Trek 520 Top Tube Question

Hello. I am trying to purchase my first touring bike and my first bike in years, and I'm a bit confused and could use some help. I am 5'5.75" tall with a 29.5" inseam and relatively broad shoulders and short arms. The touring bikes I've considered are the Cannondale T800 and the Trek 520. I went to a Trek dealer and tried a 19" 520, but the dealer told me it was too big (in terms of standover and stem length) and I should look for a 17". Then I went to a Cannondale dealer and tried a 19" in the T800. I felt like I was really stretching to reach the handlebars and like the bike was just too big for me, but the dealer told me the size was appropriate. Subsequently, I went to another dealer and found a new 2004 17" Trek 520 on sale for $800. I think this is a great deal. I mounted the bike, and it felt great, except I was stretching a bit to reach the brakes and the bottom of the handlebars. The top tube on the Trek is 54cm, which is longer than the top tube on most other brands' 17" touring models. The dealer assured me that it fit me correctly, but he didn't take any measurements and I'm not sure that he had much expertise on bike fitting. I love the deal on this 17" Trek, but I'm a bit uncertain about a few things. First, am I too big to be riding a 17" bike? I did not have the seat very high and it felt comfortable, but I've read that 17" bikes tend to be for people who are 5'3" or shorter. Second, is there anything I can do to make my reaching the handlebars more comfortable? The dealer moved the seat forward a bit, but it didn't fully solve the problem. What about a shorter stem or an adjustment of handlebar angle? Is that feasible on a Trek 520? Or should I look for a bike with a shorter top tube? I just hate to let this Trek 520 slip away. I know I'm not going to find such a good deal again. The Cannondale T800 17" has a shorter top tube, but it's about $500 more expensive than the Trek. The Fuji Touring also has a shorter top tube, but I've only heard negative things about that bike. Does anyone with more bike experience than me have some advice to offer me?

I know I should get a proper fitting, but the dealer from whom I want to purchase the Trek does not offer such fittings, and I'm not sure that I can just walk into another dealer, from whom I'm not buying anything, and ask him to do me a favor and fit me up.

Thanks,
Todd

You really need to go by more than height and inseam to get a reasonable approximation of proper fit. I personally would be leary of a dealer who did not want to go through a proper fitting, but if you are stuck that way there are several on-line fit calculators you can try to get a better idea.

One off the top of my head is:
http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za...LCULATOR_INTRO

Wrench science used to have a pretty good one as well, but I think that you now have to register with them before you can access it:
https://www.wrenchscience.com/Login....=R&stylecode=R

The best fit calculator that I have ever used (as far as having the measurements about spot on for where I end up, and taking riding styles into accounts) is Bill Boston's Personal Accufit. A demo version of it is available for download at:
http://www.billbostoncycles.com/PAF%20Download.htm
It does require purchase, however, for full activation.

Thanks for your reply. Yeah, I'd love to get a fit from a dealer capable of giving me an accurate one. However, at any such dealer, I would need to pay ~$350 more for the Trek 520. Not worth it, I don't think. The dealer who has the Trek very cheap does not do much in terms of fittings. Perhaps some other dealer would do a fitting even if I was not going to purchase the bike there, on the promise that I'd come back there to get the gears changed or something. I don't know.

Best,
Todd

I'm not an expert but this is what I look for if you can sit squarely on the saddle and put your heel on the pedal with your leg out straight that is aproximately where your seat hieght will be for you make sure there is room for a little adjusting up or down later. Then take a step back and look at the seat height compared to the handlebar height if the seat is 2 inches higher than the handlebars that is a race fit if it is about the same height as the handlebars that's a touring fit. If you need to slide the seat forward beware you might loose some pedal stroke power if you slide to far forward. A handlebar stem/headset adjustement or change might be better. Have you checked the Jamis Aurora if I was going to start touring I would test ride it if I could. It looks like the TT length is shorter and the handlebars might have more adjustments than other bikes. http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/bikes/...es/aurora.html

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just a few ideas/ramblings...

a good dealer should be able to put you on the proper frame size without your promise of buying anything... but a complete fitting taking measurements from your anatomy etc... that is typically a service that you pay for...

top tube length is very difficult, most riders who have not been riding in many years have no idea about what top tube length they need... i would wonder how much different are the two 17" frame's top tubes are? 1/2"? are the stems much different on those? is the stem height very different?

you should be able to test ride a bike, decide on an approximate saddle height and then have the shop measure that and write it down, then you can put the saddle at the same height on each bike you try... fore and aft of the saddle should be neutral on a floor model, i think you can eyeball that to make sure one is not pushed way back or all the way forward. your final saddle position (if you really plan to spend many hours in the saddle) should be made during a fitting with your cycling shoes...

avid riders often ride for several weeks/months and then want to lengthen the stem of their new bike from the stock size, people who don't ride very much often never get used to the new position and change it too soon... some ppl are easy to please and ride the bike for years without wanting anything different... what kind of rider are you?

nowadays the reach and drop of the handlebars on a road bike can vary an inch or more, which can make a world of difference on comfort...

i can't imagine, without many years of riding experience, buying a new bike and not changing the seat, stem or bar after several months of cycling... identical twins often set up their bikes very differently!

Buy the 17" 2004 Trek ... you can ask the dealer if s/he will put a shorter stem on without an upcharge; but, most people don't spend that much time in the drops, especially when touring ... so, don't let THAT be a deal breaker (it will cost $20-to-$150+ for a replacement stem ... depending on bling-factor). You may be glad that you have the "original" stem on longer rides (or, not!).

You can change the orientation of the bars and/or brake levers on the bars ... the levers are BEST fitted where they are comfortable when your hands are on the hoods (you can actuate the brakes from the tops of the hoods as easily as from the drops) ...

BTW. Different handlebars have a different forward reach, too, which will affect the potential fit.

So-called professional frame-fitting is over-rated, IMO -- while often a good starting point, you are at the mercy of the opinion of the person who is fitting you.

FWIW. The other reason to consider the TREK 520 (at least, the 2007 model is steel) is that it has a steel frame (same for FUJI Touring bike, As far as I know) ... my preference is always for a steel frame.

I've never heard anything negative about FUJI, but ...

I mostly agree with alfeng. Some professional fitting is worth the investment.
Everyone's anatomy is different; not only in measurements typically taken for fit. Flexibility, "normal" pevic rotation, comfort, aerodynamic postion, ability to put power to the pedals in a fluid/consitent fashion, etc. are all part of a good fit. When riding loaded touring, the ability to control the bicycle in all situations is a must. This means that position for the application is also very important.

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David Ornee, Western Springs, IL USA

Hi there,

Just my thoughts on the bike fit, any shop which tries to fit you by just considering the standover clearance is oversimplifying the frame-fitting process.

When I got my first bike, I remembered having to get my position really upright, as I was not used to the riding position of a road bike. As I got more flexible with more riding, I realised that I had a frame that was too small for me.

I would try and have a go with the bike-fit pages mentioned before, and work out a frame size. That would be a good starting point, and you can tweak the final fit with stem lengths, different handlebars, saddle positioning, pedal positioning.

FWIW, I think that the top tube is most important when it comes to frame fit. I recently shopped for a touring bike, and ended up with a Mongoose Randonneur frame.

Since all the bikes you mentioned are touring specific models, I am pretty sure that the geometry of the frames would give you a relaxed riding position, ie with the correct seatpost height, the saddle would be more or less even with handlebars. I would also make sure that you got longer chainstays for rear pannier heel clearance, and as a consequence of that you would have a longer wheelbase, which would contribute to a more stable loaded bike.