Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Marinoni turismo steel with alum fork?

good morning everyone I hope all is well.

Im thinking about a custom marinoni frame and contacted bicycle specialties in ontario.

im 5'10" 247lb (clyde) short legs long torso, bike will be used for commuting and longer rides /day trips /weekend centuries 4 seasons (when roads are clear) my luggage is a carradice nelson and an ortlieb handlebar bag

im looking at either the turismo or the sport tour , bicycle specialties thinks the turismo would be the better choice.

One thing that baffles me is why a Aluminum fork comes standard on a steel bike is there a reason?? I would think steel would be the standard but marinoni seems to offer carbon or aluminum

anyway Id be looking at a sloped top tube with top routed cables but would like room for 28-35 tires with fenders.

your thoughts please

have a great day

"John"

My guess is that steel forks parts are not manufactured much. Especially for the larger 1 1/8 inch steerer. And the manufacterer does not want to make them. I would replace the aluminum fork with a good carbon fiber one.

Or opt for the deluxe edition of the bike as it has a carbon fiber fork.

the turismo

That was my choice and I am happy with it. Mine came with disc brakes as I am 6'1" and at the time was 206 lbs (185 now :D ) With eighty pounds of gear it rides great and handles well. I had Campy groupo put on it, though it seems shimano is more available while out touring. www.aye1.com

I bought a tourismo last year and it is a great bike. The alum fork is actually stiffer than a steel fork. It gives a great ride when loaded and I weigh 225.

The bike I have now is a result of me going in looking for a Turismo and ending up with a lighter sport tourer instead. But that was about 9 years ago, still in Marinoni's handmade lugged Columbus steel era. Marinoni used to be a premier lugged steel frame builder, but the younger Marinoni generation abandoned that. They are just another sloped top tube aluminum frame maker now. I think "custom" means custom-ordered more than it means custom made-to-measure. They probably don't make or have any supplier of steel forks anymore.

I think Bicycle Specialties is probably right. The Turismo would be better for your heavy weight and for the size of tires you say you want. Your intended use sounds more like sport touring, but the sport touring model has lighter tubing not as suitable for a heavyweight, and it would be a tight fit for those larger tires.

You know, with a long torso, you shouldn't have any problem fitting yourself on any of the production touring bikes you can find on the market, even from makes like Norco. They all tend to be long in the cockpit.