[CR]Fastback seatstays and thigh touch

(Example: Racing:Roger de Vlaeminck)

To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "Bianca Pratorius" <biankita@comcast.net>
Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2007 17:36:56 -0400
Subject: [CR]Fastback seatstays and thigh touch

The pro riders often tell me that my seat looks 1/4 inch or so high, but then again, just as many say it looks right and it's about where they have theirs. I'm 5' 8-3/4" tall and I presently set my saddle 28.25 inches from center of crank to top of saddle. On some of the bikes my inner thigh now can touch the top of the seatstay on the down stroke. If I raise the saddle 1/4 inch up it won't touch on any bike. Now I do have narrow hips and muscular thighs for a small man of only 150 plus pounds, but I never, until today, thought that the reason for the fastback seatstay might be to keep the thighs from touching the paint. Was it developed for anatomic reasons, stylistic reasons or because it was more aero efficient and could be marketed as such?

Garth Libre in Miami Fl USA