Bike Sizing advice

reeseavery

Hi all, at long last i got my bike, a lovely Moda Echo size 54cm or s/m . My query is that i tried in shop before hand and voiced concerns over whether to go for the 54 or 56 as most bike sizing seems to depend most on height ( i'm 5 10 ) however the guy at lbs reckoned i was better off with the smaller frame as i was stretched on 56. ( I'm longer in the body than legs )

It feels great when im on it and im all set up so my knee is in line with pedal and my vision is right over front hub ( i read these are 2 good guides that bike is good fit . My only concern is photographic evidence...my daughter took a pic for me and i just think it looks like i'm riding a kids bike. I think its a compact frame and i'm pretty big ( 16 stone ) so my build may be misleading me. Would you peeps mind checking the pics and giving advice. As i said i have ridden it a few times and all feels good . Pic hopefully enclosed and yes i'm planning on shifting the lard lol .

Many thanks .

napoleond

Looks generally fine but very difficult to tell from a photo.

Ride it for a few weeks and see if you start getting any problems. Of so, then you may need to tweak...

defycomp2

Hmm, i'm inclined to say saddle down and then back (possibly quite a bit) as I think your legs will be too straight with the current setup. I would also flip the stem, which with a lower saddle, will for the time being get more weight on your sit bones and less on your wrists.

Have a look at http://www.competitivecyclist.com/Store/catalog/fitCalculatorBike.jsp for some starting measurements. But ride it for a bit and see.

Grill

The guy in the shop is spot on. Adapting a frame that's too large is always going to be a compromise and difficult to find comfortable.

For reference I'm taller than you and ride 54 or smaller on all my bikes.

kajjal

DefyComp2 wrote:

Hmm, i'm inclined to say saddle down and then back (possibly quite a bit) as I think your legs will be too straight with the current setup. I would also flip the stem, which with a lower saddle, will for the time being get more weight on your sit bones and less on your wrists.

Have a look at http://www.competitivecyclist.com/Store/catalog/fitCalculatorBike.jsp for some starting measurements. But ride it for a bit and see.

Until you get more into riding I would also suggest flipping the stem to give a more upright comfortable position. Also make sure your saddle is level as this will help distribute you weight better between your hands , legs and rear. I mainly ride on the hoods and rarely use the drops but again this is personal preference.

Don't worry about how big the bike looks but how it feels when you ride it. A bike that is a bit small can easily be adjusted, one that is too large is very difficult to do anything with. I am over 6ft6 and ride a 62cm frame which my wife says looks a bit small relative to my size but the setup and ride are really good for me.

JayKosta

The size of the bike looks ok to me.

I spend very little time with my hands on the 'drops' - the majority of time I have may hands on the hoods or a little further back on the curved section. For me, those positions allow better breathing and less neck strain.

The position of the hoods is easy to adjust for hand and wrist comfort. Both the location of the hoods on the bars, and the inward tilt of the hoods.

The seat is the most common complaint for many riders, but luckily they are easily changed and there are many types. Don't restrict yourself to 'racing saddles', but also consider touring or women's models. For me, a wide and heavy Brooks B-72 is very comfortable. Also, minor changes in the tilt of the saddle can make noticeable comfort differences - so should feel stable on the seat, and not as if you are being pushed forwards or backwards.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

kajjal

JayKosta wrote:

The size of the bike looks ok to me.

I spend very little time with my hands on the 'drops' - the majority of time I have may hands on the hoods or a little further back on the curved section. For me, those positions allow better breathing and less neck strain.

The position of the hoods is easy to adjust for hand and wrist comfort. Both the location of the hoods on the bars, and the inward tilt of the hoods.

The seat is the most common complaint for many riders, but luckily they are easily changed and there are many types. Don't restrict yourself to 'racing saddles', but also consider touring or women's models. For me, a wide and heavy Brooks B-72 is very comfortable. Also, minor changes in the tilt of the saddle can make noticeable comfort differences - so should feel stable on the seat, and not as if you are being pushed forwards or backwards.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

The tilt of the saddle is a good point. Mine was tilted too far foward initially and shifted a lot of weight onto my arms / hands.

Calpol

Bike looks the right size to me but saddle maybe a touch high. Looks like your leg will be quite straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke.