What are your fit coordinates? These bikes have varying geometries - I can't imagine all 4 are a good fit.

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Trent Nix
Owned and operated Tri Shop
F.I.S.T. Advanced Certified Fitter | Retul Master Certified Fitter (back when those were things)

So I can't find anyone in town who can do a pre-fit. They all will be happy to do a fit after a buy a bike, get it fitted for me, but doing a pre-fit so I can buy, that is the issue I am having. That said, your question is rough. I am 5'4", 30" insean, short torso. The Cervelo is a 51. The QR is a small. The Felt is a 51. And the Specialized is a Small. I am not sure about the reach or other geometry, again, I'm new to this. If you have suggestions, that would be great.

Thank you!

With stock aerobars, all of those bikes are probably too big.

You might consider traveling. $3k is a lot of money to waste.

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Trent Nix
Owned and operated Tri Shop
F.I.S.T. Advanced Certified Fitter | Retul Master Certified Fitter (back when those were things)

Thank you, great to know! I am close enough to make a weekend trip for a fit to NoCal so maybe I need to do that. I would like to buy used but hard to tell given the size and geometry of those bikes. Thanks!

Yes, get fitted to start. But if you're 5"4, I would definitely be looking at XS and 48cm to start.

I'm 5'4", 31.5" inseam (yes, long) and ride fairly aggressively. Currently on a XS Liv Avow, last bike was a XS Shiv. My best friend is 5"8 and had a small Shiv, now has a 51 Felt IA. No way I would fit on those.

Oh wow! That is great to know, thank you.

...if they won't pre-fit, I wouldn't trust them to post-fit, either. And for another reference point, I'm 5'11" with a longer torso and shorter legs than average, by a bit, and I'm on a 51 P2. An IA for me would also be a 51. My wife is 5'6", is on a 51 as well and can make it work, but should probably be on a 48.

I'd never tell you what size would work based on height over the internet, but I'd be shocked if a 51 was the best size for someone who's 5'4". It could be, but that's not the safe bet.

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The point is, ladies and gentleman, that speed, for lack of a better word, is good. Speed is right, Speed works. Speed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.

Thank you for the info. So, maybe dumb question, but how does one buy a used bike when there is no place in town to do a pre-fit? Really the option I see is to travel out of town to a Retul fitter or similar, correct? There are plenty LBS' in town that do bike fits but it's the Giant store, the Trek store, the Specialized store etc. I want a non LBS who can recommend a brand based on geometry and I can't seem to find that here. If only I lived in the Bay Area still.....

Thanks for all this advice!

Buying a used bike is a bit rougher if you don't know your fit coordinates and the right size per make and model, but think of it this way: if you don't know your size, you also can't really buy a new bike with any confidence. Can you travel to a place where you can get fit? It seems expensive in abstract, but if you can get a cheapie Southwest ticket to somewhere with a good fitter, spend a night in a La Quinta, and head home, you can be out just a weekend and a couple hundred bucks. That's much better than spending $3k on the wrong bike and then either trying to make it work or selling it and buying another.

For reference, I ride a 56 in most road bikes, and when I first tried a tri bike I got a 56 P3. That was a disaster; I was never comfortable and couldn't ride it well. When I got fitted properly and got on a 51, it was night and day and I love it. Buying the right bike is critical.

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The point is, ladies and gentleman, that speed, for lack of a better word, is good. Speed is right, Speed works. Speed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.

Absolutely. Yes, there is a Retul fitter about two hours away and a Guru fitter about four hours away so on a weekend I can make a trip and get a better idea. I'd much prefer that then, as you said, getting the wrong bike that I need to end up selling. A couple hour drive will be worth it!

Longtime reader of this forum, never been fit myself, but if that day comes, I'd have this article memorized:
https://www.slowtwitch.com/...pectations_3595.html

Also, have you used these links?


https://www.slowtwitch.com/fitters/

https://www.slowtwitch.com/Bike_Fit/index.html

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I wrote this, you should read it:
https://www.slowtwitch.com/...n_Swimming_6700.html

Thanks for those links, that is great, I had not seen those before!