[Closed] Ever bought a new bike and it just doesnt feel & fit right 🙁

Have you got a tape measure handy?

If you can change the contact points so they're in the same places as on the old bike, it'll give you a good starting point to work out exactly what you don't like about it.

Have you spoke to the shop?
I bet they'd be happy to try and help.

And yes, an Orange Clockwork.
I fell for the hype, basically and didn't trust my judgement over other's opinions.
Silly, expensive mistake, but I was young.
🙂

As above. If the test ride and bike fit didn't sort it out when you bought it, that is.........

Yup.
A 2009 Heckler.
Tried everything, built it to a dream spec, tried, and tried to like it..
Hated it.

Yep. A Viner road bike and a Boardman full suss. Sometimes things just aren't right.

Bought a 2011 heckler, after riding my patriot 66. Hated it from the start.

Bought a 5 frame, swapped the parts and happy days immediately!!!

ERM ... Yes on more than one occasion

Yup my recent Singular Puffin, something just felt wrong, like I was on it, not in it. I tried bars, stems, saddles and seatposts, it always felt just on the wrong side of right.

Yes an Orange P7. Kept it for about a month then sripped it and sold the frame.

renton - Member
ERM ... Yes on more than one occasion

[img] http://www.enworld.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=65683&d=1418953003&thumb=1 [/img]

Yup.

Ragley TD-1. Couldn't stay on the bloody thing for some reason.

A 2006 Specialized Enduro. As someone put above I always felt like I was perched on it rather than riding it.

Daffy - Member
Yup my recent Singular Puffin, something just felt wrong, like I was on it, not in it. I tried bars, stems, saddles and seatposts, it always felt just on the wrong side of right.

Yep:
Carerra something cheap - BB too low
Specialized Sirrus - too upright and BB too low
Charge Filter - too upright and BB too low

Have you got a tape measure handy?

If you can change the contact points so they're in the same places as on the old bike.

Eliminate the variables. You should be able to get the saddle/bar/pedals in the same relative positions as your old bike (including bar width) and fit the same saddle and tyres. If you do that and it still doesn't feel right then you've ruled out size and should be able to narrow down what it is you don't like eg. slow or heavy steering.

Yes!

Have you ever thought that you're only suited to mtbs as I came to that conclusion.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact I don't have the physic of a jockey that I don't gel with road bikes.

But boy are they friggin boring/pointless to ride unless of course you're competing for big bucks as per what armstrong does oooopps DID! (Chuckles)

FWIW I built a new road bike last year, and it isn't as comfy as my old one, but it's down to things that you wouldn't necessarily check - STI hoods are longer than the old ones, as is the reach on the bars. But the drops are shallower. On paper it's the near as damn it the same, but in reality it feels longer on the hoods and shorter on the drops!

Tape measure/geometry chart only tells you half the story! I also know that I'll get used to it!

100 miles isn't a lot of riding so you may get used to it but I do find I get a strong intuitive idea very early o about whether a bike feels right or not.

Road bike feel matters in particular as you tend to stay in the position for hours on end.

A few considerations you might want to play around with:
1. Saddle position - fore and aft
2. Position of the brake levers on the bar - forward and back and even in and out
3. Stem height
4. Stem length
5. Stem rise/drop
6. Bars - some drops have more depth (up and down) and reach forward than others. There's also bar rotation

I recently decided my 120mm Thomson Road Stem was too long despite having had it for 6 years, tried a 110mm Cinelli but the angle was too high, then a 120mm Cinelli which felt still too high and ended up with a 110mm Thomson - a right palaver if you're a bit picky like I am (!) but it shows how much tiny adjustments can make on a road bike.

Worth paying for a bike fit IMO if you've not had one before. They can save you a fortune on faffing about with new stems and bars or physio bills

Never, I can bullshit myself real good when it comes to new shiney shiney

salsa vaya. spent a lot of money on stems and bars.

eventually got the head tube (yep the frame) cut down by 25 mm.

fits much better.

Worth paying for a bike fit IMO if you've not had one before

Good bike shops do it as a part of the service when you buy the bike.

Yep, Turner 5 spot a few years back, went for a medium, it was too small. I realised the large would have been too big.

Recently done this with a Trek Emonda SL
I've gone for a large, it's too long but I can't get the seat high enough.

I still can't decide if I like the Arkose I bought at Christmas, or whether I should have gone with my first instincts and bought a giant Defy Disc.

I was lured in by the 105 Hydros - and have now decided I hate the lever shape...

Specialized SX trail, bought on the promise that it combined a DH and trail bike in one.

Not a lie, it had the weight of a DH bike with the steep angles of a trail bike....

Yes, a Santa Cruz Tallboy. I've had it for over 2 years, but only done 1200 miles on it. I have a Niner Air 9, which I love, but was a bit harsh when I took it to Wales, so decided to get something with some rear suspension. I used to own a Superlight, which I loved, so thought another Santa Cruz would be a good choice, but it's never felt right. I enjoy riding it downhill, but hate it anywhere else. Have decided to put it on the classifieds or Ebay.

Took me a good few hundred miles and a 2nd bike fit to gel with my road bike. Keep at it, get a bike shop to look at your position.

Always bought bikes second-hand and speculatively. Whilst I'm sure a nnew bike + bike fit from a good shop is a lovely experience, I simply don't have the money available to pay the premium for it.

Always been lucky and either liked or learned to like what I ended up with.

Only one I absolutely hated from the first pedal stroke was a Cube AMS Pro full sus 29er.

Completely failed the "round the block" test and put it up for sale again a week later.

You're always going to need to fiddle and fine tune particularly on a road bike. Luckily you also have more room to adjust things like stem length...

Yup.

My pompetamine just felt odd when I got it.

Set it up the same measurements as my road bike and still didn't feel quite right.

Ditched the charge spoon saddle, replaced it with a spa Nidd. Also put on a tiny 70mm stem and BAM! Now a super comfy all day pootling bike - exactly as I was aiming for...

I think it's really hard to judge a bike from even a few rides. I've read up on/test ridden/borrowed bikes before buying and still it's taken 3 months with most of my bikes to know - this is perfect or this is Sh!te.

No never, every bike that I've bought that has been fit for its its indented purpose 😀 . I expect to have to change contact points, adjust seat angles stem lengths ect. Even doing that every bike will be a bit different but after a few rides I'll get used to it.
Got to laugh at all of you bike Princess's, just think of the pro's, they just get a bike put in front of them and they just ride the thing. It isn't complicated.

No hora yet?

just think of the pro's, they just get a bike put in front of them and they just ride the thing.

Some do, but many are incredibly exacting and it'll have to be mm perfect. Look at some of the fitting jig things many pro teams have. Shit example. That's like saying 'why do you need to adjust the seat in your hire car?! Lewis Hamilton just gets in his F1 car and drives".

Onzadog - Member
No hora yet?

He's still typing...

😀

scruffywelder - Member
Onzadog - Member
No hora yet?
He's still typing...

😀

My old Charge Duster (back in the 26" days) was initially a let down as I'd fallen for the 'steel is real' hype but it was no more 'springy' or 'comfortable' than the aluminium Bianchi it replaced. It was however about 1kg heavier... Having said that I had no choice but to ride it and get used to it and it became probably my favourite ever bike.

I never gelled with my Salsa Vaya, actually did put in some good miles on it but then I bought a Cannondale Synapse which just seemed to expose some quirks of the Salsa that I hadn't noticed before, and I seemed to enjoy riding it less with time. Sort of regretting the decision to sell it now as I need something shorter and more upright than my Cannondale! 😕

Bfe, the geometry was about the same as the bike it replaced. Felt like I was riding my dad's bike.

Any one want a L bfe frame? Done less than 20 miles I reckon

Many.

Most recent was a Trek Superfly. It was incredibly competent at going fast and climbing, but it was so dull.

Worst was a custom steel FS bike I had built in Australia. Discussed geometry and spec then signed it off. 8 months later it arrived and I built it up. After 1/2 hr ride it was clear something was wrong. I didn't fit at all. I measured some tubes and it was way out from what I'd discussed. I couldn't ride it at all. Like a bmx with FS. I kept hitting my knees and had no confidence with it. Oh well.

I've had a few, I've also had amazing ones. For me, a bike should feel pretty much like it's got something, you are almost there from the off. If it feels just wrong don't bother making yourself like it. Life's too short.

I threw my leg over the Giant Defy Advanced and bar one change it felt 'right'. On the other hand the Planet X (even though it sells, bargains do), felt like it wasn't right at all.

I own two great ones now; Commencal V4 and the Defy 8)

So many...... Intense tracer mk1/ nicolia cc soooo tall and short and tippy/ Yeti asr/ Yeti big top huge huge/ Santa Cruz bullit mk 1 in large and owned a heckler in large at the time......

Maybe some more as well.....so e I just hated bullit!and tracer in particular.

Only a Ribble road bike. Measured myself according to their online guide and ended up a size too big. Apparently was a common problem back then. Ended up getting the next frame down and swapping the bits over.

Good bike shops do it as a part of the service when you buy the bike.

Jolly good. Do they fluff you also..?

Rusty Spanner - Member
Have you got a tape measure handy?

If you can change the contact points so they're in the same places as on the old bike, it'll give you a good starting point to work out exactly what you don't like about it

This ^

Good advice.

Grab your old bike, measure all contact points, write them down.
Grab your new bike, measure all contact points, write them down.

Now see the differences?

I would also measure stuff like saddle to floor, bar/stem to floor. Bottom of peddle stroke to floor, top of headset to floor.

Once you've got all that data, you can easily replicate that across all bikes you come to own.
Also, you've pretty much got a baseline for incremental differences to try out..change..etc. etc.

For me, a bike should feel pretty much like it's got something, you are almost there from the off. If it feels just wrong don't bother making yourself like it. Life's too short.

Have to disagree.

Bought my SB66 over 2 years ago, first ride was a wet one at North third with some mates, I genuinely had the 'oh no, I've bought an absolute pig' thought pretty much all of the ride.

Changed a load of cockpit stuff, binned the mental heavy dual ply tyres, spent some time playing with shock pressures and settings and thereafter, love blossomed!. Still my favourite bike.

This pretty much confirmed to me that demo's are pretty pointless as well, so I don't bother with those any more either.

I really wanted a steel hardtail, in particular a Cotic Soul, but couldn't afford new. It took months to find a small second-hand frame and in the meantime I needed something more robust than my carbon Hardtail for a trip to the Alps. Mr Pea found a second-hand Blue Pig, and although it was heavy and took a bit of getting used to, I got really attached to it. Finally got a Soul frame but it feels very different and I was a bit disappointed. I'm determined to get attached to it, and after several rides it feels ok going down hill, but the front end wants to come up all the time when I'm climbing. I've decided it's the length of the forks rather than the frame that's affecting my climbing.

Oh God yes. An Intense Tracer. 2000 MY. Lusted after it for ages and we so excited when it arrived. Beautiful welding, great bright red paint... Got my LBS to build it up (almost) no expense spared (I was single and mortgage-free at the time). My first FS bike. I just couldn't get used to it. Buggered about with shock pressure (it had a massive 80mm of travel, if I remember right), changed the forks etc etc. Always felt like I was perched on top of it. It was OK on road climbs, but scary as hell pointed downhill. It actually put me off riding for a couple of years. Sold it to a very happy scotsman on eBay.