Hello. I am in a bit of a pickle. I live in Guam at the moment and my LBS cannot properly fit me for a bike. Their idea is just getting on one and seeing how it looks with you on it. I just sold a 54cm 2004 cannondale R800 as I want to buy a Tri specific bike and believed the R800 was a little big for me. I am currently looking at a 2005 Felt S-32 that is 56cm and a 2003 Cervelo P2K that is 55cm. Both have 700c wheels. I am 5’8 and have no idea if either of these would fit. Can anyone give me some insight? I just want to be able to get into an aero position comfortably. I don’t know if it helps but I am 5’8, 202lbs with a pretty large chest. Not really fat, just barrel chested I guess. Hell, this is starting to sound like a personal classified ad:)
Regards,
Jason
Jason,
If you felt like the 54 cm C’dale was too big, why on earth would you be looking at a bigger tri bike?
Nearly impossible to fit someone this way. Given your stated height, I would start with a 52 cm Felt. Not a Cervelo dealer so I can’t help with that.
Best of luck
The number one thing to consider when buying a tribike is TOP TUBE LENGTH. Then SEAT TUBE ANGLE. That is the most important. Stack height, reach, etc. can usually be modified with a longer stem here or there.
One recommendation I would give would be to get a Yaqui. If you fill out the chart on yaquiusa.com, Yes will build you a bike that you will fit properly (according to FIST convention) on. He has built thousands of bikes, and his fit based on your measurements (plus you can talk on the phone about little idiosyncracies you have biomechanically) will be better than your shop in Guam. Yaquis are great bikes, reasonably priced, and it WILL fit you…
Thanks for the insight. Its not that the 54cm Cannondale was too large for me, I had a very hard time getting in an aero position with it. The major problem I had with it was the standover height. It was 78.6cm for the cannondale where as both the felt and cervelo are less. The felt by 2cm and the cervelo by 1cm and both are larger frame sizes. I am just wondering if it easier to fit into a slightly larger bike or a slightly smaller bike if you are in between? I assumed the measurements would be different as my previous bike was a road bike where as now I am looking at tri-specific bikes. I assumed this as everyone on the board states there is a big difference especially getting into a correct aero position with different bikes.
Jason