Hybrid geometry - HELP!

[Brianw193]

Any advice with the following really appreciated. I have been cycling to work for five years, all year round. First four on an Evan's Pinnacle Cobalt. Then repair bill meant it made sense to replace rather than fix. I live in Belfast and we do not have Evans. My local bike shop encouraged me to buy a Trek FX. Although I test rode the bike I was not really thinking about geometry. One year on and the 'sit up and beg' riding position of the Trek FX is not working. I am 6ft and living on a beautiful green island means coping with wind and regular horizontal rain and me constantly trying to duck under it. The Pinnacle was in retrospect more of a hybrid with a nod towards the shape of a flat bar touring / road bike (I think).

I am wanting to buy a new hybrid bike through Cycle2work scheme which rules out Evans and Pinnacle. The Pinnacle has a top tube measurement of 607mm. Ridgeback Element and Specialized sirrus appear similar on charts. I have up to £650 to spend. Are top tube and standover heights a good way of knowing that I can replicate the proportions of the Pinnacle frame?

Any advice or suggestions really appreciated. I can take my trusty Pinnacle (that I never let go of) to an independent bike shop for measurement but conscious they steer towards their brands. Cheers

 

[vickster]

Have you considered a roadbike?

Why can’t you measure your existing bike and then compare?

 

[Cycleops]

Hello Brian and welcome to the forum.
I'm a little confused as you say you found the Trek too "sit up and beg" and yet you are looking to replicate the geometry. Anyway it's not just the geometry which dictate the riding position.
This might be a good choice if you want something a little more low down and racy and staying with flat bars;
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rc500-flat-bar-disc-road-bike-sora-id_8554412.html
Or something like it.

 

[Brianw193]

Hello Brian and welcome to the forum.
I'm a little confused as you say you found the Trek too "sit up and beg" and yet you are looking to replicate the geometry. Anyway it's not just the geometry which dictate the riding position.
This might be a good choice if you want something a little more low down and racy and staying with flat bars;
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rc500-flat-bar-disc-road-bike-sora-id_8554412.html
Or something like it.

Thank you Guru for the welcome! I may not have been explained clearly enough in original posting. I am trying to replicate the geometry of my first bike which was a Pinnacle Cobalt. Second bike has been a Trek FX. For third bike I want to go back to something similar to the geometry of the Pinnacle Cobalt. I will check out B'twin, I had not thought to check out Decathlon

 

[Brianw193]

Have you considered a roadbike?

Why can’t you measure your existing bike and then compare?

Hi Vickster. I have used my last two hybrids for commuting and grocery shopping. I have pannier rack and bags etc.

I need to learn more about how to measure. Is top tube alone enough to guarantee more road bike type riding position. Do angles and standover height also impact?

 

[vickster]

Hi Vickster. I have used my last two hybrids for commuting and grocery shopping. I have pannier rack and bags etc.

I need to learn more about how to measure. Is top tube alone enough to guarantee more road bike type riding position. Do angles and standover height also impact?

Nothing to stop you using a drop handled bike for your uses. I have pannier racks on 4/5 of mine (not on the carbon)

 

[RoadRider400]

Geometry is over egged in order to try and convince people they need more bikes.
If you are sitting up too much adjust the position of the saddle and bars.
Or get a road bike.

 

[Brianw193]

Nothing to stop you using a drop handled bike for your uses. I have pannier racks on 4/5 of mine (not on the carbon)

I will research road bikes. Lower back pain in past before I started cycling out me off. Also riding a hybrid allows me to plod and let the serious road bikers fly on by

 

[Brianw193]

Geometry is over egged in order to try and convince people they need more bikes.
If you are sitting up too much adjust the position of the saddle and bars.
Or get a road bike.

Cheers. The trek fx (entry model) does not have huge level of scope for adjustment

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Why not just sort out the old Pinnacle and put it back into service? Unless the frame is damaged, there is not that much on a bike to go wrong really. All my bikes are a LOT older than yours and I don't spend much on repairs and maintenance.

 

[si_c]

There are a number of measurements that you need to think about in terms of how a bike fits you geometry wise. The two most important for me are stack height and reach - stack height is effectively how high the handlebars sit above the bottom bracket - the higher the number the more relaxed the bike will feel, and the less aerodynamic your sitting position. Reach is how far in front of the bottom bracket the handlebars sit - so how far you have to lean forward to control the bike. Here a higher number means you will be a bit more stretched out on the bike and therefore more aerodynamic.

A higher reach and lower stack height might be problematic for you if you have had lower back problems and they persist. Looking at the geometry charts for the Trek FX, it doesn't seem like it is a particularly upright or sit up and beg type bike, certainly my experience of riding them (my Dad has one) is that they didn't feel that way.

My first thought would be to shift some of the spacers underneath the stem above it and see if that fixes the problem, that should lower the front end a bit and make it a bit easier to ride into the wind. Just lower it 5mm or so at a time and then ride it for a week to get used to it, then repeat until you are happy or out of spacers.

Dont' worry about having one or two above the stem that's normal.

 

[RoadRider400]

Cheers. The trek fx (entry model) does not have huge level of scope for adjustment

Saddle will go up, down, forwards or back and you could potentially swap the stem for something longer or shorter. I dont think spending £600+ on another hybrid will alter your position much. Irrespective of what the marketing says.
If you are intent in buying a new bike, make sure you get test rides and be prepared to walk away if nothing you find is suitable.
I have a roadie and a hybrid. I can sit up on both and get lower on both. However I am usually lower on the road bike because it makes me want to cycle fast.
What is your mobility like? perhaps you often find yourself upright because your body is most comfortable there.

 

[vickster]

Can you post a picture of the Trek to see what the set up is like currently

 

[Brianw193]

Why not just sort out the old Pinnacle and put it back into service? Unless the frame is damaged, there is not that much on a bike to go wrong really. All my bikes are a LOT older than yours and I don't spend much on repairs and maintenance.

Makes a lot of sense! I am trying to reuse items in other aspects of my life ..

 

[Brianw193]

There are a number of measurements that you need to think about in terms of how a bike fits you geometry wise. The two most important for me are stack height and reach - stack height is effectively how high the handlebars sit above the bottom bracket - the higher the number the more relaxed the bike will feel, and the less aerodynamic your sitting position. Reach is how far in front of the bottom bracket the handlebars sit - so how far you have to lean forward to control the bike. Here a higher number means you will be a bit more stretched out on the bike and therefore more aerodynamic.

A higher reach and lower stack height might be problematic for you if you have had lower back problems and they persist. Looking at the geometry charts for the Trek FX, it doesn't seem like it is a particularly upright or sit up and beg type bike, certainly my experience of riding them (my Dad has one) is that they didn't feel that way.

My first thought would be to shift some of the spacers underneath the stem above it and see if that fixes the problem, that should lower the front end a bit and make it a bit easier to ride into the wind. Just lower it 5mm or so at a time and then ride it for a week to get used to it, then repeat until you are happy or out of spacers.

Dont' worry about having one or two above the stem that's normal.

Cheers Si..That is very useful. Geometry at school was never my strong point. You are right, the differences in measurements are minimal. The first issue I encountered was the Trek's saddle felt like a razor blade, so I swapped it for the old Pinnacle one. I had to spend ages adjusting the Pinnacle saddle as swapping messed up angles. The second was the Pinnacle had very wide handlebars. Arguably a pain for cycling through narrow gaps in traffic, but allowed me to comfortably gain a more road bike like stance when facing gale force winds. More relaxed riding I am more sitting straight up. The back pain is fortunately something of the past. Daily all year round cycling keeps me agile.