Originally Posted by
rruff
I wouldn't call a 50mm increase in drop aggressive... I'd call that stupid... as in you are totally taking a shot in the dark by forcing yourself into that. Do you really have a 40mm spacer cone now with a 190mm headtube? That seems extreme... plus, if you want a greater drop, then why haven't you removed it?
I had not changed out my headset because I knew that at some point soon, I would have a new and improved frameset/bike
here is an older picture of my setup. you can vaguely see the size of the cone, underneath the stem:
I mean even if you got the 57 and had a 20mm spacer, that is still 50mm more drop than you now have. I'm not saying you couldn't do it... I'm 6' with a 34in inseam, and ride a 145mm headtube with no spacers. So with your shorter legs it wouldn't be nearly as much drop as I have. But still, it's a huge change to make all at once. And because you have a long torso, it might be impossible for you to get enough reach even with a long stem.
I'd say go with at least a 57 to get enough reach. That frame would look good with a -17 stem, if you decide you want more drop at some point.
if the frame has the potential for that much drop, I don't necessarily have to use the full drop.
I agree, however, with your perspective: my only worry in going with the 55 frame was that I might not be able to get the proper fit no matter how I changed the stem