Originally Posted by
reluctantsuburb
Well, thanks to all for the input. I can tell you I am very, thoroughly confused
Here's where I stand today:
- I've gotten in a few sub ten mile rides and they've all been very enjoyable. The bike is speedy and fun. I feel like I'm growing used to the drops and enjoying them
- The bike is definitely smaller than ideal, but I'm trying to decide if it's a workable size. I've been considering some wheel sets but am currently afraid to pull the trigger due to some of the comments here
- When it comes to a vintage bike like this, I imagine there will always be something I'm compromising on... Trying not to set too high of expectations
All of that being said, I'd love input on a couple of things from anyone still viewing the thread. I forced my wife to take a few profile shots of me on the bike so we're not just in the theoretical when talking about fit. One on the tops, one on the hoods, one in the drops.
- Based on fit with my current frankenstem, does the bike look like it's worth continuing to invest in? Next steps are stem, wheel set, and brakes
- Based on what you're seeing and my stated use case of pseudo rando, am I barking up the wrong tree?
thanks!
I didn't appreciate how tall you are before seeing these pictures!
The fact that you can put a foot down while in the saddle makes me think the saddle itself is a bit too low. Raising it up a bit would probably convince most others that the frame is at least a size too small. If it were me in this situation, I'd pull the plug on this frame and look for something that's bigger, but perhaps not much longer in the top tube. Some brands of road bikes tended to use about the same top tube length between frame sizes, so it shouldn't be too hard.
I see that you're holding your arms straight in the photos. Maybe that's a function of trying to hold a pose, but you'll want to ride with your elbows bent a little -- that helps a lot with absorbing shocks before they get to your shoulders and neck. Apart from that, I wouldn't fret about having your handlebars set "too high" for now. When I first got into road bikes, I used a short stem set at least as high as the saddle, but as my core strength and flexibility improved, I was able to stretch out and down.
P.S. Tell your wife that a random person from your bike website says she's a good sport.