Is my frame too big, too small or just right?
mattmaximus
Posts: 132
Hello all, first post, thanks for having me.
After a while of lurking this is likely to be a case of 'another day, another frame question' but thanks in advance for your thoughts.
I have a Boardman Pro Road 2008 XL, which measures at 58cm seat tube. I'm 6'4, 90kg and a reasonably athletic 32 years old. I bought the bike three years ago but early onset children have limited the amount of riding I've been able to do.
My problem is a pain in the neck and centre of shoulders which comes on after around 30 miles and is pretty painful after 50, so much so that this is the furthest I've been. I know my position on the bike has been quite stretched out - the TT is 580mm long and until recently I had the stock 130mm Ritchey WCS stem, which I have now swapped for a 110, but it hasn't solved the problem. I'm contemplating picking up a cheap 90mm stem but don't want (a) a twitchy ride or (b) to make the bike look ridiculous :oops:
I've also been trying to get my setup right at the back of the bike, aiming to get close to 25 degrees leg bend at the bottom of the stroke. I've currently got 195mm of seat post showing, giving me a 90mm drop to the handlebars (even with a highly unaesthetically pleasing flipped stem and 30mm of spacers).
The question is: do I persevere with this frame, trying to get it more comfortable and to get myself more flexible, or look at a Colnago Ace-style frame with a short TT and massive HT, or go down the custom steel / ti route? I'm looking to ride a lot through the summer and don't really fancy a massive wait to get the issue fixed.
All advice welcome, even if it's in the rule 5 / MTFU vein!
After a while of lurking this is likely to be a case of 'another day, another frame question' but thanks in advance for your thoughts.
I have a Boardman Pro Road 2008 XL, which measures at 58cm seat tube. I'm 6'4, 90kg and a reasonably athletic 32 years old. I bought the bike three years ago but early onset children have limited the amount of riding I've been able to do.
My problem is a pain in the neck and centre of shoulders which comes on after around 30 miles and is pretty painful after 50, so much so that this is the furthest I've been. I know my position on the bike has been quite stretched out - the TT is 580mm long and until recently I had the stock 130mm Ritchey WCS stem, which I have now swapped for a 110, but it hasn't solved the problem. I'm contemplating picking up a cheap 90mm stem but don't want (a) a twitchy ride or (b) to make the bike look ridiculous :oops:
I've also been trying to get my setup right at the back of the bike, aiming to get close to 25 degrees leg bend at the bottom of the stroke. I've currently got 195mm of seat post showing, giving me a 90mm drop to the handlebars (even with a highly unaesthetically pleasing flipped stem and 30mm of spacers).
The question is: do I persevere with this frame, trying to get it more comfortable and to get myself more flexible, or look at a Colnago Ace-style frame with a short TT and massive HT, or go down the custom steel / ti route? I'm looking to ride a lot through the summer and don't really fancy a massive wait to get the issue fixed.
All advice welcome, even if it's in the rule 5 / MTFU vein!
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Comments
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If you have the wherewithal, go for a bespoke frame...there are a number of superb UK frame builders..# a number attended.
http://www.bespokedbristol.co.uk/Bespok ... _A-_F.html0 -
you don't have to go down to 25degrees on the legs.. there is a range that you can be in (I think the fit I had done was aiming for 25-35degrees.)...25degrees is very aggressive... the fitter said its only really worth it if you are racing seriously.
it sounds like its the aggressive position harming you.. so maybe drop the saddle a bit and that might relax the set up enough to eliminate some strain.
It does sound like you're riding the wrong size of frame if you've having to flip the stem though.. as even if you drop the saddle a bit, you'll still have a load of drop if you flip the stem back.0 -
@JGSI - thanks, great link. I had looked at the Rourke and Enigma websites but had no idea there were so many custom frame builders in the UK!
@ALIHISGREAT - yes, 25 degrees is just too much for me! I worked out, though, that I was at about 40 degrees to start with and I think this was tiring me out without commensurate gains in comfort.
really appreciate your help.0 -
Are you very long legs/short body for your height? If not i'd be surprised if you needed a shorter top tube or stem.
How is your flexibility? Can you touch your toes?0 -
Tom Dean wrote:Are you very long legs/short body for your height? If not i'd be surprised if you needed a shorter top tube or stem.
No, I don't think so. I reckon I more or less qualify for 'normal' 8)
How is your flexibility? Can you touch your toes?
Well, I'm sure my flexibility could be much better. Can't touch my toes unless I spend a minute warming up my hamstrings. I'm sure this will improve if I ride more, but as I said, I'm not especially loving the discomfort in the meanwhile!0 -
I don't know if you need custom, just a more sportive focussed bike (i.e taller headtube and shorter TT).
How are your body proportions? My height is long legs, short torso. After inputting my measurements into the Competitive Cyclist fit calculator (Try it if you haven't already - http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CC ... ATOR_INTRO), I realised I needed a tall seat tube, but shot TT and stem reach. I now own a sportive bike with a 10cm stem (reduced from 12cm stock) and it fits me great. For anyone else it would be a very situp and relaxed fit, but it fits me like a regular setup.
With my last bike I had the same neck and shoulder issues as you describe. I was constantly pulling my head back to look forward and as the miles built up it would ache. If you imagine holding the handlebars in a cycling position and then moving them closer and raising the height slightly you can immediately see how it takes the strain right off your neck and shoulders..0 -
@bus_ter - thanks very much for the link. Did some slightly rough measuring and the data it's given me suggests that I'm quite close on my Boardman for the competitive fit (it recommends a max of 558TT and 113 stem, which - I think - would equate to my original plan of the 580TT and a 90 stem), but I'm pretty sure the 'Eddy fit' is more what I need at the moment. I'm very happy to keep the Boardman frame (if it was good enough for Nicole Cooke I'm quite sure it's good enough for me!!) for a time in the future when I have the flexibility and speed to put it to better use.
Can now while away some time looking up frame geometries to see what's out there and whether it's worth test riding something.0 -
:? 558mm top tube would put you on a medium Boardman as far as I can tell. 2 sizes down from what you have now.
At 6'4" I am your height and my 580mm top tube is on the short side, 140mm stem. A good position on a race bike can take some getting used to though, I suppose it depends how much riding you plan on doing. You could probably go and buy a more comfortable bike today but there's no reason why you can't fit on what you have.
I would go and get a proper fit done before looking at new frames.0 -
mattmaximus wrote:@JGSI - thanks, great link. I had looked at the Rourke and Enigma websites but had no idea there were so many custom frame builders in the UK!
@ALIHISGREAT - yes, 25 degrees is just too much for me! I worked out, though, that I was at about 40 degrees to start with and I think this was tiring me out without commensurate gains in comfort.
really appreciate your help.
Yeah I was 41 degrees or something like that, and it just puts extra strain on your knees coming over the top of the stroke and I was finding that I was too cramped when on the drops.
my 28degrees now feels much better.
If you're looking at different geometry frames, take a look at the Carbon Giant Defy range (composite and advanced) -> you can get a test ride on one of the expensive ones through giant dealers.0 -
Tom Dean wrote::? 558mm top tube would put you on a medium Boardman as far as I can tell. 2 sizes down from what you have now.
At 6'4" I am your height and my 580mm top tube is on the short side, 140mm stem. A good position on a race bike can take some getting used to though, I suppose it depends how much riding you plan on doing. You could probably go and buy a more comfortable bike today but there's no reason why you can't fit on what you have.
I would go and get a proper fit done before looking at new frames.
That's really interesting. Obviously the competitivecyclist doesn't know how flexible I am, so either I am oddly proportioned :shock: or I did a pretty poor job of measuring myself :oops:
Can I ask - have you done the calculations? If so, what did it recommend?
My concern is that I carry on riding in the hope that the pain eases, but that all along it was being caused by my shoulders stretching too far (which, I'm guessing, will never cure itself).
Although articles like this http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm made me hesitate, I think you're right, a proper bike fit sounds like the logical next step.0 -
I found competitive cyclist still provides an aggressive fit compared to other fit methods.
I found this site helped me a lot more..
http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefit.html
and this site for aches and pains...
http://www.caree.org/bike101bikefit.htm
A quick google suggests 9 cm is a big drop for saddle to bars for you ATM, i have similar problems with time what with 2 young kids + shift work although i am only 5 foot 7" so according to the web i tend to need a shorter drop due to shorter arms .Anyway ...once you have dialed your fit in with regards seat height maybe consider looking at a riser stem with a shorter reach ? this would raise your cockpit and if you found that you were comfortable you could look to drop the handlebars as your body gets used to the bike.
As my body got used to riding i have gone from a riser stem to the stock stem that came with the bike ( gtg kids are up )FCN 3/5/90
