Originally Posted by
not_jason
Of course, "looking dorky" is in the eye of the beholder. I've proven in the past that I am perfectly willing to cross my own arbitrary lines of taste, like that shot of my Rush Hour a few posts above this. I'll do it again, if necessary, in the interest of giving this bike a fair shot. I'm also willing, if necessary, to admit defeat and either pass this bike along or put it in my collection of pretty things that barely get used (though that is a collection I'm trying to put a cap on). The real purpose of this thread though is to hear from people who think it's possible to straddle that line of aesthetic snobbery and drastic posture correction without short changing either. I believe it's possible, so I wanted to draw inspiration from those pioneers who have done it well.
Hey not_jason, the "looking dorky" is a done deal, there will always be someone that'll bash your set up but who gives a damn. As far as the "aesthetic snobbery" goes, I think that can be solved (if possible to solve "taste" and "choice") by the pairing of a fine stem with an equally fine handlebar. I'm a sucker for Schwinn Cimarron mountain bikes, those lugged and fillet brazed, double butted CrMo, top-of-the-line gems from a declining Schwinn (1985-1989)... I have four of them and I'm finishing up two of them right now. Both of these bikes I went with a high rise Nitto quill stem ("Dirt Drop" & Technomic) coupled with a unique handlebar (SOMA Sparrow & Rivendell/Nitto Albatross) to create my ideal riding position, one for the trail ("Dirt Drop"/Sparrow) and one for commuting (Technomic/Albatross). The Albatross was flipped in a drop bar set up as opposed to a "townie" position. Both bikes are unusual but have been pretty well received from most who've seen them in project pics. My Cimarrons are sizing up to be very comfortable bikes, I suppose they would look "Dorky" to some riders but they aren't riding and if they work for me, then so be it and I'll not be bothered either way. I would add that I believe nice components mask "dorkiness" on a bike, a little bike jewelry never hurt! Possibly you might consider trying to find a taller/longer used Technomic stem, build your C'dale and see how it works out. If it's no good, sell it and keep the Technomic stem for your spare parts bin (should you be faced with a similar situation in the future).
Good luck!
-D-
p.s. Here are my two current builds:
