Bicycle fitting nightmare

[the_mikey]

90mm presumably

Yes, I'm not a monster!

 

[vickster]

Yes, I'm not a monster!

Clearly not if you only ride a 50/52cm top tube

 

[Spiderweb]

The OP has long arms so long reach. The effective top tube is 54.5cm (geometry chart below) but maybe a little less for the OP as he has his saddle so low, the bike should be fine.
@Aluminum Falcon what is the issue, do you feel as though you are over reaching?
If so try a 70mm stem and/or slide the saddle forward a bit.

 

[TK421]

What is the problem?
Does it feel wrong/uncomfortable

Thanks for the response. I don't seem to be able to get off the hoods and into the drops, but that might be a lack of confidence/practice.

 

[vickster]

Thanks for the response. I don't seem to be able to get off the hoods and into the drops, but that might be a lack of confidence/practice.

Need a more compact bar?

 

[fossyant]

@Aluminum Falcon are you talking about the Boardman in your avatar ? If so I said it was too big months ago. I'm like you, a medium Boardman road bike would be too big for me, 54 normal bike, the medium comes up more like a 56 on BB to top tube. I'm OK on a medium Boardman MTB though as that fits fine.

 

[TK421]

No way should you be on a 54 cm frame.
Small sounds about right

Had a measure up and the effective seat tube is more like 55/56cm. The effective top tube quoted by geometry geeks is correct though. The Boardman is rather large for a small.

 

[TK421]

Sounds like the frame is too big for you unless you are still growing and in which case you might grow into it.

Unfortunately I stopped growing vertically a long time ago.

 

[TK421]

As the sound advice above, seems that your bike may well be the right size, perhaps just spend a bit of time setting it up for your self, saddle height etc lots of videos on utube and can make a big difference to the way a bike feels ?

Fine tuning the geometry is currently a work in progress. I have some bars with a 125mm drop and a 75mm reach waiting to be fitted.

 

[TK421]

You definitely don't want to be on anything as big as a 54cm at your height and leg measurement, but nowadays, frame sizes are not standard enough between manufacturers to be able to say you definitely want a 51cm or a 49cm - it will depend on the brand and sometimes model.

Most recommendations I have seen say that if you are on the cusp between two sizes, you are usually better off going for the smaller of the two.

I was aiming in the middle of the various recommendations with the 51.5cm Boardman but unfortunately I didn't do enough homework. I think that I would need a 49/50cm frame in a Boardman for them to work for me.

 

[TK421]

I'm a smidge taller and I can only get away with the small Boardman with a 90 stem.next step maybe a compact reach bar ?

Already swapped to a 90mm stem and working on the handlebar situation.

 

[TK421]

do you feel as though you are over reaching?
If so try a 70mm stem and/or slide the saddle forward a bit.

Slight niggling doubts in the reach department. I will do some research on my seat position but currently it feels about right for my legs in relation to the BB.

 

[TK421]

are you talking about the Boardman in your avatar ? If so I said it was too big months ago.

I am, and I know. Thing is that it does feel right in a straight line and it doesn't in a gentle turn but does in a tight turn. Problem is others have said that it's not too big and so I'm confused and there seems to be no industry standard for bicycle sizing while there is a standard for sizing a rider which is about as much use as a chocolate teapot given the lack of conformity between manufacturers.

 

[TK421]

I would like to say thank you to all who posted in this thread while I was absent (at work driving), your replies have given me food for thought about tweaking the geometry to see if I can make it work.

 

[davidphilips]

Fine tuning the geometry is currently a work in progress. I have some bars with a 125mm drop and a 75mm reach waiting to be fitted.

Good man, before you fit new bars just check there width, lots of bikes are fitted with 42cm or even 44cm bars but know for me i prefere 40 or even 38cm bars? Same with crank arms/ chainsets always check there length most seem to be 172.5 or 175 again if i have my own preference of 170cm, as you say fine tuning.