koolsilver

I’m in the market for a new bike and need some help in picking a frame. I’m looking for help specifically in finding a good model for a geometry that matches me. I currently ride a 56cm Fuji Gran Fondo which I believe is a bit too big for me. I’m wanting to get a more race oriented bike opposed to my current endurance. I do have access to a pretty good selection of different manufacturers to test bikes and will definitely be testing anything before buying.

My basic measurements are: 69” tall, 30.5” inseam, with short arms -2” ape index, and I would say slightly below moderate flexibility. I also have a bad lower back with a slipped disc but I am younger.

So far I tested a 54cm Tarmac sl6 but it left my back aching. I was looking at the Canyon Ultimate but the geometry looks very close to the Tarmac with just slightly higher stack and slightly less reach; I’m thinking I’ll have the same issue that I had with the Tarmac. I’m now looking at Cervélo as it seems their bikes have a shorter reach and higher stack than others. Although I’m confused how the S and R series have identical stack and reach when it seems most of the time manufacturers will make aero bikes more aggressive, am I missing something here? Price isn’t really an issue as I can choose what tier to get once I decide on a model.

mstateglfr 

You want race based geometry, you are less than average flexibility, and a more aggressive road bike that you tried left your back hurting.

I am not trying to sound rude, but this will probably come off as rude. Why don't you post the geometry of your current Fuji and post the geometry of the tarmac you tried. That way people will avoid recommending frames that match those two geometry set ups.


Hopefully you will then get your go to Goldilocks frame that is not too aggressive and not too relaxed.

koolsilver

No offence taken. I know I’m kind of asking for a lot which is why I’m hoping to enlist the help of some members that maybe have already gone through something similar.

I didn’t list my Gran Fondo geometry because it is too large for me and think it may be best to not try to use it as a baseline since it is pretty off. The Tarmac did leave me feeling sore but looking at its geometry it does look like it is setup pretty aggressive so I’m hoping to find something a bit less aggressive.

Here is my current bike geometry.
Stack: 605mm
Reach: 376mm
Stem: 100mm 6degree rise with 1 spacer I believe 10mm

Maelochs

So ... do i read this wrong or are you looking for a Gran Fondo a size or two smaller?

If you want you can set up a bike to be as "aggressive" as you like----slammed stem, long stem .... long-reach bars ....

I know the Cervelo R3/R5 has a tall head tube for the reach relative to many other "racy" bikes ... (I ride an R5 clone.) The Canyon you mention ... shorter top tube, taller head tube ... isn't that what you want?

What is "racy" to you anyway?

Do you want to ride stretched out, flat-backed, perforce, because it is all the frame allows? Great, if you have the quads and core to support that, but it might get hard after a while.

Do you want pretty much a slammed stem? That is really only an aesthetic consideration but if it is what you want you should get it.

if the Tarmac didn't suit you .... maybe you don't want a 'racy" riding position. it looks cool from the outside but the pros aren't interested in comfort.

I might play with my existing bike ... raise and lower the seat, move the saddle back and forth ... until you were absolutely sure of the saddle/BB relationship I wanted.

Then I would prop the bike up and try leaning forward and try to figure where optimally my hands would fall in the riding position I felt I could maintain for as long as I'd like to ride.

That might get you ballpark on where you need your control surfaces. then you can work backwards and figure out where the stem would end up, etc. I wouldn't cut ti too close---I did this and found that after a while all my "perfect" relationships between control surfaces changed a little---but get ballpark, figure whatever stem length you find reasonable .... if you have a ruler and a protractor you can even do little frame sketches.

An alternative is to sit on a lot of bikes.

Based on the numbers above ... you think you want less stack and the same reach? Are you happy with the relationship between the saddle and the pedals?

koolsilver

Appreciate the advice I’ll have to play around a bit with my bike like you described. I guess what I am meaning by “racey” is a more responsive and snappy feeling bike. Testing the Tarmac was a lot of fun and felt very responsive with handling and made me really enjoy pushing it. While my Fuji feels too tame, I also tested a Roubaix and got the same tame feeling. Maybe this is an effect of shorter wheel base? I am on the newer side to biking so if I’m misinterpreting something I apologize.

Ideally I would like a bit less reach which will probably just be an effect of smaller frame and then a decent amount of less stack.

bruce19

Just for a frame of reference I, too, am 5'9" but with a 32" inseam and slightly longer than average arms. Perfect C-C frame for me is 54-55 cm. w/ 54-55 TT. But, I can ride up to a 58 frame with a shorter stem.

Garfield Cat

Perhaps you can go to the Cervelo web site, the section where you "ask the engineers" and they will tell you about the S and R series, the stack and reach compared with the other bikes.

bruce19

You could also try this for a rough estimate.......https://www.competitivecyclist.com/S...INT_ID=IB12809

50PlusCycling

I have ridden and raced a Gios Compact Pro for decades, these are still in production today. The geometry is responsive, but stable, and the rear dropouts can be moved to increase or decrease the wheel base, which allows for a slight adjustment in responsiveness. You can order on in various seat and top tube lengths.

You may not be interested in a steel frame like the Compact Pro, but it's well made, looks good, and, barring serious crashes, will still be rideable when the currently trendy carbon fibre wonder machines go the way of their early 90's predecessors. Mine still turns heads, even with more than 100,000 km on it.

For myself, as much as I love my Gios, I'm putting together a Cinelli Super Corsa. It's been 20 years since I last got a new road bike, so I owe myself something good for being patient. I hope to have it rolling this summer.

bruce19

My steel is this.....with SRAM Red. It's a 55. Changed out the stem so it's a tad longer (10cm) and flatter.

koolsilver

Thanks everyone for the input I greatly appreciate it. Very interesting information about some steel frame possibilities I’ll have to do some research on that.

I had the chance to take a 54cm S3 for a test yesterday and it felt pretty nice. Unfortunately I was only able to go for a quick 3 mile ride so i can’t fully comment on it but for what it’s worth I did feel comfortable for that short time period.

Kontact 

Cervelo S and R series are both "race" bikes, and both have fairly tall stacks. They are equally aggressive.