Originally Posted by joe v
I see what you mean and respect your views, but isn't it then better to buy a citybike - much easier to adapt AND with a much more appropriate geometry? My point with the 'stempicture' is simply that here's a roadbike (designed to go fast - that's the point, isn't it) with a completely ruined geometry. There ARE other bikes better suited to other uses and I'm sure I too will ride a different bike once I'm not comfortable with that race-geometry anymore.
I think either you or I misunderstand bike geometry issues. And probaby the purpose of a road bike as well.
First off, speed is relative. If I can only do 14 mph on a city bike, and can do 15 on a road bike with a tall stem, then that is a reasonable option if I want to go 15...
Also, stem height has little to do with the geometry from a handling perspective. A road bike with a tall stem is NOT the same as a comfort frame. Especially when you consider that most comfort frames come with a suspension fork and other changes that make it significantly different from a road bike in the handling realm.
Why should one have to give up a crisp handling light bike just because one can't acheive a Lance type riding position?
Unfortunately there aren't many bikes that combine road geometry with a tall head tube... Having taken a 60+ mile ride on a city bike/comfort bike a couple of times, I am looking forward to doing it on a road bike with a tall stem.
Another factor, as one ages, a light bike can be more important than it is for a youngster wanting to cut 3 seconds off their 60 mile ride time... I know a woman with arthritis that is having trouble putting her bike on her car's rack because of the weight. If I modify a road framed bike for her (she wants riser bars) I can cut 5 pounds or more from her current comfort bike, and make it possible for her to drive to a riding location and stay in the saddle for more years...
So, in my opinion, a road bike is not exclusively about speed, and staying with a road bike is beneficial to some, with whatever modifications are needed to make that happen.