Fifty Plus (50+) - bike fit

I've read alot about the importance of proper bike fit here, but in truth I was a bit skeptical. So, when I stumbled upon this web: www.competitivecyclist.com/road-bikes, while doing a google search for BMC road bikes,after reading about them in a post here. I decided to complete their rather extensive and excellent fit guide and see how my '80's vintage Univega Speciallisima measured up, since when I bought it back then the question of fit never entered the equation. I was rather pleased to find that my bike measured up pretty well except in one category - saddle height. So, I raised my saddle as close as I could get to the recommended height without running out of seat post, which turned out to be about 4 or 5 inches.

At first the new height seemed a little awkward to me, but after 54 mile ride yesterday I found that the sore back and aching testicles that usually present themselves at about the 12 mile mark were no longer present - halelullia! - I am a believer.

OH yeah! That BMC looked pretty good, but at that price range $2100 I see a lot of bikes that tempt me. Does anyone have advice about road bikes at this price point? Is the BMC the right one?

Thanks for indulging me, a newbie who has a lot to learn, in my rambling.

A good fitting bike makes all the difference in the world:) Thanks for the link.

I'm not familiar with the BMC bikes but there should be several good bikes in the price range you stated. One of the biggest factors in buying a new bike is the bike shop. Look for one you like and one that will provide follow-up service. A good bike shop will work with you to solve any problems that might arise after the purchase. I had a nagging fit problem with my new bike and the LBS worked with me until we determined the problem was the crank length. A new crank, saddle and shoes solved all the fit problems. I now have 1,000 miles on it and it feels great.

Are you saying you have been riding a bike with the seat 4 or 5 inches too low? :eek:

I bet you were in some pain!

OH yeah! That BMC looked pretty good, but at that price range $2100 I see a lot of bikes that tempt me. Does anyone have advice about road bikes at this price point? Is the BMC the right one?

Thanks for indulging me, a newbie who has a lot to learn, in my rambling.

Hi BB,

Are you really from the Boston area, or is that just a nickname? I just purchased a BMC Streetfire at Landrys in Natick for $1849, after I upgraded the saddle and seatpost, final was $2100. I believe the next model up is the Road Racer at about $2200. I couldn't be happier with mine. I test rode the Cannondale CAAD8 & CAAD9 ($1100 & $1500), Cannondale Synapse Carbon ($2000), Specialized Roubaix Elite ($1800), Trek Pilot 5.0 ($2000), and Specialized Allez Elite.

I just didn't like the Specialized bikes at all. Nothing I could really put my finger on, they just didn't feel right, especially in high speed turns. The Trek was OK but it's loaded with Bontrager parts and it just didn't speak to me. I think the frame was too compact. I liked all of the Cannondales. The CAAD bikes are real responsive and handle well but the ride is pretty harsh. The Synapse Carbon would have been my second choice. Nice ride, well equipped, but a little on the tame side. It just felt kinda dead.

I must admit that spending 2K on an alum frame bike was a little weird, considering I could have gotten carbon at the same price point. I have about 100 miles on the BMC and have no regrets. The BMC design features make the alum frame ride much better than the Cannondale alum frames. The bike is about as responsive as you can get, you can just tell that every once of energy you put into the cranks is geting to the back wheel. I am also finding that I don't really miss my triple up front. At first I was missing the 39T and granny but as I get more miles on the compact crank I am liking it more. Since I am a spinner anyway, I find using the 34T for slight inclines and hills is good and on the flats the 50T gets you up to speed really fast.

The biggest thing I have found is more esoteric. I feel like this bike and I are a team, working together. It's almost like at times it says to me "I can do better than this", I know, that's weird. My old Trek felt more like an opponent.

Bottom line is test ride and choose the one that speaks to you, it may be a BMC or it may not.

BTW, Landrys was great to deal with, they spent a ton of time letting me test ride and then over an hour fitting me. I think I was there for nearly four hours.

I've used the link you posted and found it to be an interesting starting point. I learned pretty quickly, however, that the trade off Peter White talks about between performance and comfort is still an important consideration regardless of which of the three fitting systems you use on this site. In terms of your quest for a bike, I'd look at a Jamis. They have a reputation for giving you a lot of bike for the money.

Quote "Hi BB,

Are you really from the Boston area, or is that just a nickname?"

Thanks for the info. I grew up in Dorchester, but stayed in western Mass after graduating from UMASS Amherst. I live in the Berkshires now. The nickname comes from an old TV show from the 50's which I suppose at least a few of the members of this forum can remember.

I vaguely remember that TV show because my sister named one of her stuffed animals "Boston Blackie":D

I'm not very familiar with BMC, but I'd guess that 2K-3K is a pretty crowded market space for road bikes. If it feels good and inspires you, then that's great. I had a Cannondale R600 as my first road bike (I still ride it). I wanted to put something together and experiment with a bunch of things, so I bought a Look 555 frame (carbon) off ebay for a bit over 1K, an Ultegra gruppo w/ compact crank, FSA K-wing bars from the LBS (in case I screwed up). It ended up a bit under 3K, but I really like it.

I went through all those fitting sites because I was petrified that I'd buy a frame that was too big/small. I used the Cannondale as a starting point (it's a 52cm), but I found out that the geometry (e.g., seat tube angle, etc.) can have a pretty dramatic impact. The Look is a 53cm, but I'm riding so much more now that I find I'm "stretching out" and also riding in the drops (which I used to never do).

I can't believe that you could even ride a bike with the saddle that low! You must have killer knees as a result.

Now to all who would have said "Just get a Brooks saddle" would that have solved anything? NO! Proper fit is the key to saddle comfort(riding comfort).

OH yeah! That BMC looked pretty good, but at that price range $2100 I see a lot of bikes that tempt me. Does anyone have advice about road bikes at this price point? Is the BMC the right one?

Thanks for indulging me, a newbie who has a lot to learn, in my rambling.
My wife went for a fitting, and found out that a specialized roubaix was a good match for her geometry. You could get one in that price range. Nice lite carbon frame. She opted for the pro model, $1000 more because she liked the feel of the Ultegra shifters vs. the 105's. FWIW this is her first road bike.

Now to all who would have said "Just get a Brooks saddle" would that have solved anything? NO! Proper fit is the key to saddle comfort(riding comfort).

That's why no one would have said that.