Just Upgraded...... ????'s :)

[Moe]

Hi, I have just upgraded from a mountain bike/hybrid to a road bike. I am only a shorty of 5' 1" and got a 48 cm frame (the size recommended from where I bought it... Wiggle) My reach was too far so I have purchased a shorter stem. When I sat on it, it felt loads better, but, after a ride out yesterday, across the top of my shoulders ached and my hand felt a lot comfier on the 'bend' of the bars rather than the hoods. Does this mean my reach is still too much for me or is it just a position I need to get used to as it is new to me?

Also, I would love to put breaks on the tops so they are easy to get to, is it possible and how do I go about either doing this myself or how much would I expect to pay for it to be done?? (Just in the ball park would be good!)
TIA!!

 

[gavintc]

My wife has these on her commute bike and finds them useful in traffic.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cane-creek-crosstop-brake-levers/
With regard to the extended position. I think this is normal feel when you first cycle a road bike. I believe you will get used to the position, so propose you stick with it for a while . Clearly, if it is still an issue, you may need to consider options. One of these is to flip the stem over. Rotate it 180 degrees and you will find it points slightly upward. This will bring your bars closer and higher - not much, but it may help.

Good luck

 

[Moe]

My wife has these on her commute bike and finds them useful in traffic.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cane-creek-crosstop-brake-levers/
With regard to the extended position. I think this is normal feel when you first cycle a road bike. I believe you will get used to the position, so propose you stick with it for a while . Clearly, if it is still an issue, you may need to consider options. One of these is to flip the stem over. Rotate it 180 degrees and you will find it points slightly upward. This will bring your bars closer and higher - not much, but it may help.

Good luck

Thank you gavintc! I have already turned the stem around, I did this when I put it on. I will persevere with the position for a while longer to see if the aches ease!! Thank you also for the link! I didn't know where to begin looking for them!! They look wonderful and the reviews say they are easy to fit! I hope they are as easy as they say!

 

[cyberknight]

Have a look at this ...
http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefit.html
Your bike should be set up so riding on the hoods /brakes is the default position.

 

[vickster]

Also, I would love to put breaks on the tops so they are easy to get to, is it possible and how do I go about either doing this myself or how much would I expect to pay for it to be done?? (Just in the ball park would be good!)
TIA!!

Ask your LBS unless you are mechanically minded, have them provide the cross brakes (you'll need to make sure you get the right size), and get them to fit. My LBS charged me £25, £15 for the brakes, £10 for fitting (would have been £20 but had other work done). I wouldn't even consider doing anything like that myself

One thing to be aware of, on a 48cm ladies bike, you'll have narrow bars (probably a 38 or 40cm), once the cross brakes are on, you'll have more limited space for lights and other gadgetry

While you are there, get the LBS to advise on your bike fit

 

[raleighnut]

I've always ridden 'on the bends' of drop bars started like that in 74 and haven't changed since.

 

[youngoldbloke]

How are your bars set up? You might find them more comfortable if you rotate them up as in the second illustration. You should be able to brake effectively with your hands on the hoods. Do you have small hands - you may need shims fitted to the shifters, or the reach adjusted.

 

[Moe]

Ask your LBS unless you are mechanically minded, have them provide the cross brakes (you'll need to make sure you get the right size), and get them to fit. My LBS charged me £25, £15 for the brakes, £10 for fitting (would have been £20 but had other work done). I wouldn't even consider doing anything like that myself

My local bike shop is rather expensive and I have had poor service from them in the past (even though I bought a bike from them). Not impressed with them at all! There is another shop but they seemed a bit vague when I asked them questions. BUT, I will pop round today and see what they say! Thank you!

 

[HarryTheDog]

Hi I am used to looking and sizing bikes for small people as we are a family of shorties and my wife is 5ft 1, daughter 5ft 3 I am 5 ft 5 but have a very short torso and can fit on a 50cm TT bike properly . You say the bike is a 48cm frame, I quickly looked at wiggle and only looked at the ladies bikes. The only ones in stock were the Felts or the Bobbin, non of the smallest described as 48cm frame so wondered which bike you bought. I probably don't need to tell you that its the effective or virtual top tube length ( horizontal distance from the middle of the top of the head tube to the seatpost) that is the killer, The smallest you are likely to ever get in a 700c wheeled bike is 49cm. ( I have a 48cm in the shed but that's a very specialized TT bike we had to wait months for). Can you measure your effective/virtual Top tube length? I would suggest that anything over 50cm is likely to cause you a problem. If it is 50cm or less , maybe slamming the seat forward would help but that can cause other problems depending on the length of your thighs, also seat angle can effect your weight onto the bars, tipping it up at the front a tiny bit can stop the feeling of being pushed into the bars, however both my ladies have theirs tipped down for comfort . I take it the stem is mounted at the top of the fork tube ie loads of spacers under it, none on top. On the other hand everything size wise can be fine and you just need to get used to the position, some press ups and neck exercises may help.

 

[Moe]

You say the bike is a 48cm frame, I quickly looked at wiggle and only looked at the ladies bikes. The only ones in stock were the Felts or the Bobbin, non of the smallest described as 48cm frame so wondered which bike you bought.

HarryTheDog, I bought this bike.... It is no longer available (I think I got the last one) I hope the link works for you!

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mekk-pinerolo-al-10-sora-2013/?sku=5360553678

I did swap the seat from my old bike as this one looked a bit harsh, but, for my ride tomorrow I am going to swap it back! I have put on a 60 mm stem but plan on getting an even shorter one as soon as it comes available(the original was a 90 mm). I do think that it is mainly a position I am not used to that is the main problem but I also feel I want the handlebars closer to me. All I can do is try!

 

[HarryTheDog]

I dont like telling you this but I had a look the geometry on wiggle and the virtual top tube geometry for that bike it is a virtual top tube of 53.5cm .I dont know what crazy person wrote the sizing guide for that Mekk and thought a 53.5cm top tube was correct for someone 5 ft 1 tall. If you look at the Felt women's sizing they have a 52.5 TT for someone 5 ft 4 to 5ft 8. They would recommend a 50cm TT for you and so would Colnago or a 51.4 , Colnagos 53.0 Virtual top tube bike is for someone 5ft 6 to 5 ft 9. I think you have been sold the wrong size. I have not dealt with Wiggle on bikes , only components, so don't know what their attitude will be. Or maybe they got the chart wrong and you will have to get the tape measure out. My daughter is taller and has been measured professionally for bikes on 3 occasions ( was a member of a national level team) and needs 48cm TT for a time trial bike and a 50cm for road. Felt and Colnago have it right in my humble yet UN-proffesional opinion. Maybe some one else on the forum of a professional bike sizing bent, may help out here. I personally would say someone has cocked up that size guide. . Shorter than a 60mm stem is likely going to make the handling twitchy, I was told not to go below 80mm if I could. Sorry to tell you this, its a real pain hope it does not upset you.
MEKK below

colnago below

felt below

 

[HarryTheDog]

I was not happy with telling you the bike was unsuitasble for you and am wondering whether there is something I am missing in the
Mekk's geometry to make it allow it to have a longer virtual top tube than most other bikes I have ever looked at for the girls, I notice the head tube is taller on the Mekk,135 mm compared to 110 on the felt and 125 on the colnago. wheelbase is longer though at 10002, 974 on the Felt . ( none given for the Colnago). Seat tube head tube angles similar . The taller headtube will help making it feel smaller . Maybe this has the geometry for a tourer not a race bike. I looked at the geometry of a Surly Long Haul trucker and thier smallest 700c wheel frame has a hugely long effective to tube at 570 tall head tube at 152, the angles are very different. Looking at their 26 inch wheel Surly it has geometry very similar to the felt and colnago 50.5 cm tob tube , the angles are very similar , head tube only 110. So maybe not, the Mekk geometry is not making sense to me. Hopefully a expert will come along and explain it to the both of us.

 

[Moe]

Thank you Harry. There's not a lot I can do about it now anyway. Even if it is not the right size, unfortunately I was stupid and cut the bottom of the seat post off....... So, even if I wanted to I couldn't send it back!! (Please don't ask me why I did it! lol.) Anyway, I am stuck with it and will just have to make the best of what I have. I cannot afford another bike, not for a long while......... I went for a ride today after putting the original seat back on and it seemed slightly better, I just needed to re-adjust the seat a bit.

 

[youngoldbloke]

You mention the seatpost ..... have you got a layback or inline seatpost? I suspect a layback came with the bike. You might be able to move the saddle forward another 25mm or so with an inline post (but be aware of KOPS 'rule') - that is assuming your saddle is as far forward as it can be already, of course.

 

[PaulSB]

A few years ago I broke my right hand and damaged the tendon at the bottom of the right thumb in an altercation with a car!!

I have small hands and it was months before I had sufficient strength and reach - the tendon damage - to operate the brakes. The solution was to fit cross brakes while my hand healed.

My experience was after removing the cross brakes I still found myself reaching for them. I would suggest as you are moving from an MTB/hybrid fitting cross brakes to your road bike will make it very difficult to make the transition to road bike brakes - you may not even manage it.

Cross brakes are OK as a short-term fix but I feel in the longer term they create a potential risk. Put the braking system in two different places and in an emergency, when one relies on reflexes, the brain may not react quickly enough. I found the transition back to the hoods required conscious thought.