3 standard newbie Questions!
LondonMTB
Posts: 79
I know there are 100s of questions on here that are the same as mine, & I've read quite a few, but I still have unanswered questions...ANY advice greatly appreciated 
1 - Frame size
OK, just try them out and get one that fits, right? Finding that a bit tricky. I'm 5'7", but weirdly proportioned - long legs (I've triple-checked, 33" inner leg?!), barely any torso, long arms (basically an orangutan). I tried a Trek 52cm (top tube) at Evans, and although I needed the seat moderately raised, it seemed an OK fit (the front hub & fork should be aligned when I look down?? Correct me if I'm wrong!), but once I'd ridden it for a bit, I felt perhaps a bit cramped compared to how I expected to feel on a road bike (although comfortable), plus I got a bit of toe-touching-front-wheel when I turned (I have big feet, too), and I felt as if I had to shift my weight back to get tighter turns.
I'm going to try a Pinnacle 52cm to see if that makes a difference, but should I also try a 54cm? But I think a not-too-aggressive posture will be more comfortable particularly for touring (see below)?
Also, I'm female, so is it worth trying 'female' bikes?? In my previous experience, my body shape is the opposite to most women's, so my mountain bike is a 19" men's bike and I love it :oops:
2 - Bike use
I'll be using the bike for social road rides, nothing fancy (unless I get The Bug!), but I need it also to function as a tourer, taking panniers (with camping gear, so not light) on cycling holidays in France. I live in the North Downs of Kent, so lots of hilly rides, too. I'm thinking of a bike with triple chainset for this reason - it's one thing managing big hills with just me & the bike, but it's quite another having to do them with loaded panniers!
3 - Brand vs Components
Mr Evans is always raving about their Pinnacle, because you get good components but cheaper overall bike, particularly in their current Sale. But I've heard great things about the Specialised Secteur and wonder whether this might be suitable for my kind of riding? Does anyone have any opinions about Evans' Pinnacle range? They suggested the Dolomite 2 or 3. My maximum price is £800 (and if I spend that much I'll probably feel a bit guilty if I don't love it as much as my cat/boyfriend...)
Sorry, so many questions! Just that I don't really know what I'm doing, and I am having to curb my enthasiasm and make sure I get the right bike...hence advice-seeking :?
1 - Frame size
OK, just try them out and get one that fits, right? Finding that a bit tricky. I'm 5'7", but weirdly proportioned - long legs (I've triple-checked, 33" inner leg?!), barely any torso, long arms (basically an orangutan). I tried a Trek 52cm (top tube) at Evans, and although I needed the seat moderately raised, it seemed an OK fit (the front hub & fork should be aligned when I look down?? Correct me if I'm wrong!), but once I'd ridden it for a bit, I felt perhaps a bit cramped compared to how I expected to feel on a road bike (although comfortable), plus I got a bit of toe-touching-front-wheel when I turned (I have big feet, too), and I felt as if I had to shift my weight back to get tighter turns.
I'm going to try a Pinnacle 52cm to see if that makes a difference, but should I also try a 54cm? But I think a not-too-aggressive posture will be more comfortable particularly for touring (see below)?
Also, I'm female, so is it worth trying 'female' bikes?? In my previous experience, my body shape is the opposite to most women's, so my mountain bike is a 19" men's bike and I love it :oops:
2 - Bike use
I'll be using the bike for social road rides, nothing fancy (unless I get The Bug!), but I need it also to function as a tourer, taking panniers (with camping gear, so not light) on cycling holidays in France. I live in the North Downs of Kent, so lots of hilly rides, too. I'm thinking of a bike with triple chainset for this reason - it's one thing managing big hills with just me & the bike, but it's quite another having to do them with loaded panniers!
3 - Brand vs Components
Mr Evans is always raving about their Pinnacle, because you get good components but cheaper overall bike, particularly in their current Sale. But I've heard great things about the Specialised Secteur and wonder whether this might be suitable for my kind of riding? Does anyone have any opinions about Evans' Pinnacle range? They suggested the Dolomite 2 or 3. My maximum price is £800 (and if I spend that much I'll probably feel a bit guilty if I don't love it as much as my cat/boyfriend...)
Sorry, so many questions! Just that I don't really know what I'm doing, and I am having to curb my enthasiasm and make sure I get the right bike...hence advice-seeking :?
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Comments
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1) Don't worry too much about lining up thefront hub - to do that will depend as much on how high/low you are on the bike. The key measurement for frame sizing is top tube length, although you can 'adjust' this by saddle horizontal positioning and stem length. Frame height ( seat tube length) is not as critical as it used to be as having a long seat post is no longer a safety issue.
2) Toe overlap should not be a problem as you won't turn the handlebars far enough when you are riding unless you are manouvering at slow speeds.
3) You might be better off in the long run going to a specialist bike shop rather than Evans and see what they can do for you bespoke-wise.
Whereabouts areyou in Kent? You might like to speak to Downland Cycles in Canterbury as they do custom bikes within you pricerange and do proper bike fitting on a jig.0 -
A 52 cm top tube is a small size frame for most manafacturers.
For your leg length I would give a medium a try too assuming the reach isn't too stretched.
If the touring is important to you then a slightly more relaxed geometry would be better something with a slightly shorter top tube and a longer head tube.
Also handy to have is a frame with mounts for a rack for your camping gear.0 -
A lot of the classic sizing guides assume you are a medium-sized Italian athlete riding a 1970s racer. Ignore any "hub obscured by bars" nonsense. You should use the size and rise of stem that fits you best.
Peter Whitehas a good guide to bike fit.
If you have long legs, it may help to use longer 175mm cranks. This will put your feet further forward without placing the bars forward.
Interference between your feet and the front wheel (toe-clip overlap) is generally though to be OK for racers but not so good for tourists and commuters, who have to manoeuvre at low speed.
Depending on your touring load, you may need front panniers. If so, you need a touring bike with steel forks that are fitted with threaded eyelets for a front rack.
These days, road-style drop bars are not obligatory on tourers, you can use flat or trekking style if it suits you. You can tour on other styles of bike, eg flat bar fitness bikes.
You can get some fairly lightweight tourers, Dawes and Ridgeback are the main brands but there are some smaller brands such as Thorn and Hewitt. You dont really get "Women's" tourers, if someone has funny proportions, they get a custom tourer like in the olden days, from Mercian, Bob Jackson or other custom builders.0 -
Thank you all for your replies & tips, lots to think about! I'll keep looking & trying various bikes out, there's sure to be one that fits the bill, or that I can adjust to suit my needs. Phew, i was beginning to wonder if I was asking too much from a bike
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another brand to consider is Edinburgh Bikes - revolution range, their bikes always get good reviews, and are very well specced for the price. I can't speak for the Country Traveller or Explorer(tourer range) personally but my Cross 10 is a cracking bike and I prefer it to more expensive brand names I've had before.
It would come in nicely under budget too, giving you a guilt free gig or (even better) money left for ugrades or accessories.0
