Re: [CR] Mounting and dismounting

(Example: Framebuilding:Restoration)

Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:39:24 -0500
To: Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
From: "John Betmanis" <johnb@oxford.net>
In-Reply-To: <BLU0-SMTP41ABE380F09EBC1D7A6545E4BD0@phx.gbl>
References: <006e01c98b9d$685e32e0$391a98a0$@net>
Subject: Re: [CR] Mounting and dismounting


At 01:15 PM 10/02/2009 -0500, Dr. Paul Williams wrote:
>Having just taken a look at the 1955 Cyclists' Special video on Youtube, and
>having seen both styles of mounting and dismounting, I wondered what effect
>stand-over height might have on how one mounts or dismounts a bike.

That most certainly must have a lot to do with it. I bought my first "good" bike at around age 13, before I had grown to my full height of 5'-6". It had a 22" (c-t) frame and I was hoping to grow into it over thr years. We hadn't heard of "stand-over height" in the 1950s. So long as you could pedal backwards with your heels with the saddle fully lowered and get one foot on the ground when stopped, even if you had to slide forward off the saddle, the bike was okay. Many years later, when buying a new bike in Canada, I was surprised when the shop owner sized me up as needing a 21" frame. Today, at 68 years of age, I wouldn't want to attempt swinging my leg over the handlebars, although I remember doing it from time to time when I was younger. As for "stand-over height", for today's sloping top tube compact frames and mountain bikes, that's probably an anachronism. Now it would only apply to genuine CR On Topic bikes.

John Betmanis
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada