Originally Posted by
Ranchu
Thanks Scooper. Is there any benefit going with a fatter down tube, say 1-3/8" (34.9mm), and oversized seat stays? I'm concerned that it might feel like a noodle in a sprint, on the other hand, I don't want something that is unyielding on long rides either.
Personally, at 160 pounds and at your height (guessing a ~60cm frame size), I don't think you'd find an 853 frame with standard OS tubing sizes too flexy even when sprinting, and bigger tubes might make it uncomfortably stiff on longer rides. This is exactly the kind of question you should be asking your framebuilder after discussing the kind of riding you anticipate and your concerns about frame stiffness while sprinting vs. tradeoffs in comfort on longer rides.