Touring - Need Quick Advice on Frame Sizing

Hi Guys, I'm in New Zealand and have been searching for quite some time on american websites for the Trek 520 touring bike. By good fortune I found the cyclepath website and they have a store in San Mateo California, which, again by great luck, just so happens to be where my boss is going to be next week visiting a client. He has agreed to bring the bike back to NZ with him if I can get it ordered from the store.

Anyways, after getting in touch with the store, they only have the 19" and 23" models left in stock. 19" will be too small for me so the only option is to be the 23". I need to make this decision rather quickly, and am unsure as to whether the 23" would be a good fit for me.

I know most people will be telling me to go to a dealer and get sized out etc, however has to be a rather quick decision, I know basically nothing about this subject so thought someone might be able to help me out here.

Currently I ride a GT series 4 road bike which is 54cm (21"), It feels fine to me, albeit perhaps a little too small. Which means I think the 23" may be the best size for me in terms of the sizes Trek offers (19/21/23/25). I am 5ft 11 and around 75kg btw (thats 165 pounds).

Is this enough information to go on to to make the purchase? Also, how "customisable" are these bikes once purchased, can adjustments be made to the bike to make it a better fit, or do these somehow have to be done prior, when its built etc?

Any advice or information will be greatly appreciated, thanks.


PS: Here is a link to the trek 520 bike and its geometry information if that helps: http://www2.trekbikes.com/bikes/bike.php?bikeid=1432000&f=6

Thanks.

Some adjustment is possible and it might fit, but do you really want to go through all the trouble of importing a bike when there's a good chance it won't work for you? I'm sure there are equally capable touring bikes available in NZ.

I'm about 5'11" also, but weigh considerly more than you. I ride a 23" 520. For sizing purposes Trek measures from the center of the BB to the top of the seat tube, to the top of the top tube is closer to 22" and standover height is 31.5". Adjustments can be made after you purchase the bike. Stems can be changed for more or less "cockpit" length and saddle height and for-aft position can be adjusted to dial in the fit. A good bike shop should swap out parts and make adjustments, for little or no aditional charge. Based on the information you have provided, I think size wise the 23" will be good for you.

Thankyou for the replies.

halfspeed, you would be surprised how few places there are in NZ to buy decent touring bikes. There are plenty of bike stores where I live, but only one has any kind of touring bike or gear, and they are unknown brand bike which I would not feel comfortable buying. I'm going to be doing the transamerica next year so I'm trying to get something which I know is reliable. The last thing I want is to be stranded in the middle of nowhere, 12000 miles from home !

The other reason for purchasing from america, is the new zealand dollar is so high right now that if I buy the bike from USA, I will effectively be saving $1800 NZ (which is about $1500 US) . So that in of itself is a great reason to import.

bhchdh: Thankyou for the reply, based on your comments I think 23" would be the right size bike for me.

Yeah I had a good hunt around locally before getting my bianchi volpe in the US. The LBS insisted that for touring a MTB was ideal (becasue thats all they had). Yeah right.
I also had trouble finding a decent front rack(we just seem to get that phillips rubbish), got my tubus in germany so maybe ask the shop if they have something good?

You might want to ask the bike shop to ride it around for a bit before re-packing it so it looks at least a little used when coming through customs. Also any niggles can be sorted out by them.

A groundeffects tardis bag makes carting it around the airport much easier than a cardboard box too.

Cheers for the reply znomit. Yeh I tried heaps of bike stores here. The only one with touring gear was useless. I went in there to have a look, and was not impressed with their range of touring bikes. I asked the owner if they help fit people out for bikes, like do sizings etc, he asked what for and I said because I am thinking of getting a touring bike from the states. He then proceeded to show me his touring bikes, and when I told him I'm really set on getting one elsewhere, he turned his nose up and refused to help me any further!

Anyways, yes the ground effect bag I'll definitely be getting soon, I will be doing the great lakes challenge in november so need some way to get my bike up there :)

I'm curious why the bike would have to look a little used when coming thru customs?

Well if its worth 2k they may charge you gst on it. Never happened to me but the form says anything new over 700$ you need to declare it.

1) why must it be suggested that someone cheat on the tax? Can't it just be paid, like good law-abiding citizens and visitors do?

2) there is an excellent touring store in Los Altos - The Bicycle Outfitter - which carries racks and panniers, as well as the Trek 520. (Actually, they changed ownership a couple years ago, so things might have changed but...) If you want to complete your rig at a favorable exchange rate, they might be of use. I got my 520 there. about a 20 minute drive from San Mateo (unless it's rush hour). http://www.bicycleoutfitter.com

:)

Multiply your inseam by 0.65, if you have a long body, or arms and need alonger top tube, use 0.7 as a multiplier, good luck with your new bike.

A word of caution about the Trek touring frames. They have very short head tubes, so you might find the fit difficult if you prefer to ride with your handlebars higher. The 23" (58 cm) Trek touring frame has a headtube that only about 12 cm long. That is ridiculously short in my view, even if it was a racing frame. With a headtube that short, you would have to be able to handle a large drop from your saddle to handlebars -- or use a Nitto stem with a very long steerer, or a extreme riser stem and a bunch of spacers.

The other reason for purchasing from america, is the new zealand dollar is so high right now that if I buy the bike from USA, I will effectively be saving $1800 NZ (which is about $1500 US) . So that in of itself is a great reason to import.



You've certainly got good timing. The trend for the USD has been to drop in value. My last couple of trips to Europe have been real eye openers in terms of currency exchange. My gawd, even the Canadians are coming to the USA for cheap vacations these days. ;)
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/07/17/canadian.tourists.ap/index.html

You're not the same PurpleK from nzgames are you? (just wondering).

halfspeed, you would be surprised how few places there are in NZ to buy decent touring bikes. There are plenty of bike stores where I live, but only one has any kind of touring bike or gear, and they are unknown brand bike which I would not feel comfortable buying. I'm going to be doing the transamerica next year so I'm trying to get something which I know is reliable. The last thing I want is to be stranded in the middle of nowhere, 12000 miles from home !


Fair enough, but let me put it this way. I'm an inch taller than you and there's no way I'd buy a 23" 520. I ride with a guy who's about the same height and build as me who had a 23" 520 and he could never get comfortable on it. Both of us have custom road bikes now from different builders and even though we're similar age and build, the geometry of our bikes is very different. He's just no where near as flexible so he rides with a very short TT and a tall HT.

Currently my touring bike is a 24" Trek 620.

So what does this mean for you? I haven't the slightest idea. There's way too little information to tell you what you need. What you have working for you is that you'll get it cheap enough that if it doesn't work out you might be able to sell it for close to what you paid.

Well if its worth 2k they may charge you gst on it. Never happened to me but the form says anything new over 700$ you need to declare it.

Just tell them it isn't new. It looks new because you take super-good care of it. Make sure not the have the receipt still attached to the bike though. :D

I asked the owner if they help fit people out for bikes, like do sizings etc, he asked what for and I said because I am thinking of getting a touring bike from the states. He then proceeded to show me his touring bikes, and when I told him I'm really set on getting one elsewhere, he turned his nose up and refused to help me any further!

Can't really blame him on that one. :(

Can't really blame him on that one. :(

What is the point of them doing sizings for anyone who isnt going to buy a bike from their store? They advertised that they do that kind of thing. Just because I mentioned it was for a bike I was getting elsewhere that gives them the right to refuse, even when I would have paid?

Didn't seem right to me, anyways thats neither here nor there :)

Well, yeah, they have the right to refuse. However, I don't think it is good business sense for them to refuse you. Someone they turn away today will be much less likely to come back in future for other needs.

Bingo, I won't be going back there for any supplies for my trip thats for sure :)

What is the point of them doing sizings for anyone who isnt going to buy a bike from their store? They advertised that they do that kind of thing. Just because I mentioned it was for a bike I was getting elsewhere that gives them the right to refuse, even when I would have paid?

Didn't seem right to me, anyways thats neither here nor there :)
If you understand something in marketing you will know that this was a dumbest thing the seller did.
Bicycles stores should create return customers. Basically every business should do that. If he would measure you and you would go out of the store satisfied customer, you will probably return to buy some added stuff in time. If the store continue to treat you well, then you become their asset, because you will send there your friend and recommend them here in the board. Thats how you build business. Unfortunatly most of the bicycle shops owners don't have degree in business management or a the brain to read some marketing books.

You're not the same PurpleK from nzgames are you? (just wondering).

Nope, no relation. I don't even know what nzgames are. And here I was all this time thinking I had come up with a new and original nic......:o