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[Closed] Bike fit - it just doesnt translate across bikes at all ๐Ÿ™

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[#5018645]

my Road bike has many years and thousands of miles of evolution on how its shaped.

if it was to be assessed by a bike fitter it would be "wrong"

its got 40cm bars , its got a 130mm stem and a 58cm top tube and a few spacers under the stem (breaking all the rules)

Its too long according to bike fit calcs BUT it fits me perfect , i jump on it , im comfy and can nick on and do a couple hundred K with no pain at a fair clip

Recently I got my tape out ,i set up my cotic road rat with the same measurements exactly length and height - even put the same bars on it - it was fair comfy before but i thought having it the same as my roadie which is VERY comfy would improve it.

Is it comfy .... is it fack , feels really aukward like its too stretched and the bars are too narrow and twitchy, my weights too far forward.

hows that work then? just the wrong angles i guess. nothings easy is it ? (mean while ive put a shorter stem back on and some 42cm bars i had lying about on and have got it comfy)


 
Posted : 01/04/2013 1:03 pm
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And the problem is...


 
Posted : 01/04/2013 1:10 pm
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Never really got on with my TCR Sl.Spent a long time changing all the variables but did'nt really ever nail it.Sold that at the end of last season and whilst deciding what to get next (evo,686,s5) bought an rt57 for half price.Bingo!Even set up a little bit more aggressively (longer and lower) I prefer it.Ride quality is'nt as good as the Giant but it's about as stiff,is about the same weight and most importantly it cost 7 times less.....might not bother replacing it and spend the cash on food instead.


 
Posted : 01/04/2013 1:16 pm
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the problem is its a bank holiday its sunny im sat in the office and im bored. Not much going on , no on going operations that im looking after and not very many folk in the office.


 
Posted : 01/04/2013 1:18 pm
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Difference in head angle? If that is not the same then the same bar and stem combo wont feel the same I guess.


 
Posted : 01/04/2013 1:18 pm
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I'd be scared witless on my MTB if I used my road setup (which itself is pretty relaxed).

Length & height you say, did you KOPS and sort out resultant hip / knee flexion ?


 
Posted : 01/04/2013 1:19 pm
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my saddle is in the same place relitive to the pedal - it sure as hell isnt KOPS - neither it is on my road bike. i like to sit further forward over the pedals than suggested - hence i run the 130 stem.


 
Posted : 01/04/2013 1:22 pm
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Regarding KOPS read [url= http://sheldonbrown.com/kops.html ]this[/url]


 
Posted : 01/04/2013 1:24 pm
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trail_rat - Member
my Road bike has many years and thousands of miles of evolution on how its shaped.

if it was to be assessed by a bike fitter it would be "wrong"

its got 40cm bars , its got a 130mm stem and a 58cm top tube and a few spacers under the stem (breaking all the rules)

Its too long according to bike fit calcs BUT it fits me perfect , i jump on it , im comfy and can nick on and do a couple hundred K with no pain at a fair clip


Next, you'll be suggesting that "bike fits" are just snake-oil........


 
Posted : 01/04/2013 1:32 pm
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"bike fits" are just snake-oil.

Snake oil is cheaper


 
Posted : 01/04/2013 1:37 pm
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My favourite anti-KOPS argument was from a recumbent rider.


 
Posted : 01/04/2013 2:02 pm
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As a unicyclist, I have an alternative argument against kops.


 
Posted : 01/04/2013 2:06 pm
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I set up my Roadrat like all the guides say. It was orrible. So I set it up like it was built with random parts off the garage floor, and it's pretty dang nice. Proper roadies love to offer advice on how to "fix" it. Bike fit salesmen would probably just kill it with fire.


 
Posted : 01/04/2013 2:11 pm
 DanW
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You have taken some very general measurements and tried to apply to a different frame and are shocked there is a difference in feel? ๐Ÿ˜€

As I am sure you will realise a few mm makes a lot of difference to the feel of the fit on a bike, let alone on a different frame. It is nigh on impossible to take decent, meaningful measurements at home to bypass some confounding variables. What really matters to getting a bike and your body feeling comfortable is getting the angles of (and in turn forces through) your hips, knees, ankles, back, pelvis, shoulder, elbows, etc the same and balancing this with weight distribution over the bike giving good climbing and descending. No way you can sort all that at home in a few minutes and hence why getting comforatble on your previous bike has taken many thousands of miles of evolution. Most bike fitters take a bodged approach to all of this too which is why they don't always enjoy the best reputation. /Half arsed rant ๐Ÿ˜€


 
Posted : 01/04/2013 2:18 pm