Do you know of any carbon framed bike with a short top tube

Wamas

I have fairly long legs, and a short body, and after a recent bike fit, I found out that my current bike, (Spez Allez) is too long for me.
I need a 56cm frame due to the length of legs, but the 56.5 top tube is about 2cm too long.
I have rectified this by fitting an 80mm stem with a short reach handle bar.

I am planning on buying a new bike in a few months (£1500 to £2000 budget).
Does anyone have any recommendatons for a suitable bike, as I would rather have a 90 or 100mm stem to make the handling a bit better.

Unfortunately all of the bikes I had shortlisted all have longer top tubes than seat tube.

redddraggon

My Nero Corsa has around a 54.5cm TT with an 18cm headtube.

You want what they term a "sportive" bike, shorter TT longer HT than a "race" bike. TBH there's plenty of bikes out there with humongous head tubes, as is the fashion these days, so you could get a size down and still have a long enough HT.

dinosaur

The C+ bike of the year test said that the Willier Izoard has a relatively short top tube.
Also, I think (all?) Viners can be made to custom size for no extra cost.

chriskempton

Why can you not size down to the top tube length you need, then just jack up the seatpost? :?

redddraggon

chriskempton wrote:

Why can you not size down to the top tube length you need, then just jack up the seatpost? :?

Long legs, short body, bars would possibly end up too low without a tonne of spacers.

chriskempton

redddraggon wrote:

chriskempton wrote:

Why can you not size down to the top tube length you need, then just jack up the seatpost? :?

Long legs, short body, bars would possibly end up too low without a tonne of spacers.

Flipped stem then

huuregeil

Ridley.

Chip \'oyler

Get a custom Viner. They'll build it to your proportions. Your budget should get you a Volata or a Perfecta

http://www.lebeauvelo.co.uk/Products%20 ... 0Home.html

2alexcoo

How about the Bianchi Infinito?

55cm effective top tube with 52cm seat tube and 17cm head tube.

rolf_f

2alexcoo wrote:

How about the Bianchi Infinito?

55cm effective top tube with 52cm seat tube and 17cm head tube.

Made for Italians - short legs, long arms.

I'm in the same boat. Came close to buying a Viner - but even the Volata is going to be over budget (though you could get a carbon/alloy Celer built to fit well under budget). I went for a Look Optimum but that is even more over budget than the Viner.

The other good option (not as short as the Look but still good enough to fit OK) was the Scott CR1 - I tested one and it was superb (for me just not as superb as the Look ). I think Felt also make a shortish bike - similar geometry as the CR1.

Chip \'oyler

My apologies. I thought the OP's budget was for frame only :oops:

Wamas

Thanks for the advice from everyone.

My budget of £1500 to £2000 is for the whole bike, not just frame and fork, (kids are even more expensive than bikes), so some of the custom options are out of my budget.

I had considered the Scott CR1 and the Felt Z4 or Z5. I was looking at the CR1 on Friday in the shop where I had my fit.

He suggested a Performance fit Trek Madone, nice bikes, but I have heard too many scare stories about Trek warranty issues.

I want to stay with Shimano/SRAM components too, as I will replace some parts on the new bike with already upgraded parts from my current bike. This helps with the budget, as I intend selling the wheels and cranks from the new bike.

I don't have enough parts though to make a frame buy cost effective, as I intend using the C2W scheme too.

amaferanga

Why is a shorter stem (90mm over the standard 100mm) and shorter reach bars a problem?

Wamas

As I said in the original post, 90mm is okay, and I don't mind a short reach bar, but too short and the bike becomes too twitchy, especially on a 56 cm bike.

I have had to reduce my Allez to a 80mm stem with an FSA compact 400mm bar. The allez is a fairly neutral handling bike, so there isn't too much of an issue, but for fast descents, the shorter the stem and bar, the twitchier the handling becomes.

Down the Road

Wamas wrote:

I have fairly long legs, and a short body, and after a recent bike fit, I found out that my current bike, (Spez Allez) is too long for me.
I need a 56cm frame due to the length of legs, but the 56.5 top tube is about 2cm too long.
I have rectified this by fitting an 80mm stem with a short reach handle bar.

I am planning on buying a new bike in a few months (£1500 to £2000 budget).
Does anyone have any recommendatons for a suitable bike, as I would rather have a 90 or 100mm stem to make the handling a bit better.

Unfortunately all of the bikes I had shortlisted all have longer top tubes than seat tube.

Alter Your size. Most Modern 56 frames are 55.5 top tubes. What saddle height has been predicted and what Handlebar drop are you using? You might find a 54 frame is a better fit

56.2 or 56.5 is the old (and out of series) top tube lenght that started to disapper a few years ago

Bikes to considercould be Trek Madone 4.5 or 4.7 (56 cm) Spesh Roubaix (54cm),Gary Fisher Chronus (54cm) Cinelli Willin' SL (Med) Time Speeder (53cm)

huuregeil

Yes, but the issue really isn't the top-tube, it's the top-tube relative to the head tube. Size down to get the top-tube right and you find the front end is too low. (I too have this issue, spend some considerable time working out the various geometry implications!)

Hence Ridleys. I reckon a Ridley Orion M would fit you nicely, and looks a great bike - at 55cm virtual tt, the 15.5cm head tube is long (as with all ridleys). You also need to consider seat tube angles in all this.

huuregeil

PS What's your height and inside leg?

strodey

defy advanced? not trendy enough to most but i ended up with one after a bike fit due to long legs and short torso!

guilliano

Before the bike fit was the bike comfortable to ride?

I also ride a defy advanced and love it. The compact frame means you need a smaller size than normal (I'd ride a 58-60cm Trek but ride a 55.5cm Defy).

rolf_f

As people say, top tube is critical. You can go for a frame with overall smaller geometry but that then means that unless you go mad with spacers (as Reddragon says), the handlebars are going to be relatively low. As it is, if you have a small frame, long legs and short arms, you are in danger of kneeing the handlebars if you stand out of the saddle!

Sounds like you'd fit the same bike I'm getting - 546 top tube, 531 seat tube, 172 head tube. Shame its 2k for the frame alone

Presume Ribble do something in carbon with the same geometry as Reddragons Nero Corsa??

Wamas

Down the Road wrote:

What saddle height has been predicted and what Handlebar drop are you using? You might find a 54 frame is a better fit

The height from bottom bracket to the top of the middle of the saddle is 786mm.
The middle of the saddle to the handlebar clamp on the stem is 674mm.
And the drop height from saddle to bar is 83mm.

I don't mind a short reach bar, so that would give an extra 10mm or so on the reach.

Wamas

guilliano wrote:

Before the bike fit was the bike comfortable to ride?

No, that was the reason I went for the fit.
I had a slight tightness behind one of my shoulder blades, which was gradually getting more uncomfotable and becoming painful. I have ridden the bike much more over the last 6 months than I did previously. Also becoming much stronger, I tend to stay in the saddle for all but the really steep stuff, and even then, I only honk for a little bit to give my legs a rest. Other time I get out the saddle are for 30 sprints on the club runs.

I knew the reach was to long, as I would gradually come off the hoods on to the flats of the bars over time.

strodey

Before the bike fit was the bike comfortable to ride?

I also ride a defy advanced and love it. The compact frame means you need a smaller size than normal (I'd ride a 58-60cm Trek but ride a 55.5cm Defy).

My first road bike as i came over from mtb's, i was amazed when i got on it, its more comfortable than my mtb giant xtc.

they put me on a tcr so i could compare and i couldnt hardly stretch to handle bars.

when fitting me they did it for the road sport option so for me an audax bike is actually a aggressive ride if that makes sense!

fortyone

You should look at the new COLNAGO ACE.

ScottieP

I ride a 56cm Allez and am also long legged/short torso. I've been guided to higher head tube lengths but still a 56cm - so Spec Roubaix, Cervelo RS, Bianchi Infinito, Colnago CLX2.0 etc. The new Verenti Rhigos looks interesting too. For me going to a 54 would give the problem already outlined of the bars being too low. I can't afford a new bike for now so have 20mm of spacers on my Allez and a turned up stem (and bars) ... probably not aesthetically ideal but it seems to work. The annoying thing for me is the bike I really fancy next is a Tarmac SL3 but I'm not sure the geometry will work for me

Down the Road

Wamas wrote:

Down the Road wrote:

What saddle height has been predicted and what Handlebar drop are you using? You might find a 54 frame is a better fit

The height from bottom bracket to the top of the middle of the saddle is 786mm.
The middle of the saddle to the handlebar clamp on the stem is 674mm.
And the drop height from saddle to bar is 83mm.

I don't mind a short reach bar, so that would give an extra 10mm or so on the reach.

Would look at a 54cm frame with a head tube of about 15 cm

Wamas

I was worried about the length of the seatpost by buying a 54 frame, but I have compared the BB to top of seatube length of a Scott CR1 compared to the Allez, and the 54" CR1 is longer than the 56" Allez by 20mm. The 54.5 horizontal distance for the CR1 54" frame would suit too. The head tube length is 160mm, so this would be fine.

The LBS I had the fit done in sells Scotts, so I'll probably go along and see what they can do. I'm sure they would swap stems etc if needed.

Thanks for the advice.

rolf_f

Wamas wrote:

I was worried about the length of the seatpost by buying a 54 frame, but I have compared the BB to top of seatube length of a Scott CR1 compared to the Allez, and the 54" CR1 is longer than the 56" Allez by 20mm. The 54.5 horizontal distance for the CR1 54" frame would suit too. The head tube length is 160mm, so this would be fine.

I was a bit too! I actually did a drawing of my frame to work out how it will look - using the geometry of the bike combined with my saddle to BB dimension. The seat post actually came out shorter than it does in the catalogue illustrations (which do show a lot of seat post) so I think it will be OK

on-yer-bike

Don't forget that the seat tube angle can make a big difference to the reach. Look at the video on the Cervelo website that explains reach. I ride a 56 Cervelo and a 54 Allez the reach is the same on both bikes with the same stem. The Allez is lower at the front even with 35mm of spacers.
I have quite long legs for my height too.

sagalout

I had a similar sizing issue, 6ft, longish legs, shortish body and shortish arms. I found the Trek Madone to be very comfy after LBS fitting so bought one (56cm Madone 4.5). I really notice the difference in comfort over my older 'standard' 56cm bike. It feels much more 'sit up' which means I can actually use the drops a bit

Cant comment on warranty issues as nothing has gone wrong in the 5 months I've had it.

richa

Spesh Roubaix 54. T/T is 548mm. Headtube is 165. (Giant Defy Advanced M is the same). No need for going mad with spacers. And both within budget.