Throughout the past year, I have been on a search for a bike that fit me right. Along the way, I went through 1 Trek, 2 Giant's, 1 LeMond, and a Torelli. I found Antonio Ragatz on accident one day. I stopped by his shop to see what it looked like, and one of the first things that he said to me was that my bike didn't fit me. The top tube was to long, and the seat tube was to short. I was riding a Giant at the time. Since that Giant, Antonio has taught me many things about the art of sizing, and frame building. Bike fit is one of the most important things in cycling. The way a bike fits you determines how comfortable you are going to be, and how the bike is going to handle.
One of the biggest things that affects the way a bike handles is the stem length. A bike that fits properly should have a 120mm stem, 110mm at the shortest. A bike with a shorter stem will be to twitchy, and a longer stem will make the bike to slow. There are quite a few companies out there that are trying to sell a "one size fits all" style of bike. It used to be that bikes came in 1cm increments, and were available in just about any size possible. The main reason for the new switch is capital. For a bike company, it is a lot cheaper to mass manufacture bicycle frames in 4 sizes. This provides excellent savings for the company, at a HUGE disservice to the customer. These companies say that you can fit on any bike, just put the right stem on. Often this makes the stem to short, and as a result, the bike handles poorly.
The top tube length is another common mistake. The top tube is proportional to your torso, and any companies today are producing longer top tube lengths than the average person needs. For example, the top tube length on a Large Giant is 58.5cm. Giant states that a person 5'11"-6'1" can ride a large. The large majority of the people that are that height do not have a long enough torso to properly fit this bike. I will admit that some people can ride it, my friend rides a large with a 120mm stem... He's also 6'4.5", well over the recommended size for him. If he were to ride an XL, as suggested, the top tube would be to long. When you ride a bike with the top tube to long, it forces you to do one of two things. 1, Sacrifice the difference with your stem, but I have already mentioned the sacrifice in performance that comes from this. 2, you can try and correct it by pushing your saddle forward.
Your saddle position is also very important. With the saddle pushed to far forward, your knees are over the pedal to much, and it causes your pedaling to be incorrect. Saddle position is affected by your seat tube angle.
The ideal seat tube angle is 73 degree's. With a seat tube angle of 73 degrees, you can have your saddle far enough back that your pedal stroke is able to push and pull through the full range of motion, resulting is better power and efficiency.
These are just some of the very BASICS that I have learned from Antonio, there are so many factors that affect bike performance, that there is no way I can list them all. Antonio believes that fitting a person properly on a bike is a passion, and an art, that comes from within. I have found that having a bike that fits properly makes the biggest difference in my riding. I am now able to carve corners and go on long rides in comfort.
The bike that he has built for me is so smooth that if I knew when to turn, I could ride blindfolded. The bike has almost become a part of me, an extension of my body. I am riding a bike that fits and rides the way a bike should, and so could you.
Antonio has VERY competitive pricing, and many of his customers are so satisfied with the bike that he builds for them, that they have him build another, if not two more. Check out his website at www.bicycleworldusa.com It has some information on Antonio, his shop, and a look at some of the frames that he offers.
By the way, Antonio builds his bikes with Dedacciai U2 and 6110 tubing, the same tubing that Pinarello uses in their Dogma and Prince SL, but at a much lower price, for a custom bike. You can get your bike built any way you want it, with any tubing from Dedacciai, including carbon. You can check out Dedacciai here: http://www.dedacciai.com/products.asp?type=1&tid=64
One of the biggest things that affects the way a bike handles is the stem length. A bike that fits properly should have a 120mm stem, 110mm at the shortest. A bike with a shorter stem will be to twitchy, and a longer stem will make the bike to slow. There are quite a few companies out there that are trying to sell a "one size fits all" style of bike. It used to be that bikes came in 1cm increments, and were available in just about any size possible. The main reason for the new switch is capital. For a bike company, it is a lot cheaper to mass manufacture bicycle frames in 4 sizes. This provides excellent savings for the company, at a HUGE disservice to the customer. These companies say that you can fit on any bike, just put the right stem on. Often this makes the stem to short, and as a result, the bike handles poorly.
The top tube length is another common mistake. The top tube is proportional to your torso, and any companies today are producing longer top tube lengths than the average person needs. For example, the top tube length on a Large Giant is 58.5cm. Giant states that a person 5'11"-6'1" can ride a large. The large majority of the people that are that height do not have a long enough torso to properly fit this bike. I will admit that some people can ride it, my friend rides a large with a 120mm stem... He's also 6'4.5", well over the recommended size for him. If he were to ride an XL, as suggested, the top tube would be to long. When you ride a bike with the top tube to long, it forces you to do one of two things. 1, Sacrifice the difference with your stem, but I have already mentioned the sacrifice in performance that comes from this. 2, you can try and correct it by pushing your saddle forward.
Your saddle position is also very important. With the saddle pushed to far forward, your knees are over the pedal to much, and it causes your pedaling to be incorrect. Saddle position is affected by your seat tube angle.
The ideal seat tube angle is 73 degree's. With a seat tube angle of 73 degrees, you can have your saddle far enough back that your pedal stroke is able to push and pull through the full range of motion, resulting is better power and efficiency.
These are just some of the very BASICS that I have learned from Antonio, there are so many factors that affect bike performance, that there is no way I can list them all. Antonio believes that fitting a person properly on a bike is a passion, and an art, that comes from within. I have found that having a bike that fits properly makes the biggest difference in my riding. I am now able to carve corners and go on long rides in comfort.
The bike that he has built for me is so smooth that if I knew when to turn, I could ride blindfolded. The bike has almost become a part of me, an extension of my body. I am riding a bike that fits and rides the way a bike should, and so could you.
Antonio has VERY competitive pricing, and many of his customers are so satisfied with the bike that he builds for them, that they have him build another, if not two more. Check out his website at www.bicycleworldusa.com It has some information on Antonio, his shop, and a look at some of the frames that he offers.
By the way, Antonio builds his bikes with Dedacciai U2 and 6110 tubing, the same tubing that Pinarello uses in their Dogma and Prince SL, but at a much lower price, for a custom bike. You can get your bike built any way you want it, with any tubing from Dedacciai, including carbon. You can check out Dedacciai here: http://www.dedacciai.com/products.asp?type=1&tid=64
