iim7v7im7

I may have deviated from the mold...

I purchased a bike today from LBS #4
> 60 minutes from work
- 35 minutes from home
- Large store (well stocked)
- Since 1991

They spent >2-hours with me on a fitting:

- 2 different bikes ridden (different brands)
- chose one over the other (just felt better)
- they measured me and determined that my height was leg and not torso driven
- chose a frame size with an appropriate effective top tube length (smaller than one would have thought)
- measured my foot angle and shimmed my shoes
- adjusted saddle height and rail position
- changed out stem for a longer one and tried 2-different angles

I was amazed at how much these adjustments improved the comfort of the ride. So yes, in the end, I bought the shop. The vibe of the place was enthusiastic, educational and welcoming as opposed to being a click of the biking elite.

:-)

DnvrFox

OK - what did you buy?

Pictures or it didn't happen

iim7v7im7

DnvrFox

Excuse me while I drool - my computer keyboard is all wet!!

VERY NICE

iim7v7im7

I put 105 pedals on it and swapped the stock tires for some 25 mm Continental Touring Plus tires. The bike can handle up to 28 mm if I ever want to move up.

DnvrFox

I think you found the bike that is going to be screaming at you

"Ride me"

and you will gladly comply!!

Have fun.

BluesDawg

Looks like a great bike. Congrats!

It does sound like you found a good shop.

I must admit that your description of the fit process threw me a little. It all made sense until you said you changed to a longer stem. If anything I would have thought your description was adding up to a shorter stem to keep the reach right with a frame tall enough for your leg length. That you set up the stem sloping upward with spacers beneath suggests that with the next larger frame size and a shorter stem, you could have had a proper fit with a flat stem and no spacers. BTW, I am not criticizing, just trying to understand for my own use as I fit bikes to customers.

You didn't say what size frame you got, but at 6'2" I would normally think a 60, but with a shorter torso, maybe a 58, but only if needed to get the reach right without too short a stem. What was the stock stem length and what size did you change to?

cyclinfool

Nicely done, you should be happy for a long time.

iim7v7im7

Giant's are sized 55.5 (L) and 58.5 (XL). We tried both. The top tube on the Large is 57.5 and on the XL it is 59.5 cm. The stand over height goes from 32" to 32.8" on the XL. We tried both frames, but the L just fit me better. I believe the bike originally had a 100 stem with some shims and we went to a 120 next, and then to the angled up configuration. The saddle ended up being about 2 cm above the handlebars and back a bit on the rails from center. He was observing my back angle and I was seeing how my shoulders and neck felt looking ahead while peddling. He also used a laser to establish my knee position while on the cranks. He did not want me too upright because he said that it would burden my quads and not utilize my large muscles in my hamstrings or gluteus m if I was too upright. Whatever he did, the end result feels good.

Bikey Mikey

Nice ride.

stapfam

Good choice on bike. I started on road bikes 6 years ago and went for a Giant OCR3 that the Defy has replaced. Fit of the frame is important and I did go a frame size too small but did adapt it with a longer bar stem and had the seat post right up high.

This bike will serve you well but get out and ride it- find the faults with it so you can get it sorted and then ride some more.

ThatBritBloke

An alternative to a CX bike



Salsa Warbird

Incidentally, I have a Defy ... nice bike ;-)

Retro Grouch 

For service that good I'd think the bike shop deserves a name mention.

10 Wheels

You did Good OP.

Now try to wear it out.

TromboneAl

Shouldn't your handle be iim7b5v7altim7, or iim7v7Imaj7?

You might find the book Body by Science to be useful here.

phread59

OK my turn.

1st, Cannondales to my knowledge and experience are large for the size. A small is more like a medium,ect. The 56 may well have been good for you in a Cannondale. But other brands a 58 is probably closer. I rode a 51 Synapse that was closer to the current Spesh 54.

2) I like the thought of a cross type bike from you're posts. I think that will work for you. A hybrid will work, I started with one. But I think a cross bike would do it for you.

I just bought the exact Rubaix you listed. It rides superbly. Handles great and I love it. But I don't think you will get 28's on it. The frame will allow it. But I doubt you will clear the brake calipers. That's the deciding factor on tires. And I sure as hell wouldn't want to ride it on anything but pavement. It wouldn't do well on dirt or limestone.

If you end up with a hybrid look for some 32 or no bigger than 35 mm tires. Any larger and they will be tough to push on the road. Any smaller and the canal paths will be too much for the skinny tires. It's all a balancing act.

I'm a mechanic with an engineering degree(don't ask how I ended up there). As many poster's said you may be overthinking it some. I know I do. Get something and ride. Denver is right, you won't know what you want until you get out there and do it. My only real advice is to get a carbon fork. I rode an aluminum forked hybrid(Specialized Sirrus Sport). Hated it. Beat the tar out of my hands. A carbon fork will help out in the comfort area tremendously.

Mt last bits of advice. Get cycling specific clothing. I suggest 3 sets to allow for laundry. And clipless shoes and pedals. Mountain shoes are the easiest to get used to with mountain pedals. I like Shimano SPD's. Some of the best clipless mountain pedals out there. As to hybrids the 2 best thought of are the Trek FX series and the Jamis Coda lines. The Coda fits well with the shop you seem to like the best. Give one a shot.

After it's all said and done take a picture and post it here. We just looooove pictures. Best of luck in the hunt.

Mark Shuman

Latif

[QUOTE=TromboneAl;15823720]Shouldn't your handle be iim7b5v7altim7, or iim7v7Imaj7?

I was wondering the same thing about his handle.

Nice bike! I'm sure you'll get some great miles with it and the support of a good LBS.

Your description of your fit regarding engaging your hamstrings and glutes makes me want to drop my stem and play with the seat to drop thing as I feel I'm mostly working my quads with my level seat to bar comfort fit happening on both my road bikes. I've gone my full first year of road riding with that setup and have gotten so much stronger and more flexible. I'm one of those in the if it runs good leave it alone camp but that possibly leaves out potential big room for improvement.Will never know unless I try it.

iim7v7im7

Elightened Empiricism....:-)

iim7v7im7

I will check it out. thanks

iim7v7im7

I am new here and didn't know forum policies regarding this, so I did not.

iim7v7im7

Hmmm, half-diminished...nah a dissonant flatted 7th does me just fine...:-)

iim7v7im7

My fitter was trying to balance my newbie desires to be more upright to relieve my neck and shoulders when holding my 12 lb. Mellon up to look ahead and not allowing my back angle to get too far away from 45 degrees. He told me the more towards vertical that I went beyond this, I would feel better in my neck and shoulders but I would burden my quads and not get the benefit of some of my larger muscle groups when peddling.

R[QUOTE=Latif;15823819]

stapfam

[QUOTE=iim7v7im7;15824080]My fitter was trying to balance my newbie desires to be more upright to relieve my neck and shoulders when holding my 12 lb. Mellon up to look ahead and not allowing my back angle to get too far away from 45 degrees. He told me the more towards vertical that I went beyond this, I would feel better in my neck and shoulders but I would burden my quads and not get the benefit of some of my larger muscle groups when peddling.

RCan see where the fitter is coming from and I would take measurements now before you try adapting position on the bike or things move. Leave the bike as is for a couple of months and "Try" to adapt yourself into the bike as it is set up now. You could find some hand buzz or deadening so change position of the hands on the bars to lose it. Could be that the neck aches from looking up more than you are used to but try and work round it by exercising the neck. Back may cause a problem after prolonged spells in the drops so train it to that position. And then there is the problem of butt PAIN. Work through it till the butt attunes with the saddle.

You will never regret buying this bike so go out and ride it.

The problems I mentioned above are the ones that can occur and I had the back and Hand problems. I had ridden MTB's for 16 years and I could not get into the drop position for long. Bit of training and the low position felt OK. Not natural but I lost the lower back pain that I initially started with.

iim7v7im7

Thanks for the advice.

Appreciated...

[QUOTE=stapfam;15824176]