ride a size too small a frame?

Raising the seat isn't going to make a smaller size fit. The more important measure is your cockpit length, seat to bars, including the top tube and the stem. Within reason, you can change out stems, but if you get to extremes it may effect handling.

Here's a better theory: Buy a friggin' bike that fits.

Edited by the bear 2006-05-03 11:17 AM

I always ride the smallest frame possible. I "could" ride a 58 cm frame but ride 56 cms on both my road and aero bike.

I was noticing in many of the Ironman pics that the bikes top tube seemed really low, almost to the knees, on some of the guys. My road bike fits me well, and my current tri bike is abour 2cm smaller but does ok so far (still getting use to the bike and working on fit). However, I like to play around with bike things and was debating about gving the tri-bike to my wife and building up another one just for fun.

Also, Yellow dawg, how do you like the Stealth frame? Looks like a fun frame to build up on.

When I got FIST fit, the dude was surprised that he didn't have to switch out any hardware, in particular the stem. What he said was that most people buy frames that are too big for them and he has to swap out the stem to compensate (he then showed me a box with about 30 felt/cervelo/easton stems). The reason is that most bike shops do not know how to properly size a tri-bike rider. So while you think you are buying a frame size too small (any you very well may be), I wouldn't be surprised if it was actually the correct size.

It's really pretty common to ride a smaller frame in a tri bike. It allows you to get a more aggressive aero position.

I also ride a small frame, but primarily because 62cm was the largest I could find. It actually works pretty well for me in aero position, though.