Now that I'm riding my road bike again a bit, I must admit that I am again fascinated by bike fit. I find the article about Petacchi's bike in cyclingnews.com to be particularly interesting. I think I would break vertebra trying to stretch out on that thing. The days when hit a lot more races as a Cat 3, back in the mid 1990s, I rode a 57 cm bike, and I still think that was too large.
I currently ride a 55 cm bike (center to top) with a 55 cm (center to center) top tube. I like how it generally handles better in corners, while riding in groups, climbs than the 57 to 58 cm bikes I've ridden in the past. I remember when I had a Trek 2300 riding down the Park County side of Hoosier Pass and the handling just went to shit when I was going about 60 mph. It didn't help that a Ford F150 had just passed me pulling a wide trailer. It was possibly the closest I have ever come to eating it and dying on a bike. Those bikes, with the old bonded/glue idea, never seemed very good and they handled like crap, especially since I was riding a 58 cm version when I should have been on a much smaller frame.
I'm sure I would have some gut-leg interference in the drops on Petacchi's ride.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt. I guess having 6% body fat helps him stretch out on that thing, but it looks like a torture machine to me. You are about 6-1, right? So a 58 cm fits you pretty well. I'm strangely in between--I could use a frame with a seat tube measured 56 cm center to top, with a 55 cm top tube. That would be perfect, but it would have to be custom built. I'm pretty sure that, for me, my f*cked up back doesn't help.
ReplyDeletei once helped push kevin b. home from ashland to lincoln when his bb seperated from the seat tube on a 2300. that was like the second or third bike he broke when i was racing with him. just riding along, of course.
ReplyDeleteon that particular day - when he pedaled by himself it looked like a crazy trussed-out pogo stick.
dude, that's exactly where mine broke the first time. I had to miss that race in Cedar Falls sponsored by Saturn and drank most of that weekend to ease the pain. Those bikes were shite.
ReplyDelete