My New Bike!

Get out there and do it!

She's very pretty :)

It will take some time to get used to aero - find some flat long stretches to practice. Don't feel bad about going back to get your fit adjusted if it is too aggressive/relaxed.

Jealous and missing my baby!

given the seat position, I'm suspecting the frame might be too big for you which will make the top tube too long.  For a smaller bike, a person without orthopedic problems would want sat 4 inches of drop from the saddle top to the elbow pads, more of less.  Yours appear to be level, which is fine for starters, but would need to drop to gain aerodynamic advantage, but I'm not sure that frame is going to allow it.  You may end up feeling very stretched out which can be addressed in part by moving the seat all the way forward on the rails.

If you bought it new, I'd take it back and discuss the fit before I rode it, a properly fit TT frame should have maybe 6 inches of post sticking out, yours is about zero inches.

The other option if you are stuck with the frame is to run a very short stem.  I may have one for you out in the garage, shoot me an email and we can do some measuring on that thing  john (at) johnroden.net

but like i say if you bought it new take it back, it won't fit you very well no matter what.

I dunno, maybe it's OK for you, the big wheels on a frame that small may force them to have the seat tube a certain height.   As much as I dislike the small wheels for logistical reasons, for a person your size they can sometime allow for a frame geometry that works better.  You might want to talk it through with the shop that sold it to you--here's how to picture it in your mind:

--on your (hopefully correct sized) road bike, when you add aero bars and drop your elbows to the pads, your position isn't quite right because you are folded too tight at the hips and your elbows are too high and too far forward. 

--So you buy a new frame designed for the aero bars.  The seat tube is angled more forward to unfold you at the hips and the top tube slopes down so the aero bars are lower than the saddle. 

--additionally, the top tube is shorter to bring the elbows back so they are about 90 degrees and close to the kneecaps when riding

So, the big questions I would have are

a) is the angle at your elbows and shoulders correct

b) If you wanted the bars say 4 inches lower than the saddle would your frame allow this?  It's a pretty reasonable position. 

c) relative to your road bike, what is the difference in top tube length and saddle setback relative to the bottom bracket?

My gut feeling is having aero bars level with the saddle is fun for a while, but with practice you will want to be lower.  If not, you might go just as fast on a conventional road bike.

If your road bike fits, take it in also and make sure this thing is right, it's an expensive bike.

ps could you have someone take a picture of you riding the bike on the trainer from the side

No valuable input - she's a beauty...and I could read JR's comments about bikes all day (I am easily impressed by vast bike knowledge, of which I possess zero).

this is exactly why I wish they had banned the aero bars years ago.  Riders can buy the bars for 20 bucks, but you end up needing a dedicated bike that will allow you to actually pedal, which is lots of 20 bucks, then when its all said and done you end up with a bike that's kind of a drudge to ride for pleasure compared to a road bike.  Hardly seems fair, but good for the bike industry.

But this from a guy with 7 bikes in the garage and exactly zero TT bikes, once I lost interest in the duathlons that thing went up for sale.

Wow, great feedback. Hoping the shop makes right.

Sometimes they fit someone to what they have in stock and not getting the stock to fit the person and this isn't always due to evil greed, just sometimes they don't think about it. Especially if they don't know you're serious - not sure if you have a long term relationship with them or no. This happened to me on my first bike and for years I rode wrong sized bikes. I just got rid of the last remnants when I bought my new bike this week so it's going on 8 years! I originally got put onto a 56 due to my legs, but in the end something more like a 52 road bike would have been a smarter move. I do remember, that first shop didn't have anything smaller (I got a medium) and with this recent bike, they actually ordered one and put it together for me with no commitment.  I love my LBS.

Last year when I got a RETUL fitting it really opened my eyes. Not only to proper fit, but how I didn't FIT the textbook. My flexibility, my body comp, and just the way I've developed my muscles I needed to tweak the fit and in doing so I gained 7% or so power. Worth every penny of the $400 I paid.

Quite possible that bike doesn't come in a smaller size, especially if they don't make that frame for 650c wheels.  If that's the case, you'd be looking at a completely different bike or sticking with this one.  The main problem with not having any seatpost showing is that you can't really fiddle with the fit.  I tinker with my fit pretty much every winter, moving the saddle up/down, the aerobars up/down, moving things back/forward, etc.  All in the name of trying to get the best aerodynamic position that is still comfortable to pedal hard in for a couple hours.  The more serious you get about improving your race times, the more serious you will get about your bike fit.

edit - Beautiful bike, though.  Hope you can come to some good resolution.  Sizing is always a tough issue for us short folks.

Ok, I am far from an expert but I don't think the straddle matters. You are not straddling it when you're riding... I hope! :)

What matters mostly is the distance from your pedal to the seat, that should allow a slight bend of the knee but nothing more (or less)

Do the RETUL and when you get fit, it should absolutely be on YOUR bike.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Topodope 

Okay, final thoughts and questions.  My road bike is a 45.  My TT bike is a 48.  Oye.

 

I have scheduled a RETUL fitting at a different LBS than where I got my TT bike.  The store I am going to is where I was fitted for my road bike.  So, before I spend all this money on another fitting, I decided to do something that I should have done from the start.  I actually straddled the bike - duh.  Both times I was on the bike it was already on the trainer and my LBS never actually put me on the bike.  They used a machine with my seat and bars to get the fit and then adjusted the bike to the measurements. 

 

So, long story short, here's my question.  Am I supposed to be able to straddle the bike without the top part of the frame jamming into my...ummm...lady parts?  I can stand flat-footed, but man is it uncomfortable.  To be comfortable I have to lean the bike to the side slightly.  But then it presses into my inner thigh.  If I stand on my toes then I can create some distance between the bike and the parts I would really like to protect. 

 

I really appreciate all the helpful information that I receive from you all! 

Not exactly, the factor you mention is called "standover height" and is not real important in a small bike as a fit indicator.  Part of the reason for using smaller wheels is to get a lower standover in the small frames due to some constraints in frame design I wont bore you with.

Anyhow, lets look at some numbers first, can you post the brand, model and size of your road and TT bikes, then we can look up the horizontal top tube length.

I'm no poster boy for good position, but I'm close enough for government work.  I ride a road frame with a 58.5 top tube.  My TT (tri) bike has only a 55 top tube and the bars are 4 inches below the seat, 2 more inches than my road bike, see how my arms are still too stretched out, you want maybe 90 degrees at the elbow, but it's a start.  My head sticks up like a melon.

this is a little better fit on a different bike, note the dropped shoulders and relationship between the elbow and knee, the knee is JUST clearing the back of the elbow, it's a much better position than the one above and it's on a 56 cervelo, while I ride a 60 road frame.  See my point? Your Tri bike had better have a SHORTER top tube than your road bike, that's the whole point of a TT bike, steeper seat tube angle, shorter top tube and more bar drop.  Anything else is a step backwards from your roadster.

your roadbike has an effective top tube length of 49.8 while your new tri bike has an effective TT of 51.3.

The reason they only make 4 sizes of obera is due to the cost of the molds.

If your road bike fit, you would want a top tube (effective) of 47-48 on a TT bike, nothing in the orbera line would work for you in my opinion, but I'm no great expert.

one of your bikes might fit and one clearly doesn't.

I think they ought to look at geometry charts and find a tri bike that will allow you the fit you need.

The Guru can be custom built in aluminium, they do a nice job but you have to wait a while.  terry makes smaller frames for women.

Beyond that, I'm out of my expertise, big bikes are my concern.

Fascinating reading here.

Good luck with getting the fit worked out.

you can do some of the research yourself by looking at the geometry charts for various brands.  You may be in a "women's specific" frame of a "compact" or a small wheel bike may be listed as 650c. 

The measure you care about is "horizontal top tube" or "effective top tube" and it should be listed as center to center or c to c.

You may have more options in metal than carbon, as building an expensive mold for someone your size is somewhat cost ineffective, though there are a lot of men in the far east who ride smaller bikes, so keep looking.

I'm glad to hear the shop is being decent about it.  Please let me know how it turns out for you, it helps me learn more about how small bikes fit people

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Topodope 

 

Is it better to be on a carbon frame w/ 650c wheels or an aluminum frame w/ 700c wheels?  Are we talking a dime vs two nickels or is one option really better than the other?

 

 

Personally, I'd go for the carbon frame with 650s.  Sweet!

if it is the new model Specialied, that's a good frame and they got the geometry right, but the older one was not well thought out. 

650 gives you lower standover and less toe overlap, but mostly it may just fit better size wise. That frame is only $350 w/o fork, while a Obera carbon bike frame is well over $1000, so I assume that all gets worked out.

I have a carbon road bike and I do like the way it dampens out the road chatter.  I think an aluminium bike can also be very light and stiff and fast if it fits.  If you plan on doing a lot of longer rides and races, perhaps the carbon will be a little nicer, either one will ride well if its fits you across the top.

Sorry to turn your original happy post into a project, but if something isn't right i try to tell someone what I see.

I'm glad you spoke up because this puppy is gonna be between your legs a long time... better fit good!

if you need a 47-ish toptobe I do not think the specialized will fit as it is over 50, if I'm looking at the correct model.   The planet x in the XXS size has a 47 top tube.  Is that the size you need?  If so, it seems like a good bike if you can find one in stock