artesin

Well I just got a Dawes sport 2 ( Bikes 2U Direct -- Leisure bikes : Hybrid & Trekking -- Dawes Discovery Sport 2 gents bike ) with a frame size of 22". When I stand at the cross bar I have no clearance between it and my crotch with my feet directly on the floor. The saddle in it's current position (about 2-3 inches up) i can barely keep my toes on the floor. I think I made the mistake of looking at two different photos thinking that the difference between mine and the cyclocross version ( Dawes Discovery Road Sport 1 Cyclocross 2014 Bike : Bikes | Mountain Bikes | Road Bikes| Winstanleys Cycles ) was simply the handle bars and wheel size.

This bike has shocks, which apparently Im meant to have a mountain bike thats around the 18" range and a road bike thats 55 cm (or 22 inches, which I where I must have gotten confused).


Should this pose any type of problem? Im slightly dissapointed as there was a cyclocross version of this bike that I really wanted, but I thought it was too small at 53 cm. Would 2 cm really have made that much difference? Should I attempt to trade in this bike for the cyclocross version?

Phil_gretz

Okay. I'll try...

You link to two different styles of bicycle, one an upright hybrid and another a road bike with dropped handlebars.

Your posture on those two bikes would be slightly different.

As to fit, there are two aspects - reach to the handlebars/controls, and reach to the pedals when pedaling. You describe a reach to the ground when stopped and the straddle height of the top tube, which are different and not really the determining measure for fit.

You really need a trained bike shop employee or experienced rider to help you with fit, but here are two basic things that may help you.

On the hybrid that you bought, your saddle should be set high enough that you can pedal a full revolution with the ball of your foot on the pedal and your knee being only slightly bent at the pedal's lowest position.

When riding, there is no occasion when you will be seated on the saddle and touching down with your foot, other than with the slightest toe touch. The majority of the time, you're on the saddle. When stopping, come off the saddle and stand on the pedals. Allow your lower to support your weight, and remove your upper foot and touch down and land on that one. Try it a few times, and you'll get it.

As to the top tube height, you should have enough clearance that you can stand over the bike without hurting yourself.

As to reach, you should be able to comfortably ride and reach the handlebar controls without the sensation that you're over reaching or unable to operate the brakes or shifters.

For the road geometry (cyclocross bike), there are another set of considerations for reach and posture. A bike shop or experienced friend can help you with those.

Good luck.

PG

12strings

1. You may need more help from someone knowledgable who can look at you on the bike

2. That said...for Top bar height...Try this: Put one foot on a pedal in an upper position, as if you are about to push the pedal down to take off riding. Put your other foot on the ground, either toe, or whole foot, whatever you want to be able to do when stopping and starting. If you can do this comfortably, then your bar may not be too high. If the bar still feels too high you should probably look at getting a different bike.

3. Regarding seat height, the previous rider is correct. With a properly adjusted seat, you will be unable to reach ground while riding. (This applies mostly to road and hybrid bikes...if you are mountain biking or bmx biking, you will want a lower seat so you can stand a lot and use your legs as suspension.)

ussprinceton

trade the bike in for a better fit bike

a1penguin

If your toes can touch the ground while you are on the seat, the seat may be too low. Seat height should be adjusted for optimal pedal stroke, and most riders I know can't touch their toes. The people I've seen who can touch the ground are usually really tall. First approximation of seat height is to put your leg straight and your heel on the pedal (wearing shoes). When pedaling, your leg should be nearly, but not quite fully extended when you are at the bottom of the stroke.

It does seem like the bike might be too big if there is no room between you and the top tube. How ummm, wedges is the top tube into your crotch? You might be able to compensate a bit by cycling with shoes that have thicker sole, which will increase the height of your crotch.

TransitBiker

Sounds like you are not used to a proper sized bike - which this is. Raise seat 1/8 inch for optimal knee strain reduction.

- Andy

megalowmatt

How can anybody tell if the OP has the right size bike without either knowing how tall he or she is and seeing a picture of him or her sitting on it?

TenSpeedV2

^ was thinking the same thing. OP - post a side profile picture of you sitting on the bike in the riding position. This can be accomplished by leaning against a wall or some other type of support. The leg closest to the camera should be all the way down with the pedal at the 6 o clock position. Only then can any of us tell you it is too big, too small, just right, whatever,

fietsbob

Caveat Emptor ... Down side of Bikes Direct is No test rides and No Shop standing behind the bike where you Live.

wolfchild

Never purchase a bike without first sitting down on it and test riding it.

TenSpeedV2

2 of the last 3 bike I bought were purchased without sitting on it and riding it. Both fit extremely well. Shop ordered the first one, and the second came off of eBay. Once you know your size and geometry, buying a bike online is pretty easy. For someone new to the game, it is a bad idea.

TransitBiker

Because i know exactly what they are talking about via the description. Not everyone needs a picture.

- Andy

Captlink

While two fingers of clearance would be better it's not the end of the world I can't put two feet flat on the ground but my bike fits me very well in all other ways.The fit these posters are talking about will help you adjust your bike for comfort, handling, safety and to prevent injury to your self through strains.You might be able to gain clearance with an adjustment of the shocks to prevent more obvious injury's. Consulting a good bike mechanic to help you make these adjustments is recommended.

wolfchild

I assume some people have a crystal ball at home and can see all kinds of things in it.

megalowmatt

"Hey guys it seems the new bike I bought is a bit small. I'm not getting a full leg extension and the top tube isn't touching my nads. Any help?"

"Dude - raise your saddle and don't worry about the rest"

CrankyOne

OP, if you are using this for basic transportation (like a city bike even though it's not) then what you describe sounds spot on. Sitting on the saddle you should be able to just tip-toe the ground and the top tube shouldn't be so high that you can't flat foot at least one foot. Ideal for a city bike is generally as large a frame as you can go and meet the two above requirements.

Corben

Hey Artesin. I bought a BD Dawes also.
Save Up to 60% Off Road Bikes - DawesLightning1000
awesome road bike. Love it. I used their sizing chart and instructions to determine which size to order. I even emailed them for a second opinion. We both agreed, medium was the frame size I needed for this bike. It's the most comfortable bike I ever rode.
That said go back to BD and fallow thier instructions and determine by that if you did indeed purchase the wrong size frame.
Good luck.
So I just checked out your ride and it's a nice looking bike but our BIkes Direct here in the states is a lot different then what you got there across the pond. Perhaps they're not as helpful.