Man of Honour
Bit of a dilemma, I have a small Cannondale Topstone 2020 Alu 105 that I panic bought during COVID. It was just as prices were starting to go crazy and this was the only size I could find in stock. I originally wanted a Canyon Grail at the time but there was a good 3 month wait (which in hindsight i should've waited for).
While i was just happy to have a decent a bike at the time, I've never been 100% comfortable on it and I suspect it's because it's simply too small for me. The bike before this was a used CAADX 105 in large and I always had back pain from over reaching after a long ride so probably overcompensated with my current small Topstone. For comparison the current drop feels way too much, as I've had to raise the saddle pretty high as im all legs no torso. I also get numbness in my hands, any handlebar position feels like im leaning forward too much and theres a lot of pressure on my hands/arms.
It's been sat doing nothing for a couple of years, and after getting back in the saddle after a fall, i'm starting to remember how uncomfortable I feel when riding. Initially i was thinking that it's usually easier to make a smaller frame fit (have i got this wrong?) so with a few adjustments and maybe a change in handlebars I'd be able to at least make it comfortable for long rides.
Alternatively I could sell up and actually get a frame size thats recommended for my height. I'm 178cm/80kg/83cm inseam so usually right in the middle of the recommendation for Medium. Looking at the current gravel bike market I'm a little lost on what would be a rough equivalent for a similar price, GRX had only just come out when I bought this so I have no idea how that line translates to the standard 105 groupset.
So if I was to go down the new bike route, any recs for something under £1500 (closer to £1k ideally) and similar spec? Also where would be the best place to sell up my current Topstone? Or is it worth trying the adjustment/potential bike fit route, as thats likely to be a lot cheaper given the 2020 is coming up to 5 years old now and current prices dont look great?
tl;dr frame one size too small, do i replace the bike or try and adjust the current one
While i was just happy to have a decent a bike at the time, I've never been 100% comfortable on it and I suspect it's because it's simply too small for me. The bike before this was a used CAADX 105 in large and I always had back pain from over reaching after a long ride so probably overcompensated with my current small Topstone. For comparison the current drop feels way too much, as I've had to raise the saddle pretty high as im all legs no torso. I also get numbness in my hands, any handlebar position feels like im leaning forward too much and theres a lot of pressure on my hands/arms.
It's been sat doing nothing for a couple of years, and after getting back in the saddle after a fall, i'm starting to remember how uncomfortable I feel when riding. Initially i was thinking that it's usually easier to make a smaller frame fit (have i got this wrong?) so with a few adjustments and maybe a change in handlebars I'd be able to at least make it comfortable for long rides.
Alternatively I could sell up and actually get a frame size thats recommended for my height. I'm 178cm/80kg/83cm inseam so usually right in the middle of the recommendation for Medium. Looking at the current gravel bike market I'm a little lost on what would be a rough equivalent for a similar price, GRX had only just come out when I bought this so I have no idea how that line translates to the standard 105 groupset.
So if I was to go down the new bike route, any recs for something under £1500 (closer to £1k ideally) and similar spec? Also where would be the best place to sell up my current Topstone? Or is it worth trying the adjustment/potential bike fit route, as thats likely to be a lot cheaper given the 2020 is coming up to 5 years old now and current prices dont look great?
tl;dr frame one size too small, do i replace the bike or try and adjust the current one