Originally Posted by
cudak888
I'll let you in to a secret.
Even though it
appears to have the perfect cosmetic proportions, I've "helped" it along. If one was aiming for looks, and not fit, the main triangle would look better if it were 10mm shorter.
I put the Silca pump in. Problem solved.
Here's an old in-progress build shot, directly from the side, no pump. The proportions look a fair bit different in comparison to the beauty shots.
Do you have a photo of your Paramount? Darn it, I forgot - yours is the former
Jackie and Joules that Classtime posted.
If you don't mind going for deeper drops by 2", and raising the stem 1", you can gain an inch upwards on the hoods and stay in the same place on the drops. The deeper bar will balance the slightly higher stem. If the replacement bars have a longer straight area at the bottom, they'll also help to break up the large main triangle. A black Silca pump would also do the same trick as I pulled off on the Superior above. Might be just the thing you're looking for in regards to both fit and looks.
-Kurt
You play the millimeter game as well. I like your style.
I'm going to have to work the Paramount a bit in its current downtube shifter form. It may do me well to install fenders and thus give the bike some visual mass at the bottom (in addition to some extra classiness), thus freeing up the upper portions of the bike to have a more lithe setup (taller stem, no cable fuss, etc). I will say that the simple proportional difference between a 56cm and a 64cm frame gives considerable advantage to the shorter frame, in that the lower overall height (and height of various frame and components above the tops of the tires) gives, almost no matter what, a more horizontally linear motion and stance than its taller brethren. Especially in race geometry. To me, any ways. Tall touring builds, I think, look plenty good when done right. Height and regality go hand-in-hand, I say.