My bike fit dilemma...
09-17-05, 06:17 PM
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My bike fit dilemma...
Hello all,
I bought my new ride about a month ago (Specialized Roubaix Elite) and love it. My only issue, one that has been eating at me is the fit. I purchased the 52cm frame with the standard 100mm stem it comes with; perfect top tube & stem fit (My wrench science fit recomends a 63.5 cm combination).
However, my inseam is a whole different story. I just so happen do be 5'7'' with an inseam of 32.5 inches!! So I have 7'' of exposed seat-post due to my long legs, which in turn givess me a 2.5'' saddle to handlebar drop when the stem is in the -8 deg. position.
Is this just too ridiculous? I have read on these forums that top tube fit is the most important, I dunno.. I went the route of the Roubaix because of it's taller head tube (145mm) assuming this would prevent me from having too extreme of a drop.
I was contemplating the 54cm Roubaix, but the top tube is 54.8cm compared to my current 53.7cm top tube. The 54 would force me to use a 90mm stem, and I think the bike might become too twitchy.
Im fairly new to road cycling, and was told by my LBS, that the 54 might not be right for me if I were to decide to road race in the future due to it being too relaxed for me..
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
~Rich
I bought my new ride about a month ago (Specialized Roubaix Elite) and love it. My only issue, one that has been eating at me is the fit. I purchased the 52cm frame with the standard 100mm stem it comes with; perfect top tube & stem fit (My wrench science fit recomends a 63.5 cm combination).
However, my inseam is a whole different story. I just so happen do be 5'7'' with an inseam of 32.5 inches!! So I have 7'' of exposed seat-post due to my long legs, which in turn givess me a 2.5'' saddle to handlebar drop when the stem is in the -8 deg. position.
Is this just too ridiculous? I have read on these forums that top tube fit is the most important, I dunno.. I went the route of the Roubaix because of it's taller head tube (145mm) assuming this would prevent me from having too extreme of a drop.
I was contemplating the 54cm Roubaix, but the top tube is 54.8cm compared to my current 53.7cm top tube. The 54 would force me to use a 90mm stem, and I think the bike might become too twitchy.
Im fairly new to road cycling, and was told by my LBS, that the 54 might not be right for me if I were to decide to road race in the future due to it being too relaxed for me..
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
~Rich
09-17-05, 06:38 PM
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How long are your arms? 2.5" drop to the bars isn't unusual at all. 3-4" is common in racing. 7" of seat tube is no big deal either. If you had gone a size larger with a shorter stem, the ride would in fact become much less 'twitchy', maybe even downright slow feeling. Sounds like you're just having an odd bit of buyer's remorse. If you have any friends or aquaintences who are experienced enough to help you, have them watch you during a ride to see if your riding position looks good. I have a feeling you're probably fine.
09-17-05, 06:51 PM
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Originally Posted by puddin' legs
How long are your arms? 2.5" drop to the bars isn't unusual at all. 3-4" is common in racing. 7" of seat tube is no big deal either. If you had gone a size larger with a shorter stem, the ride would in fact become much less 'twitchy', maybe even downright slow feeling. Sounds like you're just having an odd bit of buyer's remorse. If you have any friends or aquaintences who are experienced enough to help you, have them watch you during a ride to see if your riding position looks good. I have a feeling you're probably fine.
My main concern though, is that I paid $2k for a bike that is too small for me. Right now, I ride with the stem in the +8 deg. position too. I need to get in better shape before I can flip it and feel more comfortable with the drop. Strange thing is I can achieve much better averages over long distances with the stem higher than I can with it flipped.. As I mentioned, I'm sure that this is more of a "fitness" not "fit" issue.
Thanks for the help.
~Rich
