Jaguar27 said:OK, here's a good one (to me anyway)...
You Buy a Road Bike, have it fitted...when all is said and done, how much Seat Post should be showing?
I'm talking about the average recreational Rider btw
Jaguar27 said:OK, here's a good one (to me anyway)...
You Buy a Road Bike, have it fitted...when all is said and done, how much Seat Post should be showing?
I'm talking about the average recreational Rider btw
And I'm sure he offered you a great deal on a new frame... As long as you're comfortable with the reach and standover, the nominal size is pretty much irrelevant. Saying that a frame is the wrong size based on the length of the seat post is nonsense. I hope you didn't pay too much for the service. As an aside you can probably save yourself some weight by hacking a few cm off the bottom of that seat post.Jaguar27 said:To cut a long story short, by the time the saddle was moved down to where it "should" be (fore and aft was virtually perfect already, maybe 5-10 mm too far back) the Fitter told me I need a 56, not a 58 and I should buy a new Bike (or Frame) because there isn't enough Seat Post showing...
I'm 5'7", and I used to ride a 56cm Cannondale, which is absolutely 1 or 2 sizes too large. I didn't ride it for a few years, and when I started again, I changed the stem from 120mm to 90mm and the seatpost from 20mm offset to zero-offset. I always felt a little stretched out and sitting too far forward (my glutes seemed under-utilized). My torso seems shorter than what is typically proportional.Jaguar27 said:The reason I was asking is that I went for a Bike fit the other Day, I've been riding my Six13 for around 16 months already..I tend to procrastinate...
I like a "bigger" frame, it's hard to explain but I'd rather sit "Into" a Bike than be perched on top of it...
I'm around 5' 11" and ride a 58...I also like the Saddle height a bit higher than what "they" say it should be...
To cut a long story short, by the time the saddle was moved down to where it "should" be (fore and aft was virtually perfect already, maybe 5-10 mm too far back) the Fitter told me I need a 56, not a 58 and I should buy a new Bike (or Frame) because there isn't enough Seat Post showing...
Hmmm...even with the seat in the position he reckons it should be there is still a fist full showing, which used to be the old rule of thumb...
I love my six13, I don't want to buy another, or even another Frame...but the Fitter says I'll be miserable on my present Bike and won't want to ride...I've already done over 3500 miles on it!!
There seems to be an awfull lot of "should be's" involved in Bike Fit...
My 13 is really comfy, I felt I'd set it up just right myself, my last Dale was a 58 too...the bike before that was a 56 felt and even though felts come a little small, I never got comfy on it..
Flatscan said:Questions about the fitting process:
- Was a reason given for dropping your saddle, e.g. rocking your hips while pedalling? How far was it lowered (it sounds like a substantial amount)?
- Do you have less than 1" of clearance over the top tube when straddling the bike?
- How was fore/aft saddle position determined? Was a plumb-bob dropped from the tip of your knee, and did the fitter say anything about "knee over pedal spindle" (KOPS)?
- Did the fitter observe you while pedalling, or did he take a bunch of static measurements?
Don't buy a new frame. You have 3500 miles on this one and it feels good to you--ride it and don't worry about what any so-called experts say. The fit equations are based on averages and should be used as starting points, nothing more. I think that you probably surmise correctly that you are fine with your saddle height since you are a "toes down" pedaller. The whole knee-over-pedal spindle thing is another starting point. Some people are more comfortable a little more forward, others a little more back. The key thing is to have the right balance on the bike and the saddle in a place that comfortably allows putting the power to the pedals. As far as reach goes, I suspect that your 58 brings the bars up a bit since the head tube is longer than on a 56cm. If you can go comfortably in the drops for an extended period of time, you are in a good position. I am sure that you could find a good fit on a 56 with compensations made with stem length, rise, etc.., but why bother. You have a wonderful bike in the six13 and "will be miserable" is obviously wrong since 3500 miles proves that you are not miserable.Jaguar27 said:The reason given for dropping the Saddle was that my heel wouldn't touch the Pedal when it was at the bottom of the stroke, it was probably 10mm away...my hips weren't rocking because I tend to pedal slightly "toes down" anyway...
The fore/aft of the saddle was determined by dropping a plumb line from that bone just below the knee Cap, so no, it wasn't from the tip of the Cap...it turned out I was within 1cm of the Center of the spindle, behind in fact...so the tip of my knee Cap would be directly over the center line...so no complaints there....
The Fitter observed me pedaling but took static measurements as well.
By the way, I forgot to add initially that I'm 50, not TOO flexible although I'm working on that...and like to do 20-40 mile rides with the ocassional Century and longer rides etc, I'm purely a recreational rider and love to ride as often as I can, the reason I went for a Fit is that I've never had one before and wanted to see if I was missing something....
Thanks very much to all who have replied, I really appreciate it.
Oh, I almost forgot, in March we went to Maui, I rented a 56 Cannondale but the stem was much longer than mine...I rode it for 4 Days and climbed Haleakala on it...as I was riding I was trying to compare my 58 to the 56 but of course it was difficult with the longer stem...but it seemed kinda fine...I did miss the faster steering on my Bike though, but I guess after 14 months I'm just used to it...
I seem to pedal more efficiently with the Saddle slightly high, is that just me?
The reach on my bike is great, I can sit in the drops with no strain on my neck etc....
I wouldn't MIND buying another Frame if it was absolutely neccessary and it would make a huge difference...but I'm not sure it would
John M said:Don't buy a new frame. You have 3500 miles on this one and it feels good to you--ride it and don't worry about what any so-called experts say. The fit equations are based on averages and should be used as starting points, nothing more. I think that you probably surmise correctly that you are fine with your saddle height since you are a "toes down" pedaller. The whole knee-over-pedal spindle thing is another starting point. Some people are more comfortable a little more forward, others a little more back. The key thing is to have the right balance on the bike and the saddle in a place that comfortably allows putting the power to the pedals. As far as reach goes, I suspect that your 58 brings the bars up a bit since the head tube is longer than on a 56cm. If you can go comfortably in the drops for an extended period of time, you are in a good position. I am sure that you could find a good fit on a 56 with compensations made with stem length, rise, etc.., but why bother. You have a wonderful bike in the six13 and "will be miserable" is obviously wrong since 3500 miles proves that you are not miserable.
You sound like an experienced rider and are therefore the best judge of your fit and comfort. A lot of novices have gotten into cycling the past few years (probably the Lance factor) and they likely benefit from the "professional" fittings. Even they should use the pro-fit as a starting point and gradually make changes, if needed, incrementally from that starting point to optimize comfort and efficiency.
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