SetBack From Hell: Tall Guy's Workaround

In article ,
Peter Cole wrote:

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
My chronic problem with frames is the setback. Dunno if it's the
size 15 feet, the out-of-spec legs, or what... but my butt always
winds up perching on the rear edge of the saddle - regardless of
how far forward the handlebars are moved.

This is for somebody 6'5" tall, 36" inseam, unusually long shins,
and size 15 feet.

http://tinyurl.com/yl6xrd5

Looks like an abomination and a crime against Nature, I know.

But it works:

It's odd, I'm 5" taller, one shoe size bigger, and 2" longer in the
inseam, and I usually wind up with my saddle mounted on the middle of
the rails. Even then, I prefer bikes with longer chain stays (e.g.
touring frames) so I don't wind up with a "wheelie" bike. I generally
use a long reach (~130mm) stem and the widest bars I can find. The
only thing that might be a little different, either in my proportions
or posture, is that I tend to pedal "toe down", not level footed. I
don't break seat posts, clamps or saddle rails, but I have broken a
stem, and 2 head tubes.

Jeez Louise! Between Peter, Jobst, Chalo and Pete at 6'4" I am the
short guy in the room. That doesn't happen very often. How many other
statistical outliers do we have in this newsgroup?

--
"I wear the cheese, it does not wear me."

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Peter Cole:
It's odd, I'm 5" taller, one shoe size bigger, and 2" longer in the
inseam, and I usually wind up with my saddle mounted on the middle of
the rails. Even then, I prefer bikes with longer chain stays (e.g.
touring frames) so I don't wind up with a "wheelie" bike. I generally
use a long reach (~130mm) stem and the widest bars I can find. The only
thing that might be a little different, either in my proportions or
posture, is that I tend to pedal "toe down", not level footed. I don't
break seat posts, clamps or saddle rails, but I have broken a stem, and
2 head tubes.

http://sheldonbrown.com/bike-screens...eDSCN4970.html


Broken a stem? I get scared just thinking about that one....

It was a Nitto, just like the one in the picture. Not dangerous since
the vertical part broke and remained held together by the bolt.


That's a custom frame, right? 27 or 28 inches?

It is 28", but not a custom, it's a Fuji "Supreme", a "sport-touring"
frame from the 80's. I find that off-the-shelf 28" (68 cm) bikes fit me
pretty well if they're long wheelbase bikes like those made until fairly
recently. I have a collection of bike frames like that, I buy them when
I see them since they're not made anymore. At this point, I think I have
a lifetime supply.

I wonder if the size of the frame gets you to the same place I'm
kludging myself into.

I couldn't say. I just use MTB posts to get the height, and with the
seat tube angles of those frames, get the right cockpit length and
weight balance with long reach/high rise stems.


Does the plumb bob hung from under the kneecap wind up over the
pedal spindle for you on that bike?

I don't know, after reading a few rebuttals of "KOPS", I never bothered
checking. As I said, I do pedal "toe down", and I think that affects the
biomechanics significantly. I do have the typical "front wheel hub
aligns with handlebar" (sighting down when riding) and elbow at saddle
nose, fingertips at bar, rules of thumb working, and my saddle height
puts me on my tiptoes, and my bikes aren't prone to wheelies or high
speed shimmies.

I also tend to ride with a flatter back than most of my friends. I set
my bars so I can ride continuously in the drops, and often ride with
aerobars. I'm low enough that the my thighs touch my ribs at the top of
stroke. My size and position makes me a noticeably faster descender.
Overall, when I'm in shape, I'm middle to front of the pack among
middle-aged weekend warriors. I don't feel my bikes hold me back, either
for fast club rides (essentially road races) or long distance cycling --
which I've done a bunch of (brevets), too.


Few weeks ago, this guy unloaded on me for about a half hour
about his *daughter* (all the women in the family have been tall
going back several generations) who is 6'8" tall.

After hearing that I'll never whine about being too tall again.

You can't be too tall, too thin or too rich.

The only thing that used to suck was finding equipment and clothes.
Things are infinitely easier these days. But if I had been more average,
I would have not done things like learning to sew or meeting Sheldon
Brown. Challenges are opportunities in disguise, yadda, yadda.

On Feb 5, 9:54*pm, "(PeteCresswell)" wrote:
Per Andre Jute:

If you're going to ride that bike into town and leave it outside your
office, you'd better grunge it up a lot, Pete. It looks far too good
not to be stolen.

Rohloff hub? *Left outside in The City?

No way Jose'... *-)
--
PeteCresswell

I leave mine on the pavement in front of the library, and in the
parking lot at the supermarket, with a cable slung around the rear
wheel. If there are kids around, I take the bike into the lobby at the
mall, by standing invitation of the guards. But I live in a small
country town where most people know me. I wouldn't leave my bike on
the street even in Cork (a small city nearby), where I once saw a
totally bare frame, even the headset and bottom bracket gone, hanging
by its chain from a lampost, right in front of a pawnshop as it
happens.

Andre Jute
The only diet that works is exercise

Per Peter Cole:
The only thing that used to suck was finding equipment and clothes.
Things are infinitely easier these days.

For me, at least, shoes have become especially easy to find.

Used to be I had to send a way to an outfit in Mass. called
"King-Size" and take whatever they had.

Now I get a lot of shoes right off the shelf and the variety is
all one could ask for.

What kind of cars do you drive? I've always imagined that since
the NBA, there was a cottage industry that adapted cars to
really-tall people.
--
PeteCresswell

On Feb 6, 2:23*pm, "(PeteCresswell)" wrote:
Per Peter Cole:

The only thing that used to suck was finding equipment and clothes.
Things are infinitely easier these days.

For me, at least, shoes have become especially easy to find.

Used to be I had to send a way to an outfit in Mass. called
"King-Size" and take whatever they had.

Now I get a lot of shoes right off the shelf and the variety is
all one could ask for.

What kind of cars do you drive? * I've always imagined that since
the NBA, there was a cottage industry that adapted cars to
really-tall people.
--
PeteCresswell

Like these guys 4 minutes in?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zsl1AXcSns

Per :

Like these guys 4 minutes in?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zsl1AXcSns

Actually, I did something like that with a VW sunroof a long time
ago.

Took a saw and a welding torch to the driver's seat - moving it
back until it hit the rear seat and several inches down, then got
8" welded on to the steering wheel column.

Fit pretty well: plenty headroom, all the leg room I wanted...
--
PeteCresswell

Given that you already have your body weight on the thing, why did you
attach that kind of 'rack' to it?

A conventional rack would be called for, wouldn't it, esp on a 'hard
tailed' bike such as this one.


I was about to comment on your lack of brakes, but I caught
myself...) ;])


berk

Per TBerk:
Given that you already have your body weight on the thing, why did you
attach that kind of 'rack' to it?

A conventional rack would be called for, wouldn't it, esp on a 'hard
tailed' bike such as this one.

I'm still trying to get a conventional rack to fit.

The problem is getting around the disc brakes. Got one that
purports to do that by putting standoffs down where the rack
attaches, but the standoff is too wide to clear the caliper and
still allow the bolt to go through.
--
PeteCresswell