New to TE, thinking about trading in my Terry

[breeze]

Hello y'all!

I'm getting back into recreational/fitness riding after 6+ years away (grad school & three cross-country moves) and I feel like I've forgotten anything I ever knew. Here's a brief story, if that helps:

I bought a new 2003 Terry Susan B 11" from a (then-local) LBS in spring 2004 after having a series of hand-me-down bikes that weren't a good fit. I'm just under 5'1, with a 28" inseam and short arms/torso, and I've found that most adult bikes are a problem for me. The bike was in storage from summer 2005- fall 2010 when I finally managed to get it down to Pittsburgh. I didn't have a lot of time to ride in the fall, but when I pulled out the bike this spring, it just didn't feel right. I generally ride on crushed limestone/paved bike trails, and during the week I can usually be found on either the Riverfront Trail (~6mi loop) or the Eliza Furnace "Jail Trail" (~8mi out-and-back), both in Pittsburgh.

I've been gradually adjusting things (raising handlebars, raising seat post) and just dealing with the discomfort (saddle issues, hand numbness, arm pain), but recently I rented a bike on vacation and was completely stunned by how comfortable it felt to ride (a Trek tandem comfort bike in Central Park, so not exactly the same thing). The lightbulb went on-- maybe its not me? Maybe the bike was a poor fit or has become a poor fit?

So, I tried some bikes at Trek today, and liked the Trek 7.2FX WSD in both the 13" and 15". This highlighted another possible issue: the Terry may be too small to begin with.

Anyway, that's a really long intro! I'd be interested in hearing more about how y'all found your "Cinderella slipper" of a bike-- the one that feels juuuuuust right!

[Possegal]

I too don't think I have the perfect fit yet. My bike was sold to me at probably a size too small. A fitter helped make it work for me, but somehow I am sure there is something better for me out there. I'm saving for the next bike!

Born and raised in the 'burgh! I get back as often as possible and usually ride in South Park and Mingo with my brother-in-law. Not sure where you are in the city, so that may mean nothing to you.

Welcome to TE. Not many from the hometown on here though.

[Kathi]

Welcome to TE.

Sounds like we're the same inseam but I'm slightly taller at 5'1/2". I won't bore you with the details of my bike fitting experiences but after 4 road bikes that didn't fit I found a very good bike fitter and built a custom frame. It's my "Cinderella Slipper" so to speak but it took many years of trial and error to get to this point.

Besides being "vertically challenged" I also have small hands, narrow shoulders, short arms, short femur and a longer torso all of which contributed to my bike fitting woes. I spent years trying to figure out why my bikes weren't comfortable. When I started working with bike fitters (all of mine were Serotta trained) I learned my needs and eventually decided to do the custom bike.

If your frame fits there are a lot of things that can be done to improve your fit. IMHO, having another eye to help you understand your needs goes a long way to getting a "Cinderella Slipper". A good bike fitter can help you with this.

Keep reading this forum, there's lots of information here on bike fit.

Rereading your post 11" does sound small, my mtn bike is 14". However, good bike fit has more to do with top tube length than standover height.

[Nick]

Welcome! Good luck with finding the right fit. This seems to be a primary cyclist's quest for all shapes and sizes...

[breeze]

Thanks for the welcome, everyone!

Muirenn, I'm about 85% sure that I'd like to sell my Terry, but I'd like to find a better fitting bike first. I don't want to miss a minute of riding for what's left of the summer! I think that I've been struggling with the idea of selling her, but the reality is that she's just not the right fit for me. I'm hoping to try a few more candidates tomorrow and this weekend, and I'm open to suggestions! I'm pretty limited in price, though, as I'd like to keep it under $800 (still a grad student for another year or so).

Possegal, a Burgher! I'm a transplant, but my partner grew up on the Youngstown border and we have lots of friends 'round town. I really like it here, but I'm not sure we'll stay more than a few years due to my job situation. I don't know anything about Mingo or South Park, but I'm always glad to hear of new places to ride in PGH! I'll have to check it out. I'm in the South Hills, but off Rt. 19.

Kathi, I'm glad to hear that you found a great fit-- not so glad to hear that it required a custom frame. I've been devouring the threads around here on fit, and there are some great pieces of info, including what you said about standover vs. top tube. I'm hoping that I can find a good fitter through word of mouth.

Nick, thanks for the welcome! I think you're right...

[Possegal]

I'm in the South Hills, but off Rt. 19.

Then both South Park and Mingo are near enough to you. I'm from Dormont, 3 blocks off of Rte 19!

[Koronin]

Welcome to TE. I'm a bit shorter than you are. I'm 5'0" with a 27" inseam. I have 13" Trek 4 series mountain bike and a 47cm 2000 series men's road bike. After some adjusting to make my mountain bike fit more like my road bike I'm finally comfortable (other than finding a good saddle) riding it. I've been pretty comfortable on the road bike since day one. However I do have a bit longer torso and arms. For me I'm much better off if I can find a men's bike vs a WSD.

[VeganBikeChick]

Hi breeze! I'm originally from Allentown, but my mother and her side of the family are from the 'burgh and my parents now live in Venetia (Peters Twsp), my mom's side of the family lives in Scott Twsp, and my sisters live in Mt. Lebanon .

[NbyNW]

Welcome, breeze! Another Pittsburgher in exile here.

Best of luck finding your perfect fit!