I bastardized my first Riv, a 56cm Atlantis with a Thomson setback seatpost. Turns out the Nitto seatpost originally on there had more setback to begin with, but I was at the min insertion with the Nitto.
When I initially measured my PBH, there was some of kind bias because I had already found a bike for sale. I wanted my PBH to be 85cm, the maximum prescribed measurement for a 56 Atlantis. When the bike arrived (used, third owner) I even set the saddle height to 74.5, again per the measurement prescription. The seat was not even pushed back all the way in the rails. The bike fit and rode wonderfully. And then something happened. After about 4 months of riding the bike, the bastardization began. During every ride, the seat would get a little higher, the saddle would get pushed back a little further, the stem a little higher. Swapping out pedals for lower profile ones to get saddle height back down. Wanting longer stems and Noodle bars (over Dream) for a further reach. Adding the Thomson post from the parts bin for greater height. Putting on 50mm tires and wondering for 55s might fit to make the bike feel and ride higher. The height of bastardization: http://www.flickr.com/photos/69091655@N08/7174996127/. I wasn't happy with how it looked anymore and rode it less, forcing myself to believe it was all wrong, too small and just move on. I traded for a 59cm Hilsen frame. While tearing it down I put the saddle height and stem to aesthetically pleasing positions. I would need to be well on the small side of prescribed fit to get the bike looking right in my mind. The Atlantis is now being loved by another list member far less fickle than I. The Hilsen fit is darn near perfect and the honeymoon is well over having ridden it several hundred miles this summer. The need for geometric and aesthetic bastardization would have been abated if my initial PBH measurements were correct and I waited for a bigger bike to come along for sale. On Oct 31, 10:08 pm, Michael <john11.2...@gmail.com> wrote: > I was in an LBS (now defunct), and the owner pointed out how a traded in > road bike/fit had been "bastardized" by the previous owner by using a bent > shafted seatpost for more setback. > The owner was pointing out how the bike was too small a size for the > customer, and the bike owner had to resort to this. > > I have been wondering. *Is there really such a thing as "bastardising" a > bike/fit* to get yourself where you are comfy on a bike? > > I don't design bikes, so the only two of things I could imagine you could > do on a bike that might be considered to have "bastardising", negative > effects might be: > > 1. "Geometric Bastardization" - Altering the intended geometry of a bike? > Would it throw off the benefits of what the rest of that frame's geometry > was intended for, resulting in a worse ride quality? Like using high flat > bars on a modern time trial bike, or something to that effect. > > 2. "Aesthetic Bastardization" - might be if you put, say, a one-piece, full > carbon drop bar/stem assembly on a cruiser bike? > > Other than that, I cannot see how improving comfort would be bastardizing > anything. Of course, getting the right frame size from the beginning would > eliminate the need to go to extremes for people. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
