Could I make it work?
#1
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Could I make it work?
I am 5’9” on a good day with a 30” inseam and ride a 54 Venge with a 90 mm stem. Anything longer than that (100-110+) and my elbows are locked and I’m stretched out. I’m considering going down a size to a 52 with a longer stem. How well would this work out? Is a 52 too small for a 5’9” rider?
#2
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Is 52 too small. Might be.
Specialized sizing on a new Venge says either 54 cm or 56 for your size. But certainly you can probably fit others too.
It's a slightly more aggressive fit than my Tarmac. Are you certain a Venge is what you want? How many spacers do you have under the stem?
Specialized sizing on a new Venge says either 54 cm or 56 for your size. But certainly you can probably fit others too.
It's a slightly more aggressive fit than my Tarmac. Are you certain a Venge is what you want? How many spacers do you have under the stem?
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If you still had a full stack of spacers under the stem then I'd say the Venge probably wasn't the bike for you. But if you went from what ever it came with when new to just one 5 or 10 mm spacer, then maybe it is a bike for you.
If you haven't tried a shorter stem, then that might help. You haven't pushed your seat back all the way have you?
If you haven't tried a shorter stem, then that might help. You haven't pushed your seat back all the way have you?
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plug in the geo and your stem dimensions for each of those sizes at Stack and reach calculator play around with spacers and stem angles until you get something that is close enough. the results are theoretical, so don't expect this to be 100% accurate, but it should give you a good idea of whether it will work or not.
without knowing the specific model and year of your Venge, I can't be certain. in general, when comparing two bikes of the same model:
stem length is a contentious topic and I don't have the answers. some people say you can put as short or long a stem as you want on any bike so long as it makes the bike fit you. sticking with conventional wisdom, I think that the stem should be proportional to the rider and for an average height person like you and me, 90–110mm is a good range. if you need something much shorter or longer than that, barring a physical deformity or other limiting factor in your body, the frame is likely the wrong size.
without knowing the specific model and year of your Venge, I can't be certain. in general, when comparing two bikes of the same model:
- a smaller frame will have move exposed seatpost, which can be a good thing because the seatpost will flex and give more with the terrain
- the smaller frame will take a little more spacers/ stem height to get the handlebar high enough due to the typical shorter head tube (shorter frame stack). it sounds like you have the stem pretty low already, so getting a smaller frame probably wont' require and excessive spacer stack or taller stem
- you'll have a little more standover height. not a big deal.
- the smaller frame might fit with a more average stem.
stem length is a contentious topic and I don't have the answers. some people say you can put as short or long a stem as you want on any bike so long as it makes the bike fit you. sticking with conventional wisdom, I think that the stem should be proportional to the rider and for an average height person like you and me, 90–110mm is a good range. if you need something much shorter or longer than that, barring a physical deformity or other limiting factor in your body, the frame is likely the wrong size.
Last edited by mack_turtle; 01-27-21 at 08:29 AM.