Fit Question (long-ish)

I am a *potential* new cyclist. I am the mother of a 17yr old Cat 2 roadie who is trying to get me to start riding as well. I love the idea in principle, but after 4 years of supporting his cycling habit, there isn't a lot of money left over for me to get started in the sport. My choices really are to find something used, or go with Plan B below.
If I get something used via Craigslist or eBay, I may not have the opportunity to try it out ahead of time.

So, this may be a stupid question, but how do I know if my proportions are more suited to a wsd bike or unisex? I am 5' 8.5" with a 32.5" inseam.

My LBS doesn't stock any wsd bikes, and I don't know if it's worth the time to drive a couple hours to see if they fit better.

I used the fit calculator on Competitive Cyclist website, and it indicated I'd need a Top Tube Length of 52.5 - 52.9 and a Seat Tube Range of 53-54 (c-c) or 55.1-55.6 (c-t).

Plan B = my son has a bike he's outgrown that he has offered to build for me that has a 56.5 tt and a 52 st. Any idea if we can make this work with the right size stem, etc? I think I'm ok with a less aggressive position which I assume the longer top tube would create.

Finally, I just turned 42, have had 7 knee surgeries, and am about 60 pounds over my fighting weight. Any special considerations there?

I have enjoyed reading through the forum, and hope to have something to ride by the time warm weather rolls around!!

Thanks - jcc

Someone with more experience will chime in here, but as far as I know, a shorter TT (or effective TT, if the actual top tube slopes) is what creates a more upright position because you don't have to lean over as far to reach the bars.

If you have time, it may well be worth driving a few hours to see if a WSD bike fits you better. Try out both unisex and WSD bikes--if you go to a shop, you'll start getting a better idea of what fits you. The fit calculator numbers are just a starting point. Even if WSD may be a better fit, bear in mind that there are unisex bikes that have relatively short top tubes and can be tweaked.

Having said that, I'd be a little nervous about that bike your son offered to build up. 4cm can make a pretty big difference in your comfort level. You may be able to get a shorter stem, but too short a stem will affect the handling. Someone else will probably comment on this too--and odds are they know more than I do. :)

Happy shopping!

of course we're all different, but if you can get on your son's bike and ride it, get on it and ride it! How does it feel? go from there.

My first thought is that at 5'8" and with a ~32" inseam, you're probably not super short-torsoed, so you may not need WSD. My second thought is that a 56cm TT sounds really long if in fact you need ~53cm or so.

Can you ride some road bikes with ~56cm top tubes before you venture down the path of your son's outgrown frame?

We decided to build up the bike this afternoon to see if it fits, and it does!
The only thing we had to buy is new cables and housing, since he had a brand new ultegra group and other various parts laying around the house.
I will be purchasing a new wheel set and most definitely a new saddle, but other than that it's finished! I rode it around for a while and it feels great.

As soon as I figure out how to attach a picture I will.

Awesome! I am 5'9" and don't ride a WSD bike. The main difference for me was getting compact handlebars. Not women specific, but definitely better for women or any man who doesn't have big hands. I can shift and brake much better with these than the ones I had before, which were hand me downs from dh, much like yours hand me downs from your son.

My husband, who is also 5'9", which is not tall for a man, decided he also liked my handlebars and switched to the same ones.

The only other big piece of advice is get a professional bike fit, which you probably already know if your son is a Cat 2. It can make all the difference in the world to have the right fit, and if your bike is potentially not quite the right size for you, a good bike fitter can make the right adjustments to get it as close as possible.

Good luck on your new riding career. Haha! I'm 41 by the way.