My road bike does not fit. Help.

[jenxxs]

Ditto the recommendation for the inline (cyclocross-style) brake levers, mounted on the flat part of the bars. They are an inexpensive solution (~$30-35) to helping with the reach problem, if you're not ready right now to trade in your bike.

My first road bike was much too big for me, but I was stuck with it for the charity ride that I signed up for because I had no time to deal with it. My LBS suggested the inline brakes, and they definitely saved the day for me.

Even though my new bike fits me very well, I'm actually going to get the inline brakes installed again. They're helpful on steep downhills, because I'm still not experienced enough riding in the drops, and my hands are on the small side even for Shimano short-reach levers.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Xeney, For what it's worth:
My Rivendell road bike came with a 9cm stem. I had to push my Brooks seat all the way forward on its rails to reach the hoods better, but after a month riding it I still felt too much weight on my hands, and could not ride in the drops at all. The height of the bike was good, as was the crank and seat height and my leg/back position.
Anyway, we switched the 9cm stem for a 5cm stem, and then moved the saddle BACK about a cm so that it was better centered on its rails. End result: handlebars 3 cm closer to me. The immediate difference was incredible- suddenly I could grab the brakes better, ride in the drops, and my weight now felt CENTERED over my whole body and my legs rather than falling forward on my hands. I no longer felt I was trying to hold myself up with my hands. Some people might say that such a short stem will affect my downhill speed and/or my front steering. But hey I just went 36 mph down a hill the other day no problem (i don't need to go faster than that!), I can ride down in the drops effortlessly now, can get my hands all around the brakes now, and I see no problem with my steering...been dodging rocks and gullies on gravel roads for a week now with no squirrels in sight. I am thrilled at riding so comfortable now. So that's my little stem story.

[xeney]

Argh. So frustrating. My new handlebars came -- the Salsa Short and Shallow bars -- and I think my husband must have measured the old ones wrong, because these are pretty much the same size as what I have. I'm not sure it's worth the swap.

And my 7cm stem did not come, even though I ordered it last week and paid for two-day shipping. Grrr. I have a ride planned on Sunday and I don't think I am going to be able to reach my handlebars. My husband wants me to start calling local bike shops tomorrow, but I don't know why they would suddenly have a 7cm stem in stock now when they didn't before.

My husband pointed out this week that I am faster on my single-speed mixte -- a twenty-year old bike that I have outfitted with fattish tires, very heavy racks, super upright cruiser bars, and a relatively low gear -- than I am on the Bianchi. Which is crazy; that's like being faster on a mountain bike than on your road bike. Tonight on a whim I had him check my knee position on the mixte to see how it fits me, and damned if my knee isn't right over the pedal where it's supposed to be. Guess there's something to that.

[jenxxs]

Another possible reason you might be faster on your singlespeed is the lower gearing. Esp. if your crank length on that bike is shorter than the 170 on your road bike (which does sound on the large side).

[xeney]

Nope, 170 on both. And I'm slow in ANY gear on the Bianchi.

[jenxxs]

Actually, I was recently in the same boat you're in - riding a Bianchi (Eros Donna) that didn't fit at all. I was WAYYYYY slow on it - finished basically dead last on the charity ride I did this summer, even though I'm not in that bad shape! Getting a bike that fits made me instantly faster. Now I'm looking forward to swapping out the "mancranks" that came on my bike, and seeing how much faster I can become.

Ditto the recommendation of trying out Terry bikes, when you're ready. Great company. My very first adult bike was a Terry mountain bike.

Oops - missed the earlier part about your having extra-long femurs. Now I see why you're using 170s. I guess I always think of those as long because I'm so short!

[Kano]

Actually, I was recently in the same boat you're in - riding a Bianchi (Eros Donna) that didn't fit at all. I was WAYYYYY slow on it - finished basically dead last on the charity ride I did this summer, even though I'm not in that bad shape! Getting a bike that fits made me instantly faster. Now I'm looking forward to swapping out the "mancranks" that came on my bike, and seeing how much faster I can become.

Well, this is interesting! So, if my bike fit differently, I could be faster? This intrigues me a LOT! I'm probably not doing so badly considering my bike is a comfortbeast with mountain bike tendencies, but I do seem to notice that if I can shove myself into positions that it doesn't seem to encourage, I get more power and speed -- hmmm, yes, more reason for a roadie bike! (don't much need speed on the dirt I don't much enjoy riding on!)

Karen in Boise

[pooks]

I do seem to notice that if I can shove myself into positions that it doesn't seem to encourage, I get more power and speed -- hmmm, yes, more reason for a roadie bike!
Karen in Boise

Yep, I'm doing that, too. I'm practically hanging my tailbone off the back edge of my Brooks 67 when I'm most comfortable -- was the same with the previous saddle, too. And its back as far as it will go. Which does make me wonder if I've just got the wrong geometry or something. (LBS guys who have seen me on it say I have the right size bike, so evidently it's not too small.)

[xeney]

Pooks, two things: (1) the person (woman) at my LBS was sure that my bike was the right size for me, too, so they do not actually know everything, and (2) the Brooks saddle may not be able to go back as far as a regular saddle, and that might be causing you problems. That is exactly how I figured out that this bike was really, truly not fitting me; I put on a Brooks and kept climbing off the back of it trying to get a good pedal stroke.

You might try raising the seat a little. Even on an upright bike like a hybrid, that might get you back a bit.

Since my 7cm stem didn't arrive and I really need a rideable road bike for a class I'm taking tomorrow, I am going to get the only other option we found locally, which is a Ritchie adjustable stem. My husband thinks it will be too much and make my steering very squirrely, but I am buying it from REI so if it does not work out, I can return it after the 7cm arrives. I also got a set of cyclocross levers and we'll install those tonight (although my husband is really never going to stop calling them "chicken levers," not even if I kick him really hard).

[Bad JuJu]

although my husband is really never going to stop calling them "chicken levers," not even if I kick him really hard).

But it's worth a try, isn't it?
But seriously, good luck finding your fit. I bought and sold two bikes that were too big for me because LBS guys told me they were my size. After that, I educated myself and did the homework I should've done in the first place so I'd know for myself whether a bike fit me or not.

For what it's worth, I've gone the short stem extension route too, and it didn't noticeably affect my steering for the worse. And I too am finding that I just can't get the women's Brooks shoved back far enough for me. Might try a seatpost with a longer setback though. Just my 2 cents.

[pooks]

This is the second saddle I've tried and neither would go back far enough.

That seat post with a longer setback? Maybe I should learn more about that option.

[Bad JuJu]

I think this is the seatpost that Triskeliongirl mentioned:
Alpha Q Carbon seatpost

[xeney]

JuJu, from what I've read the seatpost with the most setback of any on the market is 35mm. We're already there, so we've maxed out that option. (And I can't reach the handlebars.)

I think this bike is going on the block. Damn.

ETA: yeah, I did check that one out ... it only has 25mm of offset, so it's actually less than what I have now.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

A bike being the "right size" has little to do with whether it FITS you well or not.
Any LBS person who sends you off with a new bike just because it's "your size" isn't doing their job. You could take 5 bikes that are all your "correct size" they will all fit you differently. You will have a different body position on each one. ONe might be a perfect fit and another might leave you in pain after a couple hours of riding. Yet you are told they are all "the right size". The right size often is just a beginning point in the search for a good fitting bike- it only refers to ONE measurement on a frame- the seat tube. It doesn't have much to do with angles or arm reach or handlebar width/height, and a dozen other factors. Happily, some of these factors can be changed on a bike, but others you can't do much about.
This is an interesting article on frame sizing (with some definite opinions):
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-sizing.html
It also has some good links on the bottom to other articles by other people.

[xeney]

Well, I didn't mean she said, "Yes, you're a 53," and pulled one off the shelf and sent me on my way. She had me sit on different bikes, she moved the seat around, she had me test ride.