**UPDATE TO **UPDATE** Help please. Is my inherited bike too big?!

[Julia9054]

I have put a shorter stem on one of my bikes. Cost me about £17 to buy and very easy to fit yourself - you do not need a bike shop to do it for you. I have not noticed any detrimental effect on the steering.

 

[ColinJ]

Let's face it - people from less than 5 ft tall to well over 6 ft tall manage to get Bromptons to fit them!

 

[ColinJ]

In fact, take a look at this picture of me (left) with my 58 cm bike, and just_fixed with his tiny Brompton adjusted to suit him.

 

[HLaB]

A shop told me my bike which I've done lots of miles comfortably on was too big too. I looked in to it and it is about 5mm too big for an 'athletic' fit but its about 2cm too small for a 'French comfort' fit, so I'm not rushing out to change it. At a guess the OPs bike does sound a little big and in the 'French/ Comfort' fit zone; if you can mod it and get a comfortable position who cares what one fit says, enjoy ;-)

 

[2IT]

Don't think this has been mentioned yet: shorter cranks. Your "new" bike probably has 175 crank arms and you could probably do with 170s. With the other good advice this might make you more comfortable and cornering easier. In the US, many older cyclists and triathletes are going with shorter cranks these days.

Good luck with the gift that you received. It's a gift that many of us would be pleased to have to go with other good memories of that person.

 

[DRM]

I have a Carerra Zelos which is used as a winter road bike, in XL size, it was bought as it was relatively inexpensive to see how I got on as I fancied a road bike, now it has no sentimental value but I fitted a 90mm stem to try and prevent lower back pain, this was a Deda Elementi Zero one from chain reaction cycles and I think was about £16, it's not hard to fit, have a look on you tube for videos, I think with a little tweaking you will have a nice comfy bike, but I would echo what others have said, get out on it, see if you get any aches or niggles and take it from there with regard to getting it to fit you, you will proably end up swapping the stem and saddle, as some sadles can be an instrument of torture.
Chain Reaction and Wiggle are your friends for parts.

 

[Globalti]

My advice: make a few tweaks and ride the bike. It IS too big for you but as others have written, that won't kill you! Once you've gained experience and have a better idea of the kind of bike you want, pass it on or sell it to somebody taller and buy yourself a closer-fitting bike. Who knows? you might even not want another Trek.

 

[annedonnelly]

I don't see how you can just use a person's height as a definitive measure. Surely two people of the same height could have different leg lengths and reaches. I'd have thought height was a guide to get you started and you may have to try a larger/smaller size to be sure and that one bike brand may be different to another.

I thought the OP said it didn't feel much different to his current bike. If he rides it for a few miles won't he be able to get a good idea if it fits or if it needs only small adjustments? I think people have already suggested adjustments that are possible

 

[Chris9181]

One further question please. Many of you have sensibly said about tweaking set up and riding it to see how it feels (any aches n pains etc).

Just wondered as I haven't ride for some time how best to distinguish between the aches n pains I would get anyway from starting again and ill fitting bike aches n pains?

 

[Crackle]

Just wondered as I haven't ride for some time how best to distinguish between the aches n pains I would get anyway from starting again and ill fitting bike aches n pains?

Adaptation pains go away. Bad fit pains get worse.

 

[oldroadman]

5ft 10.....size 58cm = Bike too big

You simply cannot say that, you don't know the crotch to ground inside leg measurement.
If the person asking the question wants to have a basic check for saddle height, take the inside leg, multiply by 0.883, and see where the saddle ends up after adjusting to that measurement from centre of bb axle to top of saddle. If it can't go low enough without a bit of seat pillar showing, frame will always be a bit big. The extension may need changing for comfort and reach. Try it and see.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Look...if a guy went into a bike shop who was 5ft 10 there is no way in memory of man would they size him up for a 58....he is a 54/56 all day....so i can make assumptions on the ops height...simple

My most comfortable bikes are both 57's, which I use for longer rides, I'm 5 ft 11. I have a 55 as well, but that is not great for long rides, it's fitted nicely, but it is really only nice on shorter faster rides.

 

[coco69]

You simply cannot say that, you don't know the crotch to ground inside leg measurement.
If the person asking the question wants to have a basic check for saddle height, take the inside leg, multiply by 0.883, and see where the saddle ends up after
adjusting to that measurement from centre of bb axle to top of saddle. If itcan't go low enough without a bit of seat pillar showing, frame will always be a bit big. The extension may need changing for comfort and reach. Try it and see.

You know what i will not add another comment...i do hope he does make a few adjustments to make it fit plus i have offered him a stem if he needs one.
I voiced my opinion on what i ride based on my height which is 6ft with a 32/33 inside leg and i ride a 56 with a 100mm stem.
Happy riding chris and pm me if you need a stem i have a 70 and 80mm

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

No No @coco69 ,I think you are right.
There is only so much adjustment you can make to a bike before the handling is seriously compromised.
Much the same way for making a smaller bike bigger.Which I tried to do with a Van Nick MTB.
I know the OP is really wanting it to work for sentimental reasons,but you don't want it to be dangerous

 

[coco69]

The bike fit i had then must be wrong....i shall call them now and ask for a full refund.
Many thanks.