Would you rather?

Just curious, but what more do you need for a pre-manufactured frame? Companies only make a handful of sizes in each model and very few of those are for taller beginners.



This is a great idea. He's not going to miss it for just a week or two since he hasn't ridden it in years.

Take it from someone who bought a used Cervelo that was too small for her (ummm, me), I'd buy the one that fits you properly.

You will get away with it for some time, as I did. But now am looking for a new TT bike since my fit just isn't optimal and I've had some injuries due to not being able to be comfortable on it.

It's a great bike, and has done me well, thru many Tris including Ironman this year, but I also have some issues that I've never been able to resolve because the bike was too small.

So hindsight is 20/20…I would buy the new one :-)!

How about a little more data? How tall are you? What is the frame size? When you say the frame is 4cm too short on C-T measurement, are you accounting for compact frames vs. standard (horizontal top tube) frames?

As another poster mentioned, borrowing it and riding it is a great idea. Post a picture or video of you on the bike if you can.

Not quite enough info, but my immediate reaction would be- don't buy a small bike.

I ride a 54cm frame, if I got on a 50cm frame(same make) I would probably have to stand up the whole time just to ride it.

Buy a bike that fits. Comfort trump's frame/components

This seems to accurately summarize the consensus. Thanks everyone for your input.

Let me start with an update. The bike is a 2010 Cervelo P2, not an S3. Also, it's 58cm instead of the 56cm that my friend assumed initially. My LBS had put me in a 60cm Trek with Tiagra components that I will probably buy (or something similar) if the P2 just won't fit.

I'm picking up the bike today from my friend to test over the weekend. I got permission to raise/lower the seat, but get the feeling he doesn't want me tinkering with any of the other dimensions (not that I can really blame him).

So, if you were me, what all would you do with the bike during this test drive?

I plan to start by getting on it and making sure that I can get the seat length somewhat right. I then plan to take some pictures of me in aero and hopefully riding it to post here for input (even though the aero bars probably won’t be in the right place for me). I'm sure I'll take it out for a spin too, but other than running through all the gears and testing the brakes what are some things you'd recommend that I do?

Assuming a 60 is the "perfect" fit, I would guess you could be fit with adjustments to a size up or down. I also think you could get another used bike around that price online and probably newer.

Do you have the exact model of the Trek ?

If you know a 60cm Trek with Stack and Reach of X and Y fit you perfectly, you can figure out how much less S & R the P2 has and get a pretty good idea of how much you would need to adjust. It might be next to nothing.

It is an Emonda ALR 4. (http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/road-bikes/performance-race-bikes/%C3%A9monda-alr/%C3%A9monda-alr-4/p/1424000-2016)

I haven't had much luck locating 2010 P2 geometry online. I did find this frame (https://www.racycles.com/product/detail/1384), but stack, reach, nor seat post are listed in the geometry. Stand over and top tube length are really the only useful dimensions listed in common.

A 2016 P2 vs. 2016 ALR4 looks like this...

ALR Stack: 61.5cm
ALR Reach: 39.5cm

P2 Stack: 55.9cm
P2 Reach 43.7cm

I'm a bit baffled by this, but that's the dimensions that were on their respective websites. I assumed the P2 would have a shorter reach.

In summary, the stack on the P2 is -5.6cm and the reach is +4.2cm compared to a known fit. If anything, I was hoping it would be the other way around as I have long legs and a shorter torso (proportionally anyway).

I'm not really sure how to translate this, but 5.6 cm (just over 2 inches) seems like a lot to me.

Edited by marti038 2016-03-11 1:35 PM

Right off the bat the ALR4 is a roadbike and the P2 is a tri bike, so it's apples and oranges. No need to compare S&R :-)
But here are the numbers for the P2
http://www.slowtwitch.com/stackreach/index.php

Ok. So I guess I'm back to just stepping onto the bike and getting some opinions. Any idea if 2010 is "old" or "new" Cervelo?

Any idea how receptive the LBS guys would be about having a look at the bike with me on it? I'd be willing to pay for their time, but when I mentioned my friend with the used bike the guy I dealt with last started this diatribe about cracked fiber and broken friendships. With a guitar he could have turned it into a country song. I can't blame him for wanting me to buy a new bike from him, but some good will would go a long way.


Edited by marti038 2016-03-11 1:43 PM

old

2010 is the old Cervelo geometry. The new started in 2014 or 2015. How tall are you? I'm 6'2" and ride a 2013 58cm P2. Height is not the only factor, but it will help get you in the ballpark. This frame won't fit if you are 5'5" or 7'0" tall.

I'm 6'2-3/4" in bare feet. My inseam is rather long at 37" though.

That is a long inseam. My inseam is 34". I had quite a bit of seatpost left in the frame, so you should be able to get the seat height right. Saddle to bar drop may be quite a bit depending on how much steerer tube you have to work with and the type of aero bars you have. It may not be an issue...really depends on your flexibility.

I'd try to get the seat height adjusted then take a few pictures or video and post it here for review and suggestions.

Interesting. I'm 34" inseam at 5'10. I have a 56cm P2.

Those numbers seem to make since to me. I'm 4 inches taller than you with the same inseam. So, it would make sense that I need the longer top tube (additional reach) of the 58cm frame.

I'm 6'2 and ride a 2015 cervelo P2 in a 58. (new geometry, but again gets you close)

Plus of a newer bike is that 2015/16 entry level components on some cases are better/lighter/smother than older higher end components (eg new 105 is as good as/better than older ultegra)

OTOH, the P2 is a very nice bike when set up right.

If you can, get video of you riding the bike on the trainer - that shows a lot more than just a still of you in aero.

Other things to check besides gears and brakes: Wheels for major scratches, loose spokes, true. Check the frame and fork for scratches that have gone through the clearcoat. Check the headset to see if it's loose and for signs of wear. Ask the seller if they ever replaced the chain, etc. Check all the shifter and brake cable connections for frays. Check out the bottom bracket for unusual clicks and clacks

If you are on a budget and seriously considering a used bike, find a trustworthy bike mechanic and pay them 20 or 30 bucks for half an hour of their time to look at it.

As an aside, a LBS that was trying to sell you a bike actually charger you $30 to measure your inseam? Where do you live? To me that would be like going to a car dealership to purchase a car and the sales guy charging me to sit in the cars to see if the seat fit... Around here, doing a basic check on measurements to put you on the right size bike is part of the sales process...

They wave the fee if you buy a bike from them.