Originally Posted by
CalebPlewe
I've been searching for a frame to make my new touring rig. I've built up, ridden, toured, and dismantled a couple bikes now. I have found a couple things I can't "just get used to": 1. A frame that is too small, 2. Weak brakes, 3. Narrow tire clearance. All three of these lessons came from my pet peeves about previous bikes I've built. Most recently, I thought I had solved all of these with a new frame. (It's an old police bike!) As it turns out, number 4 for me is a frame that is too big. I love this bike except for the fact that I can't stratle the bike without leaning to one side because the top tube is the same height as my inseam. It has caused me to crash with the bike in an emergency stop instead of hopping off to the side. Getting on and off is a pain and stopping at traffic lights is scary now. I've had it for about a month, put about 230 miles on it, and I'm pretty sure it's not something I can put up with any longer. I'm not looking for the PERFECT frame, but one that meets these standards and works with components I already have.
Am I just being picky?
What other things could you never get used to?
It is unfortunate that your top tube is too high for adequate standover height. Decades ago when all road bikes had horizontal top tubes, generically you wanted a fist full of seatpost. Meaning, exposed section of the seatpost should be roughly the width of your hand across the knuckles. It looks like that frame has that much exposed seatpost, but it does have a sloping top tube, not horizontal, thus a higher top tube where you stand over it.
That front fork looks like it is for a larger wheel size. Are those 26 inch wheels? If that fork is for 700c wheels, perhaps the correct fork would be shorter and give you a lower top tube?
That said, I think every police bike I have seen had a suspension fork. If that frame was designed for a 100mm suspension seatpost, maybe they needed that extra tall fork to make the bike ride right if a solid fork was used instead of a suspension fork?
Just thinking out loud here. If you knew the bike model and year, you might be able to find out if that is the correct fork or it it used a suspension fork.