Bike setup
- Thread starter Trevor_P
- Start date
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cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
Halfords quote the real seat tube rather than virtual for bike sizes so its nearer a 58 i think, looking at the measurements it has a 585 effective top tube with a 110 stem
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
Maybe , hard to say without seeing a piccie of the OP on the bike .
I am 5 foot 7 " and a 52/53 is about right and i have got a frame 54 cm ctr to ctr and need an 80 mm stem to give me the same set up .
With regards knee pain pushing the saddle back increases virtual seat height so maybe he needs to drop the saddle a smidge to counteract it ? I read somewhere 2 back= 1 up and vice versa effectively so if the saddle went back 4 cm then it needs to drop the saddle .
As above when @Saluki originally measured the reach to the hoods on the project frame it came out i would need a 60 mm stem but the saddle was 8 cm higher than i would have it so dropping it to the right height reduced the reach by 2 cm once i had my preferred saddle set back sorted.
OP
OP
Trevor_P
Senior Member
- Location
- Hawkinge Kent
Thanks for the link, this kind of thing is right up my street. It'll be a doddle.
I'll do some measurements and get some photos posted. Just out of interest, using cyberknight' s "When on the hoods the front hub should be obscured by the front of the stem " , the front hub is slightly behind the stem. I think that seat height if anything is a tad low, as I lowered it about 5mm when putting the saddle back to compensate. I didn't notice any rocking in the saddle at all today. Well when I was spinning comfortably within my ability anyway.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
I hope you get sorted as its all speculation till someone in the know can see or even see if some of your LBS do a basic fit service .
OP
OP
Trevor_P
Senior Member
- Location
- Hawkinge Kent
But it's 'educated' speculation which may or may not be a bad thing. Pretty much I suspect that the bike is a little too big for me. But as the local Halfords didn't take any measurements (that's not a surprise) and at the time I didn't know any better, I'll just have to live with it for now.
The LBS do offer a basic bike fit for £85. I'll see if I can find out what that consists of. I'd imagine I can get 90% there by myself though. I feel that bit by bit its coming closer.
JasonHolder
on youtube. learning to be a gent
Wowzaaa!!! I had no idea! Now you can take the pee as much as you like on threads I post
OP
OP
Trevor_P
Senior Member
- Location
- Hawkinge Kent
Just an update. I've been out a few times since moving the saddle back and fine tuned the height adjustment. Oh and changed the saddle for a Charge spoon which is much better. The reach is still a little long, so I'll probably try a shorter stem at some point in the not to distant future. I've got some Specialized BG gel gloves which at first were uncomfortable on the hoods, but I seem to have got used to them.
I'm going to sell some stuff and save some pennies towards a better bike later in the summer. Looking at the Cannondale synapse 5. I'll get a bike fit then.
I'm going to sell some stuff and save some pennies towards a better bike later in the summer. Looking at the Cannondale synapse 5. I'll get a bike fit then.
AndyPeace
Guest
- Location
- Worcestershire
Before shortening the stem have you considered raising it, or flipping it over (if not already done) both of which would shorten reach. What you have said about feeling the need to move your saddle back....counterintuitive but have you tried moving it up and forwards. As you said in your op, saddle position also needs to be lined up with knees and pedals, so you need to find somewhere between these two limits that works for you. Moving the sadlle up will increase reach, which is why you should move the saddle forwards. I can't find the article I read but the advice suggested that 10mm increase in post height would add around 3mm of reach. With Stems it's the other way round 10mm increase in height decreases reach by 3mm. I had a similar conversation when I had a bike fit at the local uni. Take the numbers with a dash of salt but the principle is sound
OP
OP
Trevor_P
Senior Member
- Location
- Hawkinge Kent
Thanks Andy. Yeah I've though about that, but I'd be more upright than I want to be. The bike is almost certainly too big for me. I did originally have the saddle forward, but the position was all wrong, with too much weight forward. Now with the saddle back, I can use the legs properly, but am over reaching forwards when on the horns. the drops aren't too bad, but I find myself riding mostly at fingertip which isn't good. Suffering from really sore forearms/elbows which feels almost like tennis elbow. And hand discomfort between forefinger and thumb, even with the GEL gloves.Before shortening the stem have you considered raising it, or flipping it over (if not already done) both of which would shorten reach. What you have said about feeling the need to move your saddle back....counterintuitive but have you tried moving it up and forwards. As you said in your op, saddle position also needs to be lined up with knees and pedals, so you need to find somewhere between these two limits that works for you. Moving the sadlle up will increase reach, which is why you should move the saddle forwards. I can't find the article I read but the advice suggested that 10mm increase in post height would add around 3mm of reach. With Stems it's the other way round 10mm increase in height decreases reach by 3mm. I had a similar conversation when I had a bike fit at the local uni. Take the numbers with a dash of salt but the principle is sound
The saddle height and position back/forward is just about spot on for me now. It's just the stretch for the bars that's the problem. That and the really harsh ride of the front end of this Virtuoso. My old steel Peugeot (1984) is way more comfortable.
