dougmon 

Hi all:

I've just been reading that there should be a minimum clearance of an inch between the riders crotch and the bike bar. And the Kona manual says it should be two inches. But, honestly, in my adult life I have never had a bike where I wasn't sitting on the bar when astride the bike. I just can't pedal smaller bikes comfortably without feeling like I'm falling off. Do other people have this problem?

qcpmsame 

Its not about sitting on the top tube, though a little room should you slip off of the pedals for some reason can save you some serious pain in a sensitive area, and keep you from singing soprano for a few days. Total "Fit" of your bicycle is what you want to work towards. We have a Bike Fit forum here, if you want to read up on this, and there are a ton of You Tube videos about the topic. With sloping top tubes, and level top tubes, on bikes there is no hard fast rule about the amount of clearance between your crotch and the top tube, other than your personal tolerance for some pain should that happen.

Bill

wphamilton

I wouldn't call it a "problem", just an indication of your preferred fit. Top tube clearance gets a ball-park sizing on traditional geometry bikes, but it's not a factor in how the bike fits while riding.

You might like the larger frame bike for a more relaxed spread out riding position, and there's nothing wrong with that.

chasm54

I've never seen anyone properly fiitted on a bike who didn't have some small clearance of the top tube. Difficult to see how such a set-up could fit properly, or how a similar riding position couldn't be achieved by appropriate seatpost height, saddle set-back and stem length. I'd suggest you get someone who knows what they're doing to assess your position and recommend something more appropriate.

dougmon 

By "something more appropriate" I assume you mean another bike, yeah?

ironwood

Try a mixte type frame.

obed7

i would find a good fitter in your area and have the bike fit to you.

Miele Man

A lot of people I see riding bicycles (horizontal top tube) are on bikes that are too big for them. It's one thing to stop sudenly on level ground but on a steep hill it can be very painful when you hit the top tube.

Some of my friends were in the too big a frame category and had ridden like that all their lives. When they tried a smaller frame of mine they appreciated the clearance of the top tube.

If you don't mind the lack of clearance and if everything else about the bike is adjusted to fit you so that you aren't too stretched out or cramped then enjoy the bike until you need/want a better/newer one.

Just out of curiosity, how much seatpost is there s ticking out of your frame?

Cheers

chasm54

Almost certainly, yeah. But obviously without seeing you on the bike it's impossible to make an informed judgement.

OldsCOOL

Bike fit is only crucial when:
-the ride is causing injurious pain
-you are riding the TdF
-if you need a kiddie stool to climb aboard


Dont mistake the lack of familiarity with riding to be a lack of bike fit. I ride 3 different sizes with great success, no problems. The biggest issue for me is the reach. I love a criterium/racing fit.

obed7

I ride 3 different size frames as well...that does not mean the fits are different...
after fitting on them, all have the same basic measurements from point to point...
there are folks who have the "right" size frame, but the bike is still not fit to them..
I actually doubted the need for fitting until I had my first one... the ride became more comfortable, i was able to ride farther and faster...for me, a proper fit is more important than the brand or what group you have on the bike...I had a couple of professional fittings done via video and computer... have the print outs and can now do it myself...for me, when the bike is properly fit to you, it makes a night and day difference in comfort, endurance and you are much less likely to sustain any ride related injury. I consider the money i spent on fitting to be the most bang for the buck of any money I spent.

fietsbob

Bike Friday Tall masts for seat and handlebars, the main frame tube can be stepped over.

BluesDawg

The old recommendations about crotch clearance were based on level top tube bikes of standard geometry and worked for most averagely proportioned people of various heights. When you get right down to it, the height of the top tube makes no difference a all while riding the bike. What matters while riding is the relationship between the hands, the feet and the crotch; the contact points.

But a bike that fits perfectly while riding can still be problematic if the rider cannot stand over the top tube without smashing his/her crotch into it. People of average dimensions will generally fit in one aspect if they fit another. But people with unusually long or short torsos relative to arm or leg length will face challenges finding a bike that fits optimally.

This can be overcome by carefully choosing bikes with geometry more suitable for the individual needs or by having a custom frame built to fit. Fine tuning the saddle setback and the stem rise and length can also help, but going too far away from normal dimensions can lead to problems.

dougmon 

A little more than 4 inches. It's adjusted so that I have a very slight bend in my knee when the pedal is at the bottom of the rotation.

Road Fan

In that pedal-at-bottom test, you should have a little bend when the ball of your foot is over the spindle, and a straight leg (without being forced!) when the heel is on the pedal. But it sounds like you are not far from the correct saddle height. 4 inches of seatpost showing is not bad. It's an old-school fit, most likely the one called French Fit. Again, nothing wrong with it but it does tend to be short on crotch clearance. Personally I'm fine with 1 to 2 ".

If you get a bike with a 2 cm shorter seat tube you'll probably end up with a 2 cm roughly shorter top tube, and that will change the way you fit the bike while riding. The distance can be compensated with a 2 cm longer stem. You might also have trouble setting the handlebar height, if you like it as high as the saddle top.

dougmon 

I have to ask this, even though it disproves the old axiom "There's no such thing as a stupid question." When people talk about crotch clearance, they're talking about the clearance when the riders feet are on the floor, right?

Wildwood 

I have a bike at nearly the biggest size I can ride, a vintage Austro Daimler in 62cm. In the past I had 3 bikes that size or larger, even tho' my ideal size is 59 X 58. I call the ride 'Cadillac' - the frame size lets you feel like you are riding between the wheels. If the frame is too small, you feel 'on top of this twitchy bike'. However, for me, if the bike is realistically too big (but still rideable) then the compromises are in handling and nimble-ness. These characteristics may not be as important to some people as the stable feeling a longer wheelbase affords.

If you can ride the bike comfortably and happily = all's well.

Wildwood 

When I bought my first adult bike in 1985, the shop had me stand barefooted (in my socks) over the bike, then they asked me to raise the handlebars to my pubic bone - if the front tire raised 3 - 4 inches off the floor, then the 'standover height' was good.

Today, more frames have sloping top tubes so crotch clearance isn't as big an issue. Fitting technology has now become a science.

qcpmsame 

One thing I can recommend to you is Joe Friel's book specifically for 50+ riders, https://www.amazon.com/Cycling-Past-5...ords=joe+friel He has a good chapter on bicycle fitting, each step is explained and plenty of photographs to help you understand what is being done. The whole book is a very nice tool for the over 50 rider to use as a primer for beginning, or returning to cycling.

He actually has several useful books, I use his Cyclist Diary every day, to record all of my rides and stats, his books on training (especially the latest "Faster Past 50") are go to for many of us. They aren't pricey, and most are available in Kindle format, too.

Disclaimer: I have absolutely no connection to Joe Friel, or Amazon.com, just passing along a thought.

Bill

dougmon 

Thanks, Bill. This starting over is pretty tough, so this could be helpful. Things as simple as mounting and dismounting are now a little more difficult. I find myself using the "granny gear" quite a lot. But I try to get out everyday just to be on the bike, even if I only go around the block. At some point I'll actually get motivated to do something I don't think I can do; and when I'm able to do it, it'll be a big deal.

Wildwood 

I can't really disagree with this statement, because that's the principle behind compact frames which have become accepted in the mass market. Wherever I have lived, the mountains are too beautiful to exclude and when descending a big hill or mountain road the ability to 'clamp' the top tube between my knees gives a much more stable feeling. This is especially true on chipseal or rough pavement (think earthquake cracked roads). If you don't descend at speed then this advantage of a level top tube may not be meaningful.

OldsCOOL

Top tube height really is an overrated concern.

Kindaslow

Is that your Cannondale? The tubing makes it look like it.... And, that does not sound like a Michigan accent....

rando_couche

This.

SP
OC, OR

OldsCOOL

No, that's my Huffy.