not so slammed

[NYCPrynne]

seems like, when you see the bikes that various sites are posting, that stems are not so slammed....i get the feeling that various manufacturers got a bit too aggressive and lowered the stack so much that even many pros are requiring spacers.

form over function........

[TonyM]

Bikes ridden from Pros or new bikes reviewed from some various sites?

[TobinHatesYou]

seems like, when you see the bikes that various sites are posting, that stems are not so slammed....i get the feeling that various manufacturers got a bit too aggressive and lowered the stack so much that even many pros are requiring spacers.

form over function........

This is the opposite of what is actually happening. In the quest for aero gains, manufacturers are increasing stack heights and integrating horizontal bar/stems. Just look at the newest SuperSix vs the previous iteration. Look at the death of the H1 Madone.

No longer is the -6deg stem standard equipment. These integrated cockpits are usually around -14deg.

[wheelbuilder]

I was gonna guess that the OP was watching Toms Skujin's breakaway coverage today on his Emonda.

[TobinHatesYou]

H1 Treks and the Argon 18 Gallium Pro are the extremes. In "medium" or 54cm frames, the H1 Emonda SLR has 526mm stack and the Gallium Pro has a 520mm stack. Just about everything else is in the 540-555mm range for that size.

I had to go back to my replay of the stage to look at Toms's stem situation. Looks like his bearing cover + one spacer amounts to about 2cm of stack. He's 180cm/5'11" and rides a 56cm...it all seems pretty standard.

[NYCPrynne]

These are admittedly only a sampling, but I have to say that when I look at what has happened to stack heights over the past couple years, I don't think they are actually increasing. All of these pro bikes have at least one spacer....not a big deal, but I think that manufacturers went overboard with lowering the front end if the most fit riders need albeit small modifications for fit.....and I am glad these pros are at least trying to improve their fit and not following trends.

https://www.velonews.com/2019/07/bikes ... e2fff62af6

https://cyclingtips.com/2019/07/pro-bik ... e-outlier/

https://cyclingtips.com/2019/07/pro-bik ... rks-venge/

https://cyclingtips.com/2019/07/photo-g ... addict-rc/

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tom ... 5-gallery/

[spdntrxi]

seems like, when you see the bikes that various sites are posting, that stems are not so slammed....i get the feeling that various manufacturers got a bit too aggressive and lowered the stack so much that even many pros are requiring spacers.

form over function........

This is the opposite of what is actually happening. In the quest for aero gains, manufacturers are increasing stack heights and integrating horizontal bar/stems. Just look at the newest SuperSix vs the previous iteration. Look at the death of the H1 Madone.

No longer is the -6deg stem standard equipment. These integrated cockpits are usually around -14deg.

yep my BMC is -15... my head tube is not even 10cm.. I'm using the low cap and 2 10 spacers.. I could go lower, but I'm not getting younger.

[Slammed]

You also have to keep in mind that you don't really need a super low position for a hilly grand tour. I still think that bikes are too tall. I can't get in my preferred position without riding insanely long stems and small frames.

[NordicSal]

seems like, when you see the bikes that various sites are posting, that stems are not so slammed....i get the feeling that various manufacturers got a bit too aggressive and lowered the stack so much that even many pros are requiring spacers.

form over function........

This is the opposite of what is actually happening. In the quest for aero gains, manufacturers are increasing stack heights and integrating horizontal bar/stems. Just look at the newest SuperSix vs the previous iteration. Look at the death of the H1 Madone.

No longer is the -6deg stem standard equipment. These integrated cockpits are usually around -14deg.

yep my BMC is -15... my head tube is not even 10cm.. I'm using the low cap and 2 10 spacers.. I could go lower, but I'm not getting younger.

Haha seems ridiculous. My headtube is 24,5 cm hahaha. It's so ugly. 62 cm Domane. I think they are going in the wrong direction by having the headtubes too long and the seat tubes too short. It gets difficult to find a frame which fits well with long legs.

[spdntrxi]

yep my BMC is -15... my head tube is not even 10cm.. I'm using the low cap and 2 10 spacers.. I could go lower, but I'm not getting younger.

Haha seems ridiculous. My headtube is 24,5 cm hahaha. It's so ugly. 62 cm Domane. I think they are going in the wrong direction by having the headtubes too long and the seat tubes too short. It gets difficult to find a frame which fits well with long legs.

that's what sloping TT are for... tall headtubes and the seattube can be shorter..

[NordicSal]

yep my BMC is -15... my head tube is not even 10cm.. I'm using the low cap and 2 10 spacers.. I could go lower, but I'm not getting younger.

Haha seems ridiculous. My headtube is 24,5 cm hahaha. It's so ugly. 62 cm Domane. I think they are going in the wrong direction by having the headtubes too long and the seat tubes too short. It gets difficult to find a frame which fits well with long legs.

that's what sloping TT are for... tall headtubes and the seattube can be shorter..

Yea, had I just known when I got my bike. My Domane looks fine on the pictures, but that's like a 56 cm. A 62 cm is ugly, same goes for the Domane and many other new bikes. Sucks to be tall in that department.

[spdntrxi]

big bikes are always ugly... 62cm you have no choice... just enjoy and ride. Small Madones are pretty ugly too.. so you are not alone.

[TobinHatesYou]

big bikes are always ugly... 62cm you have no choice... just enjoy and ride. Small Madones are pretty ugly too.. so you are not alone.

I'd probably just go ahead and say all Madones are ugly, but yes, 52-56cm bikes are the most balanced looking and have the least geometry compromises. The case can be made that people over 6'4"/193cm should be on bikes with "32in" wheels and longer wheelbases while retaining regular HT/ST angles. Just like how people 5'2"/155.5cm or under might want to consider 650b wheeled bikes.

[Calnago]

big bikes are always ugly... 62cm you have no choice... just enjoy and ride. Small Madones are pretty ugly too.. so you are not alone.

Hey! Not so. All depends on the build. Plus, with the wider tubes, deeper wheels, etc, I actually think larger bikes more often than not look better proportioned than the smaller bikes these days versus the days where all tubes were about an inch in diameter. And when you throw in super sloping top tubes with fat tube profiles and fat tires to begin with, the smallest bikes start looking more like mountain bikes than road bikes. The smallest Madones for example just look so weird to me. Like a child’s toy. Funsize.
As for overall proportional changes, it’s been long recognized that the smallest frames are the most difficult to build with sound geometry using 700c wheels etc. Hence the many attempts at small road bikes utilizing 650c wheels, in order not to have to resort to weird geometries etc. Huge bikes (and I’m talking really huge) may look gangley, but they’re not under the same geometry constraints as small bikes. They just end up looking kinda like a small bike with 650 wheels, except mansize.

[AJS914]

Severely sloping top tubes look horrible on larger bikes. I'm only a size large/56/57cm and I've had two bikes that didn't look quite right. One was a Parlee and one was a Time. My Colnago looks great to my eye with its gently sloping top tube. I also swapped the stem to match the slope of the top tube.