curttard

I bought a bike off Craigslist, the "Performance exclusive" version of the Fuji Sportif, the 1.0 LE. The guy said it was a Medium (54 according to Fuji size chart). I'm 5'9" so I figured I'd be good. I rode the bike around the block and it felt fine, but the thing is, I literally have not been on a road bike since my brother's Univega in the 1980s.

When I got home, I pulled up the various online fitting guides to start tweaking and quickly discovered the bike is a small (52), not a medium. The store had set the guy up with maximum spacers and also an adjustable 120mm stem setup with like a 30deg rise-- my guess is this was their last size left and they wanted to get rid of it and told him it would be fine.

Looking at the Fuji size chart, the difference between "effective top tube" for the 52 vs the 54 is only 1.4cm (530mm vs 544mm). So I figured I should be able to make it work with stem/saddle adjustments. The seat is nowhere near all the way up.

I'm 5'9"+ (176.8cm) with about a 33" inseam (83.6cm).

I took it out for a 35 mile rolling ride, which was not only my first real ride on a road bike ever, but my longest road ride in at least 5 years (I ride my MTB on the road with slick 100psi tires). Groin/butt felt fine. Shoulders were fine. Neck had a bit of soreness toward the end (it was a 2hr ride). My lower back hurt pretty much the whole time. And the numbness in my right hand was off the charts. I feel like at the very least I need to adjust the hood position and the brake reach -- I have to bend my wrist to reach them in the drops and my tiny baby hands can barely reach the brakes from there. I did feel like my weight was too much on my hands, but at the same time I kind of felt like I was stretching too far to reach -- is that just a lack of flexibility, i.e. not lowering my back enough to get closer to the bars?

Again, I don't know how much is poor setup, how much is the bike being too small, and how much is just being totally unused to a road bike.

I did the Competitive Cyclist bike calculator, and the effective top tube it recommends matches the 54 (so about 1.5cm longer than I have). What's weird is that my "tip of saddle to near edge of handlebar" is way less than CC recommends, despite my e.t.t. being only 1.5cm short and my saddle setback and stem length being actually 3cm greater than CC's table.

I'd like to make this bike work. I am planning on getting a Diverge in the fall when the new year comes out, and then I'll do the full LBS fitting. So this is basically just a temporary summer bike to get in shape and take advantage of the summer weather, but I'd rather it not cripple me.

Pics:







Handlebar is about 1cm below saddle in the pics.


And measurements:


inseam 32.93in - 83.6cm
trunk 27.5in - 69.9cm
forearm 13in - 33cm
arm 24.25in - 61.6cm
thigh 22.75in - 57.8cm
lower leg 21in - 53.3cm
height 69.625in - 176.8cm
sternal notch 58in - 147.3cm

Carbonfiberboy 

That all looks pretty darn good to me. You could try moving the brifters down the hooks of the bars maybe 1/4". Your position is really good. Your neck will get used to it. For the numb hands, ready this: https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...l#post12953035
And wear gloves which protect the ulnar nerve. Bontrager RXL are my favorites, but anything with similar padding.

I suggest that modern road bike setups emphasize riding on the hoods. When you're in the drops, it's assumed that's because you're going really fast and trying to get as aero as possible. In that position, your forearms will be almost horizontal and your wrists will thus be straighter, all OK, especially if you move the brifters down a hair. Your wrists are nice and straight in your hoods position, also OK. I usually ride the hoods with my little finger behind the bar for more security, but that's just me. Takes some getting used to. Your upper arms make ~90° angle with your upper torso, very good. Your back is as straight as anyone's and your hips are rotated forward, also very good. Nice.

Enjoy your new ride!

curttard

Thanks! I did a 30 minute ride today at lunch and had no problems this time, but of course that's probably too short to tell. One change I tried to make consciously based on something I read here was that, on the first ride, the weight on my hands when on the hoods was basically pressing down on the webbing between thumb and index finger, which I see is the all-caps warning on your link. Today I tried to focus on letting the heel/side of the hand on the pinky side take the load.

Looking at the pics, one thing I can see a larger bike helping is my knee position -- my knee is a good inch or two behind the pedal spindle, and I can't slide the saddle forward because then I'll be even further forward over the head tube.

I've been meaning to ask, when people talk about rotating the hips forward, how is that functionally different from arching the lower back, or is it?

And holy moly, road gearing is going to take getting used to. I bottomed out the gears on a hill and just had nowhere else to go! Don't know how you guys go up 10+% grades for miles on end. I guess when I end up on the Diverge with its lower gearing, it'll feel like a vacation by then.

noglider 

Some get used to climbing without super low gears, and some don't. Back in the day, the lowest gear on a road bike was much higher than it is now.

Knee over pedal spindle (KOPS) isn't written in stone. If you're comfortable without it, it's fine.

speshelite

Your upper body position looks at least approximately correct.

What about saddle height? A picture of your leg with pedal at 6 oclock would help. It seems like there is not much of a bend at 3 oclock so I'm guessing your leg would be too straight at 6 oclock.

I don't have any explanation for your lower back pain. Newer riders generally benefit from a higher handlebar position however. And a road bike generally won't give you that on the hoods or drops.

curttard

I still have a slight bend at the bottom of the stroke, no reaching or locking out, or rocking my hips side to side. I'll take a pic when I get a chance.

Bizarrely, the Competitive Cyclist calculator gave me a saddle height 2cm higher at the LOW end of their calculation, which was definitely too high.

I will say that the fact that Performance "fitted" this poor guy with this bike doesn't fill me with confidence for when I get fitted for my pricey Specialized!

Carbonfiberboy 

Climbing, you really need to have stiff soled cycling shoes and clipless pedals. That allows you to put pressure on the pedals all the way around the circle and thus still be able to climb at a low cadence. Takes practice and conditioning.

Don't worry about KOPS. Worry instead about the amount of weight on your hands. You want to be able to briefly lift your hands off the bars while pedaling without sliding forward on the saddle. IOW your hands should feel light on the bars. See:

philbob57

I haven't been able to understand the significance of CC's 'saddle nose to handlebars' measurement.

Two saddles can be different lengths with the widest part at the same point WRT the 'bars, and I would think that's way more important than nose-'bars distance.

If someone can explain why it's important, I'd appreciate it.

caloso

Looks pretty good to me too. I would ride it more and see how you feel in a week.

caloso

And before you try moving the levers down the bar, try rotating the bars forward a few degrees.

tangerineowl

Not sure what shoes you're using to ride in (clipless or flats), but I'd get your pedal stroke/seat height/seat fore-aft sorted, first up. Once you've got that dialed in, then you should be tweaking your bar contact points (reach and drop).

To me, it looks like you need to move your seat forward a bit (once you've got the height sorted). The lower back pain should go when sorted.

Core strength will somewhat develop with time on the bike, which will help if riding in the drops for a length.

Those frame dimensions for your height/inseam/arm length seem fine to me.

I could see your bike fit requiring a slightly longer stem, once you've settled on the bike.

curttard

Yeah, it looks like the seat should be moved forward, but then I'd have even shorter reach to the bars. CC's calculator is telling me I should have 53cm from saddle to handlebar on the low end, and as it is, I've only got 49 iirc by their measurement method. The stem is already 120, so I could only get another 2cm if I went to 140, but as it is I feel like I'm a little far forward -- I have to REALLY duck my head farther than I'd like to see my bike computer (on the stem) for example.

At any rate, it seems like I should be able to make it through the summer on this lil' fella with no big size-related problems. I'll continue tweaking as I get more fit.

fietsbob

Yes, Bodies do come in various proportions..

IDK your preferences, On a well fitting bike, I look straight down thru the steering axis.

But I'm more Touring guy with a road bike, (and its an old one), than a road race/Endurance Brevet rider.




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Billyensign

I am 58 and I just purchased a Sportif 1.5 54 frame and I love it. Actually it was this site where I read that the endurance style frame is good for comfort.
I think from your pictures you are very close to the right fit. 35 miles is way too many miles. My first ride a year and a half ago I did ten miles and everything was sore.
I am 5 11, and I do not know my inseam. I measured my Fuji and from the top of the seat to the middle of the crank is 29 inches. At the front of the seat to the middle of the handlebar is 19.75 inches. We are close in height so these measurements should be close for you.
Basically I think you are doing too much to fast. The Fuji sportif frame is very forgiving. I have a Specialized allez which I love but it is harsher.