Quote Originally Posted by Ana View Post
How did you realize the geometry just wasn't right for you? Did you get fitted?
Because the frame SIZE was ok- not too big, not too small. I had the right size frame- according to the manufacturer's charts and also according to the knowledgeable dealer for that manufacturer, who fitted the bike to me when I got it and looked me over and said I looked just right and the size was good. The size felt right to me as well. But my weight fell forward all the time and I felt unbalanced and uncomfortable. It was a subtle thing.
Yes, I didn't really know how I was 'supposed' to feel, and it took months of riding when I first got the bike for me to realize something was not right. I hadn't been on a bike since I was a kid!
But after a thousand miles or so I knew that I was supposed to feel balanced and easy, not like I was falling on my face all the time.

What convinced you that the geometry wouldn't work with your body measurements, no matter what you did?
Because the geometry wouldn't work with my body measurements, no matter what we did.
Seriously- because no matter what we did I could not get my center of gravity back far enough to feel balanced. As a result I felt I could not get enough power behind my pedaling, and also despite sufficient core strength, I could not ride no-hands sitting upright even for a few seconds- I kept falling forward back onto my hands. I also had elbow pain when riding.
We tweaked EVERYTHING over two years, by the way...various stems, different handlebars, various hood placements, for/aft saddle positions, bar height,.... We tested all fit possibilities, and gave each tweak or change a couple of months riding to evaluate it carefully. My DH knows a lot about bike geometry and fit.

The bike is a quality bike, and many many people love this exact same bike and are totally comfortable on it. (my husband for example)
We have it tweaked into its best possible fit for me, and I can certainly ride it whenever I want to. I love the bike, but it's not as much fun for me to ride because of that off-balance feeling, which I notice right away when I get on it. Plus, I get my elbow pain back when I ride it for more than an hour.
Getting back on my custom bike is a huge relief and feels so right.