If you have a Jamis Aurora, please check in here.

[sandra]

Elk's is a size smaller. I kept thinking how Elk was much shorter than I was, so the smaller size probably wouldn't have fit me. Plus I remember Elk having her seat post all the way out.

yes, they still have the adjustable stem. I got him to angle them up immediately. I'm not sure if I should go back down or what. I think I had the saddle way to high the entire time I was riding there.

The standover ~ I can feel the bike, just barely. I do have some space that I can lift it off the ground before it really presses into me. Is this OK?

Hubby is reading Andy Pruitt and I did the test for reach about putting you elbow at the end of your saddle and stretching your arm with hand open to the handlebar. My longest finger just did touch, so that sounds good.

[Blueberry]

The standover ~ I can feel the bike, just barely. I do have some space that I can lift it off the ground before it really presses into me. Is this OK?

I think it's fine - others may have a different opinion. I always (habit) tilt my bikes slightly to the side when I stop anyway. However, I'm pretty close to on the top tube of my crosscheck.

CA

[VeloVT]

I find I need setback on almost anything I try. Even the Felt I just sold, which was too big for me (reach was too long) -- I still needed a setback post in order to achieve a good position vis a vis the bottom bracket.

Not to say that you will be the same. But definitely worth checking.

[KnottedYet]

yes, they still have the adjustable stem. I got him to angle them up immediately. I'm not sure if I should go back down or what. I think I had the saddle way to high the entire time I was riding there.

The standover ~ I can feel the bike, just barely. I do have some space that I can lift it off the ground before it really presses into me. Is this OK?

You can adjust the bar position as needed. Very cool! Ride the bike a bit first, and get to know it. Yeah, you might be a bit close right now, but wait until you get the saddle situated before you play with the bars much. (fine tune the saddle first)

Your standover sounds pretty "normal" for a horizontal-ish top tube and touring-ish geometry. I can lift my road bikes about a couple inches before they jam into me. (my mtb-style critter, well, that's another story! We're looking at a whole lotta inches there!)

Edit: And like CA-in-NC, I'm pretty close to my Cross Check!

[uforgot]

Sandra: you and I fit the same according to the "fit" kit, and when I had my 50cm Jamis Quest, it fit like a dream. You can always make minor adjustments with the stem, but I honestly think, (based on my Jamis experience) that the 48cm would be too small for you. But then again, I think that the Quest has a more aggressive "racing" geometry than the Aurora, so I think that makes it even better.

[sandra]

I am going to take a breath now. I think for sure she is a keeper. We have been doing some of the Andy Pruitt tests, and I think it's a fit.

So, I slapped on the brown Brooks. I also have a black if it would look better. I'd just have to do some trading around. Brown Brooks leather bar tape would be nice too.

[sandra]

But WHY is my bar straight when Elk's was slanted. I don't get that at all!!!

[KnottedYet]

But WHY is my bar straight when Elk's was slanted. I don't get that at all!!!

The brown Brooks looks beeeeoooootiful with the lovely copper paint! And brown leather tape would be, of course, a mighty fine addition!

Georgena Terry has a nice set of videos about bike frame design, I think she talks about slanting top tubes vs smaller front wheels to allow short tt/short standover. http://www.terrybicycles.com/movies.html

Or maybe it was Sheldon Brown...

Basically, a slanted top tube allows you to bring the front wheel closer to the back wheel (so a shorter effective top tube length) without giving the rider a serious wedgie problem. (cuz the tt has to be higher than the front wheel, and with a 700c front wheel, well, you have a limit on how low you can go with the tube attachments in the front. But at the seat tube, you gotta clear the rider's crotch. So: clear the wheel at the front of the tt, clear the crotch at the rear of the tt, slanted top tube lets you clear both on some smaller sizes)

[sandra]

but, but, but. We have the exact same bike and hers is slanted and mine is not. Is it because hers is a smaller size (48)?