I was recently gifted an older road bike that was apparently used for triathlons. I was told it used to be a pretty nice bike back in the day. I’m not planning to race or anything — mostly just looking to use it for casual riding and getting around.
One thing I’m wondering about is fit. I’m a taller male, and I believe the bike was previously used by a woman who’s quite a bit smaller than me. I’m trying to figure out if the frame might simply be too small for me, or if there are some relatively simple adjustments I could make to make it more comfortable.
When I ride, it feels like a lot of my weight/pressure ends up on the lower handlebars rather than being balanced between the saddle and bars. I’m not sure if that’s just how triathlon-style bikes feel, if it’s a fit issue, or if something like adjusting the seat/handlebar position could help.
For those with more experience — is this something that can usually be fixed with adjustments (stem, saddle position, etc.), or is it more likely that the frame is just too small for me? Any advice would be appreciated!
by DonkeyLock11
5 Comments
The most important thing about a bike is the fit. If it’s to small it will at best be inefficient and at worst cause you long term injuries.
How tall are you and what size is the bike?
It’s really easy to look up sizing charts from there.
While you might be able to fudge a bike that’s one size off something like this that could be 3 sizes off is always going to be the wrong size. I would consider selling this to get a used something your size.
Personally I wouldn’t be riding that bike. It’s a really cool vintage bike with a history of the carbon tubes breaking free of the lugs. You could probably find someone looking for garage art that’s willing to trade for a better fitting bike.
I used to have one of these bikes (until I got cut off by a car and it sustained irreparable damage, sadly). Absolutely loved it, still do! I’m sure a lucky someone would adopt it and gladly put back into service if you don’t.