Hi all: I am in the process of building up my 5th bike since last November and am now looking at what #6 should be -- (replacing old stuff for me and family)... anyone know the technical genesis/advantages/disadvantages of a compact frame design vs standard ? Just looks like an old school girls bike to me no offense intended.
Also while I am here I just have to ask - does anybody really ride their bikes with the seat jacked up a foot higher than the handlebar stem or do they just do that to take a picture ?
Thanks ! George
Update/Edit: Well still curious about the the seat height thing , but was able to find quite a bit of info/opinions on compact geometries... and answer my own question sort of, although would still like to hear what others think... this one article sums most of it up... and also contained some good info on the downside of threadless headtube designs (mainly lack of adjustment) (not copied here)...
Also while I am here I just have to ask - does anybody really ride their bikes with the seat jacked up a foot higher than the handlebar stem or do they just do that to take a picture ?
Thanks ! George
Update/Edit: Well still curious about the the seat height thing , but was able to find quite a bit of info/opinions on compact geometries... and answer my own question sort of, although would still like to hear what others think... this one article sums most of it up... and also contained some good info on the downside of threadless headtube designs (mainly lack of adjustment) (not copied here)...
Compact Frames versus "Standard Geometry" Frames
Compact frames (frames with a sloping top tube) were introduced by manufacturers seeking to reduce the number of different size frames that they had to manufacture. With three or four sizes of compact frames, the manufacturer can tailor the bicycle to fit most customers. They simply use a longer seat post to fit taller riders. They can also use a longer steerer tube and use spacers between the headset and the stem. The false rationalizations for compact frames are that the smaller frame is lighter, and "livelier." Of course the longer seat post negates the benefit of the lower weight of the compact frame.
There is a very good article about compact geometry frames on the Cannondale web site at: http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/innovation/sloping.html which states: "there's a disturbing trend among some bike companies to re-tool their road frames by shortening the seat tube and slanting the top tube down from the head tube. This new design "breakthrough," they argue, saves frame weight. And if you take their claim literally, they're right - a shorter seat tube does make a bare frame a little lighter. What they don't tell you is that their complete bicycle actually weighs more than a bike with a conventional geometry. Why? You have to use longer (and therefore heavier) seatposts and stems on smaller frames to fit the rider properly, and their added weight more than off-sets the few grams saved by their sloping top tube frames.
While an aluminum frame and a threadless headset may not be the best choices, they are not all that terrible, and the cost savings over the alternatives are significant. But a compact frame is very undesirable, and the cost savings are NOT worth it. Whatever you do, avoid compact frames on road bikes. Get a properly sized, "traditional" geometry frame.