Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
  • how much have you 'added' to your top-tube length?
  • jamiesilo
    Free Member

    i’m looking at going from a short-ish 565mm eTTL to a 600mm frame (second hand frame buying etc).
    i reckon i could use an extra 10mm at my current set-up, i could drop 20mm to a 40mm stem, and could easily slide forward 5mm on saddle rails, that would get me to 600.

    just feels a bit risky as i like my bikes smallish…

    no i can’t try it out!
    : )

    z1ppy
    Full Member

    I went up a size this year, added another 20mm to the ETT going to an XL, very happy with the decision. Not suggesting that the whole forward geometry thing is the way ahead but more that the whole smaller frame might be more fun but IME my new bigger one is more stable & controllable in situations my previous smaller frames would have spat me off.
    Horses for courses though,

    jamiesilo
    Free Member

    aye, i’ve definately felt spat off before, i guess shortness of wheelbase comes into it to of course. it’s clear i need a bit more length as i come very close to going over the nars every now and then when front wheel gets hung up on a biggish stone.
    measured my town bike and it’s 600 and fine so i reckon i’ll go for it.
    can always change dropper to a non-layback one in time if i really don’t get used to it

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    jamiesilo
    Free Member

    well i finally built up my ‘new’ (2012!) longer frame last night, with 40mm stem, and seat slid forward on rails 15 or 20mm, it was right back, and it’s grand. no worries about frame size anyway, just new geo to get used to.
    it does feel a lot more stable etc but i think a lot of that is due to frame beong four years younger than previous – tpaered headtube, 12mm back axle etc, and possibly better shock-frame arangement.
    so there we go

    Onzadog
    Free Member

    It’s an interesting question and I don’t have the answer.

    My current bike has a 72° seat angle, 68° head angle and 23.4″ ett. It started life with a 70mm stem and spd pedals.

    I now ride it with a 55mm stem which can feel a bit short at times but is more fun on the descents. I also now ride flats with my foot in a midfoot position rather than on the ball.

    New bike being considered (with no chance of a test ride) is 73.5° seat angle, 66° head angle. I’m between sizes with a choice of 23.4″ 24.4″ top tube. The steeper seat angle is worth about 17mm of reach which about compensates for the stem swap I did way back. Or, I could put a 40mm stem on the larger frame where the who system would only be about 10mm longer.

    It’s so hard trying to stay on trend isn’t it.

    Don’t forget, the larger size has a taller head tube and both have a lower bottom bracket so the stack difference is greater as well.

    qwerty
    Free Member

    S’all ’bout reach once ur ass is outa the saddle!

    jamiesilo
    Free Member

    aye, i haven’t looked at reach numbers enough for them to mean anything to me, but i decided a while back that it might be the thing to start looking at.
    otherwise, i have found getting out the spirit level and tapey to be quite informative; measuing horizontal to centre of bars from saddle, and vertical drop if any. doesn’t tell you much about buying a new frame of course, but useful for comparing riding positions between bikes you already have

    SirHC
    Full Member

    Top tube length is not the most accurate way to compare frames, as seat tube angle has a very big influence. Reach (and stack) on the other hand are much more useful.

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

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