As You Like It

My Burley has a mild slope to the top tube, and the aesthetics of it never entered into the consideration of buying this bike. If aesthetics had been a concern, those butt-ugly Velomax wheels would have run me off!

Edited to note: this is a women's specific bike, what with me being a short-ish woman (5'5"). I'm sure the sloped top tube is part of what makes this a women's specific. What drew me to this particular bike was actually the shifter levers, which are a short-reach adapted STI. I bet over the course of my shopping around, I test-rode about 20 bikes, and this was the first one where I didn't practically dislocate my thumbs when I tried to brake hard.

Monument Man

I'm a sucker for traditional geometry. Although a buddy of mind has an all-CF compact geo bike and i'd take it over my steel/Sora cross rig any day of the week.

Serpico

as you,

that burley is awesome, please remove those velomax decals from the rims though--velomax graphics are ugly imho, plus they're velocity rims ;-)

TheKillerPenguin

word. my mtn. bike has a horizontal top tube.

Tequila Joe

Here is a better example of a Allez. IMO it doesn't look like an old mans tourer, mountain bike, BMX or a girls bike. Other folks may have different opinions as beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I own and ride both traditional and compact geometry bikes and like them both equally. The "ride & feel" of a bike is more important to me than "looks".

T.J.

superstar4410

that are the scientific benefits of both???

Rich22

Do the compact frames like the allez help reduce neck strain because the stem is in closer proportion to the seat height than in something like a traditional frame?

daytonian

Too many ...pictures ... of ....c-c-compacts....need air.......

my58vw

Compact, traditional... WHO CARES!

I personally would not have a compact because I would need a 400mm seat post to ride one... but I wish I could ride a soloist ....

I like the midely sloping top tubes like the 2 degree slope...


Everyone to their own opinion.

TheKillerPenguin

Beautiful bike in person. I love how the rear wheel cuts into the seat tube.

Snuffleupagus

I like my compact

dfw

Sloping top tubes make a lot of sense for shorter riders. A Lemond Sarthe in a 51 frame has a 30.2" standover height. A Trek Pilot in a 52 frame has a 28.9" standover height. Personally I'd just as soon my boys not be black and blue at the end of a ride just so I can have a bike that "looks cool", but that's just me.

Compact geometry also makes frames stiffer. There is the argument that a longer seat post negates this advantage, but certainly not when you are standing up which is when a stiff frame matters most.

qmsdc15

Well, I wasn't arguing. Just my opinion about how it looks. If he flipped the stem over, removed the spacers and cut down the steer tube, the bars might be in exactly the same position and it would look better to me. Negative rise stem is fine if you need one to get the position you want.

Ullrich's bike looks like it is set up for a rider with a very strong back and flexible hamstrings. Even though the hbars are really low relative to the saddle, his stem still has a little rise. That looks hot!

AlanS

Aesthetically, I like to see a bunch of horizontal lines:
(1) horizontal top tube
(2) horizontal stem ( I hate inverted stems )
(3) horizontal saddle top surface.
(4) some of the newer handlebars have a flat surface when viewed from the side (e.g. Orbea Orca).

Just for aesthetics -- and to each his own.

skinnyone

I likes some of the compacts.. Cervelos and Giants make nice lookin compact frames.. not a fan of the tarmac though...

Flaneur

I suppose it's good for business, persuading us to ride a restricted range of frame sizes........?

I have long enjoyed riding custom steel frames and I've nothing against sloping top tubes- but I can't stand the aesthetics of aheadstems, or any other non-horizontal stem.

apmech

Personally I really like the way sloping top tubes look.. True.. at first, I thought it was rather odd looking, but like other things, it grows on you.. The plus side is that I like the way it feels beneath me while climbing.. But of course, that is my opinion... Ultimately, if the bike gets you out there riding then who gives a hoot what style frameset it is.. one less car on the road right??

qmsdc15

I saw a Land Shark with a quill stem today, it did look cool, but I guess I've gotten used to aheadsets stems. It struck me how unusual the (Ibis) quill looked today. Flaneur, you are really holding on to some old fashions. Do you still wear flared leg jeans?

ViperZ

That ahead stem system ushered in the day when it was ok to make Road Bikes look like mountain bikes. Before that most road components had a sculpted look with hidden bolts and forged or cast bodies. Now a days the same stems can be used on a MTB or a Road Bike with exposed welds and bigassed bolts clamping the assembly together.

Some of the prettiest Road stems made:







Nowadays we're treated to reversible stems with no styling and looks like it belongs on a park swing set:


Sigh... The Retro Grouch in me is missing the good old days when Road Bicycles had some character and were like rolling Art rather than modern MTBs.

Don't get me wrong I do like the new tech too, but I also long for those Classic Italians, when Rossins and De Rosa were king, Colnagos were made in Italy and everyone knew that Shimano shifted better than Campy, but didn't care. What mattered was that Giuseppe poured many of his tears sculpting the C-Record Delta brake. It performed like crap, but we didn't care...



I suppose I did care, that's why I always chose Shimano over Campy, but I respected those that had the love for Campy


One day when I have completed bulding a new high-tech bike, I'm going to build a classic Italian with Super Record or C Record stuff from the 80's



Like this with out the ergo levers... Ok maybe with... I'll have to ask the Retro grouch

As You Like It

Thanks! I've been having Mighty Big Fun with it. It's pretty much the perfect bike for me.

I'm going to be working over those decals tomorrow. I had a rather messy ride today, so the bike's going to need a thorough cleaning and going over, and I'll see if I can't ease them off, then. They are so madly fugly!

daytonian

Gotta represent the other way to ride Litespeed, no paint and traditional geom.

Wurm

I'm tellin' ye ladies & germs - when I order my Orbea Spirit frame, it's gonna be traditional or ain't gonna be happenin'. The good thing is: Orbea will build it Trad or slope.

For now, I'm A-OK with this rig:

Chucklehead

sick

TehArrow

i hate the lines on that bike =\ it doesnt LOOK fast. its looks like a cruiser

AP1EKWAN

Nice paint on the Tarmac... I just upgraded to one =)