More Aggressive Geometry

fatdaz

I've been riding for 4 years now progressing in that time from 15 mile jaunts on an old Dawes steel hybrid to multiple rides of 20 - 100 miles per week on a Bianchi Infinito. I've had the Bianchi for a little over a year now and absolutely love it but I am looking to treat myself to a new bike largely for no reason other than I want to.

Originally I was looking at the Infinito CV which I love the look of but I will be keeping the current Bianchi and I assume the CV will feel like more of the same. This has got me wondering whether I should look for something much different to the Bianchi for the new bike. I like the idea of using the Bianchi for longer rides but getting something more racy for shorter, faster rides. One of the chief drivers for buying the Bianchi was comfort but I am now a fitter and better cyclist than I was when I bought the Bianchi so I am wondering whether I could be comfortable enough on a racier bike.

In your experience how much less comfortable would a properly sized and fitted, racier spec bike be and will I know enough on a 45 minute test ride to know whether I can get comfortable on one? I'm happy to be driven by the "get the one you love the look of" mantra but I don't necessarily want 2 the same but on the other hand I don't want to waste money on something I can never get comfortable on

Grill

No less comfortable.

ForumNewbie

Don't know what age you are, but it might be less comfortable if you are in your 50s like me

I've just looked at the Bianchi Infinito CV online and it looks a lovely bike, as it should do at over £7k! Certainly looks more racey than the Infinito you have, but would you pay that much just for more aggresive geometry?

fatdaz

Having been consistently over 105kg I made myself a promise that if I got below 90 I would treat myself to whatever bike I wanted (within reason). It seemed an easy promise to make as my weight never changed much. Now at 94kg and dropping it seems a little more real.

I think the Infinito CV with Di2 and disc brakes looks amazing but it's an awful lot of money for something which I suspect will feel a lot like what I have now

John.T

It probably will not feel a lot different. A little lighter and perhaps better vibration damping. The biggest difference will be how you feel when riding it. The geometries will probably be similar. Have you checked the geo charts for both, they will tell you. Nowadays most top end bikes are comfortable if set up right.
I would not worry about your age. I am 71 but just check what I ride in my sig. I am comfortable on all of them. Set up is the key.

fatdaz

Thanks for the responses

What I've taken from this is that I will be comfortable enough on any properly fitted bike.

My concern was about being uncomfortable in a more aggressive ar*e up, head down position

John.T

Your position is pretty well up to you. Both frames look to have very similar geometry for the same size.

fatdaz

Sorry, crossed wires

I was looking at the Infinito CV but what I'm thinking is that the CV will be too similar to what I have now so I am now thinking of getting something far more aggressive for a different riding experience. My worry was whether I won't be able to cope with a much more aggressive style

declan1

I would personally stick with the bike that's comfortable. You're not going to notice a performance difference just using a more aggressive geometry for shorter rides, plus your body will not like the constant swapping between bikes.

John.T

r

declan1 wrote:

I would personally stick with the bike that's comfortable. You're not going to notice a performance difference just using a more aggressive geometry for shorter rides, plus your body will not like the constant swapping between bikes.

+1. If you are not comfortable you will only go slower or stop sooner.

dennisn

I think the word "comfortable" is way overused as far as road racing type bikes are concerned. While there are plenty of people out there claiming they are "very comfortable" on their bikes, I'm of the opinion that that statement should read "as comfortable as road bike will allow". The OP needs to remember that we are not talking about lounge chairs or sofas here and comfort is a relative thing.

briantrumpet

dennisn wrote:

The OP needs to remember that we are not talking about lounge chairs or sofas here ...

We might be...

dennisn

briantrumpet wrote:

dennisn wrote:

The OP needs to remember that we are not talking about lounge chairs or sofas here ...

We might be...

You make a good point. At 65 years old it would seem that a bike like that has great appeal to me.

larkim

If doing something different is your reward, why not think about a TT / Triathlon bike instead? Or just sell your existing Infinito and get the CV instead? Depends how much money you've got to burn really

John.T

dennisn wrote:

briantrumpet wrote:

dennisn wrote:

The OP needs to remember that we are not talking about lounge chairs or sofas here ...

We might be...

You make a good point. At 65 years old it would seem that a bike like that has great appeal to me.

You are getting soft Dennis. At 71 none of mine look remotely like that. ;-)

dennisn

John.T wrote:

dennisn wrote:

briantrumpet wrote:

dennisn wrote:

The OP needs to remember that we are not talking about lounge chairs or sofas here ...

We might be...

You make a good point. At 65 years old it would seem that a bike like that has great appeal to me.

You are getting soft Dennis. At 71 none of mine look remotely like that. ;-)

Well, neither do mine but you have to admit that there is some appeal there.

Grill

I keep a sofa conveniently located halfway through my routes.

pianoman

Doesn't the Infinito CV start with Athena for three and a half grand?

If you find that comfortable and are happy with the speed you're going then there's no reason to force yourself to go for a low-front bike. I'm the right side of 30 (until this December at least) and I've always ridden a size 56 bike, but with a head tube which, if measured in its entirety (bottom of hea tube to top of cone spacer) comes out as 20cm! That might seem very much like a sportive bike but I've only taken one 10mm spacer out since then to drop the front to 19cm, yet I see people of my height riding 54cm TT's with a similar reach (because their front ends are 15cm or lower). I did once own such a bike that I was trying to use for TT's and tri's as well as road use but it wasn't as good as a TT bike for racing and as road bike, I quickly found it unrideable due to the huge saddle-bar drop.

Maybe I'm just clumsy but it illustrates the importance of being on a bike that suits you, not what someone else has put into your head. I'd happily buy an Infinito CV if only I had that sort of money to play with - as it is I'm likely looking at the likes of a Merida Scultura/Wilier Izoard which both have balanced geometries and are a bit easier on the wallet :P