Originally Posted by
chasm54
LOL. Speaking as an arthritic boomer who is still more of a lard-ass than any racing cyclist has any right to be, but who rides maybe four times that far, I buy this description. Nonetheless there is a place for slightly more relaxed geometry.
There you go. I like the TCR, too, but mine got squeaky and saggy.
Speaking of things staying the same, here's a profile shot of the Great One waiting for the action to start at the 1974 Tour.
The frame is a DeRosa, 58.5 cm C-C (60 C-T), 57 cm top tube, ~73 degree seat tube, ~73.5 head tube, moderate bottom bracket drop (probably 70 mm), and moderate fork rake (probably 43 mm). 175 mm cranks, 13 cm stem, Cinelli 66 bar, 42 cm wide. Eddy's custom bikes were short in the top tube to accommodate his lanky physique. Aside from the top tube, Ugo DeRosa's handiwork, and Eddy's drillium, this is a pretty conventional bike.
Top tubes on stock bikes got almost uniformly longer in the '80s. Handlebars got wider, too. A lot of riders who weren't built like Greg LeMond simply sized down or got shorter stems. Today's longer head tubes make sizing down a lot easier.