RE/
Quoted message said:I have ridden partially because of poor bike fitment I believe. I am well
above average height. 6'7" with a 38" inseam. I weigh 200 lbs.
Proportionally my legs are longer compared to my torso then an average
person. My main concern is finding a bike that fits correctly for me. Do
you think a custom bike will be the only route to go for me? If so who
would you recommend? $2,000 - $2,500 would be about my limit for a complete
bike.
Bottom line: Maybe - Unless you're able to ride comfortably with your bars quite
a bit lower than the saddle (like 4-5" lower...).
I'm 6'5, 37" inseam....just over the 6'3" max that XL frames are designed for
(per a Jamis rep I talked to last year).
I rode my Ellsworth Isis for several years (XL, 22"😉, gradually changing things
until I had something I could ride in comfort for 2-3 hours at a time. In my
case, I needed the handlebar grip surfaces at saddle height or even an inch
above. I can ride with them lower, but after a few hours I always wind up with
a sore neck and tunnel vision. Wearing contacts helps. It lets my lower my
head a few degrees more because I don't have the rims of the glasses in the
way...but for me the bars still need to be up there.
Eventually I got paranoid about the stem extension/handlebar rise that I was
using to achieve my position (breakage while under way and all that...) and
decided to suck it up and spend the money for a custom frame.
Liked it so much, I did it twice: a hardtail from Curtlo and an FS from Seven.
(Actually 3 times - starting with a hardtail from a local dealer.... But we
don't want to go there right now....)
The hardtail's dimensions grew out of what I had done to my Ellsworth to make it
comfortable. I like the result, and enjoy riding it - but I'd probably be
even happier if I'd let the maker fit the bike to me instead of telling him what
dimensions I wanted.
I think it was about $1,200 delivered - including a Ritchey breakdown feature
and custom adjustable dropouts. That would leave $1,300 for a build kit -
maybe a more considering you wouldn't be paying for the dropouts or the
breakdown feature.
However...
When I went for the FS, the first guy I approached didn't respond; and the
second guy's frame was just too un-aesthetic. That left Seven.
The rationale being that I couldn't see any way to even *touch* a custom FS for
less than two grand and Seven's was "only" $800 more. Besides it used the
Maverick suspension and it seemed like something interesting to try.
But let's be clear here: I'm really a Walgoose-level rider.
- A log that I'm not sure I can clear? Walk it every time....no sense risking a
header...
- Rock garden or hardpack? Hardpack every time.
- A $2,800 titanium frame? Some people would puke.
But, given that Habanero didn't have their FS in productin yet, it seemed TB the
only game in town. I had it made without any decals and removed the logo from
the head tube...so maybe nobody'll notice... In the end, maybe a can or two of
Pep Boy's finest primer in different colors...
Having said that, however: I ride 4-6 times/week; and I want to minimize my
chances of joining Christopher Reeves. There's also a feelgood factor. Even
such a pathetic rider as myself can enjoy something that clearly handles so much
better. As long as my wife doesn't find out I spent enough on a freaking
*bicycle frame* to feed an entire Somalian village for several months, I can
live with the cost as being the lesser of two evils.
Frankly, Seven [censored] me off in the beginning - and I'm still a little
[censored]-off at them even now. But they saved me from myself in the end. Their
thing seems to be "Trust Us"..... I did, and it worked. I realize now that
what I perpetrated on my poor old Isis had defeated the bike's design. Set up
per Seven's recommendations, the Ellsworth handles much better - but there's
still the stem/bar failure thing.
Seven's implementation is a whole new ballgame. That sucker is *tight*: Easier
to balance when not moving, much more predictable when trying to weave aound
things and there's no perceptable pedal-induced bobbing...about 80% to a
hardtail, but with all benefits of an FS.
At this point, I can't distinguish between what's due to Seven's frame, what's
due to the Maverick sus system they use, and what's from being in a more
bike-friendly position....but the whole system *does* work a lot better.
Bottom line: I'm spoiled. Wouldn't want anything *but* a custom frame for my
weird bod... and I'm only 6'5"...
Problem is the cost.
A custom FS completely-built for $2,500 bottom-line?
No way Jose'.
That leaves a hardtail. First place I'd go is Habanero. If you feel that the
bars need to be at or near saddle height, I'd dig my heels in for a 6.5" or even
7" head tube. That'll give you the height you need using 2.5" risers without
an excessive spacer stack - yet let you move down quite a bit if you decide to
lower the bar height.
--
PeteCresswell
