I am starting to think my frame size is to big for me

[upsidedown]

BTFB, if you do decide to sell let me know, i'm 6'7" with a 36" inside leg, i've got a 30 year old Galaxy that i love to bits and fits me perfectly, but it's a double 5 speed with downtube shifters, would love a newer one but they don't make them that big any more !

 

[monnet]

BTFB, why is it too big? You say other shops have said so and you think you are more stretched than other riders. The crucial thing here is notwhat the bike shop or you 'think', it's how you feel. Do you have any aches and pains like; niggling knees, criked neck, lower back pain, sore arms, shoulders, wrists hands to name but a few? If the answer is no then you've nothing to worry about.

I always rode a fairly stretched position - based in part on my old man's 60's racing position (he set up my first bike). When I got a new bike (Spesh compact) the position seemed very upright and very, very odd. But it works perfectly for me. When the old boy has tried to position himself more like me it has created a world ofniggles and aches. Moral of the tale: everyone's different. You've done someserious riding on the bike and I think you'd know by now if it was the wrong size.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

The only real pain I get is lower back pain on the right hand side after about 30km..which I assume is pretty normal, and some numbness in my hands again normal I assume. I am never in any great pain and my knees etc are fine. It is a superb bike, especially when fully loaded. Maybe it does fit me fine, but so would a 60cm frame which weighs less...I am probably just being stoopid, but several lbs have told me i need a 61, not a 64 frame.

Upside down hi...

I may well sell it after my tour of Germany in a few weeks time. If I do decide to I will post it up in the classified section here on Cyclechat with photos etc...test ride most welcome

It is in excellent condition...good clean frame, no dings, racing green 2007 model with rear and front pannier cages...I would put the origional pedals and selle italia saddle back on and keep my brooks b17 and spds though.Here is a pic:



...any way it has a long way to take me B4 that happens.

 

[P.H]

60cm frame which weighs less....

Are you serious?
There could be plenty of good reasons for changing your frame.
Weight isn't one of them. How much do you think you'll save?
Touring frames are only around 2 - 2.5kg take of the joints and braze one, you'll be left with around 1.5kg, devide that by 64, times that by 60 and you've saved less than 100g or 0.7% of an unloaded bike or 0.4% of a loaded one.
There's easier and cheaper ways to save weight.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

If you're comfortable on it don't worry about it. All my bikes are technically too big for me but all I've done is replaced the stem with a shorter one. Otherwise, they all feel fine and I can comfortably ride all day on them. That's all I want from a bike.

 

[Chris James]

From the saddle height on your picture I would say that your bike looks about the right size. So if you are in fairly normal proportion (i.e. don't have a very short upper body for your height) then I reckon your original LBS probably were right. Not sure why other bike shops should tell you your bike is too big - unless they are trying to sell you a new bike!

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

...thanks for that...I feel a bit better about the bike now, but more confused about the new one...and yes it had crossed my mind that because the dealers want to sell a bike and bianchis biggest frame is 61 that they would automatically assume 61 is correct....i dont know who to trust.

I think i will delay any new bike purchase until I find a dealer prepared to allow a test ride on a 61 set up for me, and I can find a trusted friend I can take along to the shop who knows more about bikes than I do.

 

[itisaboutthebike]

FWIW - without actually seeing you ride it I'd say for a touring bike it looks ok.

Yes if you were racing or doing some hilly sportives then perhaps a 61cm would be better(giving you a slightly racier position and very slightly stiffer lighter frame), but for touring most people want an upright more relaxed position. And the weight you;d save loaded touring my coming down to a 61cm is negligable.

My 'race' bikes are 54cm but mu Audax/Tourer is 56cm (I have a 32" inside leg).

 

[Nick1979]

I don't think you can really compare the sizes between different brands/bikes. For Bianchi for example, I was fitted on a Via Nirone size 55, but needed a size 53 on the 928, because the geometries are somewhat different, and this is within the same brand!
(as you should have guessed, I ended up ordering the 928 :-) )

But definitively test ride yours, especially if it's the only size suitable for you!!

I bought mine at GB Cycles in Croydon, they are helpful and of course let you test ride for as long as you want! If you want to come all the way to South London...

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

GB cycles is one of the bike shops I have been in touch with, they were most helpful...it's just a bit of a slog over there for me round th eM25...but they are my best best I think. What i need to do is ask them the get 61's in for me to ride before showing up.

 

[jags]

why dont you ring sjs cycles(thorn)give them your height details they will tell you what bike size you need or check out there www.bye the way are you useing fizik bar gel and tape that will solve your numb hands if not get a shorter stem, dont give up on your bike just yet it might just be a matter of adjusting a couple points to make everything better...

 

[girofan]

It's OK having a small frame BTFB, but if this means a lot of seatpin is showing and the bars are substantially lower than the saddle, back problems will almost certainly be your problem.
Like yourself I am 6' 4" with a 35" inside leg and although I ride a Specialized Roubaix 61cm frame with a long head tube the bars are only just within acceptable parameters.
So although you may fit a smaller frame do excercise a degree of caution before you change.

 

[hubgearfreak]

looking at the pic of your bike, it looks to me like you've got a good bit of seatpin showing, if the frame was too big, you'd have the saddle resting on the frame..

if you went down a frame size, you'd obviously need a lot more seatpin exposed, and your not inconsiderable mass would have 30mm more leverage in trying to snap it off.

now go to a scrapyard, and pick up a few inches of steel bicycle frame tube and see if the added weight penalty is worth the upset, (as PH says) it'll be like the weight of a mars bar or something, and weigh up this with the potential discomfort of crushing your testicles on a snapped piece of seatpin.

i think that you're worrying about nothing