Originally Posted by
elcruxio
the old LHT/DT had a weird geometry for a touring bike. It was fairly low and really long like many other Surly bikes. The idea that people should have chosen larger sizes would in many cases cause the bike to be too long for the rider. If I used the correct height size ie 64cm I'd need to use a 50-70mm stem which would mess up handling and weight distribution. I now have a size 62cm and use 90-100mm stems.
the new geometry is far more sensible as it's higher and shorter. For me the new 62cm will likely be pretty optimal. For those who feel it's too short, a longer stem is always an option.
as for the sloping top tube, looks are personal but in terms of functionality the sloping top tube and long exposed seat post are both better than the alternative. A sloping top tube means shorter tubes in the frameset which translates to a stiffer frame and less chance of speed wobbles. Long exposed seat post on the other hand adds comfort as the seat post can flex more going over rough stuff. Frames themselves don't flex vertically so handing that job to the seat post is a good idea.
I can't recall what the chainstay length was on my Specialized road bike when I first started touring with it but I'm going to guess 425mm. With that bag clearance was hardly an issue and I have size 14 feet.
If everyone is using the same design principles they must have some merit right?
Okay, Surly never made a 64cm frame in the old LHT, and that is the frame I am referring to. So if you have thee new Disc Trucker, none of this applies. It was made to address the smaller frame buying public. And even if you have the old frame, as long as you are happy with the fit, that is all that matters. My comments were based on Surly's reasoning for designing the frame the way they did, they said they saw so many LHT owners with ridiculously high stacks of spacers. That is true, I see that too. Had they bought the next frame size up, they would not have had to have such a high stack. That is basic.
As for the new Disc Trucker, it doesn't have weird geometry for a touring bike, it has basically standard geometry for touring bikes from the past. The difference in effective top tube length between the 62cm frame and the 64cm frame is 15mm, and the difference in reach is 10.5mm, so the difference in stem length between the two bikes would be inconsequential to handling and weight distribution. You would be off by all of 1cm, maybe 2cm. There is no way you would have to jump from 90-100mm down to 50-70mm stems to make up for 1.5cm.
