Size matters
peddlingmadness
Posts: 151
Size matters?
I've always had medium bikes roughly 54/56.. I'm 5'8 weigh 66kg (roughly 10st 4 in old money) with a 31" Inseem measured to the floor and not to the top of the ankle and was in the process of ordering a canyon bike from their warehouse in Germany. I followed the instructions and entered all my measurements as correctly as I could and they had me down as an extra small size 50.. Okay I said there must be a problem with my measurements so I had the wife out in the living room with the tape measure whilst I stood about in my kecks hoping no one could see us through the gaps in the curtains. There were very slight variations on my measurements and again the Canyon website came up with me on the Extra Small..
I asked a few of the good folk on here and was given some sound advice and decided I needed to try out an Extra small bike.. So tonight I borrowed my sisters who's only 4 foot nothing (no laughing at the back) Aluminium Wiler bike. Its probably no heavier than my Cube GTC SL race ready carbon steed as there's a lot less bike to it. My initial thoughts were that I might catch my shoes on the front tyre if I make any Sharpish turns and wow how comfy are lady seats..!
So I set off in blustery wet conditions at no great pace with no great expectations.. Its not like I had a new bike out of the box and I wanted to justify in my mind why I'd just blew the next six months morgage money so I just plodded along listening to Abba on the Ipod (yeah so if a cars gonna hit me from behind then I'd rather I didn't hear it first)
Just a mile from my house is the Ramsbottom Rake a mile of pure nastiness and I have a love/hate relationship with her.. I've peddled up in hill climb competitions I've peddled up on a tandem and I've peddled up in tears and I still try to include it in my rides as much as possible as you just can't cheat on hills like that. You either put in a lot of effort or you just stop, theres no middle ground.. There was a lot of traffic as it was early evening and not much grip as it was raining so made my way up at a steady pace and my strava log now tells me I did my second best ever time..WTF!
I'm the wrong side of 40 and had just ate pie and mash (its Tuesday and I always have pie and mash on a Tuesday) but, for once didn' feel like it was coming back up.. Anyway not knowing this I headed back down Holcolme Hill. I've been down this route so many times in the past going hell for leather as part of a 18m TT circuit and yet tonight on my sisters baby bike I pick up the KOM...Again WTF.. Might I add that I wasn't trying for it and hold no sway to Down hill KOM's. I'd rather knock 5 seconds off the Rake than have a KOM for any downhill. Did the pie I ate really weigh that much that it assisted my gravity or was it the fact that I was un-kowingly tucked in tight on my sisters baby bike that made the difference..
Either way I'm taking the pink streamers off the handlebars tomorrow and going for it barbie style..! So if you see a rather skinny ugly fella peddling a girlie bike this weekend try not to laugh to much as Its gonna be the new thing and you'll all want one. Really though In all seriousnous I think I better downsize my bike as I'm shocked at the difference in speed a smaller bike made to tonights quick spin.. I can now understand why a bike fit is important.. Shame Canyon are in Germany!
http://www.strava.com/activities/143547791
I've always had medium bikes roughly 54/56.. I'm 5'8 weigh 66kg (roughly 10st 4 in old money) with a 31" Inseem measured to the floor and not to the top of the ankle and was in the process of ordering a canyon bike from their warehouse in Germany. I followed the instructions and entered all my measurements as correctly as I could and they had me down as an extra small size 50.. Okay I said there must be a problem with my measurements so I had the wife out in the living room with the tape measure whilst I stood about in my kecks hoping no one could see us through the gaps in the curtains. There were very slight variations on my measurements and again the Canyon website came up with me on the Extra Small..
I asked a few of the good folk on here and was given some sound advice and decided I needed to try out an Extra small bike.. So tonight I borrowed my sisters who's only 4 foot nothing (no laughing at the back) Aluminium Wiler bike. Its probably no heavier than my Cube GTC SL race ready carbon steed as there's a lot less bike to it. My initial thoughts were that I might catch my shoes on the front tyre if I make any Sharpish turns and wow how comfy are lady seats..!
So I set off in blustery wet conditions at no great pace with no great expectations.. Its not like I had a new bike out of the box and I wanted to justify in my mind why I'd just blew the next six months morgage money so I just plodded along listening to Abba on the Ipod (yeah so if a cars gonna hit me from behind then I'd rather I didn't hear it first)
Just a mile from my house is the Ramsbottom Rake a mile of pure nastiness and I have a love/hate relationship with her.. I've peddled up in hill climb competitions I've peddled up on a tandem and I've peddled up in tears and I still try to include it in my rides as much as possible as you just can't cheat on hills like that. You either put in a lot of effort or you just stop, theres no middle ground.. There was a lot of traffic as it was early evening and not much grip as it was raining so made my way up at a steady pace and my strava log now tells me I did my second best ever time..WTF!
I'm the wrong side of 40 and had just ate pie and mash (its Tuesday and I always have pie and mash on a Tuesday) but, for once didn' feel like it was coming back up.. Anyway not knowing this I headed back down Holcolme Hill. I've been down this route so many times in the past going hell for leather as part of a 18m TT circuit and yet tonight on my sisters baby bike I pick up the KOM...Again WTF.. Might I add that I wasn't trying for it and hold no sway to Down hill KOM's. I'd rather knock 5 seconds off the Rake than have a KOM for any downhill. Did the pie I ate really weigh that much that it assisted my gravity or was it the fact that I was un-kowingly tucked in tight on my sisters baby bike that made the difference..
Either way I'm taking the pink streamers off the handlebars tomorrow and going for it barbie style..! So if you see a rather skinny ugly fella peddling a girlie bike this weekend try not to laugh to much as Its gonna be the new thing and you'll all want one. Really though In all seriousnous I think I better downsize my bike as I'm shocked at the difference in speed a smaller bike made to tonights quick spin.. I can now understand why a bike fit is important.. Shame Canyon are in Germany!
http://www.strava.com/activities/143547791
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Comments
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Glad to hear it went well, and that you have now found your right size.
But please, next post, break it up a bit. I lost track of where I was multiple times.0
