HELP! Bought a wrong frame size (Road Bike)

[Subash Rao]

Hi all,

recently I bought a Schwinn Fastback 3 road bike from Track & Trail, Koramangla (small frame, 50cm). I took it for a couple of rides and started to realise that I have to stretch a lot to reach the handle bars. so there was a lot of load and pressure on my elbows so much so that I had the pain for at least a week or two until I stopped riding. I am 5ft 3.5 inches.

I thought if i could go for a shorter stem things could improve so i did change the stem from 110mm to 60mm, but I still feel pressure on my elbows.

because I was so impulsive I probably bought the bike in a hurry...

now I really don't know what to do..?

hope to get some suggestions and ideas....

regards

subash chandra rao

[suman paul]

Have you tried a bike-fit !

thank you & regards

suman  

+91      9886300685

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[Opendro]

The bike size does seem to be a correct one for your height. Just do a basic bike fit - adjust the saddle position (height as well as raft), handlebar height and stem length. That should fix the problem.

[Subash Rao]

Hi Suman & Opendra,

Thanks for the reply. I did do a bike fit....also in my stand over height there is absolutely no gap between my torso and the Top tube, should I be concerned about it?

regards

subash

[Shyam Sundar S Iyer]

As per your height (total)  the frame seems to be correct.

 

But then your inseam height and reach of hands needs to be checked.

 

Ask some senior riders in town to take a look at it, they can help you correct the saddle height and horizontal position and then suggest a correct stem.

 

If you are new to ride biking, a few rides and practice helps you shoo away pains!

[Shyam Sundar S Iyer]

Adding...standover height is checked with riding shoes and  tight riding shorts !

 then you lift the handle bar till the top tube touches the inseam...and the front tires has 25 to 30mm gap over the road (FLAT ROAD)

[Opendro]

Did you mean, when you stand on the ground, the top tube touches your crotch? If that is true, then the saddle at its lowest position will be very likely tall for you. That is hard to believe for a 50 cm bike. FYI, I'm just within 5'6" or more like, 5' 5.5" and I ride an over sized 54 cm btwin sport 1, seat post at rock bottom position, I still manage some clearance (minimal though) between the top tube and crotch.

However, a top tube which is too high for your height will also mean that you cannot get an aerodynamic position as the handlebar position (always above the top tube) will be too high. This is good for an endurance based events like brevets. I don't even try to bring the handlebar to its lowest setting in brevets. However, with this size, I will never be able to race in a road race, let alone a time trial. This is okay as I have never been a serious road racer. But if you plan to do so, it is one aspect you have to consider.

[Vishnu Janardhanan S]

you need to definitely check the sizing, but that apart if you have elbow pain check how you keep your arms while riding.

if you lock your elbows and shoulder, you might get elbow pain.

See some videos on basic bike fit, see if you can get hold of a trainer and have a friend help you with bike fit.

and ride for a few days. 

When i first started riding on a road bike, i had excruciating pain on my upper back, but it just went away by itself in a few days.

If you feel that you are putting a lot of weight on your hands, an interim solution you can try is to angle the hoods slightly up by tilting the handle bar.

https://redrockbicycle.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toohigh.jpg

It will make it harder to be on the drops but will help till you get the fitting sorted out.

[M S Sriram]

Opendro the btwin sport 1 is rumoured to have a totally different frame size measurement reference.. The 54cm which you are riding is in all probability the top tube length which the number corresponds to..!

Whereas the frame size number which the OP is referring to is in my guess the conventional seat tube height number..

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[Opendro]

I have not checked that part. I can check and let you know. I wouldn't be surprised if both the measurements come pretty close. The geometry is such that increase in top tube will increase the other two tubes connected to it.

[Subash Rao]

Opendro

Thank you for correcting.The top tube is touching the crotch. 

Also Despite going for a shorter stem (60mm), and when my hand is over the hoods, tops or the drops (Sitting on the saddle) the front wheel hub is visible behind the handle bars. 

I read in one of the websites that if the front wheel hubs are visible behind the handle bars (while in the sitting position), then the stem is long.

I was wondering should I have gone for a much more shorter stem...

regards

subash

[Subash Rao]

Shyam

It seems to that my arms may be shorter. inseam is about 27.5 cm

if you could suggest some senior riders names...it will be great, perhaps I could talk to them

regards

subash

On Monday, February 9, 2015 at 4:13:20 PM UTC+5:30, Shyam Sundar S Iyer wrote:

[Arvind Ganesh]

Who performed the bike fit, if I may ask? The outcome of a bike fit should have been the realization that the frame size is incorrect or the required corrective measures to make sure the fit is correct and comfortable for you.

-Arvind 

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[RT]

Off the bat for your height the frame size would seem to be fine unless you have body dimensions that are radically removed from the average (doesn't sound like it).

Please do remember that discomfort isn't necessarily a sign of bad sizing or fit. If you're new to cycling and to road biking in particular, you can't really judge what should be ok or comfortable. And frankly there is no tall measure of 'comfort' as it's so subjective. Road biking itself puts you in an uncomfortable, unnatural body position. Over time as your flexibility and core strength increase, you can hold that position for longer. Pressure on arms and suchlike are perfectly natural, particularly in the beginning. Also, there are different geometries among road bikes which put you in a more relaxed or aggressive position. None of this can really be appreciated until you ride a bit more.

So, check with a few good shops about your sizing and fit. Also look at online fit calculators. Between them, if you're still getting answers which tell you your bike size is about right, you just need to ride more and build your core strength. After that, you can fine tune the fit over time.