FROM SMALL TO LARGE: HOW THE V-PRi FITS ATHLETES 5′ TO 6’1
Standing at 5’0 (153cm) tall, Grace Thek is one of the shorter athletes in the pro triathlon world, but that has never stopped her from chasing big results. When she joined the Quintana Roo team this fall, she wanted to maximize her performance by riding the fastest triathlon bike, our class-leading V-PRi. Her concern, though, was whether or not she’d actually fit on the bike.
Even though the V-PRi sizing chart shows that the size small frame has enough adjustment range to fit athletes from 5’0-5’8 (152-173cm), Thek was worried she was too close to the limit to get the exact fit she needed to compete at the highest level, but she soon discovered that the V-PRi met her needs.
Engineered to Fit Athletes Down to 5'0
Bike fit is a struggle for any athlete at the ends of the height spectrum. To ensure the bike would suit her needs, Thek came to Quintana Roo headquarters in Chattanooga this fall to meet the triathlon bike maestro himself: Brad DeVaney.
DeVaney is responsible for several aerodynamic innovations in triathlon bikes over the last couple of decades, and he was the lead engineer behind the development of the V-PRi. He and his team sculpted the V-PRi in the A2 wind tunnel to ensure it’d be the fastest triathlon bike, and designed components like the Intelligent Integration Cockpit (IIC), which gives the V-PRi easy adjustability to fit the widest range of athletes possible.
For Thek, getting her cockpit position, crank length, and saddle height dialed in was the biggest concern when she received her new V-PRi. Fortunately, the Intelligent Integration Cockpit put Thek’s extensions exactly where she wanted them. In fact, she has plenty of room to adjust them lower or higher to dial in her position even more in the future if she needs to. A JCOB crankset gave her the super short crank arms she wanted.
Saddle height was a bigger issue, though. Every athlete has different body proportions, and despite being within range according to the size chart, Thek’s legs and inseam length were just a tiny bit too short for the V-PRi seatpost set in the lowest position. Trimming the seatpost is the common solution for this (I have short legs, so I’ve done it many times), but DeVaney decided to employ a much more elegant solution: he revised the saddle rail clamp on the seatpost.
This revised saddle rail clamp places the saddle rails 12mm lower than the original clamp. This gave Thek the adjustment she needed to get her perfect saddle height, and even leaves a bit of room to lower the seatpost more if needed. Now this revised clamp is available in any size small V-PRi, to ensure any rider at the end of the size spectrum has the saddle height adjustment needed to find their perfect fit.
Thek’s first race on her new V-PRi was Wollongong T100, where she scored a maiden top 10 on her bike with a 9th place finish. She followed that up with a top 20, finishing 17th at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Marbella. With her new fit, we’re excited to see what heights Thek can achieve with Quintana Roo!
Obviously, most athletes can’t travel to Chattanooga to meet with Brad DeVaney, but you can get the same personalized treatment by contacting our dedicated customer support team via chat or email. Our team is full of triathlon geeks with intimate knowledge of our bikes, and they can help you dial in your bike fit.
V-PR & X-PR Fit Athletes 4’11-6’7
At 6'5 and 250 lbs, Outside writer Paddy O found his ideal fit on the X-PR.
While the V-PRi can currently fit athletes from 5’0-6’1 (we're working on something for taller athletes, so stay tuned!), athletes outside of those measurements still have fast bike options thanks to the V-PR and X-PR. These two models are further along in their development than the relatively new V-PRi, and have more available frame sizes to fit both smaller and larger athletes, ranging from 4’11-6’7. They both have an aerodynamic design developed in the A2 Wind Tunnel, just like the V-PRi, which has been proven in competition with multiple IRONMAN wins.
