tt length

[itsflantastic]

I'm considering selling my very well-fitted pegoretti to offset the costs of an unexpected trip that wiped out my bank account. I need a bike though. I found a serotta colorado II nearby in mint condition w/ full shim. 600 for a reasonable price. It was custom built for a guy an inch and a half shorter than me and has a 56 top tube. All of my bikes have always had 58 or 57 tt.

Should this be a deal breaker? I figured I could get a 130 stem....

thoughts appreciated.

[veloduffer]

It depends on few things:

What was the seat and head tube angles of your previous bike? That's the only way to make a good comparison of effective top tube lengths.

Also, will you be able to get the handlebars high enough to be comfortable, since the 56cm frame will generally have a shorter head tube length (assuming that it doesn't have an HT extension)?

[LouDeeter]

Also depends on what setback is on both bikes. A longish setback on a 58cm top tube and a short setback on a 56cm toptube might equalize the forward-of-the-bb length and you would not need that extra length on the stem, although you might find yourself having to use the saddle rails to compensate a bit.

[cmg]

keep the "very well-fitted pegoretti". what are the chances you'll be in a position to get another one made after you replenish your bank account? consider the the time frame involved. get a short term loan, sell your car. buy the serotta colorado II anyway. you could always sell it to make back the cost in case it doesn't fit. this is how the multi-bike collection starts.

[itsflantastic]

thanks for the input.
yeah I won't get a chance to find out about angles etc. until the deal is done so I guess it's a shot in the dark.

I think I will try my luck. If it's a no go, keep your eyes on the classifieds section because it's gorgeous

[Len J]

If the STA & HTA are the same, then I would pass. While you could use a longer stem or longer reach bars (or both) to compensate, the handling will be effected.

Wait until you find a 57.5 or so.

Life is too short to ride either an ugly bike or one that doesn't fit.

Len

[John M]

I am with cmg. Try to avoid having to sell the bike. Fancy bikes aren't really an asset. They depreciate so quickly and the replacement cost/time is such that you will never really replace what you have now. Surely you have other things that can be sold to raise a few bucks.

[Ken Robb]

Grant Petersen wrote an article about "the myth of top tube fit" or something like that where he suggests ways to fit bikes with varying tt lengths.
Please guys, no arguments with me, I'm just referring the OP to some reading material on the Rivendell site.

[biker72]

I bought my Serotta Custom TI this way. Shorter top tube than any of my bikes. Slightly shorter seat tube but with an undetermined amount of setback. All I had to go by were the photos on eBay.

My boss at the bike shop said I could re-sell the bike for a few hundred more than I was about to pay for it. I bought it, got it re-assembled and have been riding it ever since. It fits so well that this may be the last bike I ever buy...

[RPS]

Originally Posted by itsflantastic

....snipped.....
Should this be a deal breaker? I figured I could get a 130 stem....

thoughts appreciated.

You haven't supplied enough data.

At a minimum, what stem length and what seat post offset are you currently using, and what are the seat tube angles of both frames? There are other factors that play a role but these are the biggest IMO.

[slowandsteady]

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

Grant Petersen wrote an article about "the myth of top tube fit" or something like that where he suggests ways to fit bikes with varying tt lengths.
Please guys, no arguments with me, I'm just referring the OP to some reading material on the Rivendell site.

http://www.rivbike.com/assets/payloa...Ruse_Flash.swf

[itsflantastic]

thanks slow/steady. for what it's worth, I passed on the bike after much consideration. I'm pretty familiar with serotta standard geo and I know i'll want a 57-58 tt in that geo.

Rock!!