aknight53

Hi,
I just bought a new Jamis Coda, love it, but it is a little too large for me (they couldn't get the smaller frame size). I touch the frame when I stand. I really liked the Giant Dash 3, fit perfectly, but it was $200. more. My concern is that I may regret the not so perfect fit. I love the Jamis, when I'm riding, it seems to be perfectly fine, but as a 58 yr. old small woman, I'm not sure if I did the right thing. I haven't taken it on any long ride yet since I just bought it. Any thoughts?

qmsdc15

Besides the standover height, which did you prefer? I imagine you sit a bit more upright on the larger Jamis than on the smaller Giant.

I wouldn't worry too much about touching the top tube. Of course it's not ideal, but you can still stand over it, which is the important thing. The only thing you won't be able to do is move the bike while stopped without getting off of it, but that's awkward with any size bike. It's always better to get off the bike before trying to reposition it.

teicher

Most bikes feel fine on a short test ride, you only get the real feel once you've had it out for a longer ride. If the bike doesn't fit, it won't be comfortable and you might not ride it as much. You might even sell it to get a new one that does, and at that point you haven't saved $200 at all.

I recommend that you get a second opinion on the size, either from the shop that sold you the bike (did they have concerns?) or another. It's hard for a bunch of people on the internet to diagnose this. Me, I would get the bike that fits. It's worth it in the long run.

nfmisso

most people end up with bikes that are too small for them (LBS screwed me on that, bike was at least two size too small).

if the bike is comfortable to ride, then it is the right size.

I like bikes with the top relatively high, I can have both feet flat on the ground with my shoes on, but not without shoes. One our tandem, the top tube is a little lower so that I can spread my feet further apart (my wife stays clipped in when we stop) to have enough stability to keep the whole rig upright.

aknight53

Thanks for your all of your input. I wasn't looking for any diagnosis, just some thoughts on what others have experienced with bikes that weren't quite a perfect fit. I do feel comfortable when riding, not so great with quick stop hopping off. I may bring it back and see if I can get a second opinion, but the place where I bought it has no other bike I like. I'm either going to keep it and live with a big frame, or try to sell it and get the one that fits. Decisions, decisions.

albanian

A little too big is better than too small. I think it sounds fine. Touching the bar is not a problem if it feels fine when riding.

I agree that the trend now is to get a bike that is too small. In the 80s everyone was riding bikes that were way too large.

Dont take the LBS word for it. If you feel at all cramped on the bike, it is too small. The LBS sold me a 56cm and since I have found that I am really a 58cm. When I went against the grain and bought a 58cm despite being told that a 56cm was my size by the LBS, I was amazed at how much more comfortable it was. I was about to full use the drops and climbing out of the saddle was more efficient. This was a rode bike BTW not a hybrid but I think my Sirrus is a little too small.

mikeschn

The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten. That can also be translated to, "The fit is remembered long after the price is forgotten."

Get the one that fits the best. :-)

Mikey

John_V 

Touching the top tube while straddled over it may not be a big deal while stopped. My concern would be making an emergency stop and dismount. Even a normal dismount that forces you to hit the top tube can cause a painful jerk reaction causing you to lose your balance and fall. This would be true for both men and women. On this one, I'm going to go with the folks that recommend the proper fit over the less expensive bike.

no1mad 

A slightly too big frame isn't a biggie, so long as you stick to the roads. But if you plan on taking to any dirt, then you want something that fits or just a bit smaller.

Triode

Well, I'm real new - but doing my research to buy it appears that geometry changes a little with size changes.

And almost nobody is "standard proportions"

If moving my seat 3/8 of an inch forward can all of a sudden make every problem I've had go away - see this thread

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...8#post12954818

No way I would buy a bike that was too large. Can't see how it would fit in other aspects, unless you have unusual proportions.

for a 58 yr old small woman - I say bite the bullet while you can, spend the bucks to get one that fits.

moth54

I'm a little late to this, but:

Once wheels close to 28 inches became the norm, there were only so many ways a bike designer could design a small frame around wheels that big. I see standover height on a Jamis Coda Femme is around 28.5 inches in the mid-size, about an 1 inch lower in the smallest size and 1 inch higher in the largest size. The standover on my own Marin Step-thru bike is given as being around 28 inches. As I'm 5 feet 1 and a half inches, that is enough, thank you.

I would have liked the next smallest size in my own hybrid, mainly to allow for different swaps of seat posts, as right now I have the seat jacked only about a couple inches from the seat tube, whereas a shorter seat tube would have meant correspondingly more 'real estate' on the seat post. But the reach and other aspects of the frame I didn't find to be noticeably different between the next smallest size and the size I'm riding. Mind, I don't plan to ride centuries or anything like that, so such differences won't kill me, just force me to make my upper body stronger (I'm not truly upright, but lean over a tad.)

If you ride mostly in the city, as I do, you will be sliding forward off that seat a lot, at every intersection. So the question is, do you feel comfortable doing this? As long as you have even a 1/2 inch or so of clearance, for a female, that should suffice. But get used to accommodating yourself to mass market bikes, if your budget is tight. Or go to a mountain bike frame.

Bunnicula

If you really liked the Giant Dash and it fit perfectly I would go with that. If you touch the frame when standing that could result in a painful accident, imo.

The bike shop should be perfectly willing to exchange it, especially since they fit you wrong.

b1g bleu

Hey, 53, in an ideal world you wouldn't have fitment issues. I like the medium frame. I'm 5'-7.5" My torso is longer so my legs are shorter. So once I'm on the seat and moving, the bike's perfect. As I've always done, I dismount the bike on the same right side. I back-spin the pedal so I can always push off with my left foot. Practice stopping quickly and hop off from the momemtum.

John_V 

^ +1. I do the same thing.

Again

I f your standover height doesn't give you a few cm clearance you are taking a big chance.
You will forget the extra $200, but you may have to live with the injury.