That's fantastic thank you very much!
I got on an xs Boardman for a quick trial which felt okay and this further suggested I wasn't far enough forward and it was obvious by going further forward I could also get lower.
It does also mean I can kinda ignore what I have now and go for proper suggestions and try other bikes as well!
blueathlete,
I don't believe in "test rides". For many that sounds weird but here's my perspective.
If a customer walks into a local Trek/Cannondale dealer and says "I'm looking to buy a bike". The sales person guesses their height and says "I think a 54 would be right for you. Put on this helmet and ride this Cannondale Synapse around the parking lot for a few minutes". Then they come back and the sales person says "now try this Trek H1 Madone for a bit". Afterwords the customer say's "Oh the Cannondale is so much more comfortable".
Sure - Both bikes are 54cm but the Cannondale has a taller stack and if it's got 35mm of spacer under a +6 degree, 90mm stem and the tires were at 85psi (5.7bar) while the Trek is a longest and lowest bike they make and it's set up with 20mm of spacer, a -6 degree, 100mm stem and tires a 105psi - then apples are not being compared to apples. If both bikes were set up identically then the customer could choose by color.
This is infinitely more important for tri than road.
The way to buy a bike is this: go to an educated, experienced fitter who has a dynamic fit bike and together you will find the ultimate position. Once you know your seat height, setback, cockpit distance and pad drop - you can have ANYTHING under you as long as those contact points are in the right spot. The frame could be ti, steel, carbon, alum, unobtainum (science fiction), bamboo (real bikes made of this), it doesn't matter when you're rolling down the flat road at race effort - it will feel the same.
You've got to find your position. Then you'll know which bikes can get their easily (or not at all). Then you can shop by the appropriate criteria that follow - groupo, price, color. Then you'll very likely end up back at Canyon because that Speedmax CF with Ui2 and sexy wheels is so inexpensive compared to a comparable bike.
Ian
Ian Murray
http://www.TriathlonTrainingSeries.com
I like the pursuit of mastery
Twitter - @TriCoachIan
I got on an xs Boardman for a quick trial which felt okay and this further suggested I wasn't far enough forward and it was obvious by going further forward I could also get lower.
It does also mean I can kinda ignore what I have now and go for proper suggestions and try other bikes as well!
blueathlete,
I don't believe in "test rides". For many that sounds weird but here's my perspective.
If a customer walks into a local Trek/Cannondale dealer and says "I'm looking to buy a bike". The sales person guesses their height and says "I think a 54 would be right for you. Put on this helmet and ride this Cannondale Synapse around the parking lot for a few minutes". Then they come back and the sales person says "now try this Trek H1 Madone for a bit". Afterwords the customer say's "Oh the Cannondale is so much more comfortable".
Sure - Both bikes are 54cm but the Cannondale has a taller stack and if it's got 35mm of spacer under a +6 degree, 90mm stem and the tires were at 85psi (5.7bar) while the Trek is a longest and lowest bike they make and it's set up with 20mm of spacer, a -6 degree, 100mm stem and tires a 105psi - then apples are not being compared to apples. If both bikes were set up identically then the customer could choose by color.
This is infinitely more important for tri than road.
The way to buy a bike is this: go to an educated, experienced fitter who has a dynamic fit bike and together you will find the ultimate position. Once you know your seat height, setback, cockpit distance and pad drop - you can have ANYTHING under you as long as those contact points are in the right spot. The frame could be ti, steel, carbon, alum, unobtainum (science fiction), bamboo (real bikes made of this), it doesn't matter when you're rolling down the flat road at race effort - it will feel the same.
You've got to find your position. Then you'll know which bikes can get their easily (or not at all). Then you can shop by the appropriate criteria that follow - groupo, price, color. Then you'll very likely end up back at Canyon because that Speedmax CF with Ui2 and sexy wheels is so inexpensive compared to a comparable bike.
Ian
Ian Murray
http://www.TriathlonTrainingSeries.com
I like the pursuit of mastery
Twitter - @TriCoachIan