Giant Sizing issue

[Highlander28]

Hi all,

First post so please don’t flame me too badly 🤞

I purchased my first road bike last year, a 2018 Giant Contend SL1 Disk in XL. I’m 6ft 4 with a 34” inside leg so my local bike shop recommended the XL. I rode about 200 miles on it last year but after 25 miles / 90 mins or so I would be in agony through my neck and collar bone.

I purchased a smaller stem (90mm instead of 110mm) which seemed to help a little but still doesn’t feel right.

Anybody else had a similar problem? I’m at the point now I don’t want to ride it very far as I know I’ll be in pain after. I’m 28 and reasonably fit so would like to think I still have youth on my side!

 

[Mike_P]

Had a similar issue with bike size, weirdly some suppliers were suggesting I needed the next size bike up. Currently have a 80mm stem on it.

 

[Milkfloat]

It is your first road bike, it can take a while to get used to it. I would suggest to ride little and often whilst making sure to not have your arms locked.

 

[vickster]

Maybe have a bike fit.
If there’s a specific anatomical issue, there are physios who offer bike assessments and likely understand anatomy and biomechanics far better than a guy in a bike shop

 

[HLaB]

Even if a bike is sized perfectly you can get ache and pains from just being new and/or raising your head too much; perhaps cycling in the drops too much or having a peak on your helmet. Cycling more will build up you resistance to them and riding less in the drops until then or removing a peak may make an instant improvement.

 

[Soltydog]

You could always flip the stem over & that would raise the height of your bars slightly & may make it more comfortable, I have done this on all bar 1 of my bikes, as I suffer with stiff/aching neck, shoulders & back if the fit isn't right

 

[Smokin Joe]

Going from a two wheeled tractor to a proper bike does take some getting used to, give it time before you go making adjustments.

*Sidles out the door quietly*

 

[confusedcyclist]

Fit issues aside, you might also want to work on your core and upper back strength, which will help reduce fatigue in the affected muscle groups. Most riders don't appreciate how much your core helps support the rest of the body. Slowly building up to the riding you are doing will get you there, but a proper cross training plan will get you over the line faster if general weakness is an issue.

 

[Shearwater Missile]

Bike fit is a very big topic of discussion and getting it right cane be a right pain, no pun intended. What works for one at 6`4" may not work for another. What I had to do to get the bike right as I too had neck and shoulder problems was this ( I don`t believe it is anything to do with core strength. For me I feel it is wear on the neck). I swapped out a 100mm 6 degree stem which had been fine for a couple of years for a 100mm 17 degree stem. I tried a 90mm 7degree and although this got me closer it did`nt raise the bars enough. Whilst purists out there will say a 17 degree stem does`nt look right on a road bike I don`t care. Give me comfort over looks any day. Good luck in your quest.
I hasten to add that the stems I have mentioned were all in the + elevation.

 

[Leodis]

I had the same issue. I order a Ridley frame in Small, I checked with he shop on sizing as I thought an XS would be best for 5' 7", they said a small would be fine, it wasn't, I did all I could to change the set up but the position was just too aggressive, lost 2k on the bike as had to sell 18 months later and be honest with myself.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Going from a two wheeled tractor to a proper bike does take some getting used to, give it time before you go making adjustments.
*Sidles out the door quietly*

Sounds like fighting talk to me! I don't find a massive difference in comfort levels between my flat-bar "tractors", and my drop bar bikes - but then I have the drop bars set at a sensible height i.e. almost as high as the saddle, and don't go riding round with my head down and arse stuck up in the air. A lot of the roadie complaints of discomfort are entirely self-inflicted, because they usually prioritise fashion over comfort. Unless you are getting paid to race professionally, aerodynamics don't matter a toss. A bike is not supposed to be a torture device, the idea is to actually enjoy riding it.

 

[RegG]

I've had similar issues to Highlander28 with my 2015 Giant Defy 0 although some of the issues may be down to my advancing age - I'm more than twice his age!!!

Anyway, when I bought the bike I knew very little about sizing, fit etc and trusted the bike shop to sell me the correct size. The guy simply looked at my height and said "This one should be fine". The only adjustments he made was to the seat height. Having not had a road bike before I suppose I put up with the aches in my neck and shoulders which, to be fair, seemed to ease as I got used to the bike.

A couple of years ago I decided to treat myself to a nice carbon road bike as I was doing a good few miles. The LBS I bought my new bike from included a full bike fit before ordering and on delivery to make sure it was set up correctly for me.

Cutting a long story short, the new bike caused no aches or pains from the off, yet when I took the Giant out (which I keep as a winter bike) the aches return in a short distance. I took the Giant into my trusted LBS for a fit and was told it was, basically, the wrong size. They did try numerous adjustments to make the fit better and these seemed to improve the situation slightly.

My advice to anyone looking to buy their first road bike is to go to a trusted dealer and get a bike fit. If the bike shop you are looking at doesn't do bike fits then go elsewhere - you could save yourself money and discomfort!!

 

[Shearwater Missile]

I've had similar issues to Highlander28 with my 2015 Giant Defy 0 although some of the issues may be down to my advancing age - I'm more than twice his age!!!

Anyway, when I bought the bike I knew very little about sizing, fit etc and trusted the bike shop to sell me the correct size. The guy simply looked at my height and said "This one should be fine". The only adjustments he made was to the seat height. Having not had a road bike before I suppose I put up with the aches in my neck and shoulders which, to be fair, seemed to ease as I got used to the bike.

A couple of years ago I decided to treat myself to a nice carbon road bike as I was doing a good few miles. The LBS I bought my new bike from included a full bike fit before ordering and on delivery to make sure it was set up correctly for me.

Cutting a long story short, the new bike caused no aches or pains from the off, yet when I took the Giant out (which I keep as a winter bike) the aches return in a short distance. I took the Giant into my trusted LBS for a fit and was told it was, basically, the wrong size. They did try numerous adjustments to make the fit better and these seemed to improve the situation slightly.

My advice to anyone looking to buy their first road bike is to go to a trusted dealer and get a bike fit. If the bike shop you are looking at doesn't do bike fits then go elsewhere - you could save yourself money and discomfort!!

I will second the bit about getting a bike fit as that is very important. I can echo about buying from a shop, who looked at me and said 22" frame and that is what we sell a lot of and I`ll get one made up. Actually to be honest he was`nt far wrong really but since my Claude Butler had a high head tube I was lucky but then that was in 2010 when of course I was younger and more agile. Maybe a smaller size might have been better. I only had to change to a slightly shorter stem (90 instead of 100) last year. I do get problems with my neck and shoulders , some days are fine others like today not so good. Whether a smaller frame would help I don`t know, I am 5`7 and have lost an inch over the last few years, I should have been more careful !

 

[Mike_P]

If it is a case of the drop bars seeming to be a touch too low I noticed whilst browsing Merlins sale they have Ritchey Comp 30 degree stems at £19.99, currently in 60mm, 80mm and 90mm lengths https://www.merlincycles.com/ritchey-comp-30-road-stem-137998.html, although you need to spend 2p to get free postage

 

[Twilkes]

No idea how you might use this information, but while 6ft4 is well above average, a 34" inside leg Is fairly normal - it wouldn't be unusual to have someone 5ft9 with a 34" inside leg. So you might need a longer bike than others because your reach is longer, but not necessarily a taller bike.

I've found by looking at measurements that the XL+ sizes of bikes for some brands just get taller while not really increasing the reach proportionally, no idea if that's the case with Giant though.