[rocklax]

So I have been riding a 54cm for the last 2 years and fighting with numbness and soreness in different parts of my body. When I change my set up to relieve something another problem pops up. Anyways I findally deceided to take my measurement with the help of Zinn's Book.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/19...f=pd_bbs_3/102-6924814-7744100?_encoding=UTF8

So back to the story, I take my measurements and find that I am a freak. Now I am a physical therapist so I know how to properly take body measurements and find landmarks. From school I have always known that I have a long torso and short legs but was amazed by my findings. I'll spit them out and see what you all think I should do...

-ps I CANNOT afford a custom bike, so that route is out of the question.

Inseam - 31.25 inches (79.38)
Torso + Inseam - 57.25 (145.42)
Arm - 22 (55.88)
Height - 5'9"

According to Zinn frame wise I "should" be riding around a 49cm. Ideal TT length should be 57ish to 58.5 with a 12ish stem.

What should I do????

 

[GTDave]

Guru

Check out Guru. They don't charge extra for custom geometry. I don't know what your price range is, but I believe you could get one for <$2k (carefully speced of course).

 

[rocklax]

Check out Guru. They don't charge extra for custom geometry. I don't know what your price range is, but I believe you could get one for <$2k (carefully speced of course).

Gurubikes.com? No dealers anywhere close...

 

[bikeboy389]

-ps I CANNOT afford a custom bike, so that route is out of the question.

Inseam - 31.25 inches (79.38)
Torso + Inseam - 57.25 (145.42)
Arm - 22 (55.88)
Height - 5'9"

According to Zinn frame wise I "should" be riding around a 49cm. Ideal TT length should be 57ish to 58.5 with a 12ish stem.

What should I do????

What does an orangutan need with a bike? Are you in the circus? Just kidding--I thought my measurements were weird (though they tend to be diameter factors, not length--ultra thick neck, barrel chest, so it's more a clothes thing than a bike thing), but you got it all beat. You've got your work cut out for you.

A possibility might be a compact frame. You could get one that's got a virtual TT close to what you need, and maybe put a 130-140mm stem on it, then set the seat where it works--you should be able to get it low enough on a compact. And if you find a brand that tends to have longish top tubes (Trek does, I think--anybody else?), you may be even better off.

Now the downside--you probably won't be able to get your bars very low relative to your saddle when you're set up this way. I don't personally find that to be a huge deal, but if you're looking for a racy position, you won't get it, I don't think. There are also some potential handling issues with a really long stem, but depending on the bike they may not show up at all.

In my book, being comfortable on the bike is much more important than having the latest look. If you get sorted out on a stock bike and feel comfortable, you can ride and start saving up for your perfect-fit Orang-U-Bike custom in the meantime.

 

[GTDave]

Gurubikes.com? No dealers anywhere close...

Ask your LBS if they can get you one. They are a pretty small company (started making tri-bikes). I don't think they have a particularly large dealer network. I just got one a few weeks ago, and am very impressed with the quality of the frame.

 

[JayTee]

Get a bike with compact geometry. The sloping tt means you can adjust the saddle height fairly low for your shorter legs while still getting a frame size that could accommodate the long reach. You might wind up a little more upright than you'd like, or you can adjust that via stem angle.

 

[fbagatelleblack]

Couple Thoughts

1) Loooong stem and monster bars - I had Salsa make me a 150mm road stem with 5 degrees of rise back in 1998. It made my bike feel like a whole new machine. I was worried that the super long stem would make my steering sluggish and/or put too much of my weight forward, but it turned out that the differences were not even noticeable. Salsa is part of Trek now, so you'd need to find someone else to make that stem. There are lots of frame builders who make stems. I'd get in touch with Allan Wanta and see if he is interested. He does good work at reasonable prices:

http://www.wanta.homestead.com/firstpage.html

Or, you might be able to find a really long stem off the shelf. Check with your LBS.

And get some bars with a deep drop and lots of extension. That would help too.

2) Speaking of Allan Wanta, he is building me a frame and fork for $795, total! So, even though you say you cannot afford a custom bike, you might be able to afford the Wanta. He built me a fork a few years ago and it turned out very nicely.

Good luck!

- FBB

 

[cmg]

to further confuse your world, here are a bunch of online cycling sizing sights. the first is from Zinn. http://www.zinncycles.com/fitsystems/default_ie.aspx. the next Colorado cyclist will probably get close to the ball park as long your body shape isn't too far from the norm. this will work for the majority of people. http://www.coloradocyclist.com/bikefit/, peter white has a slightly different take, more explanations of cycling philospy. http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm, competive cycle has 3 different cycling philosphies for every set of dimensions. All with helpful expalanations. http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=FIT_CALCULATOR_INTRO, and one from wrenchscience. http://www.wrenchscience.com/WS1/Secure/Fitting/Height.asp

Some of these sights are tied to the frames they sell so they will be slanted. Nothing beats getting sized at a shop. so try to find one you feel comfortable with. though my own expericence says if the shop feels like your not going to drop big bucks in their shop alot of questions will be met with a shrug they'll be more interested in getting you out in a timely manner. Sounds like your a canidate for a compact frame. cheapest way to experiment is to buy used on ebay. i bought two bikes and cobled them together and sold what i didn't use.