Road Cycling - So i am about to get a Gios Compact pro

Hi all,

After your valuable input on steel italian frames i have almost decided on getting the Gios Compact Pro frame. I fell in love with the frame and features....chromed replaceable dropouts etc etc..... traditional company, 5yrs warranty....

So my question is ...since i am totaly ignorant of Gios , are they good bikes? up there with colnago, pinarello, viner etc....

A bike shop also offered me a 2003 Chorus Gruppo for the price of a 2004 Centaur gruppo...should i go for it?
Wheelset will be Campy Scirroco.

Runners up for the frame were/are , Colnago Classic, Cinelli Supercorsa.

Thanks...any input will be greatly appreciated. I want a sturdy reliable and longlasting frame...for fitness training and NOT racing...so weight is not important for me.... quality and longetivity is though.

Yannis.

for the same price... I'm thinking that 2003 Chorus is better than 2004 Centaur.

I personally don't like compact frames, but I haven't heard anything bad about 'em.

If people know about those frames, chime in as I'd like to know more too.

Maybe you could find some dejected and depressed Olympic roadie and just take his bike away from him? :D

Oh, get a triple too! ;) :D

ok, one thing though. I would not order the gios online. try to ride one somewhere. they have very steep geometry and a very short top tube. basically, the very opposite of the lemond. (I remember you were looking at lemond eariler).

I dont want you to be stuck with a gorgeous frame thats uncomfortable to ride.

I can't say enough good things about my Bianchi Volpe. Italian steel...love it. Can't beat it for the price either!!

GIOS frame quality and workmanship are top notch. If it fits go for it.

we worked on a gios compact pro frame in my shop today, installing a new fork/headset/stem for a guy. he had it decked out with record 9 and ksyrium elites.

i asked him how he liked it and he was/is super stoked on it. his other ride is a soma roadie, not sure what model though. but yeah, he's pretty much in love with the gios. taller guy, skinny, typical cyclist build.

the frame looks positively beautiful. i've had gios in the back of my mind for a new frame for a while because they're pretty reasonably priced ($670 from excelsports), and i love steel, i love the dropouts, i love the chrome lugs, and i love the geometry! the seat tube X top tube geometry is really just perfect. pretty much exactly the same as my old steel pinarello right now (50x52cm).

so basically, I WANT ONE! but i'm waiting until i'm older to get a new fancy road bike...until then, i'm just gonna upgrade the one i've got.

Thanks for the info guys...

As for fitting, i am 185cm tall, having 82cm inseam, i was thinking about a 58cm frame, what do you reckon?

for the compact pro, the 58 cm has an insanely short top tube, like 55cm. you might need a bigger size, or a really setback post.

hey phatman, wrenchscience recommended that i use an effective TT of 64cm (including stem) when i plugged in my rough measurements. I only sat on a Lemond Alpdhuez 56cm and it felt ok for me (given what i know). To give you an idea, i am using a specialized enduro SX 17" with a 70mm stem and 0 layback thomson post, it seems that even though i am 185cm my neck is longer than normal, which means that my torso corresponds to 182cm or so. Anyhow, i tire you with theoritical fitting questions since it will be extremely difficult to test ride a frame (nearly impossible) since they are available here as frame only option.

Any input will be greatly appreciated.

All three frames you mentioned are good quality frames. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

With regards to the top tube length.

When considering the top tube length, one must also consider the seat tube angle. Generally, for every 1 degree increase in steepness of the seat tube angle, you can deduct 1 cm of top tube length when comparing frames. So for example, where the Gios has a 74 deg. seat angle and a 55.5 cm top tube, the Colnago has a 73 deg seat angle and a 56.3 cm top tube. Assuming your seat is set in the same postion in relation to the Bottom Bracket on both bikes, you reach will be ~ the same within 2 mm.

These are not insanely short top tubes. In fact, this is the classic Italian geometry that so many people love because it doesn't stretch you out uncomfortably and it gives nice, brisk handling.

In addition, if you want a more upright riding position in the classic style, this allows you to buy a larger frame without getting some of the extremely long top tubes you see on some of the American frames. In my opinion, this design is very well suited to the general riding enthusiast who may not ride enough to develop the strong lower back needed for a more stretched out position.

I am 6' even with absolutely average dimensions and I have ridden bikes with 54.5 to 57 cm top tubes and I like a 56 cm top tube with a 73 deg seat angle.

All three frames you mentioned are good quality frames. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

With regards to the top tube length.

When considering the top tube length, one must also consider the seat tube angle. Generally, for every 1 degree increase in steepness of the seat tube angle, you can deduct 1 cm of top tube length when comparing frames. So for example, where the Gios has a 74 deg. seat angle and a 55.5 cm top tube, the Colnago has a 73 deg seat angle and a 56.3 cm top tube. Assuming your seat is set in the same postion in relation to the Bottom Bracket on both bikes, you reach will be ~ the same within 2 mm.

These are not insanely short top tubes. In fact, this is the classic Italian geometry that so many people love because it doesn't stretch you out uncomfortably and it gives nice, brisk handling.

In addition, if you want a more upright riding position in the classic style, this allows you to buy a larger frame without getting some of the extremely long top tubes you see on some of the American frames. In my opinion, this design is very well suited to the general riding enthusiast who may not ride enough to develop the strong lower back needed for a more stretched out position.

I am 6' even with absolutely average dimensions and I have ridden bikes with 54.5 to 57 cm top tubes and I like a 56 cm top tube with a 73 deg seat angle.

Don, i am obliged by your answer.

To be honest, i am a fan of a more upright position, coming from my freeride bike. Given what i saw from the Gios website concerning the geometry of the Compact pro, i am leaning towards the 58cm frame with a 55.5 TT 74deg seatangle. I hope that this is right give or take , and with the proper stem i ll be able to make it fit me like a glove.

Again, i appreciate your input.

Feel free to pm me for advice or further discussion
Yannis
Athens, Greece.

GIOS look sweet! The 'winning blue' always appeals to me when I spot one on the road. Breathes tradition.

I haven't got any hands-on experience with them. I recall reading one review in the German 'Tour' magazine, which was not particularly positive. But I do not remember whether it was the Compact Pro or what they thought was wrong with it. They tend to be critical when it comes to price/performance (they butchered the latest Pinarello Prince once), so if it was one of the more expensive GIOS bikes, that might explain it.

Gios are great bikes! History, tradition, passion, mixed with state of the art modern. Excel Sports sells many of their frames.