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So, I got my Titanflex two weeks ago and I have been out on the road for a couple of hundred miles with it. It is extremely comfortable and very fast at speed. When I received it, I put it together and mimicked the position on my road bike with some minor adjustments. I went and got it fitted last week and the guy could get me fitted on it. Went to a different person this week. Same thing. Turns out I have very long legs and a very short torso. If I move the seat forward or the beam in to shorten the effective top tube, I end up too far in front of the bottom bracket. If I move the seat/beam to a position where my relationship to the bottom bracket is correct, the effective top tube length is too long. What about a shorter stem you ask? No dice. The proportions are so out of whack that I would have to use a virtually non-existent stem, which would create handling issues. I love my parents, but what in the world did they do to give me this body? A little frustrated right now that my new bike isn't going to work, but I am patiently weighing some options.
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switchtotri: May 2, 07 16:45
Perhaps you need a smaller sized bike. Maybe if you posted pictures of the different positions, we can get a better perspective on things.
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DoubleTrouble: May 2, 07 14:06
I don't think a smaller sized bike will work. Basically, I need the seat tube of a 59 cm frame with a top tube of a 53-54 cm frame. When you have to compensate for that wide of a variance, everything gets out of whack. You just can't get into an ideal position without screwing up another part of the fit. I wasn't really looking for advice since I have already been through two fits (one from a FISTer). Just ranting a little I guess.
How tall are you? What is your bike inseam?
I'm 6'1" with 35" inseam, relatively long legged and short torsoed. A beam bike such as my Softride or your TF should be the best bet as it has the widest fit band as far as top tube length.
Coach at KonaCoach Multisport
You might want to consider a womens specific design frame. Women generally have shorter torso's for the same leg length, so that the women specific frames are built to accomodate that. The other options are custom frame, or small frame with long seatpost and spacers/high rise stem.
Paul
2015 USAT Long Course National Champion (M50-54)
I am not quite 6'1 and I have a 36.5" inseam. Much of my leg length is my overly long femur, which makes positioning over the bottom bracket while maitaining a shortish top tube very difficult.
Dude, have you tried calling the zoo to see what the giraffes ride?
You can always put that titanflex on a plinth and gaze at its beauty all day long...
Forget speedwork. Speedwork is the icing on the cake and you don't have a cake yet. - MattinSF
Basically they have 9 tenants, live life to the fullest, do not turn the cheak, and embrace the 7 deadly since. - TheForge (on satanists)
Are you setting it up for road or tri?
If road, set it up steep enough to allow a reasonable length stem. I am 5'8" with 33.5" inseam and my road bike is 57cm with a steep seat tube (for road) of 74 deg and with a short stem of 10cm. I wouldn't worry too much about being "too far in front of the BB". That's not a hard-and-fast rule, just a guideline.
If you're setting it up for tri, you'll probably want to go 78 deg or more on the seat angle. Make sure to get a stem long enough so you don't bang your knees on the back of the armrests on the aero bars when standing on a climb. With my medium Softride, I had to get a 12cm stem for knee clearance and that put my saddle at about 79 degrees to get the correct cockpit length. To reduce the cockpit length a little more, I also got small Syntace clip-ons when my arm length would normally call for medium.
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gonzobob: May 2, 07 15:26
I am setting it up for tris. When I had the STA at 78 degrees, my knees were almost 4cm in front of the BB. I couldn't comfortably ride at a steeper angle because my knees were getting so far in front that I was getting some pain in them when I pedaled. Pushing the boom in so that I was at 78 degrees put me in a position where I had to go with the long stem to avoid banging my knees. Problem is that I need a very short stem to compensate for my "giraffe like" body proportions (Always can count on Lazy Ben for a good pick me up). So being at 78 degrees creates problems, but I would need a non-existent stem if I went any more slack than that.