High top tubes versus sloping?
 

the benefits of a sloping TT are obvious - easy mounting and dismounting. when you need to come to an abrupt stop, the risk of smashing your family jewels on the upper bar is drastically reduced if not eliminated.

http://www.bikemastertool.com/images...jpg?1311018692


are there any benefits to having the more traditional high horizontal TT that I might be overlooking?



ouch.

You may have to purchase an adapter if you want to mount the sloping tube frame onto some vehicle bicycle racks.

That bike has a pretty high standover, even with sloping top tube.

The med has 30" standover. You can get 54cm roadies with level TT and the same standover.

The advantage would be you could have the saddle a few cm above the bars without resorting to a 450mm seatpost.

This is your second thread on the subject. Why the obsession?

The point of contact on either will be about the same- midway between the seat and the head tube. The sloping looks like it has more clearance, but really doesn't.

Sloping top tubes are great for folks that like high bars, though.

I'd rather roll this, similar standover to the DB, it has a little slope though:

http://www.shopslipstreamsports.com/...c_0091_2_1.jpg

that could be an advantage on road bikes if you like to be in the hunched over tuck position to maximize your speed and aerodynamics. not so important for hybrid riders who want to be in a more comfortable upright position.


my other thread was more about humor. this is a more serious thread to discuss the pros and cons of each.

Meh, saddle higher than bars even on my MTBs. YMMV :)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7269/7...31c3ec7e_b.jpg
2012-08-26_19-32-18_822 by Lester Of Puppets, on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7097/7...cf8405c4_b.jpg
P5170148 by Lester Of Puppets, on Flickr

what part of the tube? I dont know where or how they measure the standover since it varies on a sloping tube.

Not sure where DB measures theirs, but Trek seems to do it a little in front of the BB. I'd imagine you're most likely to straddle the bike somewhere between the L and the front of the M circle, if you're a frequent bike straddler.

http://s7d4.scene7.com/is/image/Trek...0,0&iccEmbed=0

I thought the advantage was for the manufacturer. They can offer far less sizes with a sloping top tube.

That's a big reason. They can make 4 sizes instead of 10.

If you are mounting your bike over the top tube you are doing it wrong. Your leg swings over the back wheel and saddle, unless you are riding a step through bicycle.

Over the back wheel? No way! Picnic basket's in the way. ;)

For short legged folks like my wife, 26 inch inseam, the sloping downtube is GREAT! with the sloping tt, she can ride a 13 inch reg. frame, other wise she'd have to ride a 15 in. mixtie or womens framed bike as she says, they never FEEL as solid as the reg. style, YMMV.

Back in the day when MTBs started getting sloping top tubes a lot of makers only sloped them for smaller frames. Back then you wanted a higher seat cluster, though, which allowed for higher canti bosses, which reduced heel/brake arm strike. This made horiz top tubes a plus for larger MTB frames.

Then there were a couple of years of UBrakes, then lower profile Canti arms, then V-brakes allowed the super slope and discs do as well.

And the stoker may complain.

Ooof! Hahaha!

yes but often times you will be standing over the top tube when you're stopped at a light for example. to get back on the bike you slide backward onto the seat.

I never, ever do that. Only one foot off for stoplights, sometimes trackstand if the light ain't too long.

I wouldn't do it either if I'm on a bike with level TT. it doesn't feel comfortable to have the TT riding up your butt. but on a bike with sloping top tube its possible to comfortably straddle the TT when stopped because of the greater clearance.

Even on my step thru cruiser I don't feel the desire to remove both feet from pedals and butt from saddle for a stoplight. To me, taking both feet off the pedals is like turning off the ignition in my car.

One foot on pedal and one on the ground and I have plenty of TT clearance on level TT bikes that fit, even some that are too big.

well everyone is different. I do it all the time. not always but I do it.

It's easier for you to straddle the top tube flat footed at a stop because you're riding a folder with 20" wheels, on the sidewalk no less. At least that is what you stated in post #20 of this thread: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...=#post14722432

Yup. Had to learn that the hard way when we first got our Mocha.

you have a vivid imagination. I said no such thing in that post. I didn't say anything about top tubes in that post. nor mentioned anything about flat feet.