diddlydoo

I just purchased a bike from Nashbar. It's the Women's Flat Bar Road Bike. I picked it up from the bike shop today where it was assembled. I rode it home for about 5 miles and feel like it may be too small.

I did a couple of chats with Nashbar before purchasing and gave them my height and inseam and 2 different reps recommended the 15" bike. I'm 5'5" so feel like I was in between the 15 and 17".

When I rode it home and when I was on a down pedal, my foot was still bent. I couldn't stretch out my foot fully. Also from my knees to the handle bar was about 3". Also when I sit in the seat, both feet with shoes on are almost flat footed. If shoes off and feet down, my heels are off the ground maybe an inch.

I thought well maybe I would just try to ride it anyhow because I can't return it and spent $50.00 to have it assembled at the bike shop. I have it on Craigslist and Ebay but I somehow doubt it will sell unless I take a big hit in price.

Bike seat is already and optimal height. I don't want to put more money in it to be honest because I've already reached my max budget with it.

Does this bike for sure sound too small? Should I just keep it and ride it anyhow? Other than it maybe being too small, I love how it rides.

Thanks for any feedback.

catgita

15" is small, but doable with an upright posture. Shops will sometimes put new riders on smaller bikes so it is easier to reach the ground. An experienced rider would flag that out.

The store probably has a decent return/exchange policy, so definitely see if there are options first. It could probably be made to fit better by purchasing an inexpensive longer seatpost. You would probably want to raise the handlebars as well to keep the bike balanced. The shop may be willing to help out on that option under the circumstances, but low price bikes mean slim margins. The next option after that is probably to try something used.

Not an ideal situation, but not having a bike is a worse situation.

Leisesturm

Short answer: no the bike does not sound as if it is too small. Longer answer: you are supposed to have bent knees at the bottom of the pedal stroke. One way to see if the seat height is right is to put both heels on the pedals and see if you can pedal (backwards) easily and smoothly. Personally I like bigger bikes but most people do not. Not that it matters. You can make a "small" bike fit a larger person with ease. To a ridiculous degree actually. I am 5'10" and a 58cm frame would not be out of line. I found a 52cm in a co-op already set up as a commuter and in my price range for a budget commuter so I bought it. It already came with a longer stem and seatpost and it is clear that its previous owner was around my height, Stems are cheap and if you want a longer one you can do that too. But before you spend more money ($15 to as much as you want) for a stem, put your elbow at the nose of your saddle and reach for the bars with your fingertips. Do they reach? For drop bars you would want them to. For flat bars, maybe not. You might want a 1" or more gap so that you have a little forward lean. It all depends on what you want. Notice I haven't even given any attention to how far your knees are from anything or how much space is between your feet and the ground, etc. None of it matters. What matters is your reach to the bars, your seat height and your knee in relation to the pedals. Start out with your saddle neither jammed as far forward as it can go nor as far backward and see how that feels.

79pmooney

One guide which will get the seat height in the ballpark is to place the bike beside a wall then get on it with one pedal down fully. Now place your heel on the pedal spindle. You should be able to either straighten your leg fully or bend your knee a bit without rocking your hips. Do this with shoes with low heels. (I like more leg bend and do this in socks only.) Your legs should never be straight throughout the pedal stroke.

Next, look at the seat forward and back position. A string with a weight hung from the nose of the seat should land around a 1/2" or less forward of the bottom bracket (for your quite small bike).

If those settings are OK and your legs are that close to the handlebars, then it may be that the handlebars are too low or too close. Both can be addressed with a longer stem or a stem that angles up more. But really, it is better to ignore the knee issue and focus on where you like your hands and how much forward lean you want. (Note that this may well change, going to more lean and a longer reach as you get used to riding.)

Ride it some more and tell us more about how it feels. If you are new to cycling, welcome to a great new world! And if not, well, just welcome!

Ben

diddlydoo

Thanks everyone for the help. I really just wished I had ordered the 17". Kind of hard to want to return when I spent 50.00 to get it professional assembled. That would be money wasted and that's money spent that was out of my budget but figured I'd get it done right. Returning then wouldn't be an option. I just can't un-assemble it and probably have to pay the bike guy more money for that. Then find a box to ship it in. That's a lot of hassle and more money out of pocket.

It was such a disappointment to think it was too small after Nashbar people told me twice (2 different reps) that I would want the 15". No one asked me if I was new to riding or not so that wasn't an issue in their decision. I even mentioned that I might be in between sizes but they were sure the 15" would be best for me. Even the guy at bike shop said it looked like a small 15". Ordering a bike online was a gamble that I lost.

I find it funny the bike comes with not being able to alter the height of the handlebars. Why would someone want to adjust the seat but always have the handlebars at the same height?

I just feel like I'd be happier with the 17" it would fit better and not have to buy parts and pay the bike shop more money to get this 15" to fit. I feel like this bike would be better for a kid.

But I love the bike and how it rides.

I attached some pics where you can see when I'm on the bike (barefoot), my knees are right up on the handlebars. If I turn the bike to make a turn, I'd have to pedal down because my knees would be right there in the way. I'm just sad by this bike not fitting better. It felt so good to be out on the bike trails yesterday when I tested it out because I've been without a bike for about a month and miss riding.

I have the bike listed on Craigslist and Ebay so I'll give it a month and see if anyone shows interest. If not, then I'll have no choice but to force this bike to work and buy parts and pay the bike shop more money for all the adjustments.

Nashbar now has this bike 25% off and I'm tempted to order the 17" today so I can be riding again soon, but what if this bike doesn't sell? decisions decisions.

Would the 17" give me more room in between knee and handlebars?

Also I attached a pic of old bike given to me years ago that I felt was a bit too small and uncomfortable. This new bike is a few inches shorter and doesn't look to be any bigger.

I hate to go ride it more when I'm trying to sell it. I don't want to give it a 'used' look.

Thanks again everyone for your input.

MRT2

I hate to say this, but this is an expensive lesson a lot of newbies learn the hard way. Sometimes you can get a good deal buying stuff from an internet store. Sometimes you run into problems that eat up all or most of the savings. For example, you can't fit a bike over the phone. People of the same height are proportioned differently, so you can't really blame the folks at Nashbar for getting it wrong. And in addition to the cost of the bike, you had to pay a bike shop to assemble the bike. ( Weren't you going to get somebody who is handy with a wrench to assemble it for free?) But in any case, you now have paid almost as much for an off brand as you would have for an entry level bike from a bike shop, or even a slightly better than entry level bike, on sale.

And it doesn't fit. So these are your options.
1. have the bike shop break the bike down, box it, and ship it back to Nashbar and get the larger bike, which will also need to be assembled. or
2. Find a way to make the bike work. Maybe buy a longer seatpost to get your saddle higher. Then get a stem extender to get your bars higher. It is not optimal, but the cost and labor should be moderate. Maybe $50, unless you also need to install longer shift and brake cables, in which case the additional cost will go up to maybe $75.
3. Try to sell the bike and go to a bike shop.

Option 2 is probably the most cost effective option at this point. But, by the time you are done, for the same money, you could easily have bought a nice Trek, Giant, Cannondale, Raleigh, Jamis, Kona or Specialized on sale or even full retail at a local bike shop that you could have test ridden and had a warranty for free service and adjustments for a year or two.

fietsbob

Virtual Top tube measurement gives you Data.. as if the top tube were horizontal, even if its Not.

generally that is a little longer as the seat tube height is taller (aka 'size')

diddlydoo

Well I may have someone coming over to see if it fits them.....crossing fingers. She is 5'2" so this would be perfect for her. She just asked where I lived so hopefully she lives close by. If they buy, I can purchase the 17" and end up coming up even....again, fingers crossed.

Yes my brother was going to put together but I decided not to bother him with it. He put one together in the past for my mom but it wasn't as complicated as this one might be so I decided to just pay to have the guy at bike shop do it. That way I could be more confident in that while riding, the seat wouldn't pop off.

Sure, it's difficult to buy online without sitting on bike first but there have been success stories too so not all bad experiences. I'm not sure I'm blaming Nashbar. I did give them my height and inseam. I'm not calling them yelling that they got it wrong. I'm trying to deal with on my own. I'm sure if I put up a good fight, they would accept the return, but I don't really want to do that because it's not my best option. I'd lose more money.

When you say newbie, what do you mean? I've been riding bikes forever since I've been a kid. First time though I ordered a bike online. Past bikes were always given to me for birthdays or for whatever reason. I'm not a pro-biker. I bike for fun and to get exercise. I'm either walking/jogging, biking or weight training. I love exercise and being outdoors but I don't bike to race and that type thing. Is the fact that I'm in this forum but don't race bikes, ride bikes professionally, own a bike shop or enter triathlons put me in the newbie category?

Worst that can happen is I have to make it work and deal with it so I'm not ****zing out but just wished I had gotten lucky and purchased the 17" and everything fine. I'd be out on the trails today with such nice weather out.

diddlydoo

Thanks.

diddlydoo

When someone says their bike is a size 26 what does that mean? Do certain bike shops do their sizing differently? If mine is a 15", how would that compare to a woman's 26" bike?

MRT2

It means nothing. Bike frames are either measured in Inches or cm. A 26" frame would be huge. And a 26 cm frame would fit a toddler. Mountain bikes used to have 26" wheels.

diddlydoo

Thanks. Girl that might be coming over to look at my bike said hers is a 26" so the 15" sounded to her to be very small. I told her that perhaps her size 26" was her tire measure and my 15" was the size of the upright bar on my bike? Girl said she was 5'2" and I told her if I were that height, this bike would be perfect and I'd keep it. She said she may come over this afternoon to try it out and would let me know. In other words, I kind of doubt she'll come over so not counting on it. If she does, it'll be a good surprise.

MRT2

what if the 17" is too big?

diddlydoo

I've been waiting on that question and figured you'd ask it. Before ordering I would pick up the phone and speak to a Nashbar rep and tell him/her what issues I had with the 15" (and send pics) and make certain the 17" would fit better for me. I would know more now about what questions to ask besides just giving them my inseam and height. I would even call and talk to at least hopefully 3 different reps before ordering. Sure I may be disappointed again, of course. That's just common sense and a certainty when ordering a bike online. I highly doubt it would be too big but being bigger than this one would be great and just what I'm looking for. I'd call and find out exactly what is bigger on the 17". Or I may board a plane and fly to Nashbar myself and sit on it.

fietsbob

and dont confuse inseam-inside leg with the badge on the back of your Levi's

may need a helper.... pull a thing ,( 12" LPs in their jackets were perfect for this) up as far as you can,
and mark that distance on the wall behind you.

thats the stand-over clearance of You.

MRT2

Just to summarize. You bought the Nashbar hybrid (I know they say it is a road bike, but it is a hybrid) for $300, and paid $50 for the LBS to assemble the bike, so you are in it for $350. Hopefully, the cost of a longer seatpost, longer stem, plus labor will fix the problem and you will have a serviceable bike for $400 that sort of fits. (and hopefully nothing else goes wrong).

Alternately, you are contemplating spending another $300 or so the bigger sized bike from Nashbar, possibly getting a discount, but still having to pay the bike shop another $50 to assemble. If that is the case, you will have spend $650 for two Nashbar bikes, though hopefully, you might get some of your money back for the first bike. ($150 maybe $200 at most?) So the best case scenario,you would have spent $450 to $500 on your discounted Nashbar bike. And if there is a problem with fit, or a wheel pops a spoke or goes out of true in a couple of months, you could find yourself paying a bike shop for repairs, or fitting the bike, which is something a good bike shop would include as part of the cost of buying a new bike.

Moderators should really consider an FAQ under hidden costs of buying a bike online.

I buy a lot of stuff online, including from Nashbar. Water bottles, Shorts, helmets, socks, jerseys, gloves, pedals. Small stuff that is easy to return.

MRT2

I mean no disrespect, really. When I bought my first new bike as an adult 19 years ago, I was almost 30 years old, and had ridden bikes for 25 years, but I was still a newbie to the whole bike thing because I knew almost nothing about bikes other than a handful of brand names and component brands. Knew nothing about what size bike would fit me, or what style of bike would suit my riding style. And I knew nothing about gear. In those early days of the internet, I bought a few books , and asked questions at my local bike shop. But there was a learning curve, and I learned. And I made a few mistakes along the way, including some bike purchases that were mistakes.

I am at a place where I feel comfortable with my knowledge of of the sport, the bikes, and the gear.

But even now, I still don't feel comfortable buying an entire bike off the internet, even if it was a bike I had previously ridden, and especially a bike that is pretty much a black box. Too much stuff that can go wrong, and too much of a hassle returning an entire bike.

diddlydoo

Girl that is considering bike asked me what sizes the tires are. She said most are either 24" or 26". I did chat with Nashbar and they said they are 700c. I asked how that translates to inches. They said 28". So is that correct?

MRT2

700c is correct. It is the most common sized wheel for road bikes and hybrids. 26" wheels used to be the most popular size of mountain bike wheels, though lately, most mountain bikes have moved onto to so called 29er (actually 700c but built to take very wide tires) and 27.5". 24" wheels are sometimes used on children's bikes, almost never on adult bikes.

dksix

I know it's not going to help you with the assemble expense but Nashbar offers a "forever guarantee". I just got an order in from Nashbar this morning and it has the return shipping label in the box.

People often refer to bike by their wheel size (20", 24", 26" and 29"), your bike is frame size in inches (common for MTB) which is the length of your seat tube from center on the BB to top of seat tube. Road bikes are often measured the same but in centimeters (CM) and to farther complicate things there is also letter sizing. One manufacturer's XL may be the same of another's L.

You seem convinced that you'll be happier on the larger frame. My first bike was a 60CM and I felt cramped on it, not I have a 61CM and feel it's ideal. All of the sizing guides and theories are great but they are just trying to get the rider comfortable and efficient, if you're going to be more comfortable on the bigger bike then you should get the bigger bike.

I hope you get it worked out.

diddlydoo

Perfect. Thanks.

diddlydoo

Thanks. I hope you enjoy your new bike. Yes, I think the bigger sized bike would work better and be more comfortable. Yesterday when I was riding, I felt like my knees were right up on the handlebars. I'm not sure buying an extender for handlebars would help. Lifting the handlebars up a couple inches, that doesn't really separate them much...handlebars would just be higher, not further away.. My knees would still be close to them.

I would return but I got 22.50 off by going through BeFrugal. That deal no longer exists. I also got the bike for 25% off. After discounts, I would have paid about 218.00 for the bike + 50.00 for assembly for a total of 268.00. If I can sell the bike for about that, I can even out with no losses. If I return the bike, I lose the 22.50 cash back and the 50.00 assembly so more cost effective to try and sell it. With bike being new and professionally assembled, maybe it won't be too difficult to sell.

MRT2

you actually can move the bars up and farther away with a taller and longer stem. I installed one myself on my son's old mountain bike. Switched from a short nearly horizontal stem to a long, angled stem.

As for selling a slightly used bike with no warranty for the cost of a new one, I don't think it is realistic, especially for a generic brand like Nashbar. As I said earlier, you are lucky if you get $200 for it.

diddlydoo

Your work-around for your son will be my last resort if the bike does not sell. I'll then know I'll have to put more money into it to make it comfortable for me. I tend to be more optimistic that it can sell. I have to at least try instead of claiming defeat right off the bat. If you don't try how do you know?

Thanks for your help today. Oh, I see you live in Wisconsin. I lived there for 9 months and loved it. I loved all the rolling hills and red barns....great for biking. I'm so jealous. I lived in Lyndon Station (population 100+). It was right outside the Dells.

dksix

Changing out stems (and seat post and saddles for that matter) isn't really a work around but rather part of the fitting process. From what I understand it's one of the common benefits of buying from a LBS, they often will swap out those parts from free as part of the basic fitting with the sale of the new bike.

I'm a newbie too when it comes to buying online, fitting and understanding the sizing. It's amazing the difference 10-20mm of stem length and or seat adjustment does make. Like I said I went from a 60CM to a 61CM and that 10mm difference is huge when it comes to the roominess on the bike but it's 2 different frames so every proportion is different so it's really an apples to oranges comparison. The effective top tube difference between the 15 and 17 size of your bike is 16mm and the head tube is 10mm taller. Swapping out your stem for this one SPP Bicycle Stem 25 4 x 1 1 8" x 95mm 25 Degree Rise Steel | eBay is probably going to do more for moving your bars up and forward than the 17" sized bike. (if I'm missing something I'm sure someone will correct me.

I'm not trying to talk you into changing your mind on going to the bigger frame just wanting to offer my thoughts on possible options. It's the general consensus that smaller bikes can easily be made to feel larger but little can be done to make a bike that too big feel smaller.