Binka
Über Member
- Location
- Lincoln, uk
I currently ride a Small Liv Avail which a friend gave to me free when she upgraded. I'm 158cm (5ft 2") and when I'd been looking at buying a bike before I got given one the staff in the Giant shop said I'd need an XS. I don't feel I can reach the hoods very well, although I can reach the drops OK. I tend to ride the bike with my hands a bit back from the hoods....more where the top bar curves round. And I can't reach the brakes from there!
So I was thinking of buying a new bike, but looking at the geometry on the Liv website there doesn't seem much in the reach between the XS and the S - and on some Avail models it's actually the same! Though some models there is a 1cm difference, plus the handlebars are 1cm narrower, plus the stem is 1cm shorter. So I might get 3cm difference? Which seems like it might not be enough as I'm currently riding with my hands about 8cm back from the hoods?
I'm not getting any aches or pains at the minute but I think that's because I'm not riding on the hoods. I've looked at a few other makes as well, just trying to find something with the shortest reach but again it's minimal gains (loss). I'm happy to wait until Sept time as I think that's when the new season bikes come out and I might actually be able to sit on some and see if they feel better which would help!
So I was thinking of buying a new bike, but looking at the geometry on the Liv website there doesn't seem much in the reach between the XS and the S - and on some Avail models it's actually the same! Though some models there is a 1cm difference, plus the handlebars are 1cm narrower, plus the stem is 1cm shorter. So I might get 3cm difference? Which seems like it might not be enough as I'm currently riding with my hands about 8cm back from the hoods?
I'm not getting any aches or pains at the minute but I think that's because I'm not riding on the hoods. I've looked at a few other makes as well, just trying to find something with the shortest reach but again it's minimal gains (loss). I'm happy to wait until Sept time as I think that's when the new season bikes come out and I might actually be able to sit on some and see if they feel better which would help!