Reading through the various articles on slowtwitch and other sites and it mentions the relationship between leg length/torso length and what bikes suit what people - i.e. Long Leg Short torso people need a shorter top tube etc…
BUT
No-where can I find how to tell if a person is normal proportion, long leg/short torso or short leg/long torso…
How do you tell? Where and what do you measure?
Anyone know?
I am looking for the answer to your question also.
I am looking for the answer to your question also.
Yeah, it is really bugging me because they talk about it so much in all the articles on fit, stack and reach etc and what sort of bike a long leg/short torso person should get but I can’t seem to find how to determine what is what and where to measure…
I am not sure of a resource on this either. I fall into the same situation too. Mine was discovered during a bike fit. For several years I was never able to get comfortable on a bike no matter what I did to vary frame size, stem, seatpost, etc. After about two hours on the bike I would have lower back pain. I was up for a new bike so I decided to go through a fit prior to purchasing the new bike and see what we came up with. The fit was done on a Serotta Size Cycle, so we weren’t constrained by a bike. Once the process was all said and done (going through the 2 hour process on flexibility, core strength, typical body angles on the bike) we arrived at what I thought was great. Then we stepped back and measured the size cycle to determine what brand would work for me. It turned out I needed a bike with a 59.5cm seat tube (measured C to C) coupled with a 54 cm TT (this dimension works when using a 10 cm stem). There isn’t a stock bike that I could find that worked well for me so I ended up on a Guru (and a Serotta road bike) and I don’t have any more issues.
Without going through this process I don’t think I could have solved my problem. I never really thought about this prior to the fit though.
Not sure if this helps you or not.
Good Luck!
You realize that you used a fit machine and bought into the results created by a company that makes and believes in custom bikes? What did you expect would happen? The difference you mentioned are in centimeters. What is the difference between a bike with a 57cm top tube and a 110mm stem vs. a 59.5cm top tube and an 85mm stem? Hmm, I would say it was a few thousand dollars spent on a “custom bike”. There is enough fore to after adjustment in most saddles to easily make up the differences in most frames.
Chad
You’re missing the point. I didn’t go to Sertotta or Guru to get the fit. I went to the local bike shop to buy a new bike. We searched what was out there, and it didn’t exist so we went custom. Also, check the dimensions again. My TT is 54 cm + 110mm stem = 65 cm. In your scenario that is a 59.5 cm TT with a 65 mm stem. Not really an option. Also, when you start palying with fore and after measurement in the saddle you start messing with the relation of the foot to the pedal axle.
Besides, if I want to spend money on a more expensive bike, who cares. You are also assuming that the top tube length is the only issue when you are playing with fit issues. What about head tube height? Fork Rake? Seat and head tube angles? There are multiple reasons to go this direction. If you don’t want to that is fine with me, just don’t assume the top tube length is the only reason. If you refer to the original question it was how to tell if you have long legs and short torso, not if you should buy a custom bike or not. I related how I figured out I was in that situation. That is not the only reason I went custom, but it was one of them.
Wow took a little turn for the worse! lol
anyway - still - anybody have any idea of how I can tell if I’m long leg short torso or not
Specifically looking into the dimensions of Cervelo v’s Specialised. Apart from other minor differences difference between P2,3,4 top tube and Transition top tube is around 25 mm… A pretty big difference.
How do girls (who are generally longer in the leg for same height as males) go getting on a Cervelo??
Cervelo just seem to have really long top tubes.
why are you so concerned with something/someone telling you that your legs are long? haven’t you bought enough pants in your life to have a good feeling about it?
if you’re trying to use that info to help pick a bike, just go get fit on a standard fit bike. there are more factors involved than just long legs. if you have long legs and are not flexible, you are going to be on a very goofy looking bike for sure.
i can tell you that Cervelo is probably the last option you have. i love 'em, but it’s just not the cards for me (stack: 53 - reach: 40)
What Fastdog5 said. Telling signs are when your legs are longer than those of people towering above you by more than 4". When the pants that fits your waist are at least 4" short and the ones that fit your leg length are 4" too wide at the waist.
Well in that case, I don’t necessarily think I’m long legged - I think I’m short and stocky build and just don’t have that long a reach.
On any bike I’ve ever owned I’ve always felt like it was too long and I’ve always had 40 to 60mm stems because of it.
I’ve had
Giant TCR Aero
Cannondale road bike
Cervelo P2k 54cm - I think at the time the 51cm had 650 wheels, I would buy a 51cm these days.
Like other indicated I never knew that I was until I was fitted for a bike. My inseam is 35 1/2" and I am 5’11". Looking and talking to others this is a rather large inseam for my height. Ever since I say that I am long leg and short torso.
It is not noticeable if you just looked at me.
So measure your inseam and compare it to some averages and you will get your answer.
“Serious Cycling” by Ed Burke
Divide height in inches by pants inseam in inches.
+2.2 = long torso
More on selecting the length of top tube/seat tube in the book.
clm
Also, it’s really hard to find pants that are long enough.
At the end of the day, it wasn’t a problem when I was bike shopping because bikes are so adjustable. I ended up on a 56 with the seat jacked up and a short stem.
Here’s an objective data point… I am 6’4" tall, with a 36" inseam, and consider myself long leg/short torso.
YMMV, Joe
Divide height in inches by pants inseam in inches.
2.0 to 2.2 = average torso
6’4" (76") / 36" inseam = 2.11, which says I am on the longer side of a normal torso. Maybe the bike builders have genetic freaks for the test fitters! 
Joe
You sure about your consideration? I may be off here, but those numbers do not seem to agree with your conclusion. I have been measured by several “fits” and they always peg me as long torsoed at 5-9 and 32. I never put a lot of faith in those numbers/labels as I adjust my ride to what is “comforable” enough to ride for the given duration.
That said, if you are hitting your elbows/rests, you might not be on quite the right size frame/stem/aerobar combo. If you are happy with it, that is one thing, I wasn’t happy when I was hitting my bars with my knees and made adjustments and have no issues with that sort of thing now.
You sure about your consideration? I may be off here, but those numbers do not seem to agree with your conclusion. I have been measured by several “fits” and they always peg me as long torsoed at 5-9 and 32. I never put a lot of faith in those numbers/labels as I adjust my ride to what is “comforable” enough to ride for the given duration.
That said, if you are hitting your elbows/rests, you might not be on quite the right size frame/stem/aerobar combo. If you are happy with it, that is one thing, I wasn’t happy when I was hitting my bars with my knees and made adjustments and have no issues with that sort of thing now.
You are correct, that my bike choices don’t really match the formula’s suggestion. My “genetic freak” comment was intended to imply that I don’t think I fit the average frame in the average way. I agree with you that most rules-of-thumb tend to be WAGs and anyone should find the n=1 bike fit that works for them, and does not necessarily matter what works for anyone else.
As for my knees to elbows position, it is comfortable for me, I’ve ridden upwards of 10k miles on the Tiphoon this way, and the normal position actually has an inch or more gap. If I scoot forward or choke up on the aerobars, as one might do during 5-8 hours in the saddle and rolling terrain, or an extra agressive TT, there might be contact.
BTW, According to the formula, your 5’9" (69") / 32" inseam = 2.16, says you are still in the normal range. Based on this formula, proportion speaking, your “long” torso isn’t much longer than my “short” torso. Not trying to argue, I’m just saying.
I said I don’t put much into those. On the other hand at my height, I have no problem getting a morph. exemption for UCI events with my saddle only 1cm behind the BB at a saddle height of 73(short femurs).
In those pictures, it really looks like the P3 is at least 1 size too small. You don’t look like you can get long and low if you wanted to, as the TT is too short. Hence, the spacers to prop the bars up. Just an opinion. May very well work well for you in the distances you ride.