Will Goes Boing

No offense Chaos but you come off as very OCD. She's a newbie commuting to work, she's not competing in the Tour De France.

NYChaos

Non taken. That is the reason I have posted on forums. I do not know the importance of bike fit theory in real life situations.

Now, I am starting to realize that it's not a big deal, and the only thing I am going to do is make her handlebar smaller, get her a comfy seat, set of good tires and she can enjoy her new ride.


Thanks for the input guys

DX-MAN

There you go, dude.

Efficiency is ALL...when you're a pro competitor. Even COMFORT comes second! But for everyday riding, getting 'in the ballpark' on efficiency is good enough, and COMFORT will make the most of THAT. Just let her know to tell you if she has problems, otherwise let things happen.

It's all good......

NYChaos

Thanks brother

Phil_gretz

I note from the Bianchi USA website that this bike comes in four sizes 43, 48, 53 and 58. Which size is she on? The 48 should be about right for her. I also see that it has an adjustible stem, which should help the LBS fitter a lot. Looks like you've chosen a good bike for a first commuter. I like it.

As for bar width, it matters, but it's one variable that can be traded-off among other reach-related variables (frame size (TT length), stem reach, and bar witdh (for a flat bar)). This is commonplace among MTB riders, where the trend is for wider and wider bars than just a few years ago.

You've received good advice. Have her ride the bike. If she required more seat setback to get the right balance, then narrower bars will help her maintain the same reach. Your bike shop can help with this.

Camilo

Somewhere in the above thread, someone mentioned seatpost setback - it's pretty easy to find them with as much as 30-35mm. Depending on what's on there (likely 15-20), you'll easily solve any future setback problem (if it actually occurs) with a $50 seatpost, less on ebay of course.

As for the tires - why not just let her wear out the ones that came on the bike. Like almost everything on a bike, new riders could care less about minutia. They want comfort and shifting and brakes that are trouble free.

Myosmith

Good fit, including knee position, is important to comfort and injury prevention in any cycling, but you need to realize that Knee Over Pedal (aka KOPS) is at best a guideline for a starting position, not an absolute. Adjust the fit the best you can with the current setup and have her ride the bike for a while. Carefully note any discomfort including when and where it happens. Then tune the adjustments. To start replacing parts before she has even found out if the bike is uncomfortable is a mistake. Your LBS should be willing to allow you 30 days or so for fit adjustments. If she is a new rider, you will likely find that her preferred fit will actually change as her cycling flexibility and fitness improve. If she goes later goes clipless and finds the fit isn't working, she is no more "screwed" than she is now, you may need to make some changes as her riding develops.

I have raised my saddle and moved it forward a couple of cm over the years and lowered my handlebars by about the same amount. I've got a new-to-me bike where I'm questioning stem length, but the geometry is different than the much older road bike it is replacing, so I'm riding it as is for now to see if I adapt. So far I am am not sure if the fit is just different or if it is truly going to require modification.

BTW, publicly announcing your suspicion that your LBS is trying to "screw you over" just because their advice isn't what you wanted to hear, is bad form. "Proper" fit is somewhat subjective and an art as much as a science.