steerer extension plus an extra-long stem on top of it.


RichC It does not have a CF steerer.

Originally posted by pokey
It does not have a CF steerer.

You're right, apparently it's aluminum. Interesting, because I was looking at one the other day and the LBS guy said it did, so I never looked it up. I think perhaps he, like I, assumed without checking that a CF frame designed for low weight would have a full carbon fork.

I still wouldn't put a steerer extender and a 140cm stem on it.

RichC