will i be able to get my bars level with my seat

radiation man

im going to buy a colnago clx 3.0 frame size 48 i usually have the bars level with the seat for comfort , how will i know if i can do this with the headset it comes with,

sloppyschleckonds

Was this meant to be an email to the shop you are buying it from!?

Garry H

No. but if you buy a c59 instead, you'll have no problems.

dayone

Sorry, but how do you know that having the bars level with this type of bike will be more comfy for you? aren't all bikes different.

MountainMonster

The steerer tune length will determine if you can get the bars level. If it is brand new you won't have a problem as the steerers are normally pretty long.

Calpol

If you want or need the bars level with the seat then I know just the bike for you.much cheaper and more stylish than a colnago.
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... &langId=-1

dj58

Where are you buying the frameset from. LBS or online? According to the Colnago website it is one of their endurance bikes, however if you look at the photos there doesn't appear to be much steerer tube/spacers below the stem, that could be just for sales aesthetics though. You need to ask for the geometry spec. and what the supplied length of the steerer tube is.

chanjy

Are you sure you need a Colnago OP? :roll:

Some fairly obvious variables you have left out of that equation which means nobody here can possibly answer the question!

monkimark

How high is your seat?
This picture suggests yes, probably if your seat is reasonably low in the frame.

ugo.santalucia

I think if you ride with the bars level with your seat, a flat bars bike will be a lot better for you. The upper end of the hybrid market offers some pretty light and mean machines fitted with hydraulic discs... a much much better bike if you can bear to own a Specialized Sirrus PRO disc instead of a Colnago.

me-109

Drop your saddle until level with bars. Sorted!

Anonymous

Of course you can get them level.

Flip the stem, get a bigger angled stem (30 degrees), get an adjustable stem, or if none of that is high enough, whack a steering tube extender on.

You could even combine a steering tube extender and a flipped 30 degree stem if you want to go for the proper 'Easy Rider' look , the sky is the limit really.

How tall etc. are you?
What bike do you have at the moment (model/frame size) that you can achieve a level saddle/bars without such modifications? Is it a Secteur?
Does it fit you?

radiation man

im 5ft 6 with inside leg 31inch, my bikes at the moment are a trek 1.5 54 frame and a trek pilot 1.0 56 frame, and yes both bikes are too big for me but i think local bike shops said they would fit me because they wanted to sell them as they had them in stock, the 1.5 has a 110mm stem 7degree rise and the 1.0 has a 100mm stem 7degree rise, and both of the seats are as far forward as they can go.

Anonymous

You cannot use the seat to make a bike fit you. It needs to be in the right place in relation to the BB (although if its too big that might be where it is I guess).

Sounds like your bars are level with saddle partly due to bikes being too big and seats being really low in the frame.
If you get a smaller (correct sized) frame of same model then head tube will be shorter and bars will be lower in relation to seat height, but at least they will be nearer.

Think you will struggle to achieve level seat/bar on the Colnago, but if it fits you then you probably do not need them level for comfort anyway.

Are your current bikes comfortable?

radiation man

the 56 frame is a more relaxed frame and i have more power with that bike, but guess none of the bikes have ever been a great fit, the seats on both bikes are far forward because i set them with a plumbline from the small bone just near my knee to intersect the pedal axle.

rolf_f

Funny how not so long ago it was perfectly normal to have your bars level with your seat yet now, if you suggest such a thing, for whatever reason, the forum dimwits come out in force to give you a hard time........

If you want relatively high handlebars, it is probably worth targeting a frame with a tall head tube rather than fixating on a specific model. Italian geometry seems to be normally more stretched out than others so not necessarily the easiest to achieve that sort of fit but it's all down to the numbers and angles.

Anonymous

To be fair to us dimwits I think the OP got a hard time because he wants level bars/seat on a specific bike more so than just generally wanting it .
just get a Secteur if you want a high up position.

Regardless of history it must get to a point where you should consider another option to a road bike if you want the bars very high IMO.

top_bhoy

If both your current bikes have been too large (and as I'm 5'6" also (albeit shorter legs), I agree that they probably have been) how do you know what you want? Maybe a small drop would be better for you. Before going splashing the cash, it might be a better idea to try several other bikes in a size better suited to you. These may range from 48 cm to 52 cm depending on geometry.

Final tip: Don't go back to the LBS that sold you those bikes....at 5'6" with a big push and adjustment, you might get a 54 cm to fit but there is no way are you a 56 cm.

team47b

Being the same height as you I would say that a 52cm frame is more likely to be a better fit than your current 56cm. If the frames are similar then a 48cm (which I think is too small) will give you 8cm more seat post showing to achieve the same leg length and will not put the bars level with the saddle but about a 2-4cm drop.

Get a frame that gives you the correct leg length then adjust the stem length and stem height for a reach that you personally find comfortable based on your reach measurement and not try to determine fit by trying to get level contact points.

me-109

^This. They have obviously sized the frame based on your leg length, which is long for your height, not considering the reach aspect. Whilst some of the comments above might generally be correct, you appear to have a need to have your bars higher than 'normal'. You have not identified if that is due to limited back movement or if it is just that the oversized frames are leaving you stretched, hence you are compensating by raising the bars (which shortens the reach).

Choosing a smaller frame and fitting it to your legs with potentially a long seat pin, would give you a shorter reach but would also typically have a shorter head tube (vs the same frame in a larger size). So, as stated earlier, you should be looking for a sportive-oriented frame with a longer head tube but in a size that gives a good 20mm (maybe even 30mm) less reach than your current bikes.

radiation man

so if i buy a colnago clx 3.0 size 52 what problems will i have getting it to fit as its the nearly the same frame geometry as the trek 54 1.5

cycleclinic

Most people are quite normal. Most normal rider of road race bike have saddle to handle bars drop of 75mm or more why because even with moderate flexability the vast majority of rider can sit in that position for a long time if the saddle height, fore/aft and the stem are the right length (and it is on the right stack). Handle bars level with a stem is not what even proper tourist do there is normally a short drop between saddle and bars + there is a long headtube.

Generally when I see position like the OP is trying to take it is because the position is not right i.e saddle too high and the bars have to come up to compensate along with a shorter stem. While the rider maybe comfortable like that once the change is made to a conventional race bike position there is no going back. I have a customer who had a similar position to the OP preferred one and used a short Nitto quill stem with a very long quill (not inserted much either) to give this sort of position. It took some persuation but I altered everything for him and he loves it. It turns he is normal after all although he still denies it.

The colnago is not a bike that was ever designed for saddle and bars to be level. Unless you have a medical reason why you must have these things level (in which case pick a different bike) I would get a fitting done and try out a different position, you may like it .

rolf_f

Carbonator wrote:

To be fair to us dimwits I think the OP got a hard time because he wants level bars/seat on a specific bike more so than just generally wanting it .
just get a Secteur if you want a high up position.

Regardless of history it must get to a point where you should consider another option to a road bike if you want the bars very high IMO.

And I do agree with you on that - I ended up tripling my budget and getting a Look because it was the best fit for me; I'd never considered one before but as far as I see it, there is no point spending money on something that is a compromise fit. But, just because you want the bars level with the seat doesn't necessarily mean you want a high up position - short legs will result in a relatively low seat to saddle drop. Personally, I don't see any problem with the bike Monkimark posted - not without seeing the rider on it as well.

My bike was marketed as a Sportive geometry bike - but with long legs my position is actually racy on it and I couldn't really get an upright road bike to fit me if I tried (knees would hit the bars).

Father Faff

Best bet is to find a dealer with a 52cm CLX 3.0 and try it. If the dealer is half worth their salt they will check your fit on the bike. But if you want a Colnago and a more "upright" position then the CX Zero may be worth a look. The Bianchi Intenso and Infinito are also worth a look if you want an Italian bike with a more relaxed position.