Gary Fountain

Thanks for the photos and it looks like a nice bike. I can fully understand wanting to make it your long term bike. As I intimated earlier, it is difficult to comment on a bike fit from a photo and the angle the camera position to you, the subject, can change our (the viewer's) perspective but it's much better to have a photo or two, or three than nothing at all.

The third photo shows your right leg extended quite well but your heel is down and I'm wondering if this is your natural riding position?

My view is that it does look small for you but not as bad as I imagined. Your body looks like it's pretty well in proportion to your height - no disproportionately long legs or arms, etc. I'm also a little perplexed as to why you like a very short stem as I would naturally start at a length of, say, 120mm. Perhaps you do have disproportionately longer legs and my initial opinion of your body's proportions is incorrect?

Is there any way of putting your components back onto your old frame and take some setup measurements? It sounds like your old frame was a better fit?

How long have you been doing these long rides for? Is it a case of just putting up with the pain until your body gets used to it? Perhaps aching wrists, neck and back might come from riding second rate roads and riding long distances? Road vibration often transmits through the front fork to your hands causing pain. It could go some was into making your whole body react to a poor road surface. You are riding a long way. You may need to develop methods of relieving your body from your constant riding position to alleviate foot pain, etc. while out on a ride.

My son is 6' 3" and I have tried to give him 62cm frames with 130mm stems but he still complains that the bike is too small. You, on the other hand feel a more compact riding position is more comfortable. Everyone is different. The comfortable position is what you are after and your old bike was much better for you. I, on the other hand usually ride a 58cm frame but I honestly can't drop my frame size to 57cm as I feel too cramped loosing power and it starts to hurt my body more. I can, however, go up in size to 60cm and be comfortable. I even have bikes with a 62cm seat tube and can ride them with more comfort then a 57cm frame. But.....everyone is different.

Seeing your old frame was a 62cm, I think that is a good place to start your quest for a good quality frame. I really hope you can re-assemble your old frame enough to take some set-up measurements and perhaps start your frame search again. I would probably sell the frame you just bought and look for another 62cm frame. You may loose valuable money doing this but if you are going to be riding long distances, it will be worth it in the long run. Don't disregard the top tube length as these can change significantly on a 62cm frame. And....an 80mm stem does sound really short. I recommend looking at Italian style frames that often have a longer seat tube to the top tube.

If my frame is 'my size' I'd probably set myself up on the bike in stages. First, I'd set my body on the bike. Height of saddle to give a slight bend of the knee whilst the pedal is at it's lowest while actually riding and saddle position backwards or forwards to position my knee correctly. An indicator of knee position I have sometimes used for a road bike: With you in position get a friend to drop a vertical line down from the front of your knee and see where it intersects your foot on the pedal while the pedal crank and foot are at a 3 o'clock position. I have been told it should intersect at roughly the pedal axle position. Sometimes a re-positioning of the saddle can adjust this position.

After this, I would adjust my handlebar reach. On a frame the correct size and using an average length stem, the reach should automatically be reasonably close to right. Thats why I do this adjustment second.

All this can change depending on the frame's geometry as well as the purpose for the actual bike. I've had frames with very relaxes seat tube angles (70.5 degree) and upright seat tube angles 975 degrees). As well as differing tube lengths. Basically I try to achieve the same position for my body but the purpose of the bike can change that.

Perhaps paying a good bikeshop to measure you up for frame fit might be money well spent. But finding a bike fitter that actually knows what he/she is talking about might be another difficulty.

As you said at the beginning of this thread, "My bike doesn't fit.....". Your seatpost has to be extended well past it's safe limit to find a comfortable length. You need a different bike.