New Haibike has ridge in seat-tube, preventing seat-post from proper insertion

[TooMuchWitt]

That is the right frame size. I am 6ft and I had a 52cm - step over frame and I never had to push the seatpost down.
If you need to go all the way down, then I suspect you not getting the bike fit right. When you are fully seated on the bike, your toes should barely touch the ground.

Yeah, so as it stands, the "max insert" setting is about 1" too high. It will fit me if I change the exposed seatpost from 5.5" to 4.5", so I just need to cut off part of the seatpost to make that happen.

Ravi, do you happen to know if 4.5" is enough for a kinekt? Or should I just be happy with it as-is? lol

 

[BlackHand]

Kinekt says 4" is good.

25% off at Selle Anatomica looks like it is still up.

 

[TMH]

Yeah, so as it stands, the "max insert" setting is about 1" too high. It will fit me if I change the exposed seatpost from 5.5" to 4.5", so I just need to cut off part of the seatpost to make that happen.

Ravi, do you happen to know if 4.5" is enough for a kinekt? Or should I just be happy with it as-is? lol

Looks like 4.5" will be about the minimum "exposed height" you would need for a Kinekt.

 

[TooMuchWitt]

Thank you!

After doing more measuring last night, I'm pretty sure this frame is too big for me. I'm on a step-thru, yet every time I dismount, my groin is getting pressed up pretty firmly against the top tube. I also am struggling to get my leg over the seat/frame to mount and dismount.

so, I can realistically move the seat nearly all the way down (with maybe 2" to spare") for practicality's sake, or I just move to one size smaller (the 48cm frame).

its such a bummer due to having to pack everything up and pay for the enormously expensive shipping back. The box is larger than the max size allowed on the UPS site, so I worry that I'm sorta screwed.

 

[BarryS]

Yeah, so as it stands, the "max insert" setting is about 1" too high. It will fit me if I change the exposed seatpost from 5.5" to 4.5", so I just need to cut off part of the seatpost to make that happen.

Ravi, do you happen to know if 4.5" is enough for a kinekt? Or should I just be happy with it as-is? lol

I would not cut a seat Tube before going to a Bike Shop and making sure your Frame size is correct : I am between 5'11-6'0 : My frame is 58CM : Maybe the sizing is different : Go get a fitting

 

[TMH]

The prevailing thought, based on what I have read, is that the Haibike Trekking frames 'run large'.

Didn't really seem the case to me as I am very comfortable on my XL sized frame, and its nice as I don't have to run the seat post way up like on many other bikes (I'm 6'4" with a 33" inseam).

My wife is 5'6" tall and I originally ordered a small (48 cm) high step frame for her. But that order didn't go through as the last bike had been purchased before me and the company's inventory didn't update quickly enough. Tried next for a low step model, but those also ended being sold out.

So I measured frames on her current bikes, especially the stand-over height. With those measurements I found that the high step medium (52 cm) should fit her, bought one and she loves it.

I will say that she is a very confident and capable rider, and is used to leaning her frame over (muscle memory) when she comes to a stop and puts her foot down. Perhaps this allows her to be more comfortable on a bike which others may feel is too tall for them?

At 5'11" I would really think that your 52 cm frame size is appropriate for you (@Ravi agrees - and he is a very knowledgeable resource). Unless you have unusually short legs. As @BlackHand said above, it just may take a few rides on your new bike to find that the size actually works very well for you, and it precludes you from the hassle and expense of returning it.

I'm rather tall so my opinion may be biased by that, but my preference has always been one size too large is preferable to one size too small in bikes.

 

[TooMuchWitt]

The prevailing thought, based on what I have read, is that the Haibike Trekking frames 'run large'.

Didn't really seem the case to me as I am very comfortable on my XL sized frame, and its nice as I don't have to run the seat post way up like on many other bikes (I'm 6'4" with a 33" inseam).

My wife is 5'6" tall and I originally ordered a small (48 cm) high step frame for her. But that order didn't go through as the last bike had been purchased before me and the company's inventory didn't update quickly enough. Tried next for a low step model, but those also ended being sold out.

So I measured frames on her current bikes, especially the stand-over height. With those measurements I found that the high step medium (52 cm) should fit her, bought one and she loves it.

I will say that she is a very confident and capable rider, and is used to leaning her frame over (muscle memory) when she comes to a stop and puts her foot down. Perhaps this allows her to be more comfortable on a bike which others may feel is too tall for them?

At 5'11" I would really think that your 52 cm frame size is appropriate for you (@Ravi agrees - and he is a very knowledgeable resource). Unless you have unusually short legs. As @BlackHand said above, it just may take a few rides on your new bike to find that the size actually works very well for you, and it precludes you from the hassle and expense of returning it.

I'm rather tall so my opinion may be biased by that, but my preference has always been one size too large is preferable to one size too small in bikes.

i totally agree that I should be able to fit on this. I have somewhat short legs, my inseam is only 30.5-31" ish. But in order for me to realistically keep this bike, I'm going to have to put the seat down nearly fully.

With a 520mm seat tube, it just doesn't give me much room for the seatpost.

ultimately, I might be ok, as long as I can lower the seat enough to swing my legs over. I'll just wear compression shorts to try and give the family jewels a little clearance.

with the Haibike lowstep, the dimensions of the 52cm are the same as the 56cm high-step frame, with the exception of the stand over. So the stack, reach, etc. That's probably why everything feels a little oversized to me.

 

[TooMuchWitt]

Update:

I bit the bullet and chopped off a bit of the seatpost (about 3.5"). This made a dramatic difference in how I'm able to get my legs over the bike. The stand over height is still right up on the jewels, but I should be able to live with that.

this is where the saddle is now. I'll probably get blasted for having it too low, but it's a dramatic difference in comfort (but mostly stability and safety) to me.

 

[TMH]

For what it is worth, I know that you were asking about a Kinekt seat post but I have found with the ride of our Trekking bikes (due to the way they are built and the larger volume tires, front suspension fork, etc.), the ride is very comfortable without a suspension seat post. I really like the OEM seats on the 7.0's, but don't know whether the same seat is provided on the 4.0's.

I'm glad that you are bonding with your new bike!

 

[TooMuchWitt]

For what it is worth, I know that you were asking about a Kinekt seat post but I have found with the ride of our Trekking bikes (due to the way they are built and the larger volume tires, front suspension fork, etc.), the ride is very comfortable without a suspension seat post. I really like the OEM seats on the 7.0's, but don't know whether the same seat is provided on the 4.0's.

I'm glad that you are bonding with your new bike!

Thank you!

Since mine is the step-thru, it came with the Haibike women's saddle. I replaced it with a Selle Italia ST7 Superflow, which has a slight "wave" in the shape. I'll be testing it out today. Based on the photo I attached, do you think that saddle positioning is way too low? I don't want to be totally off-base lol.

 

[TMH]

Proper saddle position (height) means that you get full leg extension at the bottom of your pedal stroke (without hyper-extending). Generally one does initial set-up by raising the seat to the height of their hip while standing next to the upright bike. Then fine-tuning happens after riding a bit.

'Proper' saddle height is most important on acoustic bikes, as it allows the rider to provide maximum efficiency during the pedal stroke. Definitely not as important on an e-bike where you have the nice motor assist. If your seat height is too low, it will feel like your knees are going to come up and hit you on your cheek bones while pedaling.

To summarize, since saddle height is not as critical on e-bikes, make it comfortable for you, and don't care about what anyone else thinks!

 

[BlackHand]

Whatever height lets you ride comfortably and with confidence is the right height no matter what anyone else says.

We're all unique and there's bound to be compromises or at least adjustments needed to fit each rider. I'm proportionally the other direction from you: 1"+ longer inseam but almost 2" shorter overall. Saddle height has been fine on the Medium frame, but I had to swap out the stem to gain an inch of reach and some height on the handlebars plus move the saddle as far back as it can go to accommodate my gangly arms.

Nice looking saddle, let us know how you like it! I have #4 on the way but so far none have improved on the stock and 2 were painful.

 

[TooMuchWitt]

Whatever height lets you ride comfortably and with confidence is the right height no matter what anyone else says.

We're all unique and there's bound to be compromises or at least adjustments needed to fit each rider. I'm proportionally the other direction from you: 1"+ longer inseam but almost 2" shorter overall. Saddle height has been fine on the Medium frame, but I had to swap out the stem to gain an inch of reach and some height on the handlebars plus move the saddle as far back as it can go to accommodate my gangly arms.

Nice looking saddle, let us know how you like it! I have #4 on the way but so far none have improved on the stock and 2 were painful.

Will do! The stock saddle is pretty sweet. I liked the stock men's saddle more than the stock women's saddle, which is why I am trying this Selle Italia one out. I asked the seller if he could swap the women's saddle for the men's one, but they said no.

I'm learning all the geometry differences between the high-step and low-step models. They are actually quite different in a lot of areas, so I think that's what threw me off so much. I test rode the 52cm high step, which was fine, and the 52cm low step is actually bigger in every dimension except for the standover, hence me feeling like I bought a bike built for a giant. I'm hopeful that with a few more tweaks, I'll be able to make this work!

 

[moshe47]

Will do! The stock saddle is pretty sweet. I liked the stock men's saddle more than the stock women's saddle, which is why I am trying this Selle Italia one out. I asked the seller if he could swap the women's saddle for the men's one, but they said no.

I'm learning all the geometry differences between the high-step and low-step models. They are actually quite different in a lot of areas, so I think that's what threw me off so much. I test rode the 52cm high step, which was fine, and the 52cm low step is actually bigger in every dimension except for the standover, hence me feeling like I bought a bike built for a giant. I'm hopeful that with a few more tweaks, I'll be able to make this work!

Will do! The stock saddle is pretty sweet. I liked the stock men's saddle more than the stock women's saddle, which is why I am trying this Selle Italia one out. I asked the seller if he could swap the women's saddle for the men's one, but they said no.

I'm learning all the geometry differences between the high-step and low-step models. They are actually quite different in a lot of areas, so I think that's what threw me off so much. I test rode the 52cm high step, which was fine, and the 52cm low step is actually bigger in every dimension except for the standover, hence me feeling like I bought a bike built for a giant. I'm hopeful that with a few more tweaks, I'll be able to make this work!

 

[moshe47]

If swinging your leg over the saddle is difficult then try mounting your bike while holding it at a 45-degree angle. The saddle will be lower to the ground. Then swing your leg over and place it on the outside pedal. Lift the bike up straight using pressure on that outside pedal and ride away. When you stop just lean the bike to a 45-degree angle, weight your inside foot on the ground and then just swing your other foot over.

 

[mogulskier]

If swinging your leg over the saddle is difficult then try mounting your bike while holding it at a 45-degree angle. The saddle will be lower to the ground. Then swing your leg over and place it on the outside pedal. Lift the bike up straight using pressure on that outside pedal and ride away. When you stop just lean the bike to a 45-degree angle, weight your inside foot on the ground and then just swing your other foot over.

"If swinging your leg over the saddle is difficult then try mounting your bike while holding it at a 45-degree angle."

Yup, that's what I see some folks doing, albeit not 45 degrees, but definitely a good 20-30 degree lean so that you get a almost "full leg extension" while riding without hyperextending; their is definitely a sweet spot to get it fine tuned. Even with level 1 PAS, you can really generate a lot of power with your legs. Of course, deadlifts, power cleans, squats, etc all help in that effort

The upper PAS levels are just icing on the cake. The throttle is just a free add-on bonus that is almost irresistible due to the fun factor.