56cm frame esthetic

[bobswire]

56 cm frames are the most esthetically pleasing and balanced to my eye. I rode 56cm frames for the majority of my adult life. Do to age I had to re-adjust my riding position and have gone to 54cm.

I really miss my 56cm Della Santa,had the perfect balance of height,length and ht.

http://i47.tinypic.com/jryzps.jpg

[MattTuck]

All hail the 5̶6̶ 55.5cm frame!

the question is, does it look better because we see more of them and our brains are programmed to regard things we don't see very often as strange, or is there something inherently special about this frame size?

[Blown Reek]

Imagine if there wasn't a huge udder hanging off the back.

[buldogge]

Imagine if Bob didn't have the things he wanted to carry with him for the day...

:crap:

-Mark in St. Louis

Imagine if there wasn't a huge udder hanging off the back.

[ANAO]

All hail the 5̶6̶ 55.5cm frame!

the question is, does it look better because we see more of them and our brains are programmed to regard things we don't see very often as strange, or is there something inherently special about this frame size?

Why, then, would we lust over Sachs bikes like we do?

http://mediacdn.snorgcontent.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/small_image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/p/h/philosoraptorgrass_thumb.png

[texbike]

56 cm frames are the most esthetically pleasing and balanced...

Makes sense considering that the people that ride 56 cm frames tend to be the most esthetically pleasing and balanced as well (said the guy that rides 56 cm frames...). ;)

Texbike

[sandyrs]

Imagine if Bob didn't have the things he wanted to carry with him for the day...

:crap:

-Mark in St. Louis

I mean the whole point of the thread is to talk about how good the bike looks...

I prefer larger frames, no doubt due to my own significant stature.

[chiasticon]

I feel like we generally prefer the look of the size that we ride. 56 and up looks crazy to me. so does a 48. but 53ish? now that's what I'm talking about...

[buldogge]

I prefer larger frames as well...and I generally don't use large saddle bags...but...the comment was just silly.

Most things look best stripped down to their "essence", but we still like bikes with racks, or even derailleurs for that matter! ;)

-Mark

I mean the whole point of the thread is to talk about how good the bike looks...

I prefer larger frames, no doubt due to my own significant stature.

[fiamme red]

Imagine if there wasn't a huge udder hanging off the back.Swoop, is that you? :p

[buldogge]

Exactly...

-Mark

Swoop, is that you? :p

[thwart]

Another 56 cm decent looking bike.

Got a chance to get 25 miles in this morning in somewhat nasty conditions on the De Rosa. 40º F, 20-30 mph gusty NW wind. Good bikes make even that kind of ride enjoyable.

[Tickdoc]

I'm the odd one out. I measure to ride a 56, but prefer a 55, and am quite comfy on a 54, with a long enough stem and saddle set back a bit(. Which makes the ride more comfy anyway, Imo.)

55 looks nice to my eyes, too, so I'll stick with that.

[kramnnim]

The proportions look "right". Tiny head tubes look silly, as do tall ones.

[Blown Reek]

Imagine if Bob didn't have the things he wanted to carry with him for the day...

:crap:

-Mark in St. Louis

Like another water bottle for such an epic trek that requires such a bag?

:crap:

[gaucho753]

57cm bikes don't look bad either, imho, but maybe too matchy-matchy with your jersey. ;)

http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab69/gaucho510/LOOK%20Equipe%20Bernard%20Hinault%20Reynolds%20753/IMG_5957_zpsec3f59d9.jpg

[paredown]

Another 56 cm decent looking bike.

Got a chance to get 25 miles in this morning in somewhat nasty conditions on the De Rosa. 40º F, 20-30 mph gusty NW wind. Good bikes make even that kind of ride enjoyable.

Now that's a good looking bike!

For me too--that range 55-ish to 57ish (I'm still on the upper end of that range with old skool fist of seatpost fitting) does look more 'balanced'--I wonder if we 'see' (or respond to) those 73-ish degree angles and nice sized triangles?

[fuzzalow]

Imagine if there wasn't a huge udder hanging off the back.

That's one opinion.

My view is your judgement is based off a faulty template as to what is the correct aesthetic to apply to this bike. You critiqued it as a racebike when the bike was clearly intended as a townie/touristy bike.

There is nothing in that bikes setup to suggest that saddlebag is out of place or out of character on a bike of this nature. The honey Brooks saddle in theme with the either honey-leather bar wrap or something suggestive of varnished cotton bar tape. There is nuthin' long 'n' low about that setup or reflective in the cassette gearing to even remotely suggest racebike aesthetic. 'Cos there isn't any.

There is more to life, setup, bikes and aesthetics than racebikes and pursuit of testosterone puffery. BTW, I consider my own bikes aesthetics to be faulty and somewhat cartoonish. But....

It's all good and all done in service of the ride.

[giverdada]

aesthetically i have always preferred 54cm. of course, i ride a 54cm so it looks right to me because it's right for me.

i also have very tall friends. most of the dudes i know who ride ride 58 and up, generally averaging around 60cm depending on the bike. aesthetically, and as someone who concerns himself with visual proportion and beauty and things, i think the angles and triangles are best proportioned to the 700c wheel with 54-56cm frames. larger, and the wheels start to look awkward, like pick-up trucks with small wheels and tires, or tall runners with small feet or low knees (long femurs, short shins). smaller, and the proportion again gets thrown off, but this time toward the engineering challenge of trail and toe overlap and cuteness (my 11-year-old is now about 3cm away from my lady in frame size). all this, of course, is assuming a 700c wheel. i like the look of 'medium' 29ers and 650b and 26ers. dirt jumpers look alright. XL 29ers look alright too, as they just look like 26ers. and all these, with sloping top tubes.

i was watching a stage of the tour once when these guys had just gone up a climb and were descending the hairpins on the way back down, and with the camera angle and the bodies of the guys who lead the way up climbs (no froome or indurain-types this day), they looked draped over these huge, horse-size bicycle frames. they were stomping their outside pedals and it looked very similar to another aesthetically-beautiful proportion and sport: motorcycle racing. i don't know what kind it is, but it's the kind where they have enormous motorcycles that look like horses, and they hang off of them while dragging knees through turns. the tour riders looked like that: hanging off of their bikes. and i thought it looked right and beautiful. kinda the opposite of compact frames. i also really dig a level top tube on a road bike. my Strong has a couple of degrees drop from level, but does not look like a compact design at all.

54cm with 700c wheels. yum.

[CampyorBust]

I feel like we generally prefer the look of the size that we ride. 56 and up looks crazy to me. so does a 48. but 53ish? now that's what I'm talking about...

There the truth of it!

53-54 it the sweet spot for me aesthetically. I'll even go up to 55 but after that it tends to get a bit streched out for my eyeballz and my stumpy armz.

[cachagua]

Due to age I had to re-adjust my riding position and have gone to [smaller] 54cm...

Two things:

My age is trying to get me to go to a larger frame. Am I doing this backwards? What accommodations to age do you get going smaller?

And the second thing: any 56s you're trying to get rid of, like for example that Della Santa, feel free to let me know! That thing's beautiful.

[ERK55]

that's one opinion.

My view is your judgement is based off a faulty template as to what is the correct aesthetic to apply to this bike. You critiqued it as a racebike when the bike was clearly intended as a townie/touristy bike.

There is nothing in that bikes setup to suggest that saddlebag is out of place or out of character on a bike of this nature. The honey brooks saddle in theme with the either honey-leather bar wrap or something suggestive of varnished cotton bar tape. There is nuthin' long 'n' low about that setup or reflective in the cassette gearing to even remotely suggest racebike aesthetic. 'cos there isn't any.

There is more to life, setup, bikes and aesthetics than racebikes and pursuit of testosterone puffery. Btw, i consider my own bikes aesthetics to be faulty and somewhat cartoonish. But....

It's all good and all done in service of the ride.

+1

[stephenmarklay]

Another 56 cm decent looking bike.

Got a chance to get 25 miles in this morning in somewhat nasty conditions on the De Rosa. 40º F, 20-30 mph gusty NW wind. Good bikes make even that kind of ride enjoyable.

That makes all the CF run of the mill bikes look so boring.

[gemship]

I'm the odd one out. I measure to ride a 56, but prefer a 55, and am quite comfy on a 54, with a long enough stem and saddle set back a bit(. Which makes the ride more comfy anyway, Imo.)

55 looks nice to my eyes, too, so I'll stick with that.

I think I may be right there with you, almost as I have really never had a exact official measurement but...I spent a lot of money several years ago on a high end 54cm as well as fitting well on a low end 54cm. I think the contact points are the same but the low end bike has a longer headtube. My gut feeling is with the right adj. I can easily make a 56cm work and I figure 55cm would be just right.

Having said that aesthetically I think 56cm looks great, 54cm looks ok but it really is the start of going south for me looks wise not as great. I have to say though I admire the looks of a 58cm the best and it really is subjective between those and the 56cm's. Anything bigger than 58cm and I am not found of the lines much like smaller than 54cm. However there really is something about a 55cm, I think that size speaks to me looks wise and fit but unless I hit the lottery or my lifestyle changes drastically I won't be getting one anytime soon to try.

PS- the 57cm Look I just noticed in a previous post really looks awesome in terms of size and frame style with level top tube and headtube length what it is.