Fit issues for long legs/short torsos

[gbunker]

I'm sure this is a common problem, so I'm interested in what solutions have worked for others. I am a little over 5'5" with an 81 cm inseam and long femurs. Short torso, short arms, narrow shoulders. Basically, I'm proportioned like a T-Rex.

The online fit calculators suggest a 48-49 cm top tube. Local bike store suggests a 51 cm top tube. On a frame that small, I need the seat quite high, which makes for a big drop between saddle and bars, which means wrist and neck pain on long rides (for me, anyway).

I've been riding a 42 cm cross check (52 cm top tube) with the seat set way back, a short stem, and an uncut steering tube. Looks a bit funny, but it gives me an appropriate reach and puts the bars just slightly above saddle height. I'd love to get a lighter bike for weekend group rides, and have looked at the Ruby, Synapse Carbon, Scott CR1, Orbea Onix, etc. For all of them, even with the taller head tube, my bars are pretty low compared to saddle height when I ride a small enough frame to get a 50-52 cm top tube.

Are there any other frames out there I should look at that are particularly good for more extreme WSD body types? How have other folks solved this problem?

I am guessing a bike fit is in my future. In the meantime, I thought some of you might have some ideas for me too.

Thanks!
Gillian

[OakLeaf]

Just going by instinct and not knowing the geometry, I know I've sat on Trek WSD bikes that because of the frame angles, the cockpit felt much shorter than my C'dale Synapse with pretty much identical top tube and seat tube lengths.

[gbunker]

Oh thanks! I'll add them to the list.

[emily_in_nc]

I hope Triskeliongirl will see your post -- she has similar body proportions and had a challenging time finding a bike that would work. She ended up with a 48cm Cervelo (not sure which model). She is a little shorter than you at 5'4".

You may also decide to consider custom -- that's what it's there for, the more "extreme" body types, as you put it.

Good luck!

[ehirsch83]

I have a similar build and after years of being on the wrong size bikes, I had a retul fit done- it was the best money spent. I learned I need a tall stack- so for me a 140-150 headtube, being with that- I was able to actually go on a little longer top tube then I ever thought. I found that the Ridley Noah RS fit well, I now have an Orbea Orca Dama and love it.

While researching, I also discovered that the Felt women's series would of fit along with the Focus women's series.

Look into some of those :)

[Artista]

I have one of those more extreme bodies compounded by being only 5' 1" tall. I finally found comfort in a Terry. I wasn't certain that even a Terry would work well for long rides so I bought an old frame and updated the drive train. I loved the fit so much that my Mom purchased a semi-custom Terry. Her bike, made of high tech steel, almost floats over the road. It's a dream bike! Plus, Georgena was awesome to work with. She had lots of valuable suggestions during the bike design and build. Here's a link to the Terry semi-custom webpage if you are interested. http://www.terrybicycles.com/Bicycles/Semi-Custom

P.S. I'm not crazy about the colors on Terry's current bike pics. Georgena has about 40 beautiful colors to choose from for the semi-custom bikes.

[Owlie]

+1 each on Terry and Trek. Trek seems to run small to me. I considered getting a Terry from Bonktown (53 cm seat tube and 52cm top tube? Yes, please! But alas, not within my budget at the time.)

[emily_in_nc]

I have a similar but not quite as extreme body type and am 5'2" -- long femurs, shorter upper body. I definitely need WSD bikes with short top tubes for their size. I also had good luck with a Terry Isis and Aegis Swift (no longer made) in the past, and my current Bike Friday Pocket Crusoe (custom made).

[Trek-chick]

I have the smae issues and Trek WSD fits me the best

[ehirsch83]

One thing people keep forgetting to mentin is the head tube- just because the top tube is short doesn't mean it will be a good fit. I have had a few bikes where the top tube was the right length(or I thought) and because of the seat height, the drop was so aggressive that the only way it would of worked is if I put on a riser stem- which I WILL NOT DO.

find a RETUL ( or other highly qualified- not just a random bike shop kid) fitter near you- get fit, get your #s- then use those #s to find a bike. You will save a lot in the end if you do this.

[gbunker]

Thanks so much for the helpful advice! I've been reading lots of geometry charts, and it finally just clicked for me how the seat and head tube angles, top tube length, and stack height all work together to affect reach. Eureka! No wonder a 51 cm top tube can seem long to me- I have to scoot my seat way back to get the proper setback for my femurs, which effectively lengthens my reach. And on a small frame, the drop to the bars puts me in an aggressive position on what, for other people, would be a more upright bike. Darn these short arms! :)

I've got a chart going that plots reach and head tube height for each of the bikes I mentioned in my original post. In my size range, the Giant Avail Advanced came in with the shortest reach/highest head tube combo, with the Ruby and Synapse in a tie for second place. I'll research each of the brands mentioned above now and add them to the chart. This stuff is so interesting!

I've also spoken with several fitters, and I've narrowed the field down to a couple who seem particularly promising.

Thanks so much for the suggestions!

Gillian