Transfer contact points to larger frame

[jimp1234]

I've decided to transfer the contact points from my current "best" frame, a compact Ottrott to an older steel frame that I rode in the early 90's. The Ottrott roughly translates to a 56 cm frame, and my older bike is a 58cm c-c. I'm using the same length cranks and identical saddles for both bikes. My plan is to use the 4 measurements suggested by e-richie in the thread below. The question is will this work given I'm going from a smaller to a larger frame, which will undoubtedly have different frame angles? Are there other measurements that I need to worry about copying? Any suggestions for other methods for transferring contact points? Finally, a bit off topic, anyone know if the Fit Stik will ever reappear??? TIA

Jim

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=17515&highlight=transfer+contact+points

[Ray]

I've decided to transfer the contact points from my current "best" frame, a compact Ottrott to an older steel frame that I rode in the early 90's. The Ottrott roughly translates to a 56 cm frame, and my older bike is a 58cm c-c. I'm using the same length cranks and identical saddles for both bikes. My plan is to use the 4 measurements suggested by e-richie in the thread below. The question is will this work given I'm going from a smaller to a larger frame, which will undoubtedly have different frame angles? Are there other measurements that I need to worry about copying? Any suggestions for other methods for transferring contact points? Finally, a bit off topic, anyone know if the Fit Stik will ever reappear??? TIA

Jim

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=17515&highlight=transfer+contact+points
Going from a 56 to a 58, you should be able to replicate the position pretty easily unless the frames have wildly different seat tube angles and even then a change of seatpost should do it. Whether the bike will feel right with the same contact points is another story. My two main bikes are similar size, but one has a longer wheelbase (most of the difference in the chainstays) and that bike just always feels better with the bars a bit higher and closer than the racier bike. Handles better, feels more balanced, etc.

I doubt the fit-stick will be back. I used to have one and I greatly prefer using a level floor, a vertical post, and a tape measure. I stick an allen wrench in the BB spindle and jam it up against the post to get an easily repeatable setback (as accurate if not more accurate than the little bubble at the top of the fit stick), measure from the BB to the tip and back of the saddle to get the height and tilt right, and once the saddle is in the right place, its pretty easy to get the bars right measuring from the tip of the saddle to get reach and measuring both the bars and saddle from the floor to get drop. The advent of the new outboard bearing cranks (with no bb spindle bolt) makes this harder, so I don't use them until after I have the bike set up to my satisfaction, if at all. That would be a problem with a fit-stick too, now that I think about it, because that thing mounted in the bb spindle bolt hole. Bottom line, it wasn't that great a tool. Clever, but not all that precise or easy to use.

-Ray