CHIROMED0

Okay, I'm 38 and 38lbs overweight and I'm thinking my 'no weight limit' m/l Ghisallo (old style), while beautifully light at barely over 13 lbs, is probably not the safest machine for me especially if I do return to competitive cycling. So I've eyeballed some alternatives and want some feedback.

I'm not a big pundit of custom frame building. At least for me spending $$$$ more just to have a couple of millimeters here and there added is fruitless. I've seen LA on bikes from 54 to 58 cm and he could win on both so what does it really matter. If it's close move the seat and handlebars: Presto...custom fit. At my weight/condition NOTHING is going to be terribly comfortable right now anyway so I wouldn't notice the difference.

So here's my list in order of preference:

1. Colorado Cyclist 6/4 Pro Compact. Looks like what I've got now with a little more meat on the downtube and top tube which is what Litespeed did anyway with the recent Ghisallo while thinning out the tubes even more. Say's it's 2 lbs but most people weigh in grams...a little skeptical when they start talking pounds instead of grams, a little less accurate. Anyone got any experience with this frame?

2. Another Litespeed like the Vortex or the Archon. These puppies are pricey for what you get I think but hey, a Ghisallo is ludicrous so I got no room to talk. Except mine was mint and I paid a little less than $2K for it. "One man's divorce...another man's treasure." Anyway, are these worth the nickel since they weigh more, too. Aluminum is cheaper and alu/carbon is compliant anyway.

3. Cannondale System Six. I used to love riding on C'Dale. It was like riding on a bicycle made of PVC pipe or one made out of beer cans. Oddly enough, I remember smacking my vastus medialis (inner knee) alot during mad sprints in criterium racing with that fat tube though and that **** hurt. Anyway, this beast is plenty fat for us fat guys and I have no illusion that it will be a plush ride although it seems like a good middle ground. I rarely keep bikes over a few years now and am concerned even a top of the line C'dale still doesn't hold much value.

Looking for feedback, especially on the Pro Compact since it's close to what I have now and appears to have some more strength built in. No way to tell since no information is available ANYWHERE on Douglas frames other than Litespeed or Ti Sports is the mfg. Either way nobody is talking.

Thanks if anyone cares to reply or offers to buy.

rog

I can't really give you any firsthand input, but I have read, on these very forums, that the Ghisallo is a flexy little critter, so if you're overweight, you may want to look somewhere else.

zzzwillzzz

don't confuse precision with accuracy. 2 pounds might be 907.18474 grams but either way it doesn't mean what they're telling you is true.

incorrect. i wouldn't adjust the saddle to crank relationship just to reach the bars. that should remain the same.
it's true most people fall with in the normal range and don't need a custom fit.

CHIROMED0

Well, I can see that some people are as bored as me so let me address these two helpful posts.

I already have a flexy ghisallo and thats why I'm asking about other frames. Ehhh????

The seat moves fore/aft and tilts which accomplishes the same thing as elongating a top tube: saddle to crank is the seat post! (Ehhhhh**********) Everyone needs a custom fit, hardly anyone needs a custom frame . I guess not everyone has hairy knuckles dragging the ground.

Measurement of weight in pounds (no decimal point)...1 pound, 2 pounds, 3pounds etc. is less accurate because the value of "2" is only measured to a precision of "1" and therefore in this instance casting doubt on the accuracy (trueness of measurement). If weighed in grams "2" pounds may equal 907.18474 with a precision of "5" decimal places but will not affect the accuracy of measurement b/c "2" lbs may have been inaccurately measured as actually 2.2, 2.5, 2.9999999999999 which is 3 lbs. So it is less accurate to measure a bicycle frame in pounds in the context of a commonly accepted standard used internationally of metric values, grams or kilograms. Seldom, if ever, pounds. So I have not confused precision with accuracy, your assessment of the information is very precise but does not accurately address the comments made. Remove the corn cob, please.

Nessism

The Compact Pro is made by Litespeed using the old Vortex down tube. I wouldn't expect it to be particularly stiff laterally since the oval down tube doesn't do much to resist sideways bottom bracket sway. If you want something on the stiffer side I'd go for a Sienna/Tuscany with the biaxial down tube - down tube is ovalized sideways at the bottom bracket to resist sway. Much better tube shaping in my opinion.

MONGO!

What size are you, I saw a used Serotta Ti today for $1800(?) think it was a 58.

VT to CA

If you're returning to competitive cycling you're gonna have to hit that 15.

What are you gonna do with a 13lb bike, ice it every race?

80vette

What about a litespeed Tuscanny?

CHIROMED0

Ya know that's an idea. Chunk 2 lbs of ice in the seat tube and drill a drain...bike gets lighter as the race gets longer. Hmmm....actually my chunky clinchers pushes it up there. Does the UCI weight limit apply now to USAC also? I didn't realize that. In fact that's stupid. I can't understand why they would want to slow down cheating...I mean progress, 8 lbs just isn't light enough for a bike.

https://www.m2racer.com/#

I thought the Vortex has a rep for being very stiff/responsive? Figured since there's a larger weld area it would resist torsional stress better than a ghisallo. My ghisallo (even the old one) has some biaxial tapering in the bottom bracket area, not completely round but not as squashed as the newer model. Truthfully, even with my fat !@# it's not a noodle. It's about as flexy as a steel frame, flexy as my Ti Airborne was 3/2.5. I had heard it was basically a Vortex compact from '06 which is kind of what I wanted. I just hate that they did a neat thing like Laser inscribing and put "Douglas" on the headtube. "Douglas" isn't really a killer name...it's like putting "Matthew or Mickey" on it. I wonder how I could cover that up.