I posted on here a couple of days ago about maybe getting a new frame, I have a 2009 Heckler and previous to that I had the 2006 version – I couldn’t quite put my finger on it as to why I wanted to change the current 2009 frame, so….

I took it for a ride again today and really scrutinised the ride, then went out on the old Heckler and it felt better – I think its the top tube length? The 2009 felt tighter….does that make sense?

So perhaps a change of bike with a longer top tube would suit better, so would I notice a top tube length difference of 0.3″? And the seat tube length would also go down by 0.5″, so I imagine that it will ‘open up’? Am I right in my thinking?

HELP!

for me the distance between bb and bars is what i look for.
line up from bb and across to bars

+1

Top tube length on its own is misleading. Horrible expression but “front centre”, as Jedi described, is the key measurement

tt is the only measurement i really bother about but it’s crucial if a bike is to fit you and therefore feel right. having said that differences of 0.3″ are negligable and can easy be taken up by moving your saddle forward and back. You can also swap your stem length too , cheaper than a new frame!

I’ve gone from a 120mm Specialized FSR XC to a Cube Stereo Race 150mm and i’ve had to play about with bars, seating and stuff so I got the geometry stats for both and they were both quite similar, I think the reality is modern bikes have soooo many permutations it’s difficult to say.

The top tube may be longer because the down tube angle is set back more so when the seat is raised it takes the seat further back to offer more seat to bars clearance?? On my cube the difference on reach from seat to the bars when the seat is low is hugely different to when the seat is high.

stem length must be an issue here as well? Personally I find shorter bikes quite comfy, especially for longer rides even if you don’t look as good. I don’t find that a less racey position makes me any slower, I just get less stiffness and pain in my back on longer rides and steep descents are less scarey.

As a test I changed my 50mm stem for a 70mm stem, the change was quite noticeable. I felt a little more stretched which I was looking for, as before I kept pushing back on the saddle, which was already as far back as it could be. I need a few more rides to decide if I’ll leave it this way.

Jedi, never thought about the bb -> bars length, I think I’ll compare my bikes to see what’s what..