Bike fitting suggestions - High-stack / low-reach frame?

[kam]

Hi all,

I am looking for some input on ramesets for my partner. Her fit is basically: a high front end, but not much reach.

The best reference geometry I have found so far is the older Canyon Endurace CF in size M, which is around 590 mm stack / 378 mm reach. The HongFu FM238 in size L seems to be very close to that on paper, so it is currently my strongest candidate.

From her bike fitting report/sketch, the current/reference setup is roughly:

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Frame stack: ~551 mm
Frame reach: ~372 mm
Saddle height: ~752 mm
Effective top tube: ~525 mm
Stem: 90 mm
Handlebar width: 380 mm
Final handlebar center height: ~649 mm

The important part is that the current setup effectively needs around 98 mm of height above the frame stack to reach the fitted handlebar position. That feels like a lot, so I would prefer a frame with 2–4 cm more stack instead of relying on a huge spacer tower.

So my rough target would be something like:

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Stack: ideally 580–595 mm
Reach: ideally 370–382 mm
Use case: endurance road / allroad
Tire clearance: at least 32–35 mm, more is welcome

Current shortlist:

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Frame                  Size    Approx. stack/reach    Notes
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HongFu FM238           L       ~590 / 378              best match so far, but only 32C clearance
XMCS Gran Turismo      560     ~582 / 380              very interesting modern option, 35C, T47, UDH
Seraph / TanTan GR048  M       ~579 / 373              good fit numbers, but more gravel-oriented
SP-Cycle G058          M       ~579 / 373              similar to GR048
Carbonda CFR-505 SL    M       ~571 / 378              nice allroad frame, but maybe still a bit low
Carbonda CFR-505 SL    L       ~595 / 388              good stack, but probably too long

Ideally I would like a frame that allows a fairly flexible build:

• standard 27.2 mm round seatpost
• ideally 0 mm setback seatpost option
• headset/cockpit standard that works with third-party integrated cockpits
• narrow cockpit option, ideally 360 mm at the hoods or at least 380 mm
• not too dependent on proprietary spacers, stems or seatposts

I am also wondering how much the cockpit could broaden the list of possible frames. For example, are people here using specific solutions such as:

• riser drop bars
• positive-angle stems
• high-stack stems
• FSA ACR-compatible stems/cockpits
• compact bars with short reach
• narrow integrated bars, e.g. 360/380 mm
• separate stem + bar instead of a one-piece cockpit

One additional complication: my partner currently tends to sit quite far back on the saddle because of soft-tissue/genital discomfort. If we find a saddle that solves this, she may naturally sit more forward, which could reduce the effective reach requirement by maybe around 20 mm. So I am not sure whether I should size the frame strictly around the current fit, or allow some margin for the contact point possibly moving forward later.

Paint is also important for this build. I would be interested to hear which sellers are known for good paint quality, reliable custom colors, clean masking/logos, and durable finishes. A nice custom paint job could easily influence the decision between otherwise similar frames.

At the moment, my gut feeling is:

• HongFu FM238 L = best geometry match
• XMCS Gran Turismo 560 = most interesting modern alternative
• GR048 / G058 = interesting if going more gravel/allroad

Would appreciate any suggestions for other Chinese frames I may have missed, or real-world experience with these frames, especially regarding fit, cockpit options and paint quality.

[Chiyou]

Since you posted in the gravel section I'll mention the Mondince FM356 frame with its 590mm stack / 374mm reach; I don't think it meets your requirements all that well though:
* not yet released but supposedly coming soon - see the FM356 thread
* chonky gravel frame - very long chainstays (and hence wheelbase), large BB drop

[Serge_K]

on saddles, the good news is aliexpress sells tons of options for cheap. Specialized sold a lot of the... i forgot the name, but it agreed with lots of women, and Ali ofc sells a clone.

How tall is she? surprised to see a woman considering M/L frames. Usually women are weak and short. If she weighs more than some men, the "right" frame can vary a lot. A dude running a Large frame will probably care about aero because he will easily ride fast. Meanwhile a 50kg woman will probably want something closer to an aethos because comfort, snap, weight, and i rarely see women doing bunch rides at 40+kmh.

From there, i find it odd you're looking at road bikes and gravel bikes. A gravel bike is not a road bike, and vice versa. Do you know the riding you'll do?
The Gran Turismo is being discounted because the original price didn't clear, but it could still be an overkill compared to a LT301, for eg. The 301 could be a great option, because it's relatively budget friendly, w recent specs (low weight), wide clearance, and the geometry is on the relaxed side.

[kam]

on saddles, the good news is aliexpress sells tons of options for cheap. Specialized sold a lot of the... i forgot the name, but it agreed with lots of women, and Ali ofc sells a clone.

How tall is she? surprised to see a woman considering M/L frames. Usually women are weak and short. If she weighs more than some men, the "right" frame can vary a lot. A dude running a Large frame will probably care about aero because he will easily ride fast. Meanwhile a 50kg woman will probably want something closer to an aethos because comfort, snap, weight, and i rarely see women doing bunch rides at 40+kmh.

From there, i find it odd you're looking at road bikes and gravel bikes. A gravel bike is not a road bike, and vice versa. Do you know the riding you'll do?
The Gran Turismo is being discounted because the original price didn't clear, but it could still be an overkill compared to a LT301, for eg. The 301 could be a great option, because it's relatively budget friendly, w recent specs (low weight), wide clearance, and the geometry is on the relaxed side.

Hi Serge

Thanks a lot for hooking into this thread - you seem to have a great understanding of bicycles and geometries so appreciating your input!

> on saddles, the good news is aliexpress sells tons of options for cheap

We already tried around 5 RYET Saddles but none seemed to help. Measured sit bone is 145mm and the widest saddle we tried was 155mm. Maybe time to go even bigger. On the fitting session a 165mm was tried which she found confortable but then again this is a 10min impression.

> How tall is she? surprised to see a woman considering M/L frames.

So am I and I hope I am not doing the same mistake as the vendor of the current (very badly fitting) bike did. It was the reason we went to the bike fitting session but you see I am still struggling to bring logic into the numbers as he wasn't doing a good job.

She is 173cm and weight around 78kg, so slightly chubby. Currently she rides a CUBE Agree 56 and I purchased the 0 setback seatpost, a shorter stem (80mm), a low reach handlebar etc. etc. but while it got better with every adjustment it was clear the bike isn't the right choice for her.

Personally I ride the Agree in 53 and am 174cm/70kg so back then when buying would also have expected her to get this size or another bike (e.g. the CUBE Attain). The seller sold the 56 arguing the stack is higher on larger sizes - not mentioning everything else will be too big as well (our first bikes).

She'd like to ride an endurance/road frame with enough clearance for some light gravel - not a full blown gravel bike. I posted here because the expected geometry (based on how I read the fitting guide) seems to be easier found in this section but a "real" endurance/comfort geometry road bike would indeed be preferred.

During the fitting session her flexibility was evaluated (not the best).

I also own a BXT-135 (52) and LCR-018D (52) and both seem to have a to low stack as well.

> The 301 could be a great option

A lovely bike I have on my list. Not sure it still isn't relaxed enough for her however based on the geometry from the fitting (but then again, hard to read/trust).

Given all of that info - feeling demanding here - how would you approach this?

Thanks a lot in advance!

[Da11as]

Hi Serge

Thanks a lot for hooking into this thread - you seem to have a great understanding of bicycles and geometries so appreciating your input!

> on saddles, the good news is aliexpress sells tons of options for cheap

We already tried around 5 RYET Saddles but none seemed to help. Measured sit bone is 145mm and the widest saddle we tried was 155mm. Maybe time to go even bigger. On the fitting session a 165mm was tried which she found confortable but then again this is a 10min impression.

> How tall is she? surprised to see a woman considering M/L frames.

So am I and I hope I am not doing the same mistake as the vendor of the current (very badly fitting) bike did. It was the reason we went to the bike fitting session but you see I am still struggling to bring logic into the numbers as he wasn't doing a good job.

She is 173cm and weight around 78kg, so slightly chubby. Currently she rides a CUBE Agree 56 and I purchased the 0 setback seatpost, a shorter stem (80mm), a low reach handlebar etc. etc. but while it got better with every adjustment it was clear the bike isn't the right choice for her.

Personally I ride the Agree in 53 and am 174cm/70kg so back then when buying would also have expected her to get this size or another bike (e.g. the CUBE Attain). The seller sold the 56 arguing the stack is higher on larger sizes - not mentioning everything else will be too big as well (our first bikes).

She'd like to ride an endurance/road frame with enough clearance for some light gravel - not a full blown gravel bike. I posted here because the expected geometry (based on how I read the fitting guide) seems to be easier found in this section but a "real" endurance/comfort geometry road bike would indeed be preferred.

During the fitting session her flexibility was evaluated (not the best).

I also own a BXT-135 (52) and LCR-018D (52) and both seem to have a to low stack as well.

> The 301 could be a great option

A lovely bike I have on my list. Not sure it still isn't relaxed enough for her however based on the geometry from the fitting (but then again, hard to read/trust).

Given all of that info - feeling demanding here - how would you approach this?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Do you have access to bike fitting rig in your area? I would use this one first.

AFAIK, the Agree has external routing. Give her your bike and swipe the contact points. How was the sit width was measured? The actual width (and shape) she may need depends A LOT on the way she sits on the bike, i.e. levels of support, power output, prior experience, core strength and pelvic tilt. As an example, with butt measuring tool I would need 145 mm saddle and medium support, but years of experience told me I was the most comfortable on flat and narrow saddle due to pelvic i prefer on a bike.

If she's novice (and it seems she is), one should consider flat bar. Once overall fitness improves, one could try swap to drop bars.

[Serge_K]

I have zero experience with that kind of profile. In cycling terms, she's significantly overweight, I don't think you'll find many women riding road bikes with a BMI like that. That obviously impacts saddle comfort because female saddles are usually used by lighter girls.
If the intent is not gravel, look for 38C road / all road bikes. A gravel bike setup as a road bike will never be exciting and you want her to get the chance to get excited by the sport, not just suffer, I d say. My gravel bike on the road is a drudge.
You're the same height and she should weigh less than you, so it seems logical that you would try to fit her on your bike first. You can buy weird stems and contraptions for cheap on ali to test fits. I built a bike for a girlfriend last year, she's extremely athletic, yet  we got her a separate stem and bars, she didn't cut the steerer, and she ended up using the full chimney and normal stem with 36cm alu bars, and she's now doing decent volume, back to back days, so she must be comfortable. But it took her quite some experimenting, and she considered super long stems and weird ideas. Idk if it had to do with saddle comfort. I had found a saddle she agrees with early on. But it's fair to say that it's way harder for women to find comfort on a road bike than for men. And an excess of 15+kg is a huge difference, imagine carrying a huge back pack for nothing, how much your ass and wrists would hurt.