slightly large frame size

[razor244]

so i started cycling a few weeks ago.i purchased my bike offline not too concerned about all the finer details just intended to get some exercise. i find myself getting more and more into cycling . my frame hight is a bit high i dont have that inch and 1/2 -2 in of space between my junk and the top tube( my package rest right on there). now i havent had any problems while riding i was just wondering how this affects my performance while riding compared to if i had a slightly smaller frame.

 

[alienator]

so i started cycling a few weeks ago.i purchased my bike offline not too concerned about all the finer details just intended to get some exercise. i find myself getting more and more into cycling . my frame hight is a bit high i dont have that inch and 1/2 -2 in of space between my junk and the top tube( my package rest right on there). now i havent had any problems while riding i was just wondering how this affects my performance while riding compared to if i had a slightly smaller frame.

A poorly fit bike can cause back pain, increase fatigue over a ride, make you feel uncomfortable, and a host of other things. That said, room between your junk and the top tube doesn't really say anything about fit. If you want to get a definitive answer re: how your bike fits, you'd need to get a bike fit done at an LBS. Note that there are no hard, fast rules about bike fit. You can google "bike fit" and find all manner of different descriptions, rules of thumb, "standards", and so on, but really they're all just guidelines.

As for your own fit, now, keep in mind that the space between your grollies and the top tube is pretty much dependent on how low your grollies are hangin'. If it's 10° and your naked, you might suddenly find that there's more room there than what you'd seen prior. In general, proper bike fit has more to do with how much your knee is bent at the bottom of the pedal stroke, the angle of your back when your hands are where you usually have them when riding, the angle between your arms and your torso, the bend in your elbows..........

Your fit on a given bike can be adjusted within limits by changing to a shorter or longer stem (the thing that holds the handlebar), to handlebars with more or less reach and/or drop, by moving the saddle back or forward, by switching to crankarms of a different length, by using a stem with a different angle, and so on.

Iffin' I were you, I'd have an LBS look at you on the bike.

 

[razor244]

im currently stationed in South east Georgia, people down here seem to screw up anything . ill just wait to go to a LBS when i get back to NY inthe middle of july. i havent experience any pain besides some stress on my right wrist on my after 15 miles or so.

 

[alienator]

Pain in your wrist could be a sign that your fit on the bike is wrong. Of course, it could be something else entirely. Where in SE Georgia are you? I'll bet someone here, on the forum, could direct you to a good LBS near your location.

In any case, you should keep track of any pains or discomfort you feel on the bike, as those can be good clues for someone doing a fit. In the interim you should try changing hand positions during a ride to relieve some of that wrist pain.

 

[razor244]

Pain in your wrist could be a sign that your fit on the bike is wrong. Of course, it could be something else entirely. Where in SE Georgia are you? I'll bet someone here, on the forum, could direct you to a good LBS near your location.

In any case, you should keep track of any pains or discomfort you feel on the bike, as those can be good clues for someone doing a fit. In the interim you should try changing hand positions during a ride to relieve some of that wrist pain.

ive been making minor adjustments here and there since ive started and finding info out. ill def try your tip. thanks

 

[cyberlegend1994]

If you're comfortable while riding and it fits well otherwise, you should be OK. The standover height is used as a general starting point, the rest can be compensated for to some extent with different seatposts, cranks and handlebar stems.

 

[oldbobcat]

Wrist pain is usually a symptom of too much weight on the arms and hands. Try sliding your saddle back, and if this causes more reach-type discomfort, look into a shorter stem. It can also indicate a bad handlebar angle or a handlebar that just doesn't work for you. Adjust bar angle and brake lever position so that the wrists are reasonably straight when you're gripping the bar in your most commonly used positions.

Generally, long-legged body types need to deal with more standover to keep the top tube and stem lengths appropriate for their shorter torsos. Short-legged types tend to get less standover because they need longer top tubes and stems.