i made a fit app't!!

[alpinerabbit]

I once read (on Sheldon Brown perhaps?) that bikes used to really only have a variable seat tube. This means the smaller the bike, the proportionally overlong the top tube would get.

Enter my reasoning: Since blokes only go down to a 52 or so it does not hurt yet. But if you go down to a 44 or something the top tube is way too long, so they needed to shorten it, and since 99.8% of all small bikes are ridden by women, call it WSD (the 0.2% being vertically challenged men).

Re: the wind tunnel - I'm not good enough for that

[Eden]

I once read (on Sheldon Brown perhaps?) that bikes used to really only have a variable seat tube. This means the smaller the bike, the proportionally overlong the top tube would get.

Enter my reasoning: Since blokes only go down to a 52 or so it does not hurt yet. But if you go down to a 44 or something the top tube is way too long, so they needed to shorten it, and since 99.8% of all small bikes are ridden by women, call it WSD (the 0.2% being vertically challenged men).

Re: the wind tunnel - I'm not good enough for that

I've heard the same thing - though when this was true bikes generally only came in 2 or 3 "sizes" anyway..... with only a 52, 54, or 56 people on both ends of the spectrum were pretty well out of luck....

Bikes started coming smaller with variable tt lengths before the label "WSD", but they were still proportioned for people with longer torsos and arms and the very smallest sizes (yes generally used by women) were not around yet. My first 10 speed was probably about a 48- which yeah, I could stand over, but the top tube was about a 52.5, and I really need under a 50 - I now have a 49.5 and could really go shorter.

WSD does have some other connotations too - usually it means that the frame sizes will go smaller, and some other things, like handlebar width and crank length will be scaled down too. Some WSD bikes have short reach levers - but all of these things could just as easily be called "small people design" as "women's design"

[Russell@UEF]

Not all WSD bikes are created equal. When done right, it is a full range of sizes from small to large with appropriate geometry, and components to adjust for the sizes. In reality, these bikes can fit men or women. I am a professional bike fitter by career and I see PLENTY of guys and girls that fall into the short torso/long leg category and this is the most common person that has a bike geometry challenge. But there are people of both sexes with the opposite problem, as well. Unfortunately, so companies simply use this as marketing to sell different colored bikes.

You also can get a bike fit before you get a new bike. usually there is a bike out there that will fit the person, it's just tracking it down.

Also, if you have pain when cycling, don't always think about the bike shop. most big cities have health care specialists that specialize in cycling and do bike fitting, as well. Erik Moen and kit Vogels in Seattle, Dave Fleckenstien in Boise, an myself in Portland.

RC

[mayanorange]

Elk- glad you enjoyed your fitting. I finally got re-fit now that the stem we ordered at my fitting a while ago came in. I'm kinda glad it took about a month to come in- I got to ride more, get stronger and really feel what changes he made the first time (new bar, stem, seat position). Of course, I've also changed out my saddle and shoes since then, so he ran through everything again and commented that I looked much more relaxed and comfortable on it this time. The new stem is the specialized on with a shim system wheree you can change the angle by rotating or using different shims, so if I get stronger and want to lower the bars, I can just play with different shims. Pics before and after:

[alpinerabbit]

Good for you for getting an SMP, although the beak looks a tad high to me!

[mayanorange]

Yeah, the fitter said that too and rocked it down a notch, but I really feel like I'm falling forward unless it's like that. Dunno, guess my pelvic structure is weird.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Yeah, the fitter said that too and rocked it down a notch, but I really feel like I'm falling forward unless it's like that. Dunno, guess my pelvic structure is weird.

Just don't catch the back of your shorts on it when your hopping back up on the saddle at the green light.