Is my bike too big for me?

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cyberknight

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
Location
Land of confusion
philipgonzales3 said:
I feel like my saddle height is good. I may try to inch it up, or more correct cm it up a bit but it was definitely too high with the longer stem. It was a couple inches higher and I felt like I was straining to reach the pedals and I felt like I had too much pressure on the rear end. All that went away when I lowered it to inseam x .883. My speed also went up overall. I think I'm fairly close to where it needs to be in terms of seat height. How does a longer stem help? JW as I'm not familiar.
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reach to bars should be sorted out after saddle height
 
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philipgonzales3

philipgonzales3

Well-Known Member
EckyH said:
That "inseam x 0.883" method is my approach since the beginning of my "serious" cycling. That was over 30 years ago.
What does that mean?
First: it's an old method. Probably there are other, younger methods with newer ergonomic findings. One question is: how much do their results deviate from the 0.883 method? I don't know.
Second: Two wheels, a frame in between, the front wheel can change directions and the rider on top of the frame is an old concept as well. Over 200 years old. Granted, there are some improvements here and there, but the base is still the same. In my world that's an indication for a good concept. The 0.883 method was accepted for decades, so it couldn't be totally wrong.
Third: It's a starting point, not the absolute truth. There are factors which affect the correct saddle height too, eg. the distance between the pedal axle and the sole of the foot. On your photographs the bicycle is with flat pedals. Therefore I assume that you are wearing some kind of "normal" sport shoes (eg. for running or walking). These kind of shoes are optimised to dampen the load peaks of running - with relatively thick soles. Dedicated cycling shoes have thinner and stiffer soles. The 0.883 method is for cycling shoes. My recommendation is that you try out different saddle heights over time, but change it only for a few millimetres at a time, try it for a medium ride and take the necessary tools with you to have the ability to go back to the previous height. Your body will tell you what's the best saddle height.

According to the position of the seat post: that Trek frame has got a very long seat tube. For me that's the reason why the saddle setup looks a bit strange.
You wrote that you are on the heavy side for your size and that your cycling career is just at the beginning. The body weight has to be somewhere and from my own experience I know that it tends to gather around the belly. So we can't take a very aero position on the bicycle. The position on the road bike leads to three points of support: the saddle and the places where the hands meet the handlebar. The body muscles are much more used to handle the weight than the arms, wrists and hands. That's why I agree with the staff in the Trek store you mentioned: the handlebar setup is beginner friendly.

The standard frames from big brands like Trek and their sizes are made to match as many people as possible with "average" body proportions: leg length, torso length, arm length. If we are further away from that average, then we have to address that with a different frame size. You wrote that you have a longer torso and longer arms in relation to your legs. In my opinion a "too big" frame would be the obvious approach.

So my conclusion (with the available informations) is that the guys in the Trek store sold you a bicycle which is in the right size range for you.

E.

PS: You bought a car which matches the frame colour of your bicycle. Very good...
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Good points! And yes I am currently using my Asic running shoes on the bike. I'm actually looking at getting some Shimano 105 clipless pedals (especially since I think it will be spiffy to match the groupset and some Specialized Torch 1.0 road shoes (because they are only $60). And I for sure have a "beer" belly, but must be from past beers bc I hardly drink any now a days haha.

And ye, I love the colors of both my truck and my bike. Part of the reason I bought a gen 3 Domane SL5, as the newer colors are matte and bland looking. I was actually looking at the gen 4 AL5 which comes in black or green, both very flat and boring colors to me. Thanks for noticing the matching, was wondering if anyone would point that out. 100 points to you!
 
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philipgonzales3

philipgonzales3

Well-Known Member
Kingfisher101 said:
I think,Have I bought the right type of bike for the riding I want to do is more like the appropriate question. From the set up on that which is very relaxed/high makes me think you would have been better off with a touring bike or hybrid of some type?
Saying that as long as you can ride it and its comfortable for what you want to do that's all that matters. If you find down the line its not suitable then sell it and get something that is?
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I already have a hybrid and I like this road bike better. The hybrid bike feels slow and heavy to me now that I have this new bike. I want to be able to ride "long" distances at a relatively fast pace eventually. As well as about an hour a day for general fitness. I do feel it is pretty comfortable minus some lower back soreness but not sure it's a fit issue as I've always had some lower back soreness and it returns to normal pretty soon after my rides. Long story short I think it's good enough for my current fitness level/flexibility. I think I need to Keep It Simple Stupid and just keep on pedaling in the short term. Who knows what the long term will hold. Thanks!
 
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philipgonzales3

philipgonzales3

Well-Known Member
Sharky said:
What's your normal riding position?
On tops/brake hoods or on the drops?
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Mostly on the hoods. I put my hands across the top horizontal part when I'm fairly confident I don't need the brakes and to just switch it up a bit. I just started using the drops, it's not my "normal" or go to position but I physically can do it and have started using the drops to mix it up. I have to force myself to remember or I will go the whole ride on top. I'm not sure I'm using the "drops" correctly or what not but just getting used to the idea of using them is the first step. I don't "feel" any faster riding that way but haven't done any good downhill descents or anything. Mostly ride around the neighborhood but I do try to mix it up a bit. Plan to hit my local paved trail as often as I can. It's a better workout due to more hills. And the downhills are better than my neighborhood. Funner too!
 
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philipgonzales3

philipgonzales3

Well-Known Member
cyberknight said:
oddly i find .883 gives me the same result as heel on pedal to within 1 mm of my current seat height. that method was set up for 175 mm cranks and im on 170 so im 5 mm higher than the calculation but i take it to be within the ballpark range because if i go lower i get knee pain.
the john cobb method uses .889 which for me is 4 mm higher
the 1.09 to pedal is 1 cm lower but that to pedal so taking into account pedal thickness again in in the ballpark
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Very nice! I think I'm def in the ballpark of my optimal saddle height. Afraid to mess with it too much but I should experiment a bit. Maybe after I go clipless I'll see where I'm at and go from there.
 
cyberknight

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
Location
Land of confusion
philipgonzales3 said:
Mostly on the hoods. I put my hands across the top horizontal part when I'm fairly confident I don't need the brakes and to just switch it up a bit. I just started using the drops, it's not my "normal" or go to position but I physically can do it and have started using the drops to mix it up. I have to force myself to remember or I will go the whole ride on top. I'm not sure I'm using the "drops" correctly or what not but just getting used to the idea of using them is the first step. I don't "feel" any faster riding that way but haven't done any good downhill descents or anything. Mostly ride around the neighborhood but I do try to mix it up a bit. Plan to hit my local paved trail as often as I can. It's a better workout due to more hills. And the downhills are better than my neighborhood. Funner too!
Click to expand...
https://silca.cc/blogs/silca/body-position-and-aerodynamics-on-a-bike
drops are good for control and braking downhill but aero hood position is the most aero without clip on bars, my default ...
 

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philipgonzales3

philipgonzales3

Well-Known Member
cyberknight said:
it could be many issues,its hard to say without seeing you on the bike.You do have a desk job? which could also be a factor
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Yes, I'm in IT. I work from home and sit for 8 to 10 hours a day, if not more. I do have an electronic standing desk or what not but definitely don't stand as much as I should! Since I got it a couple of years ago I have maybe stood up a handful of times. I should probably make it a habit of standing a bit every day while working. I also have scoliosis (curvature of the spine), not sure if that matters but I feel like it may. I tend to slouch when at the computer and what not and I think I lean more to one side. It's mild but still.
 
cyberknight

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
Location
Land of confusion
you should be able to hold your forward lean whist lightly resting your hands on the hoods, otherwise your leaning to far for your current fitness and health allow
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