Wrong Size Bike!!

Compton77

Back in January I bought a LeMond Versailles from my LBS. I wanted to use them as the idea of dropping a big chunk of cash in Evans when the LBS was on the same road felt slightly wrong. So, I went in and spoke to the manager and talked over the my (vague) requirements. Now, he looked me up and down and suggested a size 57 frame which he ordered for me, at a discounted rate, i will add.

Anyway, the bike arrived and they set it up for me and I was breaking the bike in gently over the early months, though I had this horrible feeling that it was unwieldy and just felt a little too large.Just sitting at traffic lights with other roadies in the morning it looked like all the other riders are sitting closer to the stem with a more comfortable position. Yesterday I compounded my fears, I went to one of the London branches of Cycle Surgery and spoke with one of the sales guys and mentioned my worries. He suggested that the maximum I should've been sold would be a size 55" (i'm 5'10") and with Lemond sizing being strange it should maybe have been as low as 53 (the suggestionwas that a Lemond 57 is the equivalent of a Trek 61!!).

My question is, do you think I should approach my LBS and discuss a solution?? Or, as i'm thinking, is it all my own fault? As they say when your ill you go see a doctor so when I wanted a bike I went to see my bike shop owner, and now feel that they suggested the wrong product. Am I being sour as I made the wrong decision or should the LBS take some responsibility and help me out (ie, buy the bike back off me as second hand..)?

Your thoughts are appreciated..

Kléber

It isn't always your total height that matters, but your inside leg. But a 57cm frame sounds far too big for someone who's 5'10. I'm 6'1 and ride a 56cm.

From a consumer perspective though, you've bought the goods and have been happily using them. It's like buying clothes, you should try before you buy, as you can't use a suit or some jeans for a month before realising that they're the wrong size.

Speak to your bike shop though, but it is normal for them to be on the defensive, most people don't like to admit they are wrong, more so if they risk losing money, in this case by exchanging the frame.

heavymental

Well, its certainly worth a chat to see what they say. It sounds like they've got it wrong so I'd go in, tell them your concerns and see what solution they can offer. January wasn't too long ago and plenty of time to know if its right or wrong.

maddog 2

they'll probably offer you a shorter stem and that might do the trick.

or, you'll say thankyou for the stem and ride off. The bike will be better but you'll never be really happy with it cos it is too big and you'll eventually sell the bike six months down the line and learn a useful lesson.

Tom Butcher

Just checked the geometry - it has an effective top tube of 57.5 - unless you were some kind of freak that does sound very long for 5'10 - there's an element of subjective opinion involved in bike fit (I think so anyway) but on the face of it that shop has given you some very odd advice. Just to put it in perspective I'm 6'1.5 and ride the same length top tube.

meagain

"he looked me up and down and suggested a size 57 frame which he ordered for me, at a discounted rate, i will add."

Ah, the magic eye method of bike sizing! Clearly far from exact. Bet he got a good margin on the frame though...

Why oh why do folk prefer to place their trust in the small LBS rather than a successful larger set up? The former are usually small for a reason.

Least financial anguish is probably to sell the bike complete now and buy another - preferably from someone who has bought too small!!

redddraggon

I like a bigger frame, my commuting bike is a 56cm and I'm only 5'8", I fitted a shorter stem and ditch the spacers under the stem.

I feel really cramped on smaller frames and don't feel comfortable with a large amount of seatpost showing.


If you are comfortable on the bike, and you've been using it for a while, why kick up any fuss?

alfablue

I would be tactfully persistant with the LBS (try and gain their sympathy rather than antagonism, no harm mentioning the bad back it gives you), and try and get a replacement frame from them at no cost (or minimum cost if all else fails). I think they are truly culpable, they supposedly have the expertise and you are entitled to expect them to get it right. The difficulty is the subjectivity with bike sizing, but nevertheless I think it sounds like the proposed size was an unusual choice.

I believe the small claims court would be sympathetic with your case (if it comes to that), and it is arguable that you have had no enjoyment of the bike so should get a full refund. I don't see why you should have to bite the bullet and pay for their poor advice.

feel

Just for comparison: i ride a Lemond Tourmalet 55cm and i think i'm 5'9" (don't know if the geometry is the same) I went through a phase of wondering if i should have got the 53cm
but now i'm happy with the choice i made. Have you actually tried a 55cm frame Lemond?

portuguese mike

If you're at all concerned then get a proper bike fitting done. It's no good a salesperson looking you up and down and suggesting something - there are many factors to consider (not just you're physical size and proportions but the type of riding you do, any range of movement issues you may have etc).

You may find that the bike is ok or you need a small modification like a different length stem. if the bike doesn't fit you then its best to know now so you can sell it while its still fairly new (assuming your lbs won't swap the frame, which he might).

I can't stress enough how important the correct riding postion is - getting myself sorted has transformed my riding.

portuguese mike

Tom Butcher wrote:

Just checked the geometry - it has an effective top tube of 57.5 - unless you were some kind of freak that does sound very long for 5'10 - there's an element of subjective opinion involved in bike fit (I think so anyway) but on the face of it that shop has given you some very odd advice. Just to put it in perspective I'm 6'1.5 and ride the same length top tube.

As i suspected, i am some kind of freak. i'm 5'9 and my semi compact (custom) bike has a theoretical (horizontal) top tube length of 57cm :oops:

Pirahna

portuguese mike wrote:

As i suspected, i am some kind of freak. i'm 5'9 and my semi compact (custom) bike has a theoretical (horizontal) top tube length of 57cm :oops:

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giant_man

portuguese mike wrote:

If you're at all concerned then get a proper bike fitting done. It's no good a salesperson looking you up and down and suggesting something - there are many factors to consider (not just you're physical size and proportions but the type of riding you do, any range of movement issues you may have etc).

Totally agree!! Why do even dealers flout this method of bike selection ie. selling a bike to someone and it fits! lol

portuguese mike

piranha - you're image didn't work

Brian B

Tom Butcher wrote:

Just checked the geometry - it has an effective top tube of 57.5 - unless you were some kind of freak that does sound very long for 5'10 - there's an element of subjective opinion involved in bike fit (I think so anyway) but on the face of it that shop has given you some very odd advice. Just to put it in perspective I'm 6'1.5 and ride the same length top tube.

Does not sound really that freakish to me. I am just over 6ft "2" and I ride a 60cm frame. I have tried lower and they juest felt wrong - and there is something not right about huge amounts of seatpost showing and really long stems.

Everybody is different of course and you should always try before you buy.

Pirahna

portuguese mike wrote:

piranha - you're image didn't work

http://www.richardpettinger.com/cycling ... e/superman

Tom Butcher

Er...on reflection maybe freak wasn't quite the word I was looking for......

I still think a 57.5 top tube is unusually long for someone of 5.10 though and not what most people would recommend a prospective purchaser by eye.

Compton77

thanks all, i'm going to go down to the LBS tonight and discuss face to face and see where they stand. I'm not unreasonable and would be quite willing to strike a deal with them, say they give me a large percentage (60-70%) of my purchase price backt hen at least they've got a nearly new bike to sell on and I get some dosh to put towards a new (smaller, measured & fitted!!) bike..

I'll let u know how I got on..

z000m

it amazes me how often you hear stories like this, and people wonder why lbs are in decline. i dont think i have ever been in one that was anything more than useless. imo buying online is a whole lot easier and cheaper.

portuguese mike

z000m wrote:

it amazes me how often you hear stories like this, and people wonder why lbs are in decline. i dont think i have ever been in one that was anything more than useless. imo buying online is a whole lot easier and cheaper.

Well i must be one of the lucky few because my LBS never cease to amaze me with their customer service, not to mention competitive prices. i could write a very long list of all the things they've done for me that i would never have got from an online retailer.

One example that springs to mind is the time i was loading my bike into my car before leaving for a sportive at about 5pm on a staurday afternoon when i noticed some play in my rear wheel. i gave them a call, popped down there and had a cup of coffee while they stripped and rebuilt the hub FOC in about 15 minutes

Bianchi Boy

I'm 5'10" and ride a 57 Bianchi with no real problem. However I do feel that I might need a slightly shorter stem, but I don't want to make the bike too twitchy. I also have a 56 single speed bike, and a 54 that I feel a little hunched up on.