rajbcpa

I was born with a very long torso and a very short pair of legs....

Golf equipment and bikes have been hard to fit me.

I can fit on a frame that is 52cm and the balls of my feet just touch the ground..... however, when I ride, the length of the bike feels too short.

Can I buy a few extra-long handlebar stems, or a few seat post that allows the seats to go way, way back?

thx...

Rolla

Maybe tawk about it in the "Fitting Your Bike" subforum: https://www.bikeforums.net/fitting-your-bike/

70sSanO

When you say the balls of you feet just touch the ground on a 52cm, you are referring to stand over and not on the saddle.

You can go with a bit longer stem to get more stretch. I’m not a fan of moving the seat back beyond what is the outside the optimal range for comfort and performance, but there is probably a little bit to be gained.

Over 30 years ago I was at a weekend event and rode a lot more miles than I usually do. When I had to drive home I had to use my left leg because the right hip was throbbing so much. It turned out my left leg was a cm shorter and I was stressing my right hip trying to fully extend while riding.

Over the years I fashioned a 1/4” shim under the left cleat that worked well enough. But then I made a DIY insole from cheap EVA flip flops from Walmart. It really works great.

The real solution is getting a frame made for you, but you may b able to add an insole to both cycling shoes, lengthen the stem a bit and find the longest ETT bike that allows you to stand over, even If you have to lean it a bit.

I have a long torso for my leg length and ride a frame that is technically too big for me but I have just gotten used to leaning the bike when I come to a stop.

John

aggiegrads

The setback of your saddle should be independent of stem length. They accomplish different things.

I recommend that you see a fitter if you are having problems. I have long torso, short legs, but long femurs. My femur length dictates the seatpost setback and the length of my torso (and my flexibility) dictate the stem length.

If I hurt my back, I see my doctor or a physical therapist. If my neck hurts, same. If my knees hurt, I see a physical therapist. If my neck, back, and knees hurt while I ride a bike, why do we all flock to the bike shop? Seeing a doctor or physical therapist for pain while performing a physical activity is covered by insurance. My bike fit from a PT was covered 100%. If you have even halfway decent insurance, it is worth looking into.

Moisture

If your feet touch the ground when you are sitting on the saddle, you got the seat set too low. Your toes pretty much shouldn't be able to touch the ground.

mstateglfr 

1- if you can stand while on the saddle, the saddle is too low or the bike is too small.
2- don't move the saddle around to make the bike feel longer as that isnt what saddle movement is for.

if your bike does fit for height, then measure the reach(Google how for a video) and go find a bike with the same height(stack height) but longer reach.

Moisture

Whats the purpose of.moving the saddle fore or aft then?

mstateglfr 

Let's Discuss Frame Geometry
You tell us. You are the geometry expert.

philbob57

I recommend using https://www.competitivecyclist.com/S...ulatorBike.jsp or similar to get a set of recommendations.

My torso/arms are relatively long compared to my legs. The typical square bike (54 CM ST, 54 CM ETT) feels wrong to me. I lucked into a 1973 English production frame. It was common then to vary the ST length and use a standard TT, so it's 21" X 22". With an 11 CM stem, it fits me well. That may be what you need - but it depends on your actual dimensions. I recommend the fit calculator, because I don't know ho many BF members can turn dimensions into recommended sizes.

unterhausen

The good news is that bikes are getting longer.

What kind of bike are you interested in?

Mulberry20

Get a custom bike. You would be surprised what a first class custom steel bike costs. Lighter than most carbon frames to boot.

Moisture

You've inspired me to put my thinking cap on and figure this one out myself. I like that.

Sliding the saddle back or forth has nothing to do with the reach, which is considered based on optimal weight distribution whilst pedalling out of the saddle. Provided that the ETT is a sufficient length according to the optimal seating position within the frame for comfort and power transfer, you can then make some adjustments using the saddle rails as necessary. But that would never work to compensate for an ill fitting frame.

mstateglfr 

$2500-4000, and heavier than entry carbon.
I'm not saying its a bad idea, all I ride is steel, but this would be expensive and not lighter.

woodcraft

So you're saying that a 52cm frame is too small? Try a larger size. How your feet touch the ground has next to nothing to do with bike fit. I also have a long torso & short-ish legs, so end up with more saddle set-back, but also short-ish arms so not a long stem.

I don't know much about golf, but don't you basically need clubs that reach from your hands to the ground?

Also, it's likely that your body proportions developed much later than when you were born. (sorry for the nit-pick)

Korina

Sounds perfect for a '90s mountain bike build, with their 26" wheels and stoopid long top tubes.

Biketiger

+ 1
Your leg should be almost fully extended when your foot is on the PEDAL at its lowest position not the ground.

downtube42

French fit on a frame that already has long reach should get you a long way. You can add a long stem if needed.

If that's not enough, do the above on a sloping top tube bike. Technically you don't even have to be able to stand over the frame, but most people consider that necessary. With a sloping top tube, you can stand over a relatively huge frame.

Of course you can get a custom frame if that's in your budget, but the above can work with an off-the-shelf bike.

Kapusta

90s mountain bike frames had much shorter reach and top tubes than modern ones do.

Cougrrcj 

I'm (well was in my youth) 5' 8-1/2" with a 29.5" inseam, 18" neck, 34-1/2" sleeve. Yep, I'm built like a short-legged gorilla.

BITD when I was 15 or so, based on my stand-over height, they tried to fit me to a 21" (53.4cm) frame on a traditional 10-speed road bike of the era (1974). I rode it around the block, but was too cramped fore-aft, so I test rode the 23" (58cm) frame and felt that the riding position was much better, even though 'the boys' are somewhat compressed if I stand over the bike flat-footed. Against their better judgement, I have been happily been riding 57/cm/23" frames ever since.

When I'm out riding, I NEVER have put both feet on the ground at the same time at a stop. Also, I've NEVER crushed the boys. 46 years of riding a 'too-tall' frame.

Because of this thread, I just went out and actually measured my trusty old Fuji for the first time ever... 23" c-c from seatube to headtube. 21" from nose of the saddle to the back edge of the bars. (I NEVER ride on the hoods - preferring my hand placement with my palms on the 'shoulders' of the bars where they start to turn forward, or in the drops.




My other bikes are fitted the same. seat height from BB center, and nose of saddle-to-bars. 170mm cranks on all.




The stem on the Miyata is longer to compensate for the slightly smaller 57cm frame...


Just about everyone's fit will likely be different than mine!

.

Kapusta

I have little to add to this thread, other than to say that this Fuji is hot.

Korina

That's frightening; I was bent like a paperclip the first time I got on my stock RockHopper.

Cougrrcj 

Thanks for that!

It is VERY battle-scarred after 45 years/54k+ miles of abuse I'd guess closer to 60k miles these days, but no old-school clicker' odometer any more! LOL!



Original components:
Frame/fork
Stem/Bars
Brakes/levers
Saddle

Everything else has been replaced at least once!

.

burnthesheep

Shorter legs? Maybe could gain some millimeters at least with short cranks. Most places make them these days down to 165mm in readily purchasable stock.

That doesn't resolve all of that, just one place to look.

Phil_gretz

Apparently "Tawk" is a trademarked name for some kind of chat application. Who knew that?

I'm also a long torso with average leg length. Longer top tubes can help. With compact geometries and threadless stems, it's a lot easier to experiment and find the right fit.