Originally Posted by highlyselassie
...Where did this 1 inch clearance thing come from anyway, why an inch, why stop there?. Why not 2 or 3 inches, surely this is safer still. It seems, like so many things bicycle related, someone plucked this idea from the air and the forces of fear and marketing(in las vegas?) have made it stick.
Decades of experience spawned the "one-inch rule." There is a good reason for it whether you think so or not. Despite your assertions that clothing or habit can compensate for a lack of top tube clearance, common experiences by tens (hundreds?) of thousands of riders disagree. For road bikes, an inch of clearance is prudent; for MTBs, more.
The "sloping top tube" AKA compact frame geometry that you also dismiss is intended to eliminate the standover problem, allowing the rider to select the correct
top tube length. Again, whether or not you like it, it works.
So to summarize your post, you were wrong yesterday, you are wrong today, and you'll be wrong forever. It's just that simple.
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Nishiki road bike, Raleigh road bike, Electra Cruiser Lux 7d, Electra Townie 3i, Electra Townie 1, Whatever I find today!