Originally Posted by
merziac
@
canyoneagle
Huh, good stuff, especially the Volvo, always have had a liking for them.
You and I have the same problem, I'm 6' 0.5in with 38 in. inseam/pbh with not too long reach.
Been riding bikes too small most of my life, so many "unique" setups as being discussed in the "What bugs you thread".
Couple years ago stepped up and bought the silver 66cm Merz and voila, way better ride on longer ones, a 26in. Paramount confirmed the change but has an even longer TT but still rides better than the smaller ones even being stretched out too much.
Still plenty of adjusting of the bars, levers as the reach did not improve the situation so still plenty of "unique" setups, still.
I definitely relate to your challenges in finding the right fit.
For years I have wanted to build a bike with the Rivendell / French / Herse fit philosophy, and I think I will need to go the custom route to make something work for me that I will also enjoy looking at (I suffer from aesthetic perfectionism). Any of my attempts to do this in the past have resulted in setups that were either functionally (stem too short, etc) or aesthetically unworkable for me.
I've been test sitting on the Merckx, and I've had a refreshing sense of satisfaction - I think this one will do the trick as my primary "sporty" road bike.
My other bike is the polar opposite - a 29+ titanium mountain bike, fully rigid, with a swept handlebar. Well, I guess the true polar opposite would be a full downhill bike
I know I'll find the right bike to fill the randonneur/French fit ethos one day. In the mean time, I'll see how my 50 something body copes with a sporty road bike setup that I've enjoyed in the past.
I should finish the build today. Looking forward to it!!!