USPS TREK bikes really just "stock" frames???? - Page 2

On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 15:52:35 -0400, John Forrest Tomlinson
<usenetremove@jt10000.com> wrote:

>On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 13:39:58 -0500, dianne_1234
><dianne_1234@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>I don't see why it should be too hard to have made a
>>slightly shorter top tube for, say, Roberto Heras as an
>>example.
>>
>
>What makes you think he requires a short toptube for a man
>his height?
>
>JT

Nothing; it's just a hypothetical example. Maybe Roberto
really needed a longer top tube, or maybe he didn't and some
other rider did.

The point is, with a little planning and preparation it
shouldn't be too hard to fudge the dimensions a few
millimeters when bonding the frame together. No new lugs,
and maybe just selecting tubes or cutting them a little
longer or shorter.

On 2004-07-10 05:51:09 -0700, vecchio51@aol.com (Qui si parla
Campagnolo ) said:

> JFT-<< Men of anywhere near average height and proportions
> don't need custom frames for bike fit. >><BR><BR>
>
> This is a great point. Maybe 5% of the framesets we sell
> are custom. Bike shops that spout that custom is needed
> for most are mostly Serotta, cuz they make $ on custom
> framesets.

Yeah, well Serottas these days start at like $2200 for a
freaking stock STEEL frame, and what are those Ti Jobbers,
like $4500 these days? No idea how they can justify that
price point, custom or NOT.

Personally I ride custom frames because I have a 33"
inseam and use a
58.5 cm top tube... I don't fit on a stock 58 cm frame
(they usually have 57 cm top tubes), and I don't want
a 14 cm stem. Plus I had a Steel Rex and it felt so
damn nice with a 12 cm stem that I got a Moots with
the same geometry.

I ride 10K miles/year so getting the right top tube height
and head tube length and top tube length required a little
fudging from stock dimensions.

"Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles" <MikeJ@ChainReaction.com> wrote
in message news:dPYHc.13933$ob.6522@newssvr27.news.prodigy.com...
> > Lance's framesets are not 'stock'.
>
> Peter: Could you elaborate on that one? I've seen the
> production lines; there's nothing whatsoever special about
> what Lance rides, aside from the fact that he'll sometimes
> be on a production bike that the public doesn't get for a
> couple of months. The Madone SL will very shortly be
> available (end of this month perhaps), and the Madone SSL
> a bit later. The bike
he's
> using for many of the flat sections is a standard Madone,
> but being the weight-weenie that he is, anything with the
> slightest grade and he goes to the 50 gram lighter "SL"
> without the flared (aero) seat tube & downtube.
As
> mentioned, that will shortly be available at your
> local dealer.
>
> OK, because Lance's bike has a glued-on number plate
> hanger, I suppose
that
> could qualify it as non-stock? That might be stretching
> things just a
bit.
>
> Frame geometry? Absolutely untouched. Truth? If Lance
> demanded a 1cm longer top tube, he'd have it.. and so
> would the rest of us. Fortunately, Lance just happens to
> fit very nicely on a stock 58cm geometry. No customization
> whatsoever. More truth? For some of the mountain bike
> riders, they *did* tweak the frames a bit, with slightly-
> longer top tubes,
a
> couple of years ago. But not for any of the bikes
> Lance rides.
>
> --Mike Jacoubowsky Chain Reaction Bicycles
> www.ChainReaction.com IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member
>
Thanks Mike for clearing that up. I've always wondered
about the USPS Trek team bikes. Aside from the TT bike, I
always thought they were all custom made for each rider.
I'm glad to hear they are the same bikes available to the
public. -tom

"Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles" <MikeJ@ChainReaction.com> wrote in message news:<dPYHc.13933$ob.6522@newssvr27.news.prodigy.com>...

> ... Lance just happens to fit very nicely on a stock 58cm
> geometry. ..>

How does Trek size their frames? Lance's bike looks like a
53/54 cm C-C. How do you end up with a 58 cm even when
measuring up to the seat collar?

> > ... Lance just happens to fit very nicely on a stock
> > 58cm geometry. ..>
>
> How does Trek size their frames? Lance's bike looks like a
> 53/54 cm C-C. How do you end up with a 58 cm even when
> measuring up to the seat collar?

Been there, seen it, he rides a real live 58cm. If you
measured it center to center, you'd get something like a
54.5cm sizing. It may look smaller than that since there's
so little gap at the front end, due to the larger tubing
diameters.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"Richard Chan" <a0199755@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:81ba5168.0407120722.5673cffc@posting.google.com...
> "Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles"
> <MikeJ@ChainReaction.com> wrote
in message
news:<dPYHc.13933$ob.6522@newssvr27.news.prodigy.com>...
>
> > ... Lance just happens to fit very nicely on a stock
> > 58cm geometry. ..>
>
> How does Trek size their frames? Lance's bike looks like a
> 53/54 cm C-C. How do you end up with a 58 cm even when
> measuring up to the seat collar?

Bill Lloyd <no.emails.thanks@foo.com> writes:

> Personally I ride custom frames because I have a 33"
> inseam and use a 58.5 cm top tube... I don't fit on a
> stock 58 cm frame

Of course you don't fit on a stock 58 cm frame. You should
be riding a 60.