Motobecane Nemesis

piratbiker

I'm looking at ordering one of these bikes, probably a 54. I'm just under 5'8", and was wondering if that compares to anyone here who has a 54 Nemesis...

Cheers,
Bill

piratbiker

I'm looking at picking up a 54 Nemesis. I'm just under 5'8" and would appreciate any comments about your relative height/success with sizing to the Nemesis.

I ran a sizing guide that suggested a top-tube length between 52-54.5, and I saw online that the Nemesis supposedly has a top-tube of about 54.

Looking forward to your comments.

Cheers,
Bill

jonathandanger

I'm pretty sure you can pick between several sizes when you order the Nemesis. 54cm would probably be fine for you as long as you have proportional legs to your height. As in, if you have short legs for a person your height, it would be better to size down a little. However, the size you pick will affect your position a lot. For instance, if you opt for a 52cm frame and swap to a longer stem as well as raising the saddle, you can have the same distance from bars to seat as a larger frame size, but with lower bars and, as a result, a more aerodynamic position (and a cooler looking bike, in my opinion). An aggressive fit like that won't be comfortable, though, so you should go to your LBS and try out some standard-geometry bikes to see what you like. I am about 5 foot 7, I ride a 52cm Record, and I could easily see myself riding a 50cm bike, so you might be surprised...

Skoorb

Re sizing I have a 54 and I'm 5,11. I don't know if I'm evenly proportioned (probably? ). I would definitely not have gone with the 56. I imagine in fact I could do with a 52, even though I think most shops would give me a 54-56 size for my height but I find that the more forward I can get, the better it feels. I would almost consider erring on the side of small between a 52 and 54 if you're unsure because you can extend things as you like, whereas shrinking down a smaller frame will hit a critical limit point. I'd hate to advise either way, though, I honestly can't remember exactly how I finalized the 54 size.

I will add that you almost certainly will need a longer seat stem. The one that comes with it (250mm) might work if your frame is fairly big but with my height and a 54, for instance, it was definitely not long enough so I bought an aluminum 27 seatpost on ebay for $25 or something like that. I like the one that comes with the bike--it's just too short. The one I bought online even let me set the seat further forward though, I have a super forward position now!

WKB

Sizing for tri bikes on the internet is a little tricky. I'm also 5 ' 8'' and was trying to decide between a 52 and 54 cm size. I test rode a bike of similar geometry in a size 54 and found it a little large. Complicating matters is the fact that I have unusual body proportions: my legs are long and my torso is short for someone my size. A size 54 bike has a longer top tube which stretches me out too far. I went with the 52 cm and raised the seat up a bit to allow for my longer legs. You may be completely different, so I am reluctant to give any real advice. After several months of riding, I took it into a tri bike store and got a proper fitting. They switched out the seat post and put in a forward pointing seatpost, which shortened the distance to the handlebars and steepened the angle from 76 to 79 in my case. If the size is close ( and I don't think 52 or 54 is too far apart in your case), then there are a lot of adjustments a good bike fitter can make to get you set up right. It takes awhile to get comfortable on the tri bike, but a proper fit will help a lot.....
Good luck,
Keefe.

piratbiker

Thanks for the info, guys.
Bikesdirect didn't have any 52s on their popdown menu for the Nemesis with DA, but I've emailed to double check. I'm going to go for it if they have one. If they only have 54s, I'll have to actually ride a 54 frame first to confirm it would fit.
I have a 55 Lemond - more of a road bike geometry, and it is too big for me with tri bars.

Bill

piratbiker

Bummer...they've confirmed they are all out of 52s. I was checking the geometry, and the 49 has a top tube of 51.5, while the 52 had one of 52.1.

Doesn't seem like much of a diffence, eh? It might work, but the 49 sounds small for a guy just under 5'8".