Originally Posted by
Wildwood
(...) are short TTs on large Dutch bikes a ‘thing’???
Originally Posted by
JaccoW
I'm not sure about the top tubes on all Dutch bikes but it certainly does seem to be the case on Batavus bikes from that era. [MENTION=173992]non-fixie[/MENTION] might be able to give you a better answer because he has a bigger sample size.
(...)
Interesting question. I've never considered short TT's to be a Dutch quality, but then again I've never given it much thought either. I've always assumed it to be more of an "era thing". Up until the late seventies a "fistful of seat post" was considered correct (which equals 11cm, according to one publication
). After that top tubes became longer, or probably more correct: frames became less tall.
I haven't measured all my top tubes, but I'm pretty sure the one with the biggest ST to TT ratio is actually Japanese. A 63 x 56 cm Miki-built frame. It was originally built for a Dutch brand (Union), though. Originally sold as a true racer, its measurements (short wheelbase, French fit) make it well-suited for my credit card touring needs:
