Good morning to all,

After a while away from riding I am plotting a reentry when the weather improves this spring. My questions are a mix of frame-size / fitment, and workshop mechanicking.

I have two bikes -- a wally world Schwinn mountain bike that needed only a seat tube adjustment to be perfectly fitted off the shelf. Cheap, but comfortable. I take it on vacations and it is the bike I pull off the carport rack if my wife and I decide to head to the local paths.

The other is a 2007 Giant TCR1 in a Small frame. I bought it (second-hand) several years ago with the intent of ramping up my riding. Prior to the purchase I had done the "what size frame" homework and by the numbers it's a fit. Then after acquiring I went to the LBS and had the tech fine tune the fit. For the most part it is spot-on, but from the get-go it did feel slightly cramped in terms of reach. I rationalized "that feeling will pass as I lose weight."

That was true and the bloated cramp passed, but then an issue began to show that weight loss did not alleviate. To wit, the geometry of the seat to stem drop puts me in an aggressive position that is tolerable when on the hoods, but uncomfortable when in the drops. I really noticed this only after I got more experience on the bike. A stem with a steeper rise has not helped.

I am not a racer and have no fantasies about "looking cool" when riding by on the bike so my frame size question is this: "In terms of frame size and geometry, what move or changes will facilitate comfort?"

Reading on the topic I think the answer is "go to a larger frame with a more traditional geometry," but I would like to read some others' thoughts on that.

Next, the Ultegra components on the TCR are good stuff. So I'm thinking "why not find a frame in the correct size and move the components?"

At the mechanical level, and fine-tune adjustments notwithstanding, I know moving the components to another frame is mostly an "unbolt it and bolt it back" chore. But for me, mechanicking is never simple - at least not the first time I jump into something. So what would I need to know beforehand to make that switch without having to backtrack?

The final question at that point is "what cautions can the brain trust offer when browsing pre-owned frame in the classifieds?" I know pre-owned will probably show some scratches and such, but damage issues can be subtle. How do I avoid getting a pig in the poke?

Basically, I am not sure what questions to ask or what subtle things to look for when viewing used frames.

Thanks in advance for the feedback and insight,

Rick

If it feels good when on the hoods but that moving to the drops is uncomfortable, perhaps you could use a shallower drop bar. What that means is that the distance from the ramps (the part that bends forward from the flats) to the drops is shorter, so you don't have to reach as far to get to them. Often, bars with shallow drop have lower reach as well (i.e. length of ramps), so the hoods move in a bit closer; this type of bar is called a Compact Bar.

Of course, you may have a compact on already; I don't know. Probably you can look up the name and model of your bar and see the measurements, and compare them against some of the compact options, which have numbers like 79mm reach and 125mm drop.

A new bar can be had quite cheaply, so it may be worth trying, particularly since it does not sound like the frame is troublesome; in fact, moving up in size will likely increase the saddle/bar distance (or Reach). That's not absolutely true, but generally is.

The Giant is in the compact frame geometry camp, but whether making a move to a traditional geometry frame makes sense is an question that needs more input. Ideally, some pics of you on the bike are needed, but at a minimum, a better description of how you feel about the bike fit is needed. In any case, you'll want to take a look at how you fit on the Giant before determining which angles and size you'd want in a new frame, because there would be little point in duplicating reach with a new frame in exchange for a taller seat tube and level top tube (which is basically what traditional geo is).

Can you tell us what length/rise stem you replaced, and what size you replaced it with? How did that change affect you in relation to riding with your hands on the hoods? On the tops?