race vs endurance geometry. Does it really matter?
pep.fermi
Posts: 383
Please explain me why I'm wrong....
What ultimately matters, when it comes to bike geometry / fitting, is not really the frame, but the final position of the 3 contacts points between you and your bike: seat, feet, hands. So even with two different frames, say one race and the other endurance, you could easily achieve identical "final" position, just by adjusting seat height, seat forward-backward position, stem height, stem angle, stem length.
So why does frame geometry, stack vs reach, more race-type vs more endurance-type, receives this much emphasis?
What ultimately matters, when it comes to bike geometry / fitting, is not really the frame, but the final position of the 3 contacts points between you and your bike: seat, feet, hands. So even with two different frames, say one race and the other endurance, you could easily achieve identical "final" position, just by adjusting seat height, seat forward-backward position, stem height, stem angle, stem length.
So why does frame geometry, stack vs reach, more race-type vs more endurance-type, receives this much emphasis?
0
Comments
-
Because it's normally by people who don't understand a bike fit and marketing departments.
Race bikes generally have shorter headtubes, different angles and a shorter wheelbase which make them feel more lively.
An endurance bike will have longer headtubes and wheelbase which makes them less snappy0 -
Race bikes are also endurance bikes, by definition. You can 'race' on an endurance bike and you can also (obviously) ride 'endurance' on a race bike.
Strangely enough, there are a few guys over in France at the moment riding 'endurance' on race bikes....0 -
It really depends on the extremes of each category.
I have found the Specialized Allez (latest version) which is really a beginners endurance bike to be a remarkably good crit bike, but I do run a 130mm -17degree stem along with a 25mm setback seat post. Being tall I do find that some race bikes I just can't get to fit because they just don't go up big enough and the stack therefore gets too aggressive- for example Giant Propels/Advanced TCRs. Personally I like the feel of race bike angles with the stack of an endurance type bike.0 -
"endurance" bikes have been around for what, 10 years
,"race" bikes have been around forever
now none of the MFs are saying its a marketing coincedence but.........
OP - you are correct in your assumption..The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
0 -
If you consider the TCR (race) and Defy (endurance), then you can get the same position on the TCR with some spacers on the fork and moving the saddle, but the Defy will have a longer wheelbase, longer chain stays, more BB drop, possibly more fork trail and shallower seat tube and so the bikes will still handle differently. The lower BB of the TCR will make it slightly more aero and so faster.
However, unless they insist on a slammed stem, no one should disregard pure race bikes because they don't think they can be comfortable on them as a few spacers are probably all that's needed.1
