[Closed] Isn't this bike too small for me?

Do you ride with your arms locked out?

From those pics plus the bike pics on Marin it looks like a really short bike, the geometry specs suggest this too. It appears that is how it is supposed to be i.e. a really sit up and look around commuter. Personally I would want something with a longer top tube. But it is very much down personal preference. 120 mm stem would leave you with quite sluggish steering.

Why are you wearing crocs?

It looks like you need to raise the stem (more rise, and / or stack spacers) if anything.

I'd say for a town bike you could do with more rise and more reach, the 22" might be a better fit.

Is your saddle at the right height? Looks a bit low to me - heel on the pedal, your leg should be almost straight.

Saddle height is fine, I checked it.

Devash, why do you think I need to rise the stem, how that would help?

A 20.5" frame [i]should[/i] be big enough for someone your height. I'm a couple of inches taller and none of my frame are that large (saying that i don't own a girls shopping bike 😛 ). Did someone tell you it's too small for you or does it feel too small? If it feels too small then it is. If it doesn't, it isn't.

From the pics a bit more rise, either in the bars or stem or both, will help your position i.e. straight arms and head down isn't ideal for cycling for the groceries - you might miss a bargain!

Your head is down and body forward (for a flat barred bike) even with your arms locked out. As asked above, presumably you don't ride with your arms locked out meaning your head would be lower, body more forward when actually riding.

is this for town riding or offroading?

How does it feel ? If it's comfy for you then it's fine. From the pictures nothing looks completely wrong.

Euro, actually, it doesn't feel like it's too small, but it certainly looks like it, seat post is nearly maxed out and the frame itself just looks unproportianaly small. This is urban commuting bike, with some possible summer weekends of loaded touring bike.

So if I would flip existant 100 mm stem upwards, would that do the job or I would still need to consider longer stem? And also, If I would decide to switch handlebars from stock 700 mm to 620 mm shorter ones, how that would effect handling of the bike?

It's a hybrid. think in road terms - would you ride a 52cm road bike...?

Narrower bars will effectively shorten the cockpit (albeit very slightly). It looks better with the 120mm stem, height is personal really, flipping the stem will obviously raise it, but not really help on length.

Can anyone else express their opinion about longer stem, do I really need it?

[i] seat post is nearly maxed out [/i]

Buy a longer seat post.

[i]If I would decide to switch handlebars from stock 700 mm to 620 mm shorter ones, how that would effect handling of the bike?[/i]

It'll be fine for what it's intended - going down the shops. Although doing that you'll probably need to put a longer stem on to compensate.

From those pics plus the bike pics on Marin it looks like a really short bike, the geometry specs suggest this too. It appears that is how it is supposed to be i.e. a really sit up and look around commuter. Personally I would want something with a longer top tube. But it is very much down personal preference.

This is pretty much what I was going to write.

And if the seatpost is nearly at full extension that suggests you are on a too-small bike IMO.

But if it's a commuter and you don't mind being upright (and going a bit slower), a longer seatpost and stem would do the job. Don't see why a narrower bar would help though.

PS. I usually lower the bar on bikes that are a bit too short for me, giving me more space to reach.

it doesn't feel like it's too small, but it certainly looks like it

I can't see the problem then kepas. Larger sized folk on bikes always look a bit unpleasant (you should have seen the state of me on my BMX 😆 ) and that's why the biking media etc generally show a small/medium bike under a small* rider when trying to flog stuff as it just looks better. I doubt it feels better though.

Any of the changes suggested above are just that, suggestions. You don't [i]need[/i] any of them but at least there are a few things you can try that might make the ride a bit more practical/comfortable and wont cost a lot to try out.

As an example, i switch between a 50 + 70mm stem on my bikes depending on what type of riding i'm doing. There's not much in it but the longer stem puts me in a more comfortable seated position for long days in the saddle. I sometimes switch slightly narrower (750 v 720) bar too. Again none of this is essential and if an unexpected big pedaling day happens and i'm in wide and short mode it isn't a problem.

*to all you midgets out there...anyone under 6' is small - normal starts at six 😉

One more question, when riding for more than 5 km, I start to feel a little discomfort in my lower back. I can't imagine it being for weak muscles, because I've been riding CX bike for over a season, which definetly has more agressive position than this bike. What could be the cause?

Devash, why do you think I need to rise the stem, how that would help?

Its personal preference really but that looks like a town bike i.e. designed more for upright comfort getting you short distances around town rather than long distances at high efficiency (yet sacrificing comfort by having a more aggressive, low position).

Its just another option to try really, depending on what you plan on using the bike for. If you want a heads down racer, you'll need a different frame by the looks of things.

Here is me riding the bike, would be great if you could tell me what is wrong and whar is right. And what I could do to make it better.

https://goo.gl/photos/xJwuWJbBWrqs2yyx6

Its got perfectly normal geo for a flat barred bike, 434mm reach is not short. At 6ft4 id be riding that with a 130mm stem. Again nothing wrong with that length of stem for town.

[i]"120 mm stem would leave you with quite sluggish steering"[/i] <hilarious. STW commentary at its finest. Who is going to suggest he fit a 50mm stem? it will make the trail come alive.

If you are getting a sore back it could be its either too short* for the height, or too low for the reach. You have the stems, try riding with them. Flip them to gain height.

*it could also be too long, but that depends what you are used to. Pic and vid would suggest not.

Stato, I have an CX bike with nearly the same drop the the hoods (10 cm), but I don't feel much pain in lower back after 1 hour riding or so. So it must be that my stem is too short?

And one more, quite important question. If I would change the frame from 20.5 inch to 22 inch, would I feel the difference and if yes, how would I feel it. Because right now I'm thinking getting same new bike, put all existant parts on the new frame, stock parts on old frame and sell the whole bike with smaller frame.

Stato, I have an CX bike with nearly the same drop the the hoods (10 cm), but I don't feel much pain in lower back after 1 hour riding or so. So it must be that my stem is too short?

It really depends on how your CX bike is set up, we dont know what it is or how you ride it.

As an example though the reach (horiz distance from BB to headset) on the XL marin is 434mm, this is really pretty standard for an XL xc/town bike.

A typical cross bike is be much shorter than this, lets take the example of a Planet-x XLS, at 392mm for a 59cm frame. Of course drop bars with brake hoods add reach compared to a flat bar, this is about 70-90mm depending on bar and where you place your hand. But when riding on the 'tops' (straight bit by the stem) you will not have this extra reach. So if we combine the bars with the bike (presuming same length stem) and the XLS reach is both 42mm shorter and 48mm longer.

We can also look at bar height. The stack (vertical distance from BB to headset) on the marin is 593mm, the XLS 575mm. So the CX bar could be 18mm lower.

Of course that's just that particular bike, if you tell me what your CX bike is we can check that and do a proper comparison. Size stem length too.

But it also depends on how you ride the cx bike, and how you will ride the town bike. You might be right forward over the bars when racing, and the sit-up style of the marin hurts your back. Or maybe your CX bike is too small and you are using the reach of the bar to stretch out, riding on the hoods the whole time.

However;

And one more, quite important question. If I would change the frame from 20.5 inch to 22 inch, would I feel the difference and if yes, how would I feel it.

I dont think there is any noticeable difference in them in this case. On the XXL the reach figure is 3mm smaller and stack (height) is 20mm higher. So the main difference is the seat tube is longer so the post wont be too short. Of course this is not the case for all bikes, some do continually increase reach between sizes, but as above you can usually replicate this with a stem change, its only usually the 6ft6 brigade who need the ginorm-o bikes.

It's a GT grade alloy 105, 58 cm XL bike.
I've also noticed that the top tube is about 15 mm longer (Marin), how that would change?

A gt grade isn't a CX bike, it's a lumpy road bike 😆

It does make a change though. 627mm stack so fair bit higher than typical. Reach is 382. So it's probably not reach that's your problem, but that the bars on the Marin are quite low. Have you tried riding it with the 120mm stem fitted pointing upward? That would be my next step.

However a move to the xxl Marin would not be a terrible move. It would result in closer bar height match, similar reach and still allow a bit of flexibility in fit. But as above, you'd be worth trying what you have as it could result in similar fit and save a bit of cash.