Sportive or Road geometry - What to do. . .

RC21
RC21 Posts: 166
edited May 2008 in Road beginners
I don’t appreciate the difference between the two – is it a big difference between Road and Sportive geometry?

How do you know which one to choose? I.e. You had 2 bikes, same price, same setup (gears, wheels, etc) but the frames where either Road or Sportive – How would you choose?

Thanks for any help.
RC

Comments

  • graham_g
    graham_g Posts: 652
    It's basically a choice between built for comfort or built for speed.
  • explosifpete
    explosifpete Posts: 1,327
    road bikes are all about speed and a sportive bike will be a bit my comfortable for all day rides and the like.
    They will have diffrent angles so you a bit more upright and a softer frame so that it will take out the sting of the road, but you will loose out on a bit of power.
    In short if you getting on a bit or you want to do regular 100mile+ rides get a sportive if you want to go really fast get a full on road race bike
    http://www.iwaxstudio.co.uk/
  • RC21
    RC21 Posts: 166
    What happens if you want to do both; Some long rides 50-80 miles on the weekend and some shorter/fasters sessions during the week? What would you recommend?

    Thanks again for the advice
    RC
  • Nickodemus
    Nickodemus Posts: 94
    IMO, I'd go for the road bike mate. They're not uncomfortable at all, and you can always leave a bit of excess on the steerer with spacers so you can raise the bars a bit if you need to for very long rides, or drop them for the shorter, more 'racey' efforts...
    "Bite off more than you can chew, and chew like hell!!"
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    A Sportive bike is a road bike.........

    I think you're talking about a racier road bike........personally I'd go for racier geometry, but I'm 21 and don't have comfort issues.
    I like bikes...

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  • Pirahna
    Pirahna Posts: 1,315
    RC21 wrote:
    I don’t appreciate the difference between the two – is it a big difference between Road and Sportive geometry?

    There is only a difference if you work in the marketing department.
  • cannonfodder
    cannonfodder Posts: 183
    it is all marketing bull in the sense that the only difference is the ratio of the head tube length to the top tube length is greater (you may get a slightly slacker head angle too). But the problem is there are plenty of manufacturers whose race bikes have more upright geometry than other manufacturers sportive bikes.

    So when choosing a bike brand, choose based on geometry first.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Generally speaking race bikes have "tighter" triangles and steeper seat and head tubes
    than their more "stretched" out cousin's, the touring bikes. Things being tighter like this
    makes the frames stiffer for better climbing and sprinting performance at the sacrifice
    of a bit of comfort(just a bit) and "tight" frames like this tend to handle a bit quicker,
    sometimes too quick for some peoples tastes. For what it's worth, I'm 60 and ride
    a "race / climbing", fairly tight frame.

    Dennis Noward

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