I've been riding my Motobecane Track from BD for a year now, and the drop from the saddle to the handlebar has been bothering me more and more as of late.. I did quite a bit of research before buying it and went through all of the sizing calculators, measurements, etc before selecting the frame size. I've got the saddle adjusted appropriately for my legs, but the drop feels generally uncomfortable and at times dangerous (going down steep hills).

Any recommendations on how to reduce the angle I have to bend over? Is it possible to use "risers" (I don't know the proper term) to bring the handlebar higher?

Your saddle is pointed at the ground and your seatpost is backwards. Start there.


When that is covered, flip your stem over.
Oh, and your bike is probably too small for you.

Thanks Nagrom. I'd already fixed the saddle angle, the pic is slightly outdated. I'll rotate the seat post and flip the stem next. Are handlebar spacers an option at all?

+1 to all of this. What fit calculator told you (the OP) to get this size?

I used the Competitive Cyclist calculator at the time (link).

And ironically, Nagrom had recommended the 49cm frame based on those numbers (link).

Doesn't look like you can use any more spacers, there are none above the stem.

well **** me. All the numbers still look right, so I still stand by the size.

Flip your stem, if that doesn't work, get a stem with sharper angle.

Haha will do. Thanks.

Dat saddle pole.

The link you gave to the fit calculator shows you entered 57" for total body height. You state in your text that you are 5'7" tall. That would be 67 inches.

Looks like you got started on bad input, possibly resulting in your current problem.

fify

Blowing it.

Actually, I doubt it will have much effect on the results.

..............................

fawk the imperial system. and math.

MB Track for sale!

The fit calculator probably doesn't even use the total height figure. Probably uses sternal notch instead.
The length of your head and neck shouldn't affect the size of bike you ride.


Re-do the calculation, use 67 instead of 57. Post the results.

Do your knees have some bend to them at the bottom of the pedal stroke? A lot of people just have their seat too high. I think competitive cyclist addressed the issue.

nvm, did it for you. I was right.
Here are your original results, stolen from the previous thread:





Here are the ones I just did, with the only measurement change being 67in total height instead of 57in:






THEY ARE EXACTLY THE SAME.

That would make sense, however.............

I suspect CompetitiveCyclist just asks for total body height so they don't get a hundred emails a day asking why they don't need height.

it looks like you're badly fitted on that bike; the saddle is way forward. I bet if you used KOPS as a guideline, it would probably lower your seat a couple of cm. I'm the same height as you and I'm nowhere near that high on a 49cm bike - you either have very long legs or you're just up too high on that thing. Also flip the stem to raise the handlebars. If the drop is still too much, get some riser bars.

Reason enough.

His height is the same as mine and the top tubes are in the same range. My measurements are in cm, not inches, so I can't see where we differ so much he uses two seatposts.

I'd bet my pocket change his saddle is way too high, increasing the bar drop.

Thanks for all the feedback, guys. I never officially had a fitment with the bike, just purchased it off of BD, put it together, and took it in to the LBS for a safety check. I'm to blame.

After re-aligning the saddle, rotating the seat post 180°, and flipping the stem, sounds like I should slide the saddle back as well. I set the saddle height such that my leg is fully extended at the bottom of the pedal cycle; is this not correct? I'll research the KOPS guidelines to see what that entails.

Glad to hear my miscalculation didn't make much of a difference with respect to the frame sizing.. please keep additional suggestions coming if I've missed anything.

There's always supposed to be a bend in your knee throughout the pedal revolution. Something like 15 deg at the 6 o'clock.

I would set the saddle height such that it is 68-70cm from the bottom bracket. Like the fit calc suggests.

Your leg should have a slight bend when your cranks are in a perfectly vertical position (12&6 o clock) with the ball of your foot on the pedal spindle and your ankle pulled up slightly (like a woman wearing heels). Your legs should be nowhere near completely straight in this position. As for how far back you need to be, align your knee with the pedal spindle when your pedals are in a perfectly horizontal position (9&3 o clock) so that there can be a straight line up and down from the pedal spindle to the bone of your knee.