New bike fit concern

[Megustalaplaya]

Hi Everyone!

I'm returning to cycling after a 13 year absence. I bought an entry level, 50cm, Trek Lexa Friday evening and went for my first ride yesterday. Loved being back on a bike!

I noticed when I stopped at a traffic light that I had to lean to the left and my right leg rested on the top bar. So I stood over the bar and realized I have no clearance. Meaning my girly parts are resting on the bar. I don't know why I didn't notice this when I test rode the bike at the shop. The bike shop does have a 47cm and when I test rode it I noticed that I could see over the handlebars and see the hub. Based on that, I thought the 47cm was too small. Now I'm wondering if I made the right decision.

What are you thoughts on this? Oh, I'm 4'11 3/4 (59.75) with an inseam of about 29 inches and have a short upper body.

Any insight or opinions are very much appreciated!

[goldfinch]

Hi Everyone!

I'm returning to cycling after a 13 year absence. I bought an entry level, 50cm, Trek Lexa Friday evening and went for my first ride yesterday. Loved being back on a bike!

I noticed when I stopped at a traffic light that I had to lean to the left and my right leg rested on the top bar. So I stood over the bar and realized I have no clearance. Meaning my girly parts are resting on the bar. I don't know why I didn't notice this when I test rode the bike at the shop. The bike shop does have a 47cm and when I test rode it I noticed that I could see over the handlebars and see the hub. Based on that, I thought the 47cm was too small. Now I'm wondering if I made the right decision.

What are you thoughts on this? Oh, I'm 4'11 3/4 (59.75) with an inseam of about 29 inches and have a short upper body.

Any insight or opinions are very much appreciated!

I am an inch shorter than you and ride a Trek Madone with similar geometry in a 43 cm size. 50 seems large, especially if you have a short torso like me. But there certainly is variability in what fits people of similar height.

[zoom-zoom]

That sounds awfully large. My bike is roughly a 50cm (it's a 48, but Cannondales run large--in any other brand I'd be on a 50-51) and I am just shy of 5'4". With a slightly shorter stem I'd be able to see my front hub, too...and my bike is definitely not too small for me.

[badgercat]

Every body and every bike is shaped differently of course, but I'm 5'5" and my Jamis road bike is 51cm... I'd go back to the shop and ride the 47cm again and see how it feels.

[Owlie]

50cm does seem awfully large...

[Maye]

Welcome to the TE forum!!
I have a Trek Lexa (SLX) also. I'm 5"7 and a half and my bike is 52cm long. I could have fit in a 54cm but I think it was too big for me. I don't have too much experience, but I think that bike is too large.

[silversurfer]

Hello. I have a Trek Lexa (SL). I'm 5' 2" with a 29in inseam. Mine's 47cm and it fits perfectly. I'm pretty sure the 50cm would be a bit big for me.

[Penny4]

How did you feel on it, aside from the standover issue? Did the LBS have any imput on the 47 vs 50 for you?

As Muirenn said, my LBS told me the hub test isn't really a valid indicator of fit.

[Owlie]

Hi Everyone!

I'm returning to cycling after a 13 year absence. I bought an entry level, 50cm, Trek Lexa Friday evening and went for my first ride yesterday. Loved being back on a bike!

I noticed when I stopped at a traffic light that I had to lean to the left and my right leg rested on the top bar. So I stood over the bar and realized I have no clearance. Meaning my girly parts are resting on the bar. I don't know why I didn't notice this when I test rode the bike at the shop. The bike shop does have a 47cm and when I test rode it I noticed that I could see over the handlebars and see the hub. Based on that, I thought the 47cm was too small. Now I'm wondering if I made the right decision.

What are you thoughts on this? Oh, I'm 4'11 3/4 (59.75) with an inseam of about 29 inches and have a short upper body.

Any insight or opinions are very much appreciated!

A lot of the fit tricks, like the hub test, are loose guidelines. If you don't quite fit the mold, they become less accurate. For what it's worth, I'm nearly 5'7", and ride something that Giant labels as a 50cm, but I think it's closer to a 52-54. In most road bikes, I need somewhere between a 51 and a 54cm.

[Eden]

I'm a hair bigger than you 5' even 5' 1/4" if you believe the last person who took my height, but I think she didn't squish down my hair..... with about the same inseam as you. No way I could ride a 50! I'm on a 44cm on my 700c wheel bike and a 47 on my 650c.

Regardless of stand-over, unless you have very long arms, I'd wager that you are waaaaaaaaay stretched out on that 50. You should be able to have a very comfortable bend in your elbows when reaching the handlebars. If you are reaching straight out the bike is too big.

Oh.... I can see the hub over the handlebars on all of my bikes....

[silversurfer]

Regardless of stand-over, unless you have very long arms, I'd wager that you are waaaaaaaaay stretched out on that 50. You should be able to have a very comfortable bend in your elbows when reaching the handlebars. If you are reaching straight out the bike is too big.



The 50cm version doesn't fit me for this reason. I forgot to say that my LBS had me on a trainer for quite a while to make the various adjustments - saddle, bars etc - and they were quite clear that 50cm would have been too big for me.

[Koronin]

That seems large to me as well. I do not have a Lexa. I have an older Trek road bike. A Trek 2000 (about an 8 to 10 year old men's bike) that is a 47cm frame and my new bike (also a men's frame) is a 48cm Felt F5. My inseam is about 27 inches, although I have a bit longer torso, hence my better fit on men's frames. To me the 47cm Trek is the correct size. I did test a 47cm Lexa and felt the standover height was ok, but felt cramped with the tightness of the handlebars and the top bar length. For me the Cannondales are all have too high of a standover height.

[Megustalaplaya]

Thank you for everyone's responses.

The bike shop really didn't fit as far as measuring. When I went in and told them I was interested in the Lexa both people that helped me just looked at me and recommended the 50cm as they thought the 47cm might be too small. The last person who sold the bike to me let me ride both bikes and told me that the main difference between the two was the top tube and it wasn't a huge difference. He said to ride both and determine which is more comfortable. Not being on a bike in ages and being excited about getting a new bike...well....they both felt great! The bike I choose was quieter so I think that was my deciding factor.

I took the bike out last night and didn't notice being too stretched out. But again, I'm not sure what I'm "supposed" to look like or feel? I am noticing my palms are feeling the pressure of the bars though. When I stopped at a light I noticed I can straddle without touching the top bar if my back is touching the nose of the seat. :)

Speaking of seats...my seat is definitely lower than my handlebars. Shouldn't the seat be higher? I do want to add this bike has the H3 fit which is supposed to have a back and neck saving feature of sitting a bit more upright than a more aero position.

I may go back to the shop and ride the 47cm again. Not sure if the LBS would let me switch bikes at this point. I've put about 30 miles on the bike already.

[ehirsch83]

30 miles isn't a ton- that could of been only 1 ride.

They don't need to know how many miles.

They sold you, blatantly, the wrong size bike due to lack of fit knowledge/laziness.

I am 5'6 and I am stretched out on a 50cm frame. Granted I have long legs and a short torso but still.

At only 4'11 you should be on a 44cm(as my educated guess, I used to work in a bike shop) a 47 would be stretching it. I know Trek doesn't make anything smaller then the 47 but I would imagine you being on a 47 with a 90cm stem as the longest option.

I would take it back and demand that they exchange it out for the smaller size and include a proper fit.

You should never buy a road bike and not have a fit done.(that is the stores fault if they don't include a fit)

[Antaresia]

Let us know what happens, I think you deserve a refund, 30 miles or no. Keep that in mind, and if they won't do it ask to speak to manager or something. It's ridiculous you ended up with a bike too big for you.

I'm 5'4, I ride a 52cm (fitted) and a 53cm (not fitted, used junker bike). I don't have any standover clearance on either one, and they both fit, but I have to wear sneakers with thick soles. That being said, 50cm for your height sounds too big.

[TigerMom]

I'm 5ft 1in and on a 48cm Amira Elite, but I have a long torso and short legs for a woman (I'm built like a gymnast). So my girl parts are touching (but not jammed into) the top of the bar and when I stop, I usually tilt the bike sideways when I put one leg down just in case. I have always tilted the bike when I stop since I am very short, but this doesn't bother me much.

I tried the 44cm Ruby, but I my back curled up when I rode the bike and was very uncomfortable. I rather be comfortably riding and be minimally uncomfortable getting off of the bike. I did not buy a man's bike because Specialized company said that the man's bike is heavier than a woman's bike for the same sized bike.

So, if you are squashing your girl parts when you stop, you may need a new bike. But if you are comfortable riding, it may be the right size bike for you. However, if you have a short torso, your 50cm bike might be a quite big for you. Can you go get a bike fit for free at the bike shop that you bought the bike from or exchange for a smaller size?

_______________
2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle
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[ny biker]

FWIW, my current road bike (a Trek) had been bought by someone else and then returned because the first owner did not like the compact double chain rings. Which means she did at least one ride on that bike before returning it.

(The LBS manager wanted to make sure the next person who bought it would be happy with it, so he let me do a 30-mile test ride.)

[TigerMom]

I took the bike out last night and didn't notice being too stretched out. But again, I'm not sure what I'm "supposed" to look like or feel? I am noticing my palms are feeling the pressure of the bars though. When I stopped at a light I noticed I can straddle without touching the top bar if my back is touching the nose of the seat. :)

Speaking of seats...my seat is definitely lower than my handlebars. Shouldn't the seat be higher? I do want to add this bike has the H3 fit which is supposed to have a back and neck saving feature of sitting a bit more upright than a more aero position.

I may go back to the shop and ride the 47cm again. Not sure if the LBS would let me switch bikes at this point. I've put about 30 miles on the bike already.

Also, I went from a hybrid to a road bike so my palms were also feeling squished. Go find a biking glove with padding at where your palms hurt. It helped me greatly.

As for your seat being lower than your handlebars... as you get more comfortable riding, you can adjust your seat up and get the spacers from your handlebars removed to lower it down. Currently my seat and my handlebars are level with each other.

_______________
2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle
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[Megustalaplaya]

Hopefully you can see these two pics. I had my 12 year old take them for me. :) What are your thoughts?


http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o577/Bike2012/Bike2012a.jpg

http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o577/Bike2012/Bike2012.jpg

[emily_in_nc]

Until I saw those photos, I was going to say that a 50 cm has to be way too big for you. I am 5'2" and have ridden 44-46 cm road bikes and can't imagine going larger than a 47. But the bike actually looks like it fits you well in the photos. Are you sure it's really a 50?

Per your question, I like my saddles the same height as my saddle, not higher, not lower. Unless you're racing, having your bars lower than your saddle is very likely to lead to pain. For recreational riding, having them the same height should be about right.

That's a really pretty bike! I hope you can make it work. You look way taller than 4'11" on it, so that says to me that it is quite small.

[Owlie]

Until I saw those photos, I was going to say that a 50 cm has to be way too big for you. I am 5'2" and have ridden 44-46 cm road bikes and can't imagine going larger than a 47. But the bike actually looks like it fits you well in the photos. Are you sure it's really a 50?

Per your question, I like my saddles the same height as my saddle, not higher, not lower. Unless you're racing, having your bars lower than your saddle is very likely to lead to pain. For recreational riding, having them the same height should be about right.

That's a really pretty bike! I hope you can make it work. You look way taller than 4'11" on it, so that says to me that it is quite small.

Same here. It doesn't look like a bad fit to my eyes, though I defer to people with more experience. It might well be a 50, because if you look in the photos, it looks like there's a spot on the seat tube for a water bottle cage, which AFAIK is usually missing on the small frames, or appears to be missing in my image searches for 47cm Lexas. OP, I think you might need a proper bike fit, but it doesn't look too bad.

FWIW, my saddle and bars are about the same height. Same height or a little bit of a drop work well for me. I have no idea why they set up bikes so aggressively in pictures.

Also, pretty bike!

[laura*]

Hopefully you can see these two pics. I had my 12 year old take them for me. :) What are your thoughts?

I think your saddle is too high - you're having to "ankle" to reach the pedal at the bottom of the stroke.

In the "on hoods" position, it looks like you're really having to reach - your elbows seem totally locked.

One way to make a bike feel a bit smaller is to raise the handlebars. On this bike, they're already in the "raised" position. This means that you're in a quite upright riding position. If you ever want to drop down further, you'll find the handlebars too far forward.

[Maye]

Megustalaplaya,
+1 to the the previous comments about the pictures. Looks from here that it fits you well but I'm no expert :-). You should get it properly fit to avoid issues related to pain in your back or knees and also to be sure that your bike is a 50cm. The color of this Lexa model is beautiful. Love the contrast of the handlebar tapes with the rest of the bike. I have the Lexa (green one) and the handlebar tapes are white but I'm going to change them to bright green soon. Let us know how it goes.

[OakLeaf]

I'm no expert either, but here are the two things I see:

I agree that it doesn't look like the frame is too big for you. You really don't look stretched out to me. But you're the one who has to ride it.

I don't think your saddle is too high, I think your crankarms are too long. Yes, at the bottom of the pedal stroke your knee is very straight and you're pointing your toes, which isn't good. But the other knee, at the top of the pedal stroke, is bent very deeply, which isn't good either. That's a classic picture of a too-long crank, which is something I really zero in on because it's a big issue for me. Considering your height vs. the nominal frame size, it's very likely that a complete bike would ship with a crank that's too long for you. My 50 cm Synapse shipped with 170mm cranks, and I had to swap them out for 165s, which are the longest ones I can ride.

Also, it looks like your handlebars could be too wide for you. That might be responsible for at least some of your hand pain. Your wrists are breaking to the inside on both hand positions in your picture. You want to be able to keep your wrists as straight as possible.

Pretty bike. Hope you can get the fit issues sorted.



(Also, +1 on helmet and gloves, yes even in the parking lot when you're only riding the bike 100 feet so someone can take pictures. I got a lecture about that from my mechanic last year, and I deserved it. It only takes a moment of inattention or distraction for you to fall, and that can happen any time, and when it does, bicycles usually throw you onto your head and/or your hands.)

[goldfinch]

Keep in mind that Megustalaplaya barely has clearance with the toptube, which can be pesky when starting and stoping. One size smaller might just be better and given the bike has barely been riden she could see if she could swap it out.

[Eden]

I think for the reasons that a few people mentioned that it does look a bit big - all of the problems would probably be fixable on that frame *but* might not be an issue at all on the smaller one....

I'll admit that it doesn't look *nearly* as big as I thought it would. Glancing at the geometry on Trek's web site, I can see why.... I'm not sure why they called it a 50. Their 47 is more like a 44 and their 50 is more like a 47 from other manufacturers. I can sit and look OK on a 47 - heck I can ride a 47 and be perfectly OK until I hit steep terrain or long distances.

I'll agree with Oak, it really looks like the crank is too long - you shouldn't be pointing your toes at the bottom of the stroke. That will become uncomfortable and tiring pretty quickly, not to mention isn't good for your knees. I do think your arms look too straight. The question is *can* you bend your elbows vs are you just not accustomed to doing it. You should be able to reach your handle bars (in both positions) without pulling your shoulders forward or locking your elbows, both of which it looks like you might be doing, but that could just be newbie jitters too - a lot of new riders put the handlebars in a death grip at first and that causes the same things. Test it out - see if you can reach and ride with loose arms - about a 15 degree bend in your elbows I think and shoulders relaxed. If it's hard to do while moving have someone hold the bike while you experiment.

As far as saddle height and saddle position goes - some rough guidelines - with the pedal all the way at the bottom of the pedal stroke, put your heel on the pedal your leg should be straight, put your foot in the toe clips, you should have a very slight bend in your knee. Move your saddle forwards or backwards to put the front of your knee over the pedal spindle when the pedals are at 3 and 9 o'clock.

Now both of these problems can be solved with parts swaps (change the crank, change the stem) *but* they may be correct in the first place on the smaller frame (the littlest frames sometimes do come with 165's - my Specialized did). Another thing.... if you get shorter cranks that might necessitate moving your saddle back to get a correct knee over pedal position, which means the reach will be a bit longer and it really doesn't look like you could go longer than you are right now - and going shorter and shorter on the stem to make a too big frame fit isn't ideal - better to have the bike that fits in the first place.

[PirateKitty]

I like the beach too!! ;)
If you do not feel comfortable on your bike, definitely see if you can return/exchange it. There's nothing worse than having that thought in the back of your mind that you can/might hurt yourself. Safety first.

[Jo-n-NY]

Most people you can fit 2 sizes. I am 5'2 and believe my inseam is a 29. I had a Dolce & then a Ruby both 51cm. I enjoyed the ride of both, never had any neck pain, back pain etc and was comfortable on both. I was not comfortable in the drops however. I rode my Dolce for 4,000mi and the Ruby 10,000+. Then I was at a Specialized event and had the opportunity to demo the Amira last year. It was suggested that I ride the 48.

Mind you, before getting the Dolce my first road bike then Ruby I went by the way my girlfriend likes to ride. She likes a more stretched position. So when I tried the 48 I thought the postion was not correct needless to say my choosing the 51. What I found when on the Amira I was sitting on my sit bones. On the others I think more pressure was on the front area kept moving myself back on the seat to sit on the sit bones, but then was not reaching the hoods so would be on my front matters. I would ride a century constandly adjusting myself on the seat. I felt I had more power with the Amira and I am very comfortable in the drops.

I still had a bend in elbow on the 51's. I just feel my position is more fine tuned on the smaller frame.

You look like you a well positioned on the bike but take notice how you are placing your self on the seat.

[Eden]

Most people you can fit 2 sizes.

I'd change that a bit - most people can *ride* more than one size... fit is a different matter. I rode a bike too big for much of my adult life. I did weeks long tours and century rides on it. I could most certainly ride it - but it did not fit properly, but until I had something that fit properly I never even knew that it wasn't perfect.

Do we get a bit hung up about it here - probably. A lot of people, I'm sure, can have an imperfectly fitting bike and be fine with that forever. For a lot of types of riding you don't really and truly need a fit like a glove to be happy and to not hurt, but then again there may be people out there who never fall in love with it the way they might if they did have a bike that fit like a glove.

[Jo-n-NY]

Much better said Eden. Thank you for clarifying my post :)

[emily_in_nc]

Also, all other things being equal, if you can ride two sizes, the smaller of the two will be slightly lighter in weight. Who doesn't want to save a few grams here and there if it doesn't result in a poorer fit/ride? :D

[Megustalaplaya]

First thank you so much for everyone's feedback. I have learned so much from everyone's replies. Every single one of you rock!! :D

I went to the bike shop today and addressed my concerns. They will not trade out the bike as it is now considered used. The manager, who also sold me the bike, said that is why they do the fitting to make sure the bike is the right size. I was speechless. Other than telling me to decide which bike was more comfortable and raising the seat, he did not really do a fitting. I really wanted to remind him that he spent more time talking to my SO than talking to me about the bike but I kept my mouth shut. No sense in alienating him or the shop. He did say that whatever adjustments that need to be done, including shortening and sanding the stem to adjust my reach, is completely covered for the first year. He also said to keep riding as my comfort level may change as I get use to the bike. So with all that said it looks like I will be keeping my bike and I'm completely okay with that. I've grown kinda attached to her! :D

[Antaresia]

Can you find another bike shop? That one sucks.

[jyyanks]

Really poor customer service. If you're happy with the bike then fine, but quite frankly you should have reminded him that he did NOT do a fitting which is why you are unhappy. I feel like he got away with selling you a bike that doesn't fit and made it look like your fault. This is not a bike ship that you should worry about alienating as they didn't really do you any favors. If you are attached to the bike, I would keep it but I would NOT go back to that same shop again and would find another shop to do business with ASAP.

[zoom-zoom]

Really poor customer service. If you're happy with the bike then fine, but quite frankly you should have reminded him that he did NOT do a fitting which is why you are unhappy. I feel like he got away with selling you a bike that doesn't fit and made it look like your fault. This is not a bike ship that you should worry about alienating as they didn't really do you any favors. If you are attached to the bike, I would keep it but I would NOT go back to that same shop again and would find another shop to do business with ASAP.

What she said. You were FAR too accommodating, given that you dropped a lot of money on a purchase from them and they didn't do their job properly.

[Koronin]

I agree, do you have another bike shop in your local area, or even a short drive?

[Owlie]

First thank you so much for everyone's feedback. I have learned so much from everyone's replies. Every single one of you rock!! :D

I went to the bike shop today and addressed my concerns. They will not trade out the bike as it is now considered used. The manager, who also sold me the bike, said that is why they do the fitting to make sure the bike is the right size. I was speechless. Other than telling me to decide which bike was more comfortable and raising the seat, he did not really do a fitting. I really wanted to remind him that he spent more time talking to my SO than talking to me about the bike but I kept my mouth shut. No sense in alienating him or the shop. He did say that whatever adjustments that need to be done, including shortening and sanding the stem to adjust my reach, is completely covered for the first year. He also said to keep riding as my comfort level may change as I get use to the bike. So with all that said it looks like I will be keeping my bike and I'm completely okay with that. I've grown kinda attached to her! :D

I'm getting a not-good vibe from that shop. They don't seem to be doing their job. Please, find another one.

[Kathi]

Don't accept this. There is a huge difference between a fitting and a sizing. You got a sizing and a very poor one. There's a world of difference between a bike that fits well and an "almost" fit.

From the Master Bike Fitters Association:

"Sizing” based methods are often used to buy and sell bikes via the internet and by shops who do not have a firm commitment or understanding of fitting. A bike sizing usually takes under half an hour and can consist of as little as seeing if the rider has stand over clearance over the top tube or (at the most) taking some basic body measurements and then selecting the bike size based upon this. A “sizing” is limited in scope and does not take into account important individual rider based variables or even whether the bike is even offered in a frame geometry that is suitable to your needs. The end result of a “sizing” is that the rider must do their best to adapt to the limitations and constraints of the model that is chosen. Despite these substantial limitations, the vast majority of bikes, even high-end bikes, are bought and sold by “sizing”.

http://www.fitwerx.com/bike-sizing-vs-bike-fitting-fit-formulas

This bike is too big for you, the frame itself may not fit your needs, and sooner or later you will be sorry you bought it. Return the bike and go somewhere else.

[Megustalaplaya]

Yes, there is another bike shop in my area and several more about 30 minutes away. I have lots of options but this shop is just a few miles away from where I live. With that said, I may find that I'm going to need to do business some where else.


I'm really liking this bike. I've put about 60 miles on her since Saturday and I can't wait till I have an opportunity to do a longer ride this weekend. I'm going to have some of the adjustments that were suggested on this thread made to the bike over time. I think once I have some miles on her I'll be able to make a better decision on what changes to make.

Thank you again everyone! I've learned so much already from you. I never realized what a wealth of information I would find when I stumbled upon this site during a search.

MUAH!