Originally Posted by
lhbernhardt
... the level tube is an advantage when you are stopped and you want something to rest against. With a level-tt bike, you can:
b) you can get off the bike completely and use the bike as a portable rail. You just turn and sit on the top tube while you hold a brake lever with one hand (you can even squeeze it to keep the bike from rolling), and rest your other elbow on the saddle! With a slanting top tube, the sittable portion is either too low or you slide sideways on it.
So yes, there are good reasons for the level top tube besides the aesthetics.
Luis
Good point! The level top tube on my Bridgestone RB-1 came in very handy on that day on BRAG in '92 when we stopped at a rest stop in Braselton, GA. We were greeted by Kim Basinger, who basically owned the town. After my friends and I flirted with her for a while, she said she wanted to ride a bike. I had the quickest reflexes and offered my bike. She immediately realized that with the dress she was wearing, she would not be able to straddle the bike, so she sat on the top tube and I pushed her around the parking lot.
I have carried a camera on every day of BRAG since not having one that day.
