Too much Reach/Drop....Frame too small?

Triathlon Forum
1

I’ve been to FIST and feel that I have a pretty good grasp of tri-geometry bikes and such. I am a coach so I am not selecting bikes for clients, I am refining the fit on the bike they already have.

Frequently when I am doing a fitting on “steep geometry” bike like a Cervelo P2C or a Felt bike these people have several spacers under the stem and are still dealing with too much reach and drop. I end up seeing if we can drop the saddle, bring the aerobars in closer, change or flip the stem…which suggests a different frame may have been appropriate.

Would the next size larger bike improve this problem, specifically the issue of too much drop? Is a less steep frame going to have less drop and hence be a better fit?

EDIT: The other problem I see is the saddle is pushed all the way forward and in the “front” position. The reason I like the idea of tri geometry is that in theory one shouldn’t have to have the saddle pegged all the way forward on the rails. But guess what?..too much reach.

2

Dan does mention two type of bikes, long and low, and narrow and tall type of bikes.

Maybe they need to move over to a narrow and tall type of bike? Are they torso impaired or long legged?

3

If they have spacers then the bikes head tube is too short for them. This can be have numerous effects though. Either the frame is too small OR probably in most cases they chose the wrong bike manufacturer and geometry. Some people will have a frame that fits in reach but will have a head tube that is too short, hence lots of spacers. At my height of 6-3 I once had a 52cm frame. The reach was great but I had spacers and a positive rise stem to make up for the tiny head tube.

I have to have a bike with a tall head tube since I’m 6-3 but with long arms and short torso. If the bike fits my torso, then the bikes head tube is probably too short. If I get one with a tall headtube then the bike is probably too long. Ever see a bike with a short reach and tall stack? Tough to find.

4

Can’t generalize about body types except for maybe limited hamstring flexibility. But I have observed the problem a number of times…not sure why the shop would sell them the bike when they are clearly at or beyond the limits of the bike fitting them. One guy dropped $$$ on a Felt and had to have the Bayonet stem almost straight up.

I am trying to figure out why this happened in the first place, and doing the best I can to refine the position with the geometry I “have left.”

5

“If they have spacers then the bikes head tube is too short for them.”

or the fit is bad.

“This can be have numerous effects though. Either the frame is too small OR probably in most cases they chose the wrong bike manufacturer and geometry.”

or the fit is bad.

or the aerobar is not a good thematic spec for the frameset.