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Old 04-11-18, 04:52 PM
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Maelochs
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Bikes: 2015 Workswell 066, 2017 Workswell 093, 2014 Dawes Sheila, 1983 Cannondale 500, 1984 Raleigh Olympian, 2007 Cannondale Rize 4, 2017 Fuji Sportif 1 LE

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So ... do i read this wrong or are you looking for a Gran Fondo a size or two smaller?

If you want you can set up a bike to be as "aggressive" as you like----slammed stem, long stem .... long-reach bars ....

I know the Cervelo R3/R5 has a tall head tube for the reach relative to many other "racy" bikes ... (I ride an R5 clone.) The Canyon you mention ... shorter top tube, taller head tube ... isn't that what you want?

What is "racy" to you anyway?

Do you want to ride stretched out, flat-backed, perforce, because it is all the frame allows? Great, if you have the quads and core to support that, but it might get hard after a while.

Do you want pretty much a slammed stem? That is really only an aesthetic consideration but if it is what you want you should get it.

if the Tarmac didn't suit you .... maybe you don't want a 'racy" riding position. it looks cool from the outside but the pros aren't interested in comfort.

I might play with my existing bike ... raise and lower the seat, move the saddle back and forth ... until you were absolutely sure of the saddle/BB relationship I wanted.

Then I would prop the bike up and try leaning forward and try to figure where optimally my hands would fall in the riding position I felt I could maintain for as long as I'd like to ride.

That might get you ballpark on where you need your control surfaces. then you can work backwards and figure out where the stem would end up, etc. I wouldn't cut ti too close---I did this and found that after a while all my "perfect" relationships between control surfaces changed a little---but get ballpark, figure whatever stem length you find reasonable .... if you have a ruler and a protractor you can even do little frame sketches.

An alternative is to sit on a lot of bikes.

Based on the numbers above ... you think you want less stack and the same reach? Are you happy with the relationship between the saddle and the pedals?
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