Originally Posted by
kimjo2000
Appreciate the input but ~1 cm TT given the longer HT (per Campag4life) would make that big of a difference?
Here is the issue. Asking on the internet about frame sizing and fit isn't really a very good idea even though you are well intentioned. You will get many opinions and they will contradict one another...sometimes dramatically. This is because each of us have a much different opinion born as much of personal preference as difference in body size or proportion. Take JMR's response. From where I sit, its pretty hard to believe...and yet he owns both bikes. I am 6'1" with 35 inch cycling inseam. In theory I have a shorter torso than either you or JMR and yet I prefer even a longer top tube and bigger bike. My Look was 57 cm center to center...which is the equivalent of 59cm center to top. Also, you may want to look again at your Look frame size...I have never seen a 56cm Look. Looks are measured center to center and in my experience sized in odd numbers...55, 57, 59 etc...see below 585 chart. My Look if anything was too small for me...head tube too short for my long legs and I ran a 140mm stem on it...so I could have sized up even more. A 59cm top tube works best for me...influenced slightly by sta...more laid back sta shortens top tube for same fore/aft position on the bike...another reason why larger bikes don't increase much in reach in spite of longer top tube...many have a more laid back seat tube angle. So I prefer a bike sized 60-62cm to satisfy both distance from bars and comfortable bar height for proper torso angle on the hoods. Some guys ride with their handlebar close in and a lot of drop and to me it is the wrong way to ride...too much weight on the hands...cramped and not as powerful out of the saddle.
A geometry comparison isn't hard to make...you can easily post both frame geometries and compare stack and reach if trig isn't your thing. There is very little between the two frames you are comparing in terms of overall reach for the simple fact that a taller head tube will move the bars closer to your shoulder joints and reduce your effective reach and erode the minor 1cm top tube difference. Sta also factors in based upon effective reach. What you will find when comparing stack and reach of many frames is...reach doesn't change much for larger frames because higher stack erodes increase in top tube length...taller head tube moves the bars back based upon cosine of hta. So bars are both taller and farther back for larger frames offset by a longer top tube. In summary, frames change more in height then they do in horizonal reach...former dramatically changes comfort on longer rides.
For me personally, it would be a no brainer and you would be more comfortable on the bike with longer top tube and taller head tube. But you will get many opinions on the subject and at the end of the day, you need to own different bikes to make the best decision. In the cosmos of bikes there are many more riser stems and stem spacer stacks than slammed stems for the simple fact that a higher handlebar within reason is generally more comfortable..although there is diminishing return past a certain point...handlebar above saddle height.
See Look 585 geometry chart...note...frames are odd and not even sized...center to center...no 56.