Originally Posted by
Chinghis
Hey, folks. I follow all of the threads asking about what kind of bike to get. And I realize that none of you can tell me which bike is right for me, but I figure you can listen to me think out loud and chime in occasionally...
At 6’2”, I still have the challenge of sizing stack & reach for my bike frames. I enjoy 3 cycling disciplines; road, leisure, and touring. I like to have a traditional flat back (to the extent by 56 year old body allows) for my road bike. Leisure finding on a flat bar hybrid allows me to handle my leashed dog running in front of me. My touring bike is over 50 lbs with camping gear. The touring bike wheelbase allows me to have panniers without hitting my heal on them, and provide control with a heavy load. In all three cases, the goal is to decide on the effective riding position for the task at hand. After prioritizing stack and reach, I can fine tune with stem and handle bar selection.
Wheel size does follow from frame geometry, and relates back to speed. But so does crank arm length and gearing. I’m always reminded that I walk too fast. In reality I have a long stride and high cadence walking. In cycling, I have leverage in my stroke, but difficulty generating high RPMs.
Thanks for letting me share some of my experiences, I hope they are useful.