Could be steep or laid back with the seatube.
Could have high or low bottom bracket.
But common to the few crit bikes I've seen is:
1. A very steep/agressive head angle. 2. Somewhat shorter toptube.
Think track bike front-end with road forks.
The result being not just a toe toucher - but one where your toes went past the
front tire a good inch or so - at the 9 - 3 o'clock pedal position.
(Not a problem really - you just learn not to think about it - just pedal and move on. Practically solves itself by not thinking about it.)
Of course they had what were called "crit" drop bars - difference between them and road bars was that they had a very agressive down sweep into the drops.
Having seen a few crit races - have to say those "crit" bars clearly didn't live up to their label - i.e., if the name implied a standard or purpose - they
didn't live up to it. Only about half of the fields I saw up in Burlingame actually used them.
The biggest personal option that I saw - as noted by someone else already - the
tossing of the "criterium" pedals in favor of track pedals. A little more forgiving when pedalling in corners.
All the crit bikes I've seen had your typical 170 cranksets...
One thing I did notice regarding components in the few bikes I've seen up close - and most at the races - no hardcore emphasis on having top of the line components. My guess is that most racers knowing full well the criteriums are accident prone - especially in tight courses - budgeted for two bikes.
A lot of Sansin / Suzue / Suntour track hubs, continual use of Nuovo Record even though Super Record had been out awhile (mid-eighties). Suntour Superbe track pedals. Even saw a few bikes with the el cheapo plastic BMX seats. Kid you not...
Uncomfortable? Could be... In the one bike I rode - a Batavus - the frame felt just fine. In my opinion - it was the "crit" bars that made the ride uncomfortable. Gave 'em to my brother - popped on regular "road" bars and voila! It was as comfortable as a regular "road" bike.
One interesting aspect development-wise I saw during the late-eighties was the sudden appearance of a few Klein road bikes in critierums. Remember the ones with the really loose rear triangles - with almost 2 inches between the tire and seatube?
Don't know how long that went - but it stood out the last time I watched the Burlingame criterium - about 1991.
Robert Shackelford San Jose, CA USA
Quoting Otis <otis@otisrecords.com>:
> I always thought of a crit bike as a custom frame with a short top-tube,
> short wheelbase, and steep angles. Which is also a good climbing bike. It's
> how I had my modern (non KOF) custom race frame built.
>
> I think the build-up's you are interested in are more like 70's TT specific
> set-ups where lots of backyard tweaking and creative parts sourcing was
> tried?
>
> Sounds like a fun project anyway, and I agree Weigle's 70's white TT bike is
>
> inspirational!
>
> Jon Williams
> Grants Pass OR USA
>
>
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