Recommendations for a Sportive/Gran Fondo type bike.....

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RedRacer
Posts: 412
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2006 6:13 pm

by RedRacer

highdraw wrote:Do I believe you may benefit from a Sportive or endurance geometry? Yes, because your legs are very long. You need a commensurate head tube height to increase the height of your handlebars. But a short top tube and/or short stem is bad for a guy who is 6'2". In particular if you struggle with rotating your pelvis to get aero, you need to ride more 'out' if you can't get more down. Keep in mind when you properly rotate your pelvis and elongate your back to increase 'effective' back length you need more reach or the bars will be way too close. In contrast a short reach promotes a slumped back because you can't accommodate a short reach with proper posture.



I just took a bike I am very comfortable on and installed a 10mm longer stem and removed 10mm of headset spacer in a move towards a more standard position. Tomorrow I will head out for a three hour ride and see how it feels.

PM coming your way highdraw!

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fa63
Posts: 2533
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2007 7:26 am
Location: Atlanta, GA, US

by fa63

highdraw wrote:And sorry you would be wrong again. Ray Charles could play the piano better than the majority of sighted people. I can fit right from the numbers and explanation of what is going on and my guess you can't or shouldn't try. Fitters are a bell curve just like bike riders are.


I once got fitted by someone who sounded just like you (i.e.,overly confident in his abilities to fit people). I ended up undoing everything he changed...

I am sure you know what you are talking about, but there is no need to be all high and mighty and talk down to anyone. This is not Bike Forums.

highdraw

by highdraw

Redracer,
As we discussed, if you want to take a deeper dive, we can do it with pictures and dimensions but you really do need to put a conventional saddle on your bike to deduce saddle setback and saddle tip to handlebar center.

As you know, you need to solve the riddle of perineal pressure. It may also be related to your bibs. I presume you do ride in bike shorts...or I hope so. Properly fitting bib shorts keep your business in place. One size too big doesn't. This maybe a contributing factor.
Also try rotating a conventional saddle 5 degrees either direction...looking down from above aka yaw angle. This may create more clearance.

A drill I do with riders either on a trainer or a road ride to understand proper position in the drops is this. Place hands in the drops and get out of the saddle. Then stick your butt high in the air and straighten your back flat. Then lower your body to the saddle. That is closer to the position you should ride in the drops. You will also learn by this that your bike set up doesn't have enough reach. Now you will never feel this level of freedom to your neck because a flat back promotes greater neck extension. The slumped S curve in a back compromises ability to flex the neck upward. So your goal then is to find a saddle that will allow you to rotate your pelvis into this position. This may take exhaustive trial and error and maybe even new bibs. But that is the goal or otherwise compromise speed with a less more aerodynamic slumped lower back position.
Hope that makes sense.

All starts with the commitment to proper pelvis position as shown below:

Image

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Frankie - B
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Location: Drenthe, Holland

by Frankie - B

The saddle offer still stands. If you want it shipped quick please pm me today as Sunday and Monday I'll be in Italy
'Tape was made to wrap your GF's gifts, NOT hold a freakin tire on.'
If you want to see 'meh' content of me and my bike you can follow my life in pictures here!

StevieB
Posts: 107
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 2:54 pm

by StevieB

RedRacer wrote:I would consider a frameset with sportive geometry if it was still very lightweight and stiff, i.e. racy. Which models would you recommend?

The Emonda and Madone H2 58cm are close but they have too much reach and not enough stack. The Domane 58cm fits well but is heavier than I want.

I am 187cm tall, BB center to saddle top is ~815mm and I ride ~6cm of bar drop. My preferred dimensions are approx. Stack 605mm, Reach 380mm.


Don't know if this has been suggested, but you might look at Cannondale's Synapse; the 54 and 56 closely bracket your stack/reach numbers, and with the various top caps they have you could easily get either one to work - I'd pick whichever had the closer front center to what I wanted and adjust cap and stem length/angle to suit. Have one myself; light, torsionally stiff, smooth ride, and great handling. I'd pick one before the Evo for anything but racing crits, where you need more BB height for pedaling corners at speed.

nayr497
Posts: 149
Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2009 6:55 pm
Location: North Carolina, USA

by nayr497

rustychain wrote:My sportive/ grand tour bike is my regular road machine with bigger tires. If I'm planning on some gravel roads, I use my "Paris Roubaix" wheels. I also add more food in my pocket, and check my attitude, changing from "win" to "have fun". Works for me! :beerchug:


Yup, this is about what I do. Either one of my road bikes with bigger tires, or even just my cx race bike with road tires/wheels.

I like your attitude :thumbup:
A good day becomes a better day with a bicycle ride.

fromtrektocolnago
Posts: 1145
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2013 10:15 pm

by fromtrektocolnago

Basically any bike could be ridden in a Gran Fondo, but for the most part you're talking touring bike, relaxed with geometry and something that absorbs vibrations well. A modern steel bike could work quite well, as well as some of the less stiff Carbon bikes. Less could be more as a Pinrello Paris could be a better choice than say a Dogma. And you're looking for steady power and not peak power. Other bikes might be a Domane , an H-2 Madone , Cannondale Synapse, etc. Most important thing is that you're comfortable on the bike for long periods.

Also , I've done three Gran Fondos in the past two years, and personally I find the Colnago C-59 works great. I suspect a C-50 or C-40 might even work better. Hope this helps.
Colnago C-59 (Dura Ace)
Firefly(Ultegra)
Colnago C-64 disc(ultegra) with Bora 35 wheels

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