Wanted to know, which is easier. Being fitted on a frame that is one size small or on a frame that is one size large.
This is because I have a deal on a bike and the frame may be not the perfect size.
buy the one that fits, regardless of the deal. on a good fit with modern frames, you’re more likely to be reach limited than stack limited
Need more info. What’s the bike and how did you determine that it was either too big or too small?
As already said you need to know your Stack/reach.
Last summer i was looking for a new bike, had my eyes on Cervelo P3.
Since om 174 i was looking for a size 52, since thats the frame size everyone else around 170-175 was riding.
Luckily i was fitted half a year earlier and with the help from the fitter. We came to the conclusion that a size 54 with a 100mm 17* stem it would fit me.
A smaller size could have been fitted to me, but i would need a lot longer stem, which could compromise the stearing
That said if you have a long reach its possible to get that on a smaller frame with a long stem and some spacers, but if you have a short reach it Can be hard getting the right reach since you have a limiter which is the shortness of the stem
I’ve always wondered about this. I’m 6’ 1-1/2" and was fitted to a 58 cm on both my road and tri bikes. Basically I’m one size down from the largest frame on both bikes. If you look at my bikes, they look a bit odd as the stem and bars both sit kind of high and both use spacers. I’ve always wondered if I would have been better off on a larger (60 cm +) frame. Maybe it’s all about the reach of the 58? But can’t you compensate for that with a shorter stem? Bike fit svengalis, let us know your opinion!
This is because I have a deal on a bike and the frame may be not the perfect size.You might rethink your philosophy here. What other products would you buy that are the wrong size because they are a great deal? Would you buy a pair of socks or shoes that are the wrong size because they are cheap? A sport coat? A shirt?
I’ve always wondered about this. I’m 6’ 1-1/2" and was fitted to a 58 cm on both my road and tri bikes. Basically I’m one size down from the largest frame on both bikes. If you look at my bikes, they look a bit odd as the stem and bars both sit kind of high and both use spacers. I’ve always wondered if I would have been better off on a larger (60 cm +) frame. Maybe it’s all about the reach of the 58? But can’t you compensate for that with a shorter stem? Bike fit svengalis, let us know your opinion!58 doesn’t mean anything, because it doesn’t tell you how one bike line relates to another. For exmaple, a 54 in a Felt B14 is bigger than a 56 Felt IA 2.
You need fit coordinates. Not a bike size. Because bike sizes are almost meaningless.
If you aren’t getting fit coordinates from your “sizing” session, you are not getting what real bike fit professionals deliver.
The reason I didn’t specify whether it was too large or too small was simply to see which, if either, was the easiest to fix. In peoples opinion.
To be honest 2 cm is just an inch. Move a saddle back or forward a smidge and add another smidge to a stem length, raise or lower the saddle, raise or lower the stem all by tiny amounts, change the saddle. All can eat up an inch. I ride a Pc3, which has two mounting options on the seatpost. I have raced with the saddle set up in either hole and that all by itself is a large difference. Changed the saddle while back, whole different setup. And I have all kinds of stems because I change them as the season goes on.
Also the course can require some change to position. I have raced Mt Tremblant and the Montreal Esprit (amongst many others). Very different courses that require different setups.
As I said at the beginning, the frame wasn’t perfect, just the deal. People answer with a bias, so I took the option of bias out, to see the reaction.
So far…it’s crickets.
We have bikes that often will fit athletes in more than one size. Almost always.
So, as an example let’s say reach is not an issue on either bike.
Then if you are a young guy and think over time you may get more aggressive in your stack - that may factor in. If you are someone with a back or neck issue - that may figure in.
Top 2/3 of stack range of a small or bottom 1/3 of a medium - a lot of things help solve the choice. A smaller frame by itself is a bit faster (not much but a bit) just a little less bike in the wind.
Some bikes like ours have different crank arm lengths with each size bike - that will play a part in selection as well.
Some, like ours, have different length seat tube lengths (ranges) so that is a factor.
If you were 100% middle of the bell curve - 5’10" with normal proportion and no issues - you could get a great fit on either a Small or Medium; same for 6’ on a medium or large on our bike.
But not that many athletes are “just right” where they would do great on either and don’t expect to change in some way over the life of that purchase.
I hope that helps.
The reason I didn’t specify whether it was too large or too small was simply to see which, if either, was the easiest to fix. In peoples opinion.And the answer is, it depends.To be honest 2 cm is just an inch. Move a saddle back or forward a smidge and add another smidge to a stem length, raise or lower the saddle, raise or lower the stem all by tiny amounts, change the saddle. All can eat up an inch. I ride a Pc3, which has two mounting options on the seatpost. I have raced with the saddle set up in either hole and that all by itself is a large difference. Changed the saddle while back, whole different setup. And I have all kinds of stems because I change them as the season goes on.
Also the course can require some change to position. I have raced Mt Tremblant and the Montreal Esprit (amongst many others). Very different courses that require different setups.Respectfully, I do this professionally. And what you’re saying here is simply not the best practice of bike fit, positioning, and equipment.
With clothing that doesn’t fit, you can wear belts and sew and do all manner of things to “fix” a problem you shouldn’t create in the first place if other options are available. I “fix” badly sized bikes all the time. But to recommend someone actively pursue a bike that is incorrectly sized? That would be malpractice on my part.As I said at the beginning, the frame wasn’t perfect, just the deal. People answer with a bias, so I took the option of bias out, to see the reaction.
So far…it’s crickets.The bias here is yours in pursuit of the “deal”. I gave you the same advice I’d give anyone asking the same question.
I think we’re begging the question here, or prematurely conceding that this potential bike is either too big or too small… we need to know your methodology on how you came to that conclusion.
For me this is especially important because in my worldview or fit philosophy, most bike shop fit outcomes put people on a bike that’s one size too small… or rather, once an athlete gets into a proper TT fit, as delivered by me, they wish they had a bike one size up, particularly for the reach, unless there are no aftermarket stack fixes in which case they wish they had a different bike altogether.
So, to sum up, your potential bike could actually be two sizes too small or one size too small. And given your clues (Cervelo P3C, a long and low bike), I’m guessing this is the case.
Finally, the others are right, you could really just solve this whole problem by eliminating “size” from your vocabulary and using pad stack and reach. Does either of your potential bikes meet your current or future pad stack and reach?
The reason I didn’t specify whether it was too large or too small was simply to see which, if either, was the easiest to fix. In peoples opinion.
If someone gives you an opinion it won’t be useful.
Some bikes are easier to size up and some are easier to size down, and some have a wide range of adjustability in all directions. Plus we need to know precisely how you fit on the bike. If the size is really not optimal, then where does the adjustment need to be made?
IMO is you get a bike that has a normal stem, and you have highly adjustable bars (like Felt Devox 3 or the cheap PD models), then you won’t have an issue hitting your fit coordinates if the bike size is anywhere near the ballpark. Or you are an outlier. It’s rather a matter of what needs to be done to acheive those coordinates, and how the bike looks.
Wanted to know, which is easier. Being fitted on a frame that is one size small or on a frame that is one size large.
This is because I have a deal on a bike and the frame may be not the perfect size.
Lots of good replies here, but the simple answer to you question is that it’s usually easier to accommodate a frame that’s a little too small vs. a little too big. As others have stated, it’s a much more complex topic and depends on the situation. Ideally, your frame should be sized so that you still have room to adjust everything bigger or smaller from what you believe is your current ideal position (because it can change).
If you have a frame with too much reach or stack, you run out of good options in a hurry to dial it in. Smallish frames can accommodate “bigger” fits until you start affecting handling with crazy stems, etc. For people with “middle of the road” positions, most people can set up identical positions on 2 different sized frames of the same model and that’s where the decision is hardest. The dumbest mistake I see is people going with a larger frame so they can run their stem/bars without any spacers because it looks better. Unless you are very experienced and know you’ll never want to adjust your bars any lower, I always advise against a frame that has no room to go lower/shorter.
Thank you. It’s essentially what I thought.
The bike wasn’t for me, it was for a training friend who has even less knowledge than I do. but it was a great bike (from the classifieds), 1 size smaller than perfect, but out of her price range under normal circumstances. My personal opinion was, buy it, get the fit as close as possible, because anything would be better than the 17 year old dinosaur she was on. The advice she got from “experts” was nothing short of perfection was good enough. So no bike.
At least she’ll have good wheels (mine).