Re: [CR] Frame Size & Saddle Height

(Example: Framebuilders:Jack Taylor)

From: "Mick Butler" <pariscyclesuk@hotmail.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR] Frame Size & Saddle Height
Date: Sat, 16 Jul 2005 17:48:11 +0000


Hi all, Many thanks for all the help and suggestions. What started my initial enquiry was watching modern day road racing on the TV it seems to me most roadmen nowadays ride with a much more pronounced bend in the knee. Is this because of sloping top tubes, clipless pedals are just a change in fashion and sporting attitudes.This is very different style to the British classic era when back then it was only the small Flemish riders who generally road like this. I was 5' 10" tall before I started shrinking but I am very unlucky in having short legs. Ideally I should ride a 23" frame to get the length in the top tube but with my short legs I would be better having a 21.5" frame, plus now Dave Moultons useful charts have confused me even more because my plates (feet) are an English size 10. In the classic era of the 50's Claud Butler use to make small frames with long top-tubes and these were ideal for me but alas my lugless Claud built to this spec gave up the ghost many moons ago. I have ridden anything between a 21 and a 23 in solos and even a 24 in tricycle and could always get comfortable but I tended to ride with a very slight bend in the knee. Now I find it hard to ride in this fashion and have to have the pronounced bent knee on a small frame. My best years mileage on a bike was in 1973 when I just made 25000. I now do about 5100 a year. I have always hated what motoring has and is doing to the environment and from the 60's right through to the 80's cycled everywhere. Don't get me wrong I like driving nice cars but I much prefer seeing the great places and countryside on a bike and yes I would ban cars if I had my way. Sorry not much classic content but Claud Butler always knew the market and catered for it.

Michael Butler British Luddite Huntingdon UK.