Short legs - long body. Struggling with fit for off-the-peg

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Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    bernithebiker wrote:
    There is nothing unusual or wrong in having a long stem.

    It is in fact quite desirable...
    left the forum March 2023
  • bernithebiker
    bernithebiker Posts: 4,148
    dennisn wrote:
    meggiedude wrote:
    Let me be clear here, I am NOT looking at a Pro-Tour position, but neither am I looking for a sit-up-and-beg naff setup. All I want is a good Sportive flat back riding position.
    Now we're getting to the real issue. You are LOOKING to LOOK good out there. Trust me when I say no-one, and I mean no-one, cares if you look good out there. Nor will anyone say that you look good on this or that bike(except the shop selling it to you). Plus no-one is going to compliment your "great position look on your bike". Wouldn't you rather be comfortable?

    I must have missed the bit where he said he wanted to 'look good'?
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    bernithebiker wrote:
    dennisn wrote:
    meggiedude wrote:
    Let me be clear here, I am NOT looking at a Pro-Tour position, but neither am I looking for a sit-up-and-beg naff setup. All I want is a good Sportive flat back riding position.
    Now we're getting to the real issue. You are LOOKING to LOOK good out there. Trust me when I say no-one, and I mean no-one, cares if you look good out there. Nor will anyone say that you look good on this or that bike(except the shop selling it to you). Plus no-one is going to compliment your "great position look on your bike". Wouldn't you rather be comfortable?

    I must have missed the bit where he said he wanted to 'look good'?
    Well, he says he wants a "good sportive flat back riding position". Sounds like a little vanity there. He can't handle the pro racer look, neither does he want "the sit up and beg look". He wants to look like he's a good rider and feels that this "flat back" thing is how to do it. It's about vanity.
  • stueys
    stueys Posts: 1,332
    I honestly thing with the amount of adjustment that a standard frame can take that very few people genuinely need a custom build. Get a bike fit from a reputable fitter (the retul boys have fully custom fit bikes) and go from there.
  • mamba80
    mamba80 Posts: 5,032
    i would suggest you look at the Giant TCR Advanced range, they seem to suit shorter legs longer torso, will give you plenty of stand over height and not look out of proportion as they ve short seat tubes - prices are from 1100 to 1500 and many Giant dealers will give a decent discount.

    a S or M would be a starting point.
  • bristolpete
    bristolpete Posts: 2,255
    Speaking from experience, I too am short inseam long body - most UK riders are. But, after years of thinking I needed a bigger bike, I recently sold the lot and went for a 54cm frame, compact, had a fit and feel brilliant on it. No more painful C5 vertebrae issues which were rendering cycling over for me, til I went smaller and paid for a fit. In context, I did 76 miles today and got home showered and sat here typing this. Yes, I feel like I have ridden well today, but not in pain, not hurting just post 76 miles. I think the long torso riders, myself included can create issues for ourselves, which in turn become big bike fit issues and looming pain. I hope you find your fit. Pete.
  • OfficerDigby
    OfficerDigby Posts: 110
    meggiedude wrote:
    thegreatdivide wrote:
    KOP's is a myth. It's an antiqued bike fitting method that's now been pretty much disproved.
    Granted that might be the case, but Knee pain is not a myth and moving the seat back will cause me knee pain - guaranteed.


    I'll chime in as long body and shorter legs type.
    Used to think the long stem was the answer with the forward saddle to get to KOPS was the way.

    But now the weight distribution on the bike is main thing for me, setting the saddle back removes weight/pressure on the front handlebars (caused by body type) a la Steve Hogg thinking.

    Never heard of behind KOPS causing knee pain before (?) Only in the case of knee being too far forward. I wonder if in your case are you dropping the saddle to keep saddle-bb distance the same?

    Definitely worth reading the Steve Hogg stuff on line , if you were going to attempt your own fitting.

    Kops is the starting point for many but during 'a ride' you mov about on a saddle something like 2-4cm depending what you doing so what is KOPS.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    thegreatdivide wrote:
    KOP's is a myth. It's an antiqued bike fitting method that's now been pretty much disproved.
    I can't seem to recall when and by whom KOPS was ever proven? Can you enlighten us please? Also, who disproved this unproven theory?
  • meggiedude
    meggiedude Posts: 257
    OfficerDigby wrote:
    meggiedude wrote:
    thegreatdivide wrote:
    KOP's is a myth. It's an antiqued bike fitting method that's now been pretty much disproved.
    Granted that might be the case, but Knee pain is not a myth and moving the seat back will cause me knee pain - guaranteed.


    I'll chime in as long body and shorter legs type.
    Used to think the long stem was the answer with the forward saddle to get to KOPS was the way.

    But now the weight distribution on the bike is main thing for me, setting the saddle back removes weight/pressure on the front handlebars (caused by body type) a la Steve Hogg thinking.

    Never heard of behind KOPS causing knee pain before (?) Only in the case of knee being too far forward. I wonder if in your case are you dropping the saddle to keep saddle-bb distance the same?

    Definitely worth reading the Steve Hogg stuff on line , if you were going to attempt your own fitting.

    Kops is the starting point for many but during 'a ride' you mov about on a saddle something like 2-4cm depending what you doing so what is KOPS.
    I am kinda sensitive to knee pain, and have been since an right knee Anterior cruciate rebuild (after complete rupture) years ago. Cycling is the only exercise that that I have found builds the muscles round the knee to reduce knee pain & arthritis when walking. And I actually enjoy it.
    Its right what you say about the moving around on the saddle, and I have to consciously move myself back to a neutral position during a ride to ensure I don't suffer later.
    Thanks for the Steve Hoggs info, I'll have look
    Can I upgrade???
  • meggiedude
    meggiedude Posts: 257
    dennisn wrote:
    Well, he says he wants a "good sportive flat back riding position". Sounds like a little vanity there. He can't handle the pro racer look, neither does he want "the sit up and beg look". He wants to look like he's a good rider and feels that this "flat back" thing is how to do it. It's about vanity.
    Oh please. :roll: If that was the case my cycling wardrobe wouldn't consist of a load of Aldi kit.
    I'd rather be in ALdi/Lidl/neural cycling kit and in a as good as I can achieve cycling position than be in Sky/Movistar/Astana/etc kit and be "all wrong" i.e bad leg extension/cramped/stretched etc.
    I started this thread to get recommendations of bike/frame builders/manufacturers that might be a good starting point for my next bike, not about looking good.
    If you wanta read other stuff into my previous posts, so be it.
    Can I upgrade???
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    Well, we could have guessed that all the opinionatedness would summon the Spirit of Dennis to the thread.

    I, too, am a gorilla (174 cm tall, inseam something ridiculous). PX large for me (they did their half-baked bike fit on me at the Edinburgh shop, when it was open), 130 stem, all spacers out. Suits me fine, I like a flat back because I seem to spend most of my life head down into the east Scottish winds. But, as usual, Dennis will be able to psychoanalyse my motives better than I can, and no doubt all the other experts here will also be able to tell me how wrong I am.

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