dfcas
contributor
Reged: 12/19/03
Posts: 137
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It seems that bikes with a lot of top tube slope are popular now,and I wonder if Calfee will change their design.My 60cm has 2.8cm of slope,but it is hardly visible.
I'm not saying that slopie is better or worse,just that most high end bikes sold today have a great deal of slope.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and make a wild guess that by interbike in September,Calfee will have a more sloping design.This is just a wild guess,and I have nothing to base this on.
Is there anyone reading this that would find a more sloping gesign might make them pull the trigger on a Calfee?
dan
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vandeda
new member
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 14
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All I have to say is ... please no. Sloping top tubes are good for mountain bikes where lots of crotch clearance is needed, and for people with non-average bodies .... but a sloping top tube to have a sloping top tube because it's the new fad (and can allow you to sell less frame sizes and make more $$$) ... no thanks. I really hope Craig doesn't give in, just like he still uses 1" headtubes on smaller frames because he doesn't feel 1 1/8" is necessary.
dan
Edited by vandeda (01/20/06 03:03 AM)
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Pintsized
journeyman
Reged: 02/27/05
Posts: 90
Loc: Corvallis OR
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I second the motion -- don't mess with success. One reason I like my Luna so much is that the frame shape is so traditional, even in the smaller sizes. At any ride, it looks and rides that way.
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Lon
sage
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 595
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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Agreed as well.
Craig does not do thinks to be fashionable. I too find it very comforting to know that I am riding a race/rider proven frame that isn't changed merely to suit the whims of the consumer and the marketing department.
Greg Lemond rode a Tetra and a Tetra Tetra for many years and sold them through the Calfee site. Why? As soon as they were avaiable he bought a Dragonfly and Dragonfly Tandem.
Greg didn't seem concerned that his Tetra was the same basic frame he rode in the tour. Fact is I bet he liked it that way. 
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Umlungu
contributor
Reged: 03/04/05
Posts: 181
Loc: Plano, TX
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I certainly hope Calfee won't give in to the sloping tube fad. I think it looks pretty slick on the SWorks Tarmac, but I wouldn't want it on my Calfee.
Just my 2 cents.
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dfcas
contributor
Reged: 12/19/03
Posts: 137
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I think maybe we should consider the difference between sloping tubes and full on compact frames.Calfee is a sloping design-not much,but as I said above my 60 has 2.8cm of slope.I think the slope varies by size-probably something to do with the lugs.
Sloping and compact designs are not about reducing sizes offered-thay do not change the angles,top tube,wheelbase,headtube length etc,so they solve no fit problems.They do offer the option of a taller front end with reduced standover.Some don't like the smokestack look of headtube extensions.
I have had both level bikes and sloping bikes,and I find I prefer an increasing amount of slope.I can't warm up to the full compacts such as Giant or Specialized,but I do like a 3-4 degree slope because I can put my bike in the repair stand clamped by the seatpost.
I read/heard that Parlee is doing well with slopers,and that may be significant.It may also be false...
dan
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vandeda
new member
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 14
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Hmmm ... I guess I personally have never cared much about standover height other than my mountain bike. This is especially true on the fixed gear where my goal is to not dab the whole ride. But I guess for the given amount of time I'm actually straddling my road bikes, I just don't see it as meaningful fit measurement for me and have never considered standover height while buying a road bike.
Other than that, I guess I've been blessed in the sense that my Calfee needed very few spacers, my Centurion has a nice quill, and the Vanilla has a custom lugged stem that's just sweet looking and eliminated the need for spacers or an extended headtube. So ... I don't know ... spoiled I am I guess.
So again I guess it comes down to preference ... and personally, I like Sacha's solutions as opposed to sloping top tubes, headtube extensions or spacers because I think his solutions are much more elegant looking. Though, his solutions may not look quite right on a carbon bike either. So, no perfect answer for everyone as there'll always be someone who's not 100% happy unless you got completely custom.
Oh well ...
dan
Edited by vandeda (01/20/06 11:11 PM)
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skuke
captain
Reged: 12/22/03
Posts: 313
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Quote:
Lon wrote:
Greg Lemond rode a Tetra and a Tetra Tetra for many years and sold them through the Calfee site. Why? As soon as they were avaiable he bought a Dragonfly and Dragonfly Tandem.
That's rather interesting that Lemond wouldn't buy (or accept) a bike with his namesake.
BTW, ditto on the sloping top tube/compact frame (nay).
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Skuke
95 Carbonframes Tetra Pro
92 Bridgestone MB-1
90 Moser 51.151
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NoBrakes
new member
Reged: 06/08/05
Posts: 19
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I would have to bet against you on this one. I have talk to Craig on several occasions about the details of his bike design, and I believe if there is one thing I learned about Craig from those discussions is that he is a leader in bike design from a functional standpoint, and not a fad standpoint. If we see what you're claiming, it will be a big departure from his past design methodology. I hope holds his course, because if he does eventually all roads will lead to Calfee.
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Allan
journeyman
Reged: 05/04/04
Posts: 198
Loc: Bds,W I
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I have watched this sloping fad creep right into the road bike frame building business till it finally has become a permanent feature, i still cant get into it, nor will i own one.
Granted on the smaller sized road frames, 55cm and under, the slope looks much better because its angle is usually minimal (around 1.2 to 2 degrees) and the frame is visually small enough for it to look in scale, but on the larger sized frames, the ones with a severe slope look plain weird.
When you now add the extremely long seat post in most cases on a 60cm frame of 12 inches or more, it really starts to look even more unbalanced visually.
One of the reasons frame builders went to the small, medium and large sizing format was to cut production costs by offering less specific sizing, and with this concept came the sloping top tube.
I'd prefer a bike frame built to suit my bodysize and made as close to possible to measure short of a custom size, than one general approximate size that i have to conform to.
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Its time to ride.
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Lon
sage
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 595
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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Quote:
skuke wrote:
That's rather interesting that Lemond wouldn't buy (or accept) a bike with his namesake.
I did not say that Lemond did not ride and own his own frames as well. I"m sure he does. If he is doing a promo ride for a large Trek dealer I would think he had better show up on his namesake. He just has his Calfee's as well.
Heck poor old me has 5 bikes and I'm lusting for a sixth...a bamboo Calfee. I am also lusting for a Tetra Tandem if I can ever convince my wife to ride it.
Have fun and safe riding.
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flythebike
captain
Reged: 08/26/04
Posts: 272
Loc: N. Virginia, USA
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I had an Airborne Manhattan Project that had a lot more slope than my Dragonfly. I didn't like it. I thought that it produced less power when hammering on the flats. And I attributed it to the frame area - somehow the bike just wasn't as stable. On the other hand it seemed to climb a little better than most traditional frames.
I think Craig has it just right with his minimal slope. It gets you some of the advantages of better standover height and somewhat lighter weight without detracting from the looks and performance of the machine.
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