UnD3R0aTh

I just got a new RM-10 from Sekine, the seat post is a SR Laprade 26.4, the frame is a 58cm champion no 2, which should fit me perfectly like my other 58cm bikes, however, the seatpost is too short, I have raised way above the minimum insertion and I feel that it even needs an extra 0.5 inch higher! why is this Laprade so short like that?! Do they come in different lengths? Would 49°N Alloy Seatpost part number 058817102394 be a good alternative?

P.s. my allegro club tour has a 27 :aprade that is decent length, I haven't measured neither so I'm not certain, perhaps the height of the saddle itself also factors in?!

52telecaster

That is how tall seatposts we're back in the day. I would question whether a 58cm frame actually fits you if you need that much post showing on a level top tube frame.

smd4

I'd like to see an overall shot of the bike. From what I see, your seatpost appears to be way too tall for the frame size--in other words, the frame appears to be too small for you.

79pmooney

That Laprade is plenty strong I am quite sure. Nice thick walls. So if you hit a hard unexpected bump, nothing will happen except that highly leveraged seatpost end will push the thin-walled tubing of your seatpost out on the front side, right about at where a tubing sticker might be. A quite visible reminder of that bump. Everyone who is curious about your frame's tubing and pedigree will see it.

Not especially dangerous but it will devalue your frame a lot. Now if the end is up into the lug, more leverage and breaing things there could be quite interesting. I wouldn't place a bet on you staying off the pavement.

Minimum insertion marks are for the bike much more than they are for the seatpost. Otherwise we'd have seatposts with stronger walls and shorter insertion distances to save weight.

rgvg

any seatpost long enough should do as long as it's the right diameter. Is there a coop near you that might have seatposts that size?

genejockey 

There can be mitigating factors, like long leg/short torso, or pedaling with toes pointed. These both apply to me. So I get cheap, longer alloy posts for my 57 cm frames, since otherwise the fit is fine.

BUT, I should add, none of these are as extreme as that. Usually it's a cm or so too short.

smd4

Wonder how long his stem is. If the frame is too small, as suspected, he might really be bunched up.

UnD3R0aTh

guys, like I mentioned, 58cm is my right size! I did some research and found out this seatpost comes in different lengths, the Sekine is pretty short compared to the Allegro Laprade!

smd4

You may think so...But only judging by the photos...I'd say you're wrong.

No worries, though. If you're riding a too-small frame, it'll be lighter and stiffer! Many racers would ride smaller frames for just such reasons.

repechage

No mention of the saddle.
there is no standard of saddle rails to sitting surface.
you might need a different saddle.
many leather saddles are of a tall style.
or a Cinelli 4L- extra padding

Mr. 66

Gosh, I think if that is your post position for a 58cm, try out a size 61cm frame.

UnD3R0aTh

The rear tire is standing on a step actually, giving people a false impression, 58cm gives me ideal reach, I raise the seat tube to make my legs fully extended at the bottom of the strokes p.s. I have long legs

Now real question related to the main topic, does the new seatpost have to be 26.4 like the one I have, can I get away with a different size few mm up, say 27.2?!

smd4

My (and presumably others') comments aren't based on wherever the rear wheel is placed; there's no false impression. It's based on the extraordinary height of your seatpost. If you have to raise the seatpost that high to get proper leg extension, then the frame is too small. p.s., much of frame sizing is based on your leg length--not your "reach."

That's a big negative. You're stuck with a 26.4.

genejockey 

Yeah, that'll do it. I find myself most comfortable with my saddle 1-1.5cm higher than the standard recommendation for my inseam length. I seem to be able to put out power more efficiently with my toes pointed a bit, and at 77,4cm I feel like I'm pedaling flatfooted. As long as your hips aren't rocking and you're not overextending.

The seatpost HAS TO BE the right size. That's based on the inner diameter of the seat tube. It can't be any larger than that or it won't fit down the seat tube, and if it's smaller the clamp won't clamp. I bought a frame that I THOUGHT was 27.2, but 27.2 seatposts kept sliding down, no matter how much I torqued the clamp bolt. I finally wised up and got a 27.4, and it stays put.

genejockey 

Old, short seatposts in older frames don't always work for those of us with more leg than torso. This bike came with a Dura Ace 7200 seatpost, which I would dearly love to be using. But I could only get 77cm of saddle height with it. So I had to go with a longer post, but I assure you the height and setback of the saddle now is right for me, and a larger size would come with a longer top tube, and the bars are in the right place now with the original 80mm SR Royal Super Light stem.

UnD3R0aTh

I'm a hair under 6'2'', most charts that I know of recommend 58cm, I never rode anything above 58cm but bikes with bigger frames already look like they have a considerable head tube length increase which doesn't look aesthetically pleasing to my eye, in terms of proportionality, I feel 58cm is perfect!

smd4

Six foot two?? With long legs??

Sorry. In my opinion...that frame is WAY TOO SMALL for you!

And the seatpost is on my side.

79pmooney

Good grief. There's a lot of talk that the guy's riding the wrong sized frame. The right frame 1) allows his best fit (perhaps with unusual stem and post, 2) places the wheels in the right place for weight balance, good handling and perhaps pannier clearance and 3) does ll the rest of what that rider needs (attachments, fenders, etc.

Now, people come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes and proportions. Production bikes in a rather narrow range. The best compromise bike that meets 3), does OK on 2) may require "out there" parts to meet 1) but if that can be done, the bike works.

I have a classically designed custom bike patterned loosely off my racing bike that fit me perfectly, although I had to ride it with more arm bend than optimum, not an issue as a very fit 25 yo racer doing 10k years. I rode the race bike with its stock 11cm stem. At the advice of the framebuilder, I put the same on the bike he built. Within a year I had a used 13 on there. Much better. Decades later I had a huge stem custom made for another bike, 180mm -17 quill. Best fit I'd ever ridden. That old custom later got a 155 -22. Yeah! Currently a Pearl 14 is on there, which I believe is longer. The 155 in on a bike I just picked up which has an identical main triangle to that old custom.

I also have a custom with geometry I spec'd to get the fit with an ordinary stem. Love it, except it has speed wobbles. I've learned that pushing frame geometry to get the fit for me is exactly what the traditional frame designers of bikes with "the ride" stay away from. Probably because of those wobbles. So - the best existence for me on a bike appears to be riding bikes that "don't fit" and require huge stems. BFers have already told me that the bikes I own with dream rides are wrong. (Other BFers who've ridden with me have spoken up and vouched that what I ride works.)

Here we have the OP who we've never seen being told his fit is wrong because a short seatpost like the very limited old Campy NR isn't long enough. (That post would work just fine for me - if I could get the seat pushed far enough back. I raced with the the start of the rail bend right at the clamp. Later, I broke several titanium seat railset up the same and now use large setback seaposts on most of my bikes. (Some of that is for 2) above - getting the wheels located for best weight balance. I do best with short chainstays and therefore steep seat tubes if I want tire and fender clearance Really I should be riding with curved seatposts but I haven't made that jump yet.)

I've been dealing with my unusual fit for so long I skip the lecture on what other "should" ride and just try to help them make their bikes work best for them.

smd4

He rides that size for none of these reasons. He likes the way it looks. Is that a good reason? Not to me, but it ain't my bike. But don't blame the seatpost.

It's obvious that the bike is too small for him. He doesn't have a too-short seatpost problem; the seatpost is fine. He has a too-small frame problem.

But like I said--plenty of pros ride rode frames that were too small, to save weight and get a stiffer bike.

Andy_K 

I really do have some sympathy for you because when I first started posting on the sub-forum I was sharing pictures of a 54cm bike that a lot of people told me was way too small for me. I had the saddle and bars in a relative position that worked for me, but in retrospect I see that they were right.

I started trying bigger bikes over several years, and now I think 57 is my preferred size, but I can easily ride a 58.

I'm 5'9"

52telecaster

I've moved from 57cm to 59-60 and would go bigger under some circumstances. I'm 5'11".

UnD3R0aTh

I'm no expert but I know there is some controversy regarding frame size, sizing based on height seems like an acceptable compromise and it gives me 58 cm, I personally don't think a 61 cm would make that big of a difference from a 58 cm, that's only 1 inch longer seat tube, I would still need to swap the short seatpost!!!

UnD3R0aTh

As difficult as it is, a lot of people here figured they would size me from the length of the seat post, here is an actual picture of my Atala, again, I don't see why I would get a bigger and heavier bike that is only 1 inch higher in the seat tube, if I can just adjust the seat post to fit my legs, I probably could lower it half an inch, but I like to have my leg fully extended at the bottom of the stroke, for a 61cm frame, I will raise the seat post still anyways!!!

Mr. 66

I have this one that similar in set up to yours. With this bike I feel confined, the saddle to bar level is too much. This puts more pressure on my hands than I want. If I'm only riding twenty minutes to an hour I'm good, but after 50-60 miles I'll have wrist issue, and with that saddle to bar levels takes away the use of the handlebar drops.

Here is one that I have set up like yours, and one I set for comfort.


The Peugeot is small is 60 cm ctt seatube, and the Univega is tall is 63 cm ctc.

smd4

I don’t need to know your height; I don’t need to know your inseam; I don’t need to know whether you pedal toes down or toes up. I don’t need to know where you placed your rear wheel. Your pics alone are ample evidence that the frame you’re riding is technically too small for you.

That said, would any American Classic seatposts work? I thought they were longer than others, but very high quality.