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Tri Bike fit advice (I have fit data and pictures)
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I need some guidance on what bike to buy. I have had a GURU fit as part of my shopping process and I also had my 2012 P3 fit using the RETUL system. I have attached the data from each of these fittings.

Here is my Bike story:

I'm 40 years old, 6'3" 210 lbs. My goal is a 6ish hour Ironman bike.

I bought the 2012 P3 for my first triathlons not really knowing what I was doing. I had a RETUL fit done after I bought it and I was not unhappy with the comfort of it when I was riding lots. I did an Ironman in 2014 on it then took off a year to build a house. I got fat while I built the house. When I went back to riding the P3 in 2016 I could not get comfortable on it anymore. I had a guy make me a pretty good offer on my P3 so I sold it.

I then went for a GURU fit to find out what would be the perfect bike for my old bones.

Heres what I am confused about the data from the GURU fit:

The GURU fit sheet states that my torso to Inseam ration is average, but the stack and reach recommendation is for a bike that has a tall stack and short reach. I thought that basically, the reach is a function of torso length and the stack is a function of inseam. I guess I thought if I was average in the ratio of inseam/torso I would be in the middle of the scale of bike stack and reach, but the fit recommends a reasonably tall bike with a quite short reach.

I have spent hours analyzing the data and the stack and reach of tons of different bikes looking for one that is right for me. I am probably over thinking this, but my concern is after spending $500 on fittings and ending up getting into another bike that is not right.
Last edited by: big slice: May 8, 17 13:43
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Re: Tri Bike fit advice [big slice] [ In reply to ]
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Big,
Not seeing you on a bike, it will be very hard to say. Stack and reach, or really pad x/y, are a function of your morphology and ALSO your preferences, so it's not completely black/white there. Lots of large folks ride small bikes b/c of the geometry. Also, not a pro fitter, just an informed amateur.
But...
Your old fit coordinates on the Retul page look close to what you might find in a "typical" fit--some caution flags, but not really red flags.
The second fit looks bad, and is missing info you'd need to replicate whatever position is there (saddle tip to bar?). The reach is VERY short and the stack is VERY high. So yeah, I share your concern that you'd throw good money after bad buying a bike based on that fit. Now, it may be that you're not in good enough shape to ride a really top-notch position, but you should probably be much closer to your previous #s than the second.

P.s. 40 isn't that old. ;-)

-J

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Life is tough. But it's tougher when you're stupid. -John Wayne
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Re: Tri Bike fit advice [big slice] [ In reply to ]
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Ok, I just posted a pic of me on my P3 in 2014 and on my Slice earlier this year that I bought on the advice of the GURU fit.
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Re: Tri Bike fit advice [big slice] [ In reply to ]
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hard to say based on that slice pic. your saddle might be low, and your armpad reach might be pretty short. do you have a video?
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Re: Tri Bike fit advice [James Haycraft] [ In reply to ]
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I was in the same position as you with the guru fit this past year. And although the fit I got was pretty good the numbers that the system spit out or epically off. I don't know if this was due to operator error or how the system is set up but it had put me on a much larger bike with a huge stem. But there is a lot of good advice on this site to be had especially from guys like James and slowman
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Re: Tri Bike fit advice (I have fit data and pictures) [big slice] [ In reply to ]
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Any pictures of you on the Guru?
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Re: Tri Bike fit advice (I have fit data and pictures) [AndresLD] [ In reply to ]
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I don't have any pictures on the guru machine.
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Re: Tri Bike fit advice (I have fit data and pictures) [big slice] [ In reply to ]
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So With the pictures and the data, how do people feel about my position on the slice? I know they are a short reach bike. I would like to buy the right bike and not have to think about this anymore!!

Any recommendation on the right bike for me to ride?

Because of the stack and reach data I was thinking about a shiv in XL, but the general consensus seems that the people are on smaller bikes than what the manufactures recommend. I'm in the high end of the Shiv large scale and the low end of the Shiv XL scale of what specialized shows on there fit chart. I was thinking that disadvantage of being on a XL frame is that I would never be able to drop the front end low enough to get into an extremely aero position, but the drawback of the large would be limited the more upright comfort for the long haul. I live in a bit of a remote location so it is hard for me to get to the city to try the bikes, and I have called around and there is not very many tri bikes to try out for hundreds of miles.
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Re: Tri Bike fit advice (I have fit data and pictures) [big slice] [ In reply to ]
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Posting from my phone so pardon the short reply - Retul fit is solid. Pictures look like it could use some adjustment, but it is in the neighborhood.

Guru numbers are a mess and should be discarded. You'd do better using the bike measurements from the Retul fit than you would from your fit on the Guru.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Trent Nix
Owned and operated Tri Shop
F.I.S.T. Advanced Certified Fitter | Retul Master Certified Fitter (back when those were things)
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Re: Tri Bike fit advice (I have fit data and pictures) [big slice] [ In reply to ]
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Slice fit is ok, but I can't imagine that position has a 700+ armpad stack, like in your guru fit.

The relation between the armpad coordinates and the frame recommendation doesn't make sense. The relation between the HX/HY and the frame coordinates doesnt make sense either.

Trent Nix
Owned and operated Tri Shop
F.I.S.T. Advanced Certified Fitter | Retul Master Certified Fitter (back when those were things)
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Re: Tri Bike fit advice (I have fit data and pictures) [trentnix] [ In reply to ]
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So is there any way to determine the correct bike for me? The reason I did the guru fit was the reputation of the fitter was good and it seemed people were happy with his fits. As I said I am 40 and not fast so comfort is important when I'm on the bike for 6 plus hours.

I've heard that the felt IA is super adjustable but not alway good for a tall guy. I've looked at cervelo and shiv and cannondale, all seem like they might work but with my fit experience so far I have no confidence in what to do.

Please give me some direction on a bike that would be a safe bet.
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