Ok so size matters, and not just the parts of the human body ;D
Why does size matter? What happens if I buy a bike too big or small? - If you have found yourself going for a bike with looks over practicality you are in good company! Loads of people do this and yes it is YOUR fault along with the person who SOLD you the bike, whether you like it or not that's the facts!
However if you are doing some research before buying a bike CONGRATULATIONS you are already smarter than most of the people you will be racing or commuting or sportive riding with!
If you buy a bike too BIG then you will need a shorter stem which will make the steering more twitchy and the pedals a bit if a stretch!
If you buy a bike too SMALL! Then you will need a longer stem which will take feeling and control away from the steering in the sharp corners! You will also need to jack the saddle so high you will look like you are riding a childs bike!
THE RIGHT SIZE! - If you buy a bike the right size you should;
1. Still be able to see the logo on the seat post
2. Have a stem between 100-110mm (General guidelines)
3. Where the saddle connect to the seat post it should be clamped in the middle
4. The bike should feel comfortable and put a tiny arch in your back when riding
5. Make sure you get the right crank lengths so that you can achieve optimal cadence and sustain it! Please use this website of guidelines - http://www.cptips.com/crnklth.htm
That is all I have for now I may come back and add to this but feel free to come to my blog and ask me questions on this in the comments.
I have also posted this at - http://followingthechainline.blogspot.co.uk/p/forum.html Here you will find topics and all sorts of cool things to talk about an ask questions about! I believe this forum has only just started but it looks really good already and has a lot of interesting topics for you guys to discuss.
I completely agree. Although I loved my Cervelo RS, it was a bit big for me at 54 cm. I am 5'5". I had her fit, and she was very comfortable to ride, but when I got going fast, especially downhill, I didn't feel that I had the control I should, which made me hold back some. Now I have a 51 cm Cervelo R3 and I can go downhill at speeds I would have never dared on the RS. The trick is to, like you said, find that right size. It isn't as simple as the salesman just asking your height!
ReplyDelete