My road bike does not fit. Help.

[Triskeliongirl]

One last thought. Be really careful when you compare the terry bikes to the Veloce. You said you have a Veloce. This bike has a sloping top tube so you have to sure to be comparing the virtual top tube which on the 53 cm is published as 53.5 w a 75 degree STA. The 20" Isis has a straight top tube of 50.8 cm w a 74 STA angle. The 1 cm shorter seat tube angle shortens the reach by 1 cm, so if you correct for that its like the tt were only 49.8. The seat tube on the veloce is a center to top measurement while terry measures center to center, so more informative is the standover height which is 30 on the veloce and 30.4. So if your inseam is >31.4 you could clear the top tube on the 20" terry and have a reach that is a 3.7 cm difference in reach, coupled with a short reach bar and short reach brake levers I think would do the trick. Given you can still get the 2005 titanium isis in 20" on the sale page, and return it if it doesn't work out, I think its win win. Also, be aware they will swap parts, so if you want a different width handlebar I know they will make the swap (they did this for me). Maybe you can even negoitate about the price since the 2007 bikes are coming in and that bike is a 2005, although in my opinion I'd rather a 2005 ti bike than a 2007 scandium.

[xeney]

Thank you so much for your help, but I really cannot possibly afford a 2005 Isis. They are still running over $2000 and that is way out of my budget, especially since my budget is zero. My husband is going to hang on to the Veloce (it will fit him if he swaps the stem for a 120mm one). I just spent over $300 trying to make the Veloce fit me and I am tapped out.

SadieKate, I am going to go to Rex for a fitting and when I can buy a bike next fall, I'll have something to go on. Thanks for the recommendations.

[SadieKate]

Sure thing! I hope we get to meet sometime. I'd even brave the American River Bike Path to do so. Might need some valium for it, but I could do it.

[Triskeliongirl]

You should be able to pick up a 2001-2004 symetry on ebay or at the terry buy/sell site for ~$300-400, so perhaps your best bet is to watch ebay for that. Look over the geometry charts to see if you prefer a 19" (73 degree STA w 49 cm top tube) or 20". I find going down a size is fine as long as you can get your saddle and bars high enough, cuz then you can use a longer stem for better handling. You can always turn them around at the terry site if they don't work out for you. There are 2, 19" bikes now at the webiste, yes their prices are high but maybe they'll negoitate if they aren't moving. I think the 2001-2003 isis and symetry in steel are just wonderful bikes.

[xeney]

I did go to a local Terry dealer and look at the bikes. They don't stock them in my size, and the owner does not think that a Terry will work for me; he says my proportions are wrong and that they rarely work for women of my height. He tried me on an Orbea and it felt like a good fit, but I really can't afford it right now so I don't think I am going to go take a real test ride or have a real fitting immediately, because if I like it that will just break my heart. I may buy a frameset from him and swap the components over from my Bianchi at some point, though.

SadieKate, even I am avoiding the bike trail! Not because of the kids and the slow people (I am one of them), but because of the stupid puncture vine. It is everywhere this year. Changing flats makes for a good upper body workout but I'd rather just lift weights.

[xeney]

An update: the new stem FINALLY showed up, and my husband put the Bianchi together with the set-back seatpost, a new Fizik Vitesse saddle (it had the most fore-aft adjustability of any women's saddle we found, and it seems to be a good fit for me all around), and the super-short stem. Five centimeters. It looks ridiculous but it did the trick. We've got KOPS, we've got a ninety-degree angle at my shoulders when I'm on the hoods, I can reach the drops. It's far from perfect -- five centimeters is a crazy short stem, and the front hub is not obscured when I'm in the drops, but it is very rideable.

The steering is a little squirrely when I'm up on the top bar, but not noticeable on the hoods. I think it's just completely compensated for by the fact that I can actually reach the hoods without stretching.

I will get a new bike eventually (and give this one to my husband) but this will work for now. Thanks for all your help, everyone.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

If it RIDES good and you FEEL good....it IS good! Forget about rules concerning obscuring your hub view, etc.
Comfortable body position, balance, and ease of reach is what counts. A good position allows your arms and legs to work and move smoothly and efficiently, achieving their intended tasks without cramps, pain or numbness.

Give us another update in a few days on how you feel riding it! I'd be interested in seeing whether you like it as much as I like mine. I got used to the tighter steering arc (some refer to it as "squirrely") in about 2 days- now I like it better than the old wide-arc steering of the long stem I had. Less wasted bar swinging movements when traversing gravel roads with stones everywhere.

"Another satisfied 5cm Stem customer" -Lisa "Squirrely" Johnson