Frames with taller headtubes

Rich-Ti

I've had a couple of fitting sessions over recent months but my current frame is at the limits of it's adjustability and I've still not been able to get my bike position right. I'm coming to the conclusion (and yes, I will get this checked out first!) that rather than going up a frame size to get a taller headtube what I really need to do is to stick with a 56cm frame but find something with a taller headtube.

As I'm currently riding an Cervelo R3 the immediate thought that springs to mind is the Cervelo RS... but for some reason I just don't like that option! I'm yet to try one (although I will be soon) and that may well change my mind, but until then I'm struggling with other options.

And that's why I'm here - can any of you give me any thoughts on other bikes with taller headtubes? My expectation is that I'll go for a 56cm (56-57cm top tube) and will be looking for an 18cm head tube length.

I've searched through every brand of bike I can think of but it's getting me nowhere! The only one I have been able to find is the Colnago CX-1, which on the 56cm model has the same top tube length and headtube length as the Cervelo RS... only it's £500 more money!

Help! :shock:

Monty Dog

A clubmate went from a Cervelo RS to a custom carbon Viner - thinks it's great. Just steer clear of that Litespeed that looks like a farm gate

Monty Dog

A clubmate went from a Cervelo RS to a custom carbon Viner - thinks it's great. Just steer clear of that Litespeed that looks like a farm gate

mrushton

You can buy headtube extenders from Cyclefit. Made by Serotta and machined from Alloy. V.nice but £30 a time. You can get Ahead extenders but they are ugly. The h/tube extender is cheaper than a new frame but you'll also need a new fork with a longer steerer I presume.

huuregeil

I have similar issues! How about:

Look 585 Optimum (560 mm tt 191mm ht)
Cinelli Estrada (560 175)
Cyclefit's Glider own-brand GPM, which I believe is made by Viner to cyclefit's specs. (560 187)
Indeed a Viner custom, as mentioned.

OK, a few of these have longer than 180mm head-tube, but I assume this is not a problem if getting suffient height is your issue (i.e. just have the stem pointing down and remove spacers).

HTH

mrushton

huuregeil wrote:

I have similar issues! How about:

Look 585 Optimum (560 mm tt 191mm ht)
Cinelli Estrada (560 175)
Cyclefit's Glider own-brand GPM, which I believe is made by Viner to cyclefit's specs. (560 187)
Indeed a Viner custom, as mentioned.

OK, a few of these have longer than 180mm head-tube, but I assume this is not a problem if getting suffient height is your issue (i.e. just have the stem pointing down and remove spacers).

HTH

cyclefits Viner made Glider GPM has an 18.7cm h/t in 55cm

http://www.cyclefit.co.uk/downloads/glider_geometry.pdf

Chip \'oyler

Most of the top end Viner range are available with custom geometry if you want.

The Viner Perfecta in the same price range as the R3 is available in custom
http://www.vinerbikes.com/viner-perfect ... ?p=product

And as a proud owner of a Viner I can say that they are worth the money. They are superb.

huuregeil

mrushton wrote:

cyclefits Viner made Glider GPM has an 18.7cm h/t in 55cm

http://www.cyclefit.co.uk/downloads/glider_geometry.pdf

I think that's a 555mm sloping tt, equivalent to 560mm virtual (IIRC, I called them up about the frame in the autumn, but never ended up going with it...).

Definitely worth a look anyway, I think it's basically a Viner Mitus at a better price.

Mettan

The Nero Corsa's got a long headtube - not sure how long though - might be worth checking out?

Rich-Ti

Can we get off the Viner idea please - I don't have money for custom carbon! :roll:

redddraggon

S-Works Roubaix?

VerwoodAsh

2nd the s-works Roubaix. I have a 56cm one and the head tube is massive which makes it really comfortable. In fact I had to remove a lot of the spacers it came with as it was so high.

Or the other bike with a really long headtube is the litespeed sportive.

a_n_t

57cm wiliers have 19.5 HT

mrushton

Rich-Ti wrote:

Can we get off the Viner idea please - I don't have money for custom carbon! :roll:

the one from Cyclefit is £1700 i think. What is the budget?

Rich-Ti

mrushton wrote:

the one from Cyclefit is £1700 i think. What is the budget?

I'm not spending £1700 on a 'cyclefit' frame either, regardless of who builds it!

Budget is flexible - don't really want to spend more than £1500 (can get the RS for less that £1500 with my club discount), but will spend £2000 if the frame is absolute perfection.

And for me perfection is all about the right combination of a great fit, stiffness & comfort and good looks... except I probably put way more emphasis on the latter than most, which to be fair is another reason why Viner are off the list - their looks just don't do it for me.

mrushton

Ah, but perfection may come at a price! Most bikes are made to a formula, angles,etc so head-tube lengths are often standard. The other way is to use more spaces and or extenders and/or an angled stem (steeper angle). For all we know, Viner may make cervelo (they don't as Cervelo are manufactured in the Far East) but they do make for other firms and rebadge.

Rich-Ti

mrushton wrote:

Ah, but perfection may come at a price!

Which is why I said my budget is flexible...

mrushton wrote:

Ah, but perfection may come at a price! Most bikes are made to a formula, angles,etc so head-tube lengths are often standard.

True, but 'standard' doesn't necessarily = 'not tall enough' (again, I refer to the Cervelo RS and Colnago CX-1).

mrushton wrote:

The other way is to use more spaces and or extenders and/or an angled stem (steeper angle).

All of which are basically compromises and hash-jobs to make a frame fit when it fundamentally doesn't. And none of which I'm prepared to resort to (I'm already at the warrantied limit on spacers + stem stack height, and absolutely will not run an upturned stem on a decent road bike - it's just wrong).

mrushton wrote:

For all we know, Viner may make cervelo (they don't as Cervelo are manufactured in the Far East) but they do make for other firms and rebadge.

Very true, but Cervelos don't look like Viners so that doesn't matter to me.

huuregeil

Budget - in that case, surely a custom 953 steel or titanium frame has got to come into the picture? The geometry can be made to suit, they can be made plenty stiff, plus you get the paint job and the looks you want (unless that look happens to be carbon...!).

huuregeil

Eddy Merckx EXM 560mm and 180mm.

Rich-Ti

huuregeil wrote:

Budget - in that case, surely a custom 953 steel or titanium frame has got to come into the picture?

Indeed - 953 is high up on the list, and Ti is definitely - problem here being the 2 month or so wait (a problem given the pain in my neck & back), and the need to travel to be fitted (not a reason not to go custom, but I'm self-employed and can't really afford to take days off with my current projects, and most fitters don't work at the weekends).

Chip \'oyler

Rich-Ti wrote:

mrushton wrote:

the one from Cyclefit is £1700 i think. What is the budget?

I'm not spending £1700 on a 'cyclefit' frame either, regardless of who builds it!

Budget is flexible - don't really want to spend more than £1500 (can get the RS for less that £1500 with my club discount), but will spend £2000 if the frame is absolute perfection.

And for me perfection is all about the right combination of a great fit, stiffness & comfort and good looks... except I probably put way more emphasis on the latter than most, which to be fair is another reason why Viner are off the list - their looks just don't do it for me.

TBH I don't like the Viner colour schemes - but seeing as they were custom building it I got them to do a design of my own. That's the beauty of getting a company to build something for you - you can change things.

BikeDynamics

Rich-Ti

Sounds like you have had enough Bike Fittings but if you fancy another go, come and see us at http://bikedynamics.co.uk/

If we did manage to get you into a comfortable (but maybe impractical) position, we can overlay any published frame geometry and predict what sort of stack height and stem lengths they would need to replicate it. See here for an example http://bikedynamics.co.uk/page_1242817827537.html

Regards

Mike at BikeDynamics