New Bike for Tall Plus-Size Woman?

[lo123]

I'm 5'6", but with a 31" inseam and teeny torso... Try for WSD if you can swing it... In my testing, Trek had the shortest top tubes and most comfortable fit for me.

I ride a 54 WSD Trek Madone 5.2. It comes in up to a 58cm in WSD.

There's a fit calculator on Competitive cyclist. It was a very good tool for me to help identify what geometries might work best for me. You can compare geometries on most brands' websites.

oh yeah, one thing that can work.. smaller frame to get the top tube length right, with higher seatpost... In hindsight, I wish I had gotten a 51 in my cyclocross bike. It took a TON of adjustments to get the 54 reasonably comfortable.

[Juliegoddess]

Thanks ladies! Well, it does appear that my thinking wasn't "stinking"! I kinda figured that the most important thing would be to make sure that top tube isn't too long. Because, like you said, you can't adjust that...but you can adjust the height plenty. And with that in mind, I for SURE need a WSD bike. Short waistedness just doesn't work on a men's bike, no matter what I do.

I'm going to check out that calculator! Thank you SO much!

[out_spokin']

Another tall woman (5'10" and 33" inseam for clothing, let alone my real inseam) with almost no torso (ha!). I also ride a custom steel road bike for going fast, so +1 on the saving your pennies...depending on your actual measurements and the geometry of different models you might be able to fit on a 56cm roadie, which is the largest frame for most WSD. Be careful about the handlebar height though -- getting your seatpost high enough is cake, but I highly recommend against having too much drop from your seat height to your handlebars. Racers can get away with it, but for newer/older/less limber/just all around cyclists it can be very uncomfortable and lead to riding less.

Don't forget Terry Bicycles - most of their road models over the year have had a 23" (58.4cm) option with shorter top tubes. Their new stuff is way out of your price range, but with patience used ones can be found. I found a new old stock frame/fork last year that I've almost built up with parts from a well-priced craigslist find.

This thread just rocked my world though -- didn't know that some of the Treks come in a 58!! Geometry probably still won't work for me, but I am SURE going to find one to test ride!

[Juliegoddess]

Another tall woman (5'10" and 33" inseam for clothing, let alone my real inseam) with almost no torso (ha!). I also ride a custom steel road bike for going fast, so +1 on the saving your pennies...depending on your actual measurements and the geometry of different models you might be able to fit on a 56cm roadie, which is the largest frame for most WSD. Be careful about the handlebar height though -- getting your seatpost high enough is cake, but I highly recommend against having too much drop from your seat height to your handlebars. Racers can get away with it, but for newer/older/less limber/just all around cyclists it can be very uncomfortable and lead to riding less.

Don't forget Terry Bicycles - most of their road models over the year have had a 23" (58.4cm) option with shorter top tubes. Their new stuff is way out of your price range, but with patience used ones can be found. I found a new old stock frame/fork last year that I've almost built up with parts from a well-priced craigslist find.

This thread just rocked my world though -- didn't know that some of the Treks come in a 58!! Geometry probably still won't work for me, but I am SURE going to find one to test ride!

Hey Out-Spokin' (LOVE that name!! ha ha!)

Thanks for the tips! Yes, I am deathly afraid of leaning down too far on the bike. Not only is it going to be a huge change for me from the MTB, but I also have a herniated disk in my back that I have to watch out for. So, any undue stress back there is not good for me.

And Ohhh, yes I LOVE Terry Bikes! I really really wish they had an entry-level road bike. I know I'd feel like a freakin' princess on one...!

May I ask, do you know what your top tube measurement is? I know mine might be different, but it would give me a point of reference...

[DarcyInOregon]

Thanks for the tips! Yes, I am deathly afraid of leaning down too far on the bike. Not only is it going to be a huge change for me from the MTB, but I also have a herniated disk in my back that I have to watch out for. So, any undue stress back there is not good for me.

Just want to say, I have two herniated disks in my lower back, and I ride a Trek Pilot 5.2 WSD. I am 5'8". Riding the Pilot, plus gym workouts to strengthen the core and back muscles, finally got rid of the constant sciatica pain caused by the herniated disks, and I haven't been troubled by the sciatica for quite a few years. Just saying, don't fear a road bike because of herniated disks.

Maybe move up to a road bike when you have saved up more money, and look at the Trek entry level road bikes.

[Juliegoddess]

Just want to say, I have two herniated disks in my lower back, and I ride a Trek Pilot 5.2 WSD. I am 5'8". Riding the Pilot, plus gym workouts to strengthen the core and back muscles, finally got rid of the constant sciatica pain caused by the herniated disks, and I haven't been troubled by the sciatica for quite a few years. Just saying, don't fear a road bike because of herniated disks.

Maybe move up to a road bike when you have saved up more money, and look at the Trek entry level road bikes.

Thanks, Darcy! That's good to know! Yes, even just losing these 20 pounds has helped the back immensely. I believe that the bike would do much LESS damage (if any) than all that weight I was carrying! And I still have 40 more pounds to go...

[out_spokin']

Hey Juliegoddess -- sorry I lost track of this thread momentarily! I ride a 59cm (center to center) seat tube with a 54cm top tube. Crazy in a world where most men's bikes have "square" geometry! But that's actually roughly the same as what the Terry Symmetry is. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/terry/geometry.html

I know this is still out of your budget, but I searched for the Symmetry just to see what's out there, and was amazed to find that Sierra Trading Post has a closeout on 23" inchers for $765 + shipping. Pretty great for a Tiagra-level bike with an excellent steel frame.

HOWEVER, I just found a interesting deal you might look into on the Terry trading boards (which is how I found mine). http://www.terrybicycles.com/trade/browse/sell. Check out the post for a Trilogy - she's 5'10", so it could be the 23" or maybe the 21.5" frame size. It's their entry level road bike from the early 90s it seems, so maybe 8 speed components? If it fit, could be a very good match, since it's listed for $300 - even with shipping you could fit a good tune up and even few parts swaps/upgrades and stay in your budget.

Before you do much else, though, one thing I recommend is checking out your fit -- you're stating your inseam as 32", but is that your actual inseam or your pants inseam? A fit at a good shop is best, but use that fit calculator that lo123 mentions -- it's very good.

And lo123 - thanks for the rundown on models! I looked at that top end model and wow....but after seeing not all the models had 58s got sidetracked. Awesome to have in my pocket if I go test riding some nice spring day.

[lo123]

This thread just rocked my world though -- didn't know that some of the Treks come in a 58!! Geometry probably still won't work for me, but I am SURE going to find one to test ride!

Quick look on trekbikes.com shows the following models come in 58cm:
6.9 WSD (~8609 MSRP) - droool...
6.5 WSD (~6599 MSRP)
5.2 WSD (~3800 MSRP)
2.1 WSD (~1369 MSRP)
Pilot 2.1 WSD (~1369 MSRP)
Pilot 2.0 WSD (~1149 MSRP)

I don't get why they didn't offer the 4.5 or 1.2 in 58cm though.