Frame size too large????
 

I went to the bike shop at the weekend and tried 2 road bikes - a 53cm and 56cm. The guy at the shop initially said "I wouldn't even think about selling you a 56cm, its too big for you. But on trying both, I found the 56cm a much better size. Then I went to another shop and the guy there who was slightly shorter than me said "you're definitely a 56cm, I ride a 54cm and its on the small side for me". This gave me some reassurance that the 56 was right and the 53 too small. Anyway, I got the 56cm. Been riding for a week now. The first day was ok. The second day I started getting aches in my lower back and it seemed that I needed to stretch to reach the handle bars. At this stage, I'm thinking - "what an idiot, you should've just gone with the first shops advice..." But we're into day 6 now and I find that even though I'm reaching for those handle bars, I am getting used to it. But there's this thing in my head that I bought the wrong bike size. But I'm convinced the 53 was just too small. I tried a 80mm stem on the 56cm and it was too twitchy so went back to the 100mm stem. So I am on a 56cm with a 100mm stem. I am 174cm (5' 8.5") and my inseam is 80cm (31.5"). I may just be adjusting to the size as I get more flexible as I am told my previous bike that I was borrowing from my brother was too small for me. Has anyone experienced back ache on a new bike but gradually getting accustomed to it? Other than the long reach, the bike feels great - good control, good power etc. Is there anything wrong with a slightly larger frame size? I hear that sprinters like a smaller frame but Lance Armstrong rides a larger frame. Any thoughts?

did the shop you bought from "fit" you. I picked up a new bike yesterday and was one of the shps guys who FIT people to the bikes. We actually spent 90 minutes going over my height, weight, reach and dialing this new ride into my needs. I got home and did 90, (90 freaking minutes) on my trainer. My new bike feels liek something I have owned forever- a glove to be exact.

I was skeptical of the HYPE on paying more at a LBS rather than buying online or from Performance Bike- I will tell all my friends and family buying a non wal mart bike to go to a reputable LBS for a real indepth review of needs,likes and desires from a bike specific sales person and get fitted.

Good luck...

Are the bars too low? Can you flip the stem?
I think an 80 is a pretty reasonable length for a stem.
I'd give it another try before ordering a new frame.

My old bike was a 58cm road bike. When I was shopping for a new bike the LBS guy said there was no way he would sell me another 58, that it was way too big for me, the biggest he thought I should ride would be a 54. I argued a LOT but finally just agreed to try it.

I am 5'7" if I stand really straight. They measured me at 33" inseam (I thought it was 32"). I am a Clyde/Athena girl with broad shoulders, big hands, big feet. I have long arms/legs and short torso height.

They put me on several bikes just to see how the fit worked.

I ended up buying a 54cm WOMENS bike, which I used to think meant it was a dumbed-down bike better suited for a lightweight petite casual rider wearing a dress. The LBS guys also threw in a nice bike fitting, putting me up on a trainer with the goniometer and plumb line and measuring tape. They tweaked the setup so everything looked right.

For the first time I can ride comfortably on the brake hoods. The old bike had brake extender levers since the brakes were such a long reach. And I kept the old bike, but now it doesn't make much sense to upgrade it as a utility bike due to the fit. Now that I have a bike that fits better, I don't like how the old one fits.

If you have adjusted to the bike, and you enjoy riding it, then ride it and don't worry about the size too much. Any change in riding positions will require some adjustment to your body, so if the back feeling tight was temporary, it was probably just an adjustment period.

If you hope to race competitively, then worry about what is most efficient, otherwise just ride what you like.

Since the 80mm stem made the bike feel twitchy, you may want to consider something less drastic, like a handlebar with slightly less reach. Even going with a narrower bar will make the bar seem closer if your current bar is a little too wide for you.

You can also try moving the saddle forward just a little bit, although this will also modify your position relative to the bottom bracket... This can impact your weight distribution, so be prepared to move it back if you feel it adversely impacts your weight distribution.

Even moving the saddle up and down just a couple of millimeters could modify your impressions of how the bike feels.

It definately sounds like you need a smaller bike. Can you post some pictures with you on it or at least the bike the way it's set up.

A 80mm stem is very much on the short side for a 56cm. Most 56 frames use a 100 or 110.

I know it's not right to generalize like this without seeing someone on the bike but rdiers of a 56cm frame usually are between 5'10" and 6'0" with an inseam around 33".

If you feel the current bike isn't right, I would go back to the LBS, ask for a proper it, and be preared to bargin for another bike.

I'm bigger than the OP, and a 56 is *just* too big for me. I'd have to jump on the "too big" pile.

-Roger

Swapping a stem will change the handling of a bike somewhat but it would be unusual if 20 mm turned a bike from 'good' to 'twitchy.' More than likely this was just your initial perception just after the change. Take it for a little bit longer ride and re-evaluate.

As for a bike being the 'wrong size,' do you have crotch clearance over the top tube when straddling the bike? Is there at least one fistful of seatpost extending above the frame? If the answer to both of these questions is "yes" then the bike is likely fine. Fiddle with adjustmens like stem rise and length, and saddle position, and you will probably be fine.

Also consider taking the bike to a shop that specializes in fitting - beyond eyeballing you when you walk in the door and saying "fifty six!" Many shops will offer a complete fitting service for a reasonable price and this is generally money well spen, especially someone like you who is not sure exaclt how he wants to feel on the bike.

Good luck!

That is something outdated. There is substantial variation on geometry and the way frames are built, and standover clearance isn't meaningful. Also the majority of new frames use a sloping top tube. If the OP isn't knowledgable, that advice could lead him to think his frame might be right.

But the OP has already stated that the bike is a Trek road bike. Since almost all their cm sized road bikes are not sloping top tube he's probably safe in the info he's given.

go to Sheldon Brown's site and look for frames and fitting. He has links to a number of sites.

???? Take a look at trek's website. Everything they list has a sloping tt start with madone as the steepest with the XO as least

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...done/madone52/

I am aware of the different styles of frame, as well as the suitability of the rules-of-thumb I stated as they apply to the different designs. There are many ways a bike can be ill-fitted to the rider, but as far as I know, these two are the main 'deal breakers' that indicate a bike is definitely too big.

If the seatpost has to be slammed down into the frame to get proper sadlle height, or if the rider smashes his nards when dismounting, the bike is too big.

Frame size too big??
 

I did buy the bike at a LBS but its one of these places where you get a discount but less service. When I stand over the bike, I clear the top tube by about an inch. the guy at the shop actually asked me whether I wanted to have the stem reversed, so it was sloping upwards... does this compensate a little for too long a reach? I adjusted the saddle forward by a few cm and it seems to ride a lot better, but everywhere I read, I seem to see that the saddle fore aft position should not be used to adjust reach length. Perhaps I should go from 100mm to a 90mm stem, switch the stem around and see how that goes? The other thing is - I went to 2 bike shops that sell Trek (not the one I bought my bike from, which is a local Sydney shop that builds it own bikes), and one guy fitted me out - put me on a trainer and said 56cm was too big. The second shop got me on a 56cm and I actually rode in front of him and he said 56cm was ok! I did not have the luxury of 90mins to get fitted and I regret this - I should have paid more and got a proper fit I know, but that's next time... for now, the back ache is gone and its 6:30am on Sat morning and I'm headed out for a ride right now!!! Thanks for the comments!

I am of the school of thought that if it doesn't hurt, and you aren't riding competitively, you are probably doing fine... I started riding in the 70's when nobody heard of a professional fitting, and people still had fun riding their bikes. I did have a long lapse in between when I didn't ride, so maybe physics changed and I missed it. :rolleyes:

Most of the specifics of fitting are for optimization. So, there is a little something to be gained, but nothing to really worry about.

For the 99% of us that ride for fun, we should probably avoid putting too much weight in the sites and books that tell us how to fit the bikes down to the millimeter... because even for the professionals, all a good fitting does is get them to a good starting point. After that, wind tunnels other high tech methods take it to the next step, followed by how they feel on the road and of course race results to ultimately help them to refine their positions.

I hope you enjoyed your ride.

Well, Im more than sure if it was a madone, he'd have said so. And the XO is a cross bike. He said road bike which leaves 1 series or 2 series. I think the odds are more than in my favor on this one, sorry. FX series is sold by inch measurements.

Frame size...
 

Well, back from my 90min ride and seems that the bike is ok. a little back ache but nothing too serious at all. I still reckon the frame may be a little too long, perhaps 1.5cm. I could go down to a 90mm stem with the 56cm frame, but that may be just splitting hairs. I tried my mate's 53cm frame with flat handle bars and that bike definitely seemed too small - just no control and feels like I am sitting up too much. my mate is about an inch shorter than me too. When I stand over the top tube of the 56cm, I can sit on it with lots of flex in the knees, but when I adjust the saddle with a "fistful" of space, I feel a little constricted around the groin. One other thing I noticed was that the crankarms are 175mm, which is long for a 56cm frame, so I find that I need to adjust the saddle forward in order to get the KOPS position. With the saddle brought all the way forward, the reach is pretty comfortable. My conclusion from all this is that I am probably a 54.5cm frame size, and a slightly shorter crankarm. This means I could have gone with 54cm frame, but the 53cm I still think was too small. I'm just going to have to live with the 56cm for now and commute with it until I can justify changing it with the savings on transport costs!!!

Perhaps I missed it somewhere, but you've never really said what kind of bike it is, what type, what your style of riding, your flexibility etc. All this can play a part in bike fit. Assuming its a typical level top tube road bike, if you have a least an inch clearance when straddling it, it sounds to me that the frame is probably O.K. If its a mountain bike you'll want considerably more. Some of your comparisons are "apples to oranges". i.e. mates 53cm bike with flat bars. Two bikes of the same size from two different makers are likely to feel different. As are two bikes set up differently, bars, saddles, crank lengths and so on. I would recommend continuing to fine tune your position. Do you ride drop bars? Do you like the bars level with the saddle or lower? Different bars can have different reach. All these variables can make a difference.

hi - i ride a road bike, not a branded one, but one built by the LBS. Its a typical level top tube, with drop handlebars. The seat tube is 56cm and the top tube 56.3cm. I have the drop bars about level with the saddle at the moment. I could shorten the stem to 90mm but not sure if this will make a hell of a difference.... I could also flip the stem but this will mean that the bars will be above the saddle. I am only a beginner, so maybe my flexibility is not what it should be to be riding in this racing position... I do ride pretty low when in the racing position and I find that I am quite comfortable crouched down when peddling hard. I find that the saddle pushed all the way forward gives me a more comfortable reach and because the crankarm is so long, having the saddle so far forward seems to be ok. Should I try flipping the stem? Should I try a 90mm stem? Do riders start with one bike size and with more riding end up with a larger one as they become more flexible? Will my back muscles develop to better cope with the low riding position, or will this discomfort mean back problems in the future? So many questions!!!! HELP ME OBI-WAN.... YOU"RE MY ONLY HOPE.

Bike fit is a touchy subject. I used to always believe that well fitting bike should feel good right from the start. But maybe thats not realistic or always possible. It could depend on what you're used to riding previously and there may just need to be an adjustment period. As I said before if you have an inch of clearance on a traditional road bike, well, thats what is normally recommended. So I wouldn't say your frame is too big. Reach is another issue as you've found out. I have to "stretch" a bit more when I ride my road bike than when I ride one of my mountain bikes. Everyone is built differently. Luckily there's more adjustabilty for it. An 80mm stem is not abnormal if it works for you. Front end twitchiness could be due to alot of different factors not just stem length. Frame geometry, mechanical issues, wheels, tires etc. If you're able to flip your stem, you could try it for a while and see how it feels. I would be cautious of moving your position too far forward. It may not matter on short rides but on longer rides you may end up putting too much weight on your hands and wrists. That was usually my problem.
I used to ride alot then got away from it for a few years and upon riding again, found that I had to really re-adjust alot to feel comfortable again. Same bikes. I still "tweak" alittle sometimes even now. I would give it more time. You may indeed find that you would prefer a smaller frame but I would wait until you are much more certain of that.

I'm with Lard--I think it's mainly mental, a question of adjusting to the change. Could be wrong, but I'm basing it on your impression that the small stem difference made a dramatic change in handling. One of my bikes has been reincarnated several times, as my main ride, a pseudo-crosser, tourer, commuter and singlespeed, and in the process it's had stems from 60mm to 150. None made a difference I didn't accommodate to in about 10 feet.
Be wary of bike shop fittings unless the guys really know what they're doing. There are trends in cycling as there are in everything else, and for about the last 20 years, there's been a trend to fit people to bikes that are too small. I'm 6'4" and ride a 64 or 65cm frame most of the time. A friend of mine, same height, was "professionally" fitted last month to a 60. He's got almost a foot of seatpost showing, has to reach down five inches to his handlebars and looks like a clown taking laps around the circus.

frame size
 

Took the bike and compared it to my brother's which I was riding for a month without back aches. And guess what... the frame size is the same to the cm. So my 56cm frame is exactly the same size as the Giant compact frame (measuring hub to hub, equivalent seat and top tubes etc... only diff is that his stem angles upwards quite a bit, being a compact frame, which means that the reach is shorter. Both stems are 100mm. My gear systems is a shimano 105 which also has a longer reach, and my handle bars are also slightly longer. This ends up meaning about 2 cm longer reach on my bike. I tried flipping the stem and went for a ride this morning and it felt a little strange.. a little more comfy cos I'm a little more upright, but when I am in racing position, it felt that I should be a little lower. I think I'll flip the stem back and maybe get a 90mm stem. Anyway, the back ache is still there, but I'm pretty convinced now that the frame size is alright - its just finetuning the rest to fit. Thanks for the reassurance over adjusting to a new bike - I think it is only a matter of time before the back muscles adjust to this riding position and in the meantime I am doing my stretches and both stomach and back exercises to strengthen those areas. Any tips on what exercises to do before and after a long ride for those areas would be greatly appreciated!

+1

I own two Treks--a 58cm 1000 and a 56 cm Portland--and they both fit great. They fit differently, but they both have that old sneaker fit.

It took a great leap of faith when, after riding and loving a 58, the LBS said a 56 was the right size for me in a Portland. I thought for sure they wre trying to move dead stock on me. But the were right. I have many thousands of miles on each bike and wouldn't change a thing.

The geometry is different between the two bikes, and so is the fit. So it's not surprising that the sizing is different too.

He explained that it's like clothing. In some cuts you might wear one size and you might wear another in a different cut. That turns out to be true for me in jerseys. I wear a large race cut or a medium club cut. Both fit perfectly. Yet if you reverse it, a medium race cut fits me like a tourniquet, and a large club cut fits like a tarp.

So I've learned to ignore size and pay attention only to fit in both clothes and in bikes.

Add a couple spacers and see what happens.

I've already got 2 spacers and not sure if I should add 2 more? They are 1cm each in height. I've tried raising the handle bars now and that seems to be working better. I've got the stem flipped as well so that its 6 degrees sloping upwards. I'm going to give this configuration a go tomorrow morning.