pros on smaller bikess?

Team Banana Spokesman
Team Banana Spokesman Posts: 538
edited November 2009 in Training, fitness and health
i look at pros on thier bikes and then myself. it is obvious that my bike looks like a bigger % of my body IN COMPARISON to the pros so I thouight i had a bike too big but someone in a bike shop said that the pros use smaller bikes on purpose.

is this right? my bike feels right but the pros cant be wrong surely??

Comments

  • shockedsoshocked
    shockedsoshocked Posts: 4,021
    It's quite common for pros to ride a frame too small and stick a massive stem on. Probably saves a few grams in weight, that's about it.
    "A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"

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  • Brewsterwmb
    Brewsterwmb Posts: 145
    Not sure this is true!? Lance is shorter than me, but heard that he rides at 58-60cm frame.

    Also watching the start of the TT in Monaco the bikes did not look like they were smaller than they should be

    Different stokes for different fokes... :P
    “Look where you want to go. Not where you are going”
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    Brewsterwmb wrote:
    Not sure this is true!? Lance is shorter than me, but heard that he rides at 58-60cm frame.

    Also watching the start of the TT in Monaco the bikes did not look like they were smaller than they should be

    Different stokes for different fokes... :P

    Yes - Lance rides a 58cm Trek. And he's 5-9 I think? I'm 6 foot and ride a 56cm Trek!

    But my bike seems to look TINY in photos - so maybe it's not just Pro bikes that look small when you see them on TV!
  • oldwelshman
    oldwelshman Posts: 4,733
    personally I do not believe it makes much difference as long as you get your position the same.
    I ride a 54cm, 56cm, 58cm and get same position on each.
    I am 5'10" but have fairly long legs 33".
    http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll245/oldwelshman/
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  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    ShockedSoShocked wrote:
    It's quite common for pros to ride a frame too small and stick a massive stem on. Probably saves a few grams in weight, that's about it.

    Not sure you would save any really. Anything saved in a smaller frame would be made up by having a longer seatpost, stem. more spacers etc
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,715
    Bike manufacturers have started using longer headtubes for their bikes so that they're more comfortable for sportive riders. Pros don't need the longer headtubes, they're actually a disadvantage as the rider can't get as aero. So they use a smaller frame which has a shorter headtube.

    Simple as that.
  • Bhima
    Bhima Posts: 2,145
    whyamihere wrote:
    Bike manufacturers have started using longer headtubes for their bikes so that they're more comfortable for sportive riders.

    Yes, this is the most annoying thing ever. What's worse is now most manufacturers reserve the more aggresive frame geometries for thier more exclusive carbon ones and charge you loads because they've included the word "pro" in the frame name. You just can't get a cheap Alu agressive frame anymore. :(
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    Smaller frames also have less flex in them, simply due to the fact that tubes are shorter, so when you really push a slightly higher percentage of your energy is transferred to forward motion...
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • Matt the Tester
    Matt the Tester Posts: 1,261
    depends on the geometry of the frame i suppose and if your used too it.. im only 6'1 or 6'2 and i ride a 58" frame peeps said it was too big for me but when i got it it fitted me like a glove!
    Coveryourcar.co.uk RT Tester
    north west of england.

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