SLoping top tube or straight

in my opinion, it's really just personal preference. From what i heard when i was looking around for a new bike, most people say that shorter people tend to like the compact/sloping top tubes.

Specialized has compact frames and i tried out a couple of their bikes and really liked them, but i didn't like the sloping top tube (even though i'm a short 5'3'' girl). The guy at the shop put me in a size 50, but it felt small, esp. with the sloping top tube, it felt like there was "bike" missing...if that makes any sense. I did end up getting a specialized, but i went up in a size (52) so that the top tube was more straight. It ended up being a perfect choice because the top tube was the perfect length for me even though now with my road shoes and padded cycling shorts, i don't really have much clearance - this might sound weird, but the padding on my cyclings shorts pretty much touch the top tube when i stand over it.

just go test ride a bunch of bikes and go with what feels best! 🙂

It's a marketing tool. Like everything else, racing bikes go through fashions.

Neither frame style is inherently better than the other.

The only difference I have found between sloping toptubes and
straight is that the sloping frames also tend to use a steeper
seat tube angle (they don't have to, it's just fashion)

This is probably not a problem if you are of average proportions
of leg length to body length to arm length. For a guy I think
the average of leg length to height is close 46%. So if you have
legs to height ratio under 44% or over over 48% consider yourself
odd (like me :o) and get a bikefit as you may have to be more
picky in finding a frame that fits perfectly.

regards
Matthew

For you not already tired of Lance Armstrong quotes 😄, here is one on the subject of sloping versus straight:

When asked by TREK engineeres if he would consider riding a sloping frame, he responded "I ain't riding no $#@€# girl's bike".

MattAussie66 said:

The only difference I have found between sloping toptubes and
straight is that the sloping frames also tend to use a steeper
seat tube angle (they don't have to, it's just fashion)

More BS..........

Contrary to what some people might tell you, there are no differences between bikes with sloping and straight top tubes. The slope of the top tube has no effect on the overall geometry of the frame. It also has little or no effect on ride quality, comfort, and aerodynamics - these depend more on the overall geometry and materials used than on the slope of the top tube. You can make a comfort oriented frame or a more aggressive and "faster" frame using either a sloping top tube or straight top tube. The only real difference between the two is cosmetic. The bottom line is that you should not let the slope of the top tube affect your decision to buy a bike.

gerardbjr said:

Contrary to what some people might tell you, there are no differences between bikes with sloping and straight top tubes. The slope of the top tube has no effect on the overall geometry of the frame. It also has little or no effect on ride quality, comfort, and aerodynamics - these depend more on the overall geometry and materials used than on the slope of the top tube. You can make a comfort oriented frame or a more aggressive and "faster" frame using either a sloping top tube or straight top tube. The only real difference between the two is cosmetic. The bottom line is that you should not let the slope of the top tube affect your decision to buy a bike.

Yep, surely common sense dictates that once you're on the bike all that matters is the distance from the top of the seat tube to the BB and the top of the seat tube to the handlebars. What the seat tube and the top tube do in between doesn't make any difference, in terms of comfort.
You'd probably notice a small change in stem length or angle before you'd notice the difference between a straight and a sloping tube.

boudreaux said:

More BS..........

Lol....spot on!! 😄