bike fit
 

looking for professional and unprofessional advice--
I am somewhere in between the standard 55/56 and the 54/53 size that most
manufacturers make--my XO-1 has a longer TT than perhaps is standard for the
seat tube size. I have this idea that the reach is too long but I am not uncomfortable
on it--so, notwithstanding the goofy pic, does this bike look too big or just about right?
I'm thinking of switching out the moustachio bars for the flat bar that Jitensha
has. Only CV to the extent that it involves a CV bike

Thanks in advance for the patience, sincere replies, and witticisms.

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...r/DSCN0895.jpg

wheres the pictures?

sorry was editing the post

Well nothing jumps out as "wrong" but I am no fit expert. That said, a set of flat bars will definitely shorten your reach vs. the mustache bars you are currently riding. I did the opposite switch to a bike that was too small for me and used a set of mustache bars and a longer stem to allow me to stretch a bit.

I tend to like flat bars for shorter rides as they can make my hands numb after a long while. Also with no way to get more "aero" a head wind can really ruin your day with only flat bars.....

Your reach looks reasonable. I suppose that reach is one of those things that you have to feel though. If it feels good, why ask us clowns?

One reason I sought out a XO-1 is exactly for that long top tube. But then, I have a loooong torso and monkey arms.

jim

p.s., why not just sell me the frame so I can mate it up to the mustache bars I got from you last year? Yeah, that bike does not fit you at all. You will catch lupus if you keep riding it.

p.p.s., Now that I know you are not really Travis Bickle, I can try to push you around some on deals. You TALKING to me? YOU talking to me? You talking to ME?

Thanks all for the input.

Jim you may just get your way at some point--I think part of the driver here is that I want
a cx bike. The XO isn't uncomfortable per se--I'm just used to a shorter reach on another bike
where I ride mostly on the flats on bullhorns. If I decide to go for the cx bike I'll hit you up
to see about selling the XO.

Don't be too quick to give up on it: seems like you could find a stem with a shorter reach than the one you have. And nothing stretches you out farther than mustache bars; anything else would bring you in. Flats would bring you way back. Even dirt drops would bring you in I think. That is a very cool bike and you should see if you can dial it in.

By the way, on your other bike, if you are riding on the flats of the bullhorns a lot, I suspect that it may be too long for you also. The whole point of bullhorns is that you should just sort of naturally fall into the position out on the horns.

Bullhorns and mustache bars muck up all the conventional wisdom about bike fitting. Because of my chimpanzee-like build they happen to be very useful to me, but I wonder how normal humans use them. Maybe you are a flatbar guy instead?

jim

http://www.jitensha.com/eng/images/nittofltbr.jpg

I find that the upright position is ideal for seeing cars and such. I ride
in traffic a lot. Want these.

If you want to be upright, then bullhorns and mustache bars are really the wrong bars. I like the looks of the ones in the pic above; what are they?

flat bar that Jitensha studio sells. Nitto mfg's them
but they are modeled after an old 3t bar.

http://www.jitensha.com/eng/bars_e.html

Jitensha may be out of stock at the moment, but they should receive a shipment soon. They're great bars.

One advantage of the mustache bar is that it can be held closer to the ends as well as in the hooks. However, when doing so you shift your weight rearward onto the saddle too. So perhaps a sprung saddle like the Brooks Flyer is best for those bars - to avoid the repeated concussion of your butt against a saddle with little suspension built into it.

Personally, I always found the Nitto Mustache bars too wide for me to ride comfortable outside of the hooks. The forward reach of the bars is no less than riding in the drops of a drop bar. But they are bent upward, so this no longer appears so obvious. I tend to be VERY finicky about all of my handlebars and how they and the brake levers are situated, so perhaps I am a bad person to offer any advice.

I do like the look of the Jitensha flat bars very much! I have been looking for something similar with no success - Thanks for mentioning those! I have been fussing with numerous bars on an old Mixte style bike, trying to tune in just the right feel combined with the seated position desired. Like your Bridgestone it has an uncommonly long "effective" top tube... (and I have long legs and short torso).:( So, the original Drop bars and even Mustache bars have been rather disappointing choices in my case.

Perhaps Hiroshi's flat bar is the perfect bar for me too. It actually looks like a number of bars I've seen mounted on numerous European City bikes dating from the 50s and 60s. :thumb:

Good Luck!

I have the Nitto/Jitensha flat bar on my Univega single speed with a Nitto Dirt-Drop riser stem. I like that setup a great deal. A somewhat lousy photo:

http://web.mit.edu/nlerner/Public/Bikes/OrangeUni3.jpg

Neal

cool ride Neal