I am on the verge of getting my first tri specific bike. I am heading to a shop for a FIST fitting before selecting a bike. One thing I don’t want to happen is that the shop ends up pushing a bike that is not ideal because they don’t carry the bike that is more ideal.
Considering I have long legs and a short torso (I am 5’10") can anyone suggest a frame that tends to work better with my body type.
Before the fitting that bike that I am leaning towards is the K-Factor for a great number of reasons which
Tom Demerly wrote about in his review.
I’m built the same way but much taller. I’m 6-3 with a 37" inseam on the left and 36 inseam on the right…right leg is 1" shorter : )
Good luck. Look for a frame that has a shorter then average toptube, t fit your short torso. I ride bikes with a ton of drop from seat to pads, 17.5cm and I’m still not near flat since my arms are so long. I also stay away from frames that have short headtubes. Even with the big drop I have I still have plenty of room to go further down on frames with big headtubes since I ride large or Xlarge frame sizes.
I can’t make frame recommendations since I ride VERY adjustable Zipp 2001 frames. All my other bikes were either road bikes set up as tri bikes or custom made tri bikes (Tiemeyer)
I have the same issues. 6"3 36 inch inseam. Usually when i look at bikes, if the headtube is high enough, the toptube is way to long - or if the TT fits the headtube is too small and i end up with a ton of spacers or a upturned stem (does not look good).
This year i have found a Specialized S-works transition that works great in my size. 58cm with the seatpost at max extension. 58cm toptube but with a 76degree seatpost i set the seat forward 2cm and get the angle and 56cm toptube length i need. The headtube is 16cm ´+ a 2cm extension cone and gives me just enough height without looking funny.
for tri-carbonbikes with tall headtubes check: Isaac Joule and Scott Plasma
I would be inclined to want the exact torso measurement (you can do this yourself - there are good directions how to do this online) and then research the bike geometry online. Sometimes you can go with a smaller frame so the top tube length is correct. Otherwise you may elect to go custom which is what I did. Maybe they will let you take a picture on the bike before you buy - and you can post it here!! Wish I could have done that!!
I don’t think you’re dealing with the amount of inproportionality that you think you are. 32-33" seems pretty average for someone that is 5’9"-6’ tall. I would guess that a lot of bikes have the right geometry to fit you without going to a super small size or doing anything funny. Then again, maybe it only seems that way to me because I’m the same height and 36.5" inseam. Just think, it could be a lot worse
Dan has a tri-bike fit article somewhere on the main part of this site that addresses your (and my) issue of short torso long legs. There are bikes out there. I ended up with a QR, which I am very happy with
I’m a similar shape (5’10" & 34.5" inseam). What I’ve learnt is to buy frames that are a closer fit for my torso than my legs. Accommodating long legs on a frame is relatively easy - up the saddle. But accommodating a short torso is a lot harder. You are limited as to how short a stem you can use. As it is, I still end up using a 90cm stem on a 56cm road frame.
I have that difficulty, Tom D’s shop set me up on a Dual. I have a 32" inseam and am 5’8". Ended up on a size 48 dual with a lot of seatmast and a couple of spacers.
I’m 5’9" and roughly 33" inseam. I used to ride a 54cm Cervelo and felt too stretched out. I would have fit somewhat better on a 51cm, but I found the drop was too much for me and I don’t like the look of numerous spacers. I ended up with a 53cm Guru Cron’Alu and found it to be a good fit with some slight modifications and adjustments. I found the bike much more comfortable than the Cervelo. Now listen, I’m telling you a 53cm Guru. I believe the top tube is also 53cm, which is shorter than the Cervelo’s. There’s my expert opinion.
I am also in the spider monkey category - 5’11", 34.5" inseam. I ride a 54cm Cervelo tri bike, but I use a 90mm stem, and adjustable style (Profile T2) aerobars that allow the pads to be a little farther to the rear. I am forced to have a little more drop than I want sometimes at 12cm+, but I think my position is not very flat due to my spider monkey arm length. Can anyone else almost touch their kneecap standing straight up?
My next bike will probably be a custom tubed Guru or something similar.
