Back from ride on the 56. Dropped the saddle and pushed it back a bit more. Feels really good. I’d call it perfect with the stem 1cm longer. Still have ~8 cm saddle to bar drop and could honestly use less. I built that 58cm Ritchey when I was 24. I’m turning 35 in June. Same weight and strength, but less flexible and longer recoveries. I don’t think that bike is for me anymore. It was probably always 1cm too big. Will go with the 56 for new bike and get my reach from setback and stem, which is probably how I should have been doing it all along. But 24 year old me didn’t know shit. If anyone is interested in the Ritchey, holler. I hate to let it go but would love to see it end up with a tarck bro.
Better to think about setback and reach independently.
yeah, i worked my saddle way back a while ago, didn’t have to compensate with stem length at all
like braden says, use stack and reach and ignore the size number
the size numbers are c-t with a pretty sloping top tube, so 56 for a 6 footer seems in the range of normal
Surfcat: IMO you should think about a new seatpost if yours clicktilts and also can’t get your b17 back farther. There is the VO hellasetback and also the selcof bi-position if you want to stay with silver aluminum. Anything with lotta setback and continuous tilt adjustment will be potentially useful. I have the selcof, it’s super nice.
tall dude syndrome
sorry man, i know that feel
Rode my d2 for 2 hours on Friday night and that thing definitely isn’t set up to ride at slower speeds without discomfort. It got me wondering how my track racing bike (funny because I haven’t even been on a track in almost 2 seasons) should be fit vs my road bike?
Thanks Mander. Actually I came here to post that, somehow, and for reasons I don’t fully understand, my fit issues seem to be improving. I have much less discomfort now, to the point that it’s pretty much gone. I’m as confused by its departure as I was by its arrival. Somehow, posting to Tarckbike and making a few minute adjustments seems to have solved the issue.
Will look into those seatposts all the same - thanks!
Sounds like moving some stuff has had you thinking about it more, paying more attention to how you hold your weight and may have self corrected some slight imbalance in how you sit
I get this too
doing yoga and other core work helped a ton (sit ups, planks, challenging sexual positions, etc)
Not really sure, to be honest I moved stuff around before without good success.
TC: I think it’s the power of Tarckbear.
Been able to put some miles on with my new bar position, ie slammed on a 6mm top spacer. It seems to be very good physiologically for my long arms with that much drop and -10 degree 140 stem. Starting to see an issue with the levers not feeling optimally placed in the drops but the positioning feels spot on from the hoods.
Anyone running a shit ton of drop that switched from round bars to compacts care to tell me if it sounds like it may be a good solution here. Getting much more serious about stretching which may help but it seems to be more that the angle my wrists would need to assume is not realistic. Dropping my elbows to the point my knees are hitting my chest isn’t uncomfortable but is little help.
Depending on when how rushed I am the next time I head out I may try throwing a 1cm spacer under the stem and see if that is the solution. Guess I’m just typing this out to think it through other than asking about how a compact bar would change a long and low position.
+
= happy back atme
I use a set of deda deeps on my bike, mostly for the reach but also because they look cool. With something like a ergo sum (long reach compact drop) I could get away with a fair bit more drop, but I like having the bars a bit higher in the hoods sometimes
tc: put some vibe 7 compacts on my race bike last night
no use foolin myself with the rounds
i am old and my back is fucked
Not quite a rubber man but core and flexibility are not a huge limiter for me. Except for my wrists which hate me if I even look at a guitar. Which fact I just remembered so I’m going to try raising the stem either a half or full cm. Angle of the dangle and all that is not going to hold me back.
I like having lowish tops and hoods for an old guy. Compacts mean that I can still reach the drops.
So far tarck fit seems to be working well on the Brompton. Flite in high/setback position on Pentaclip, slammed all the way back and (extended) post at max extension. This gives me few inches of drop to the (S) bars. I haven’t measured reach mainly because there is fuckall I can do about it, but if feels good so far.
Just some followup to say that my TarckFit is really working for me: no more pain in my crotchal region. I was stumped for years on this, and in the span of a few short weeks Tarck made the pain go away, literally. I’m pretty much amazed. 
TC: riding in the drops more and thinking a longer stem and slightly downwards rotated hoods are in order. OH SNAP
what did we tell you to do again?
Basically, trying to get more stretched out to put more weight onto my hands and off my ass.
I raised my saddle slightly, and cocked it to the side slightly, and raised the nose of the saddle slightly. That worked.
So then I got cocky and tried to finally get a clipless setup going without knee pain… and unfortunately now I’m back chasing variables, and have somehow irritated the nerve in my groin again. But I definitely feel like I’m making progress I think, feeling maybe I need to try some spacers on my pedals to get a wider q-factor… wide sitbones and hips.
If I end up having to use platforms but can ride without the nerve impingement or knee pain then I can totally live with that. I just want to do my 22mi RT commute, some light touring and shorter mellow paced century and maybe some more 200/300km brevets… IDGAF about doing anything fast, just want comfort. Upper body has never been as issue, probably evidence that my lower body issues may be resolved by a more aggressive fit.