What is "stage race geometry"?

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Chris

I'm trying to find that sweet spot. I got wrapped up in "the proper position" and moved my seat forward because of that, despite having ridden a little further back for years. It's funny how you do just fine when you don't know any better, but once you hear that you aren't set up according to some mythological construct that is accepted as proper, all of a sudden you need to get that way as quickly as possible, despite the fact that things have been working okay before...

I've done the same thing, but I don't pay much attention to the wide variety of opinions I've read. Instead, I try things myself. I've moved the saddle over a 3-4cm range over the years. Real far back takes weight off your hands, and seems to to permit me to apply more torque to the pedals, but reduces my highest cadence. It may also lighten the front of the bike enough that cornering ability is compromised. Too far forward makes for a great spin, but may reduce the torque I can apply and weights the hands. Somewhere in between there is a sweetspot. For me it's on the further back side of the range.

[davids]

Originally Posted by Dave

I've done the same thing, but I don't pay much attention to the wide variety of opinions I've read. Instead, I try things myself. I've moved the saddle over a 3-4cm range over the years. Real far back takes weight off your hands, and seems to to permit me to apply more torque to the pedals, but reduces my highest cadence. It may also lighten the front of the bike enough that cornering ability is compromised. Too far forward makes for a great spin, but may reduce the torque I can apply and weights the hands. Somewhere in between there is a sweetspot. For me it's on the further back side of the range.

Balance between using the quads and glutes. I'm forward from where I was 2 years ago, but not by much - I want to stay between the wheels...

[zeroking17]

Originally Posted by e-RICHIE

the lemond position atmo.

I thought this was stage fright geometry.

[Ti Designs]

Originally Posted by Fat Robert

the crit bike feels nervous and it is. ain't any faster in a crit. the stage race bike feels confident and relaxed.

Before they can call a bike a crit bike or a road race bike or a climbing bike, shouldn't they first qualify the rider?

I had two riders I coached on the same bike - same size, same model, same color. One would slow to a crawl at any bend in the road, the other would push it to the limits in corners. Is one a crit bike and the other not? I've always found that the best bike matches the skills and ability of the rider. Crit bikes (bikes with steep angles and less rake) don't feel nervous under the riders who have the reflexes to get the most out of them. My own bike is almost track geometry with road drop-outs, but I think of it as the all purpose bike.

Calling a bike crit geometry or stage geometry is just a marketing ploy to sell to those who the name appeals to, nothing more. Comfort comes from fit - why not say size 10 shoes are the most comfortable? They are for me! The only thing more common in the bike industry than chinese carbon fiber is marketing BS. Stage geometry - sounds like it should be on Broadway. Women's Specific Design - specificly doens't fit many women. Optimal geometry - for whom??? There's marketing and there's cycling - the two have very little in common.

[Fixed]

but my wife teaches art in a local jr. college and her kids tell her they know how to paint and don't need advise the thing is they don't know how to paint but they think they do ..
cheers

[e-RICHIE]

Originally Posted by Ti Designs

Calling a bike crit geometry or stage geometry is just a marketing ploy to sell to
those who the name appeals to, nothing more. <cut> There's marketing and
there's cycling - the two have very little in common.

atmo -

[djg]

Originally Posted by Fixed

but my wife teaches art in a local jr. college and her kids tell her they know how to paint and don't need advise the thing is they don't know how to paint but they think they do ..
cheers

That's ok fixed ... it's suboptimal day-to-day for your wife's teaching and the kids' learning, but it keeps them in the game. If they had a better sense of how hard and unlikely it is to be really good, and how easy it is to fail, they'd probably just quit. And they're too young to quit.

[fiamme red]

http://www.belgiumkneewarmers.com/20...they-sell.html

His bikes have never been the lightest on the planet, nor the very stiffest. What they do offer can be called all-day comfort, sufficient stiffness and handling so finely balanced you'd think the bike was designed with the aid of the Golden Mean. He describes it as stage-race geometry: bicycles meant to be ridden well by even the most fatigued legs. To ride a Torelli, fairly put, is to know what Bill believes to be a good time.

This paragraph is followed by a photo of e-RICHIE riding his bike, not getting the noose ready. Irony.

[e-RICHIE]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

http://www.belgiumkneewarmers.com/20...they-sell.html

His bikes have never been the lightest on the planet, nor the very stiffest. What they do offer can be called all-day comfort, sufficient stiffness and handling so finely balanced you'd think the bike was designed with the aid of the Golden Mean. He describes it as stage-race geometry: bicycles meant to be ridden well by even the most fatigued legs. To ride a Torelli, fairly put, is to know what Bill believes to be a good time.

This paragraph is followed by a photo of e-RICHIE riding his bike, not getting the noose ready. Irony.

man i am one fit looking mutha effr atmo.

[Ti Designs]

Originally Posted by e-RICHIE

man i am one fit looking mutha effr atmo.

Look here, next year I get to race in the geezer catagory. I've been looking forward to this since I started in the senior catagory and had my legs ripped off and handed back to me. I feel I speak for all racers in their early 40's when I ask the fast guys to slow down and get old.

[e-RICHIE]

Originally Posted by Ti Designs

Look here, next year I get to race in the geezer catagory. I've been looking forward to this since I started in the senior catagory and had my legs ripped off and handed back to me. I feel I speak for all racers in their early 40's when I ask the fast guys to slow down and get old.

i'm looking forward to giving you the look atmo.

[Ti Designs]

Originally Posted by e-RICHIE

i'm looking forward to giving you the look atmo.

I can just see it. 19 turns to the top, having spent all of his teammates setting the pace to this point, Sachs reaches back into his jersey pocket, pulls out his reading glasses so he can look into the eyes of...

Originally Posted by fiamme red

http://www.belgiumkneewarmers.com/20...they-sell.html

His bikes have never been the lightest on the planet, nor the very stiffest. What they do offer can be called all-day comfort, sufficient stiffness and handling so finely balanced you'd think the bike was designed with the aid of the Golden Mean. He describes it as stage-race geometry: bicycles meant to be ridden well by even the most fatigued legs. To ride a Torelli, fairly put, is to know what Bill believes to be a good time.

This paragraph is followed by a photo of e-RICHIE riding his bike, not getting the noose ready. Irony.

trust me.. i'll be giving the writer of that bit of blogginess a dose next time i see him.

[Oirad]

Originally Posted by djg

That's ok fixed ... it's suboptimal day-to-day for your wife's teaching and the kids' learning, but it keeps them in the game. If they had a better sense of how hard and unlikely it is to be really good, and how easy it is to fail, they'd probably just quit. And they're too young to quit.

djg gets it, imho.-- Oirad

[1centaur]

Originally Posted by 1centaur

Maybe we should have a contest to name that type of geometry using something other than a potential use (which I guess means "century geometry" is out as well).

I'll start: Slack-'n-low (SNL).

Crit geometry can be SNQ (steep-'n-quick).

How could I forget HSG? Of course, it IS possible to ride slowly on a bike with HSG.

Then there's ERG (e-Richie Geometry) which is hard to define but biomechanically optimal.