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Correct frame size?

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Old 08-22-08, 10:10 AM
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Correct frame size?

Hey everybody. I just purchased a new bike (first one in quite a few years) to commute to work. I settled on the Trek 7.2FX for comfort and price point, but I am worried I got the wrong frame size. The guy at the dealer said the 17.5" frame should be fine for me, and while test riding it seemed good. I am 5' 9" and about 155 pounds so I am not a very big guy.

Height wise it is perfect (I only clear the bar by about an inch or 2 when standing over it), and my arms even seem ok, its only while coasting that I feel like I need to be sitting back farther. Should I attempt to go up to the 20 inch? He seemed to think it was quite a bit bigger, or is there a way to just move the seat back an a few inches?

Its worrying me that I may have bought a bike too small for me. If you have any suggestions that would be great! Thanks.
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Old 08-22-08, 10:24 AM
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Your LBS should be able to professionally fit you to a bike... better than we could without seeing you sitting on the bike. If they can't do that correctly, find a new LBS.

Your seat should have an inch or so of forward/backward movement available to you. You could also tweak fit with a longer stem. Also make sure your seat is high enough.
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Old 08-22-08, 10:33 AM
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Here is the geometry:



Looks like a 54.4cm top tube length is about right for your height, so I would move your seat back a cm or two before looking at another bike.

If you are not sure how to adjust your seat, there are usually two 4 or 5mm bolts (sometimes one) on the seatpost that clamps onto the rails of the saddle. Loosen these bolts, slide the saddle backwards just a little bit (just a few mm in the fore/aft adjustment can make a big difference), make sure the saddle is level, and re-tighten the bolts.

Getting your saddle height and fore/aft position right takes a little bit of trial and error until you really get it dialed in.
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