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Bike Fit
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Hello There,
I'm hoping some of you might be able to help me with my dilemma. I recently began doing triathalons and have fallen in love with it! No surprise to many of you I'm sure :) The problem is I bought a bike that doesn't fit me. I wasn't sure I was going to love the sport so price was the motivator in the purchase. I'm now planning to do a 1/2 IM in April and have been told by several that the problem lies in my height. I'm 5'1" and my legs are long and torso short. My current bike is the complete opposite of what I need. I've been told there are a few women specific bikes that will work for my height. Terry, Trek, Felt and Dolce Specialized. Any chance any of you have the same problem and can offer opinions on the various models? I find sitting on the bike in the store isn't the same as riding the bike for 3 hours. Any help is welcome and appreciated!
Thanks.
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Re: Bike Fit [Moxybug] [ In reply to ]
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I think you will learn that many females have the same issues as you. I am 5'2 also with a short torso and long legs with the added weirdness of having extremely long femurs. I have been fit my several different guys and they all laugh at how much of my height is actually between my knee and hip. I currently ride a Serotta road bike that was customized to my fit and a 48cm Cervelo P2C tri bike. My first road bike was a Specialized Dolce Elite bought before I knew nothing about bikes and bike fit. The Dolce was a great bike but the fit was a mess. In order to the the right top tube lenght, I ended up on a frame size where I needed to have the seat at its maximum height for my legs. This lead to an unstable mess. I did work with a professional fitter who was able to optimize my position on the Dolce so that it was comfortable enough for long rides including a HIM. But the comfort I felt when I switched to the Serotta which fit without extreme tinkering was amazing.

My advice would be to find a great fitter in your area and talk with them. They will be able to guide you on which bike is best suited for you. Also use a shop that will let you test the bikes on the road.
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Re: Bike Fit [Moxybug] [ In reply to ]
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Indeed. Where do you live? You need to find a good, reputable fitter.
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Re: Bike Fit [mayhew] [ In reply to ]
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I live in Florida. The company I bought my first bike from doesn't do bike fits which seems odd to me now that I know more about it. I've since been speaking with another company whom I like a lot because they've been able to provide much info. They've offered various bikes they think would work, however they're leaving the choice up to me. Hence the reason I'm asking on the forum. I was hoping to hear specific opinions from folks who ride them. At this time I'm not interested in going custom and based on the research I've done it looks like the Felt ZW Series and the Specialized Ruby Expert seem to be what would work best. Any thoughts??
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Re: Bike Fit [Moxybug] [ In reply to ]
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I'm 5'2" and have the same issues.

This may sound extreme, but consider joining us for the Xantusia training camp in April.

Southern California is as beautiful as Florida and you can join me in cajoling the Slowman to help us get our bikes dialed in.

DFL > DNF > DNS
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