New Bike fit

mpzinkann

Hey everyone, I'm new here and have been searching around for some advice. I purchased a new road bike (2014 Fuji Gran Fondo 2.1 C) that was a deal i couldn't pass up. Full carbon with Ultegra all around. One salesman said it was a good fit the other said it was too big for me. I'm 5'8 with a 31 in seam and the bike is M (54cm). The top tube is 545 and seat tube is a 530. The LBS put me on the trainer after i rode it around and dialed me in with all of my gear on. He had to move the seat to the farthest back position after using a plumb bob to get my knees to line up with the end of the crank. I'm wondering if that might have caused me to be over stretched. I rode the bike last night 16 miles and I'm trying to determine if i have a good bend in my arms....they seemed to be sore but its my first road bike. I was riding a Giant MTB on the rode up to 30 miles so its definitely a change! The stem on the bike is a 100mm so i'm unsure if i should go any lower than 90mm after reading that it can affect steering. Any suggestions?

napoleond

Size wise sounds about right. It takes some getting used to the more aggressive position compared to MTB.
Now whether it's set up right is a different story.

mpzinkann

Here is a picture on my trainer.

kajjal

For road bikes once you have the saddle height/position sorted the rest is personal preference. Some like me have a more upright position and others a more head down racing position. As long as it feels right and you get no injuries then it is fine.

rafletcher

And as for the saddle being "farthest back" , well maybe you have long femurs, or maybe you would benefit from a seatpost with a bit more seatback. There is no problem with the saddle being right back on the rails though.

napoleond

Looks ok but it's difficult to really tell from a picture.
Are you able to relax and bend your elbows? You shouldn't ride with your arms straight, they should be relaxed.

mpzinkann

Thanks for the replies. I'm going to ride 30 tomorrow and will know more about my fit. My arms had a slight bend but it just seemed like I had a lot of pressure on them...but again it's my first road bike. My saddle had to be moved all the way back so I was just making sure that I wasn't stretched out and reaching for the bars.

t4tomo

Size looks fine but you need to bend your elbows and get your head and torso lower.

cedargreen

I'm about an inch taller than you and I've apparently got a longish torso and I'm riding a 55cm top tube so while I don't think the bike is too big, I think having the saddle all the way back is probably leaving you a bit stretched. Knee over pedal spindle is a rule of thumb guide, and the fitter shoudn't be sticking rigidly to it if it compromises your position in other areas. Before splashing out on new stems or set back seat posts I would just try moving the saddle forward a little and see how it feels. The other aspect is just getting used to the position on a road bike compared with an MTB. In my experience it takes a bit of fettling to get the right position on a bike, especially in terms of saddle height and fore/aft and while I think a bike fit is a good idea, it can leave you feeling that the fit must be right and you shouldn't fiddle with it.

fearby

I had a bike fit done recently - my third and the only one that made me feel the bike actually fitted me afterwards.
The key was the angle at the knee and it was all fine tuning after that - 30 degrees is recommended by British Cycling.