Hi,

As I consider my first steel bike, I have been very seriously considering the Gunnar Sport.
However, after studying the geometry of the 56cm and 58cm size (Im 5 11 1/2"), I think
that the top tube slope may be just a little bit too pronounced for my liking. The slope degree for these 2 sizes is around 8.5 degrees. I do NOT want horizontal top tube.

So, I may go custom Waterford with their equivalent, the ST-14, so I can have have them
do a more minimal slope of around 3-4 degrees.

So I am just wondering what folks here prefer for the top tube style of a "sport touring" frame...horizontal or sloped?

I want the frame to be designed with emphasis on comfort first. I am NOT a racer and
more of an avid recreational rider and enjoy moderate pace at 13/14mph while doing
25, 50 miles casual rides and taking in nature and my surroundings.

Thanks

I got short legs so traditional geometry never really worked for me. Sloping compact geometry has been a sizing savior to me, modern sizing is light years ahead of the limited sizing options of the 70s.

If you don't have really short legs, you should be looking more on the top tube and head tube length and angle rather than whether it slopes or not. Head tube length gets overlooked. This measurement dictates how high your handlebar can be especially if the steerer tube is carbon since you can only have about 35-40mm of headset spacers. The height and the reach of the handlebar determines your riding position. Too low and you have neck/back issues. For 25-50miles, too high and you have the same bodily issues. You have to find a happy medium.

Horizontal.

Horizontal top tube looks faster, more performance oriented. Sloping makes the bike look more comfort, relaxed in design.

I know it's a false perception, many great race bikes have sloping top tubes these days, so it's ultimately an irrelevant determiner of comfort vs. performance.

Look at head tube length, head tube height, head tube angle, and wheelbase as better geometry metrics for performance vs. comfort.

Just the opposite. I don't think you can buy a new racing bike made over the last few yaers with a horizontal top tube. They all have sloping ones. So if one gets used to seeing nothing but sloping tubes, horizontal looks slow.

Sloped is more comfortable for me. Most of my bikes are horizontal though. In the future I'll probably generally prefer sloped now that I've ridden some in the proper size and realize how nice it is.

I also have short legs.

By nachomanh at 2010-07-27
Almost horizontal.

It doesn't matter what the bike looks like. You won't be looking down at your bike while trying to go fast. But Menel is right, look at the HT angle, WB, and HT legnth as what the actual geometry is.

Disagree.

Felt, Cannondale, BMC, Scott and probably others all have flat to minimal slope on top tubes.

As long as the bike fits me I couldn't care less.

I've been wondering this myself. How does the top tube determine the seating position? They say a sloping tube is more for comfort and a flat tube is for hunkered-over racing. If the seat is the same height from the pedals and the handlebar is the same distance from the seat and the drop is the same, how does the top tube change anything? To me it seems to be more about style. Flat tubes look a little old-school, and sloping tubes are more modern. But I really know squat about cycling, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

I hate sloping top tubes. It just never made any sense that what you lose in frame tubing you gain in seatpost and the seatpost would be heavier!!!

It doesn't change performance vs. comfort, it alters other aspects of the bike's road feel and weight.

The aesthetics are all in personal perspective.

There are very race oriented bikes with sloped (Specialized, Giant, etc) and race oriented bikes with flat (Cannondale, Felt, etc.)
There are comfort oriented bikes with sloped (most) but there are flat TT comfort bikes as well, mostly tourers (Bianchi Volpe)

The only down side I've seen to sloping top tubes is that on smaller frames, you often can't fit a large bottle in the back cage. Other than that, it's doesn't matter to me. I used to like flat top tubes and then gradually got used to compact designs.

I'm starting to understand this. I've only been riding for a few months, but every single bike store I have asked the question and almost all websites explain that sloping tubes are designed for comfort and flat tubes are for racing. As long as the frame fits, the angle of the tube shouldn't matter. I'm wondering if this is all advertising gimmics and largely accepted myth.

Id prefer to split the difference!

I do not like the look of completely horizontal top tube, yet on the other hand, a too
extreme (9 degrees or so) sloping top tube looks weird. So a upslope of around 3 to 4
degrees looks perfect to me!

I will need to go custom with Waterford if I chose this option. Also, take a look at the
Rinvendell A. Homer Hillsen frame...they have a upslope of around 2 degrees. I LOVE the
look of that frame.

I've got the SuperSix and I'm pretty sure Cannondale engineers know how to build a frame. Whatever they're selling, I'm buying. Well, on Ebay.

From a purely aesthetic perspective, I hate sloping toptubes, and love horizontal toptubes.

But it would have to be a 100% All-Other-Things-Are-Equal situation for that to influence my buying decision.

I just found this out yesterday. I just barely fitted a 20oz water bottle on the back cage. I can't use it though when I ride since it is so damn tight, I have to stop and fill my front water bottle. Sorta sucks. maybe another bottle cage would solve this small issue. I just need maybe another half inch to an inch of clearance. Any bottle cages that have a lot of adjustment possibilities out there?

Same here, but dislike/like instead of hate/love. My new frame is compact.

I always keep my primary bottle in my front cage and once it is empty I just swap them out. Could you not get by with doing that?

What if your primary bottle is a large one?

531: They make side loading bottle cages that might solve your problem.

This.

His post said that he could barely fit the bottle in there, that should be enough to allow the switch. The side loading cage would be better but until then my idea should work.

*edit- brain fart. I was thinking 20 oz was the large bottle. Still yet I would rather use two 20 oz bottles than one 24 oz bottle.

^ Agreed on the 2 small over 1 large, but (only speaking for myself) I carry 2 28oz bottles on some of my longer rides where water is not available. Sometimes with an additional 20oz bottle in my jersey pocket. I can't imagine not being able to fit that much on my bike when needed... maybe I'd get a hydration pack.

I just about always carry two large bottles myself and have been known to have a 20 oz in my jersey as well. I also know a few places along my routes to stop for additional water. I'm guessing that a side mount cage is the way to go for 531 though, but if not then go with two 20's.