Have I made a mistake with the bike I got?

I've read loads of fantastic things here but done so after having bought a bike! Wish I'd found you before hand! Anyway I'd be very grateful if you could help me decide if I've made a big mistake?!!

I'm 34 and this is the first bike since my childhood road bike. It had 24 inch wheels and fitted me once I was fully grown- wish it was still around!

I'm panicking that the new bike is too big for me. I'm 4 foot 11 with a 26.5 inch inside leg. I've bought a Ridgeback Meteor 15''. Saddle height is fine but I feel the handlebar height, even at it's lowest is huge- they comes up to my chest when I stand next to it. I think my problem there is with the aesthetics, it just looks too big a beast for me. More importantly I'm worried the reach is too great. I've only gone a few runs of between 6 and 9 miles on it and I feel across the top of my shoulders getting really tight. Does that sound like a problem with the reach or just me getting used to biking after so many years? I feel like I can bend my arms a bit but only if I'm leaning forward, which I suppose I should be while riding. If I sat bolt upright I can only reach the handlebars with my finger tips. The rest of me feels good after riding, which is not bad given I've had two hip replacements in the last 3 years!

this is the bike if that is of any help
http://www.ridgeback.co.uk/bike/meteor-open-frame

and this is a bad picture of me on it:
http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/9472/dscf2337w.jpg


I didn't get a fitting when I picked it up which I was disappointed with but I have arranged to go back and know for sure I want the handle bars made narrower, not sure if there is anything they can do to improve the reach though as I really don't want higher handle bars?

Sorry this is such a long post, I really appreciate any words of wisdom
thanksx

The bike looks to fit okay with you on it, but once I looked at the bike handle bars on the site, they may not work for you. Hubby had a Navigator with the same time of bars/stem, you can only move them up/down and down is to far away for your reach leaving you bent over funny or reaching so high up you hurt. Make sense? You might be able to change out the handle bar configuration.

Hopefully someone smarter than me will chime in and see what your options are. It may be just as simple as it takes time to get used to the bike and finding the sweet spot for your handlebars. Can you go back and talk with your bike shop for some ideas on better fit?

She's a gorgeous bike. Very sleek and feminine.

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Originally Posted by Bethany1

The bike looks to fit okay with you on it, but once I looked at the bike handle bars on the site, they may not work for you. Hubby had a Navigator with the same time of bars/stem, you can only move them up/down and down is to far away for your reach leaving you bent over funny or reaching so high up you hurt. Make sense? You might be able to change out the handle bar configuration.

Hopefully someone smarter than me will chime in and see what your options are. It may be just as simple as it takes time to get used to the bike and finding the sweet spot for your handlebars. Can you go back and talk with your bike shop for some ideas on better fit?

She's a gorgeous bike. Very sleek and feminine.

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Thanks so much for replying. I'm glad you don't think I look too bad on it and you are spot on with the way the handle bars move. I think the bike shop will change things for me, because when I picked it up, despite no opportunity for a basic fitting I said straight away the handle bars were too wide and the guy serving said they could easily cut them down or even swap them. It's good to pinpoint my concerns for when I go back. The shop is an hour away in a direction with nothing else I'd be travelling to so the fewer trips I have to make the better!

I agree with Bethany that the fit looks ok. You might want to consider changing the handlebars. Even to a different type depending on what feels right to you.

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Originally Posted by Koronin

I agree with Bethany that the fit looks ok. You might want to consider changing the handlebars. Even to a different type depending on what feels right to you.

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Yes, different handlebars or maybe just a different stem might help.

I don't have much advice, just personal experience. I am just shy of 4'11" and a year and a half ago I was riding a similar bike. I also felt like the handlebars were too high and too far away, even though the seat would go plenty low. I fussed with the handlebars quite a bit but never could get comfortable. I could move the bars so they were closer to me but then they were too high. I could move the bars so they were a bit lower but then they were too far away. I also had trouble getting comfortable on my saddle and fussed with that a lot as well. Sometimes I am surprised that I kept at it and kept riding!

I would look at swapping out the handlebars at the very least.

I ended up buying a different kind of bike, a Cannondale Quick in the extra small size, a 13". It was a much better fit for me. And even on that bike I had to have the handlebars narrowed. I hope you have a better experience, I think I am very hard to fit, maybe because my arms are so short.

Good luck!

The fit looks fine. (90 degree arm/torso angle is what you are shooting for regardless of upright or aero.) Now just some fine-tuning.

You might find this book helpful: Andy Pruitt's Complete Medical Guide for Cyclists. It has a lot of fit tips.

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Originally Posted by goldfinch

I don't have much advice, just personal experience. I am just shy of 4'11" and a year and a half ago I was riding a similar bike. I also felt like the handlebars were too high and too far away, even though the seat would go plenty low. I fussed with the handlebars quite a bit but never could get comfortable. I could move the bars so they were closer to me but then they were too high. I could move the bars so they were a bit lower but then they were too far away. I also had trouble getting comfortable on my saddle and fussed with that a lot as well. Sometimes I am surprised that I kept at it and kept riding!

I would look at swapping out the handlebars at the very least.

I ended up buying a different kind of bike, a Cannondale Quick in the extra small size, a 13". It was a much better fit for me. And even on that bike I had to have the handlebars narrowed. I hope you have a better experience, I think I am very hard to fit, maybe because my arms are so short.

Good luck!

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OOh the Cannondale Quick looks amazing. I like that it has 26 inch wheels, that must really help make it more proportional in a small size. How you describe your old bike is how I feel on it, although I am comfortable on the saddle so perhaps there is some hope with tweaking the handle bars. I'd have love to have bought used to test out what worked before a big commitment but after months of finding nothing in my size I took the leap. I think my arms are in proportion with my height but that must still mean they're pretty short!!

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Originally Posted by BodhiTree

The fit looks fine. (90 degree arm/torso angle is what you are shooting for regardless of upright or aero.) Now just some fine-tuning.

You might find this book helpful: Andy Pruitt's Complete Medical Guide for Cyclists. It has a lot of fit tips.

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That's good to know. I'll look into that book, thanks :)

Another short rider here. I am 4"11 and it isn't easy finding a bike that really fits.
The first three bikes I bought ,while they fit pretty good were never fitted by anyone at the bike shop other they "yeah that looks about right". The last two bike's I bought the guys really worked with me and found me the bike that really fit ,the differance is amazing. These bikes really click .
It's a brand to brand thing and finding a bike shop that really knows what they are doing and are willing to help you untill it's right is key , (not just wanting to sell you a bike.)
I am riding a, Trek Lush SL WSD in a size 14 1/2
And a Trek Madone 3.1 WSD 47 CM.
Nothing wrong with my last two specialized bikes but the fit just wasn't dialed in like these last two are .
It still amazes me how different the same size bike from different companys will fit.
Good luck and keep working till it feel right.