bonsai171

Are there other companies out there with comfort geometry frames that compete with Wabi? I'm looking for frames with not too much handlebar drop due to my back issues. Any suggestions?

Dave

Sully151

Nope.

Maybe flat bars and a riser stem?

bonsai171

Figured I would ask If things get bad enough, I might have to switch my current bike over to a flat bar with a rise in it. Got a 17 degree stem on it now, with a 25.4mm clamp. Maybe some lightish MTB bars would work? I currently have hooded Tektro RL340 brake levers, would those need to be changed too? Might look funny on a flat bar

Dave

TMonk

You can use your brake levers on the bars, it might just look weird. If you're into those levers and an upright position, you might want to check out mustache bars.

TMonk

Also, subscribed. I've got my eye on a Wabi Classic for a no-nonsense steel fixed gear road machine that I can ride in bad weather, commute on, train on and otherwise abuse. I really like the Steamroller and Rush (very different bikes I know) but it just kills me that they only have bosses for one water bottle. I know there are solutions but I want two sets of bosses.

bonsai171

Thanks for the tip. Atm I'm off the bike for a while due to a back injury. Trying to figure out if it is due to my riding position on the bike or just a recurrence of the original injury from a few years ago. My frame is on the small side (headtube is around 6" long, which is close to the dimensions on the Wabi classic 55cn frame). I'm 6', and might lean more towards the 58cm, since its headtube is about 7", which is closer to my more comfortable geared bike. Been thru a couple handlebar/ height raising iterations, can't seem to get it right.. I might have to bite the bullet on a wabi classic.

Another option for your situation would be to find an old beater Schwinn bike and convert it Then you won't worry about the weather. I started off that way on this bike but wound up painting it, so who knows what will happen!

Dave

Sully151

I have a hard time trusting the Wabi sizing. For someone who is 6' tall, they recommend a 55cm. That seems a shade small, especially if you have back issues.

TMonk

Yeah they seem to be sized small, based upon recommendations. If you go to the tech specs for the individual framesets you can see the actual dimensions. All I pay attention to in a frame anymore is HT and (effective) TT length. I could get away w a 52 or 55 w the Wabi Classic - I'm a bit of an in-betweener.

Ahh I hear ya, but I ride enough to make a Wabi Classic worth it . At $400 for the frameset it's right at my price point for a bike with this intended application. If I'm gonna hustle it up and down the road I'd like it to be at least a little nice

ceelint

I'm 6'2 and ride a 58cm Classic. Seat tube measures 24.5" (62cm)

Euthyphro

I ride a wabi classic and like it a lot. I don't know of comparable frames from different manufacturers, but I imagine you'd be happy with a wabi.

One thing to keep in mind if you want to ride a wabi in the rain: the fender mounts are "hidden" which means they are on the inside of the fork and drop outs. Fenders that have thick mounting tabs (like Portland Design Work fenders) don't fit in between the fork and the hubs. You might have luck with different fenders and low flange hubs, but I haven't tried that.

Unkle Rico

My Steamroller came with 2 pairs of bosses -- The OP had a second set installed by a local frame builder, it was fairly cheap to do apparently and didn't require any painting etc.

TMonk

Thanks for the tip - I'll look into that.

drlogik 

I'm 6' 2" and ride a Wabi Special and a Classic. Both are 61's. I like the bigger frame because it stretches me out a little more. I'd rather have a frame that fits than a smaller frame and have to hike the seat up a mile and still have a cramped cockpit. I find I rarely ride my smaller Pinarello any more because the Wabi's are so much more comfortable to ride.

bonsai171

I'm curious about the Wabi special. What are the difference between that and the classic besides the lugs?

Dave

drlogik 

Not much is really different The Classic "may" be a bit nimbler but that's probably my perception because it has bullhorn bars versus the drop bars on the Special and it also has their lighter wheels.

If I had to choose between the two to keep one bike, I'd keep the Special, because of the lugged construction. It looks retro yet modern at the same time. The workmanship on the lugs on the Special is first rate BTW.

The Classic is my "fun ride" bike. It's super light and responsive and dang it's a gas to ride in an urban environment! The Special is my road bike. It has become my "favorite mistress" and displaced my Pinarello for road rides out to 40 miles, and there's rolling hills where I live...no problem!

I'd go for the Special if I were you. It's a beautifully built bike and the ride is unquestionably the smoothest I have ever ridden in over 40 years of riding on a dozen or more fine bikes. Plus the guys that bought Wabi from Richard are super to deal with. Very quick, polite and helpful.

bonsai171

I'm now on my third steel frame road bike-a Schwinn Letour (also lugged) and like the way they look. Been looking for an excuse to call Wabi too, but will probably hold off on that for a little while and save up some more $$.

Dave

Philasteve

\
Yeah I'm not sure how many shops do it. But I know it only takes a few minutes to drill and then use a rivnut tool to press in waterbottle bosses.

bowzette

My Lightning came with only one boss and I had one added. It was no big deal.

SquidPuppet

Did you use rivnuts? How is it holding up?

Wspsux

Their bikes are too vertically oriented for me

MidSouthBiker

Newbie Here:
I bought the Wabi Special 2 years ago, and it has become the favorite of my bikes. I was really hesitant about buying online, sight unseen, at first, but Richard Snook was wonderful and spent a lot of time with me getting all the right measurements done. I heard the new guys who bought the company are also great.

johnnytheboy

i think i've said it before, but i'm really glad that a lot of people are coming to their senses and starting to ride bikes that actually fit them. it's so dumb seeing 2ft of seatpost on bikes and people saying how great it fits.

Sully151

This is my biggest issue with buying a Wabi. I am worried that a 55cm will be so small, I will have a ton of seatpost and spacers and need risers just to be comfortable.

And the fact that I live at the top of a 2 mile climb... but I suppose that can be overcome.

JuiceWillis

I am 6'1 but have long legs and arms (inseam of 36in). I did all my measurements in competitive cyclist and sent them over in an email to wabi. I also measured my track bike (which is a 58 w/ 130mm stem.) to mimic the same measurements for the wabi. I ended up with the 61 Wabi Lightning SE and a 120mm stem. It fits like a dream. I have a fistful of seatpost, the reach is good, and I don't feel cramped or too stretched out. Hell, I have a fixed crit coming up and I might even race it. Just take your measurements and send them over and you'll get a bike that fits.

drlogik 

So true! If the seatpost sticks out more than a few inches that bike does not fit in my opinion. I have a Pinarello that is on the short side for me. I have the seatpost maxed out. It looks cool and all but the frame is too small and I am cramped in the cockpit. Just because one can get their legs to fit the frame doesn't mean the frame fits. The smaller the frame the SHORTER it is also. Raising the seat does not make the bike proportionately longer.

For taller riders the length of the bike is important also.

Heck, I've always wondered why bikes over, say 58cm do not get designed with bigger wheels...say a 725 or 750 wheel instead of a 700. One could design a larger size bike to proportionately fit better I would think. The cost of doing so would obviously be enormous for the wheel makers.


-