frame sizes

The penny drop tonight that after all these years of riding 18 inch bikes with 21.5 toptubes, I should really have been on 19 inch 22/22.5 frames. 3 bikes are 18 inchers and 2 of mine are 19inch and I get on so much better with the larger frame as far as comfort is concerned.

That said I do like the feel and ride height of an 18 inch bike and ideally would like one with a longer toptube, are there any retro bikes out there that fit the bill or is this now the realm of custom frames and the ££££££ that that entails?

I had thought about a layback post but that can bugger up your pedalling position non? I had a massssive stem and that helped the clockwork but don't really like the handling changes- any suggestions and anyone looking for a swap? :roll:

where are you getting these measurements from? i just had a quick look in a kona and voodoo cattalogue and the top tube for an 18" is 23". you would have to bee riding a 16" or 14 " to have a top tube of 21.5" :?

from my trusty tape measure- clockwork, MF and dale all measure 18 inch centre to centre and all have 21.5 (approx) centre to centre toptube.

i was/still am not fussed about seat tube length - always look at the top tube

i've got the orange at 16inch frame with 22 inch top tube

my chromag is custom at 14.5 seat tube and 22.5 top tube!!!

clockwork, MF and dale all measure 18 inch centre to centre and all have 21.5 (approx) centre to centre toptube.

But they all slope different amounts, so the effective length (measured horizontally from centre of headtube to centre of seatpost) will be differently longer in each case ;-)

Good call mike, however I did measure them straight across not the toptube itself (had no choice with the sbike as there is no toptube ).

I agree the frame size is less important but I have got used to an 18 inch bike and it just feels right- 17 inch feels too small and 19 inch a bit perched- I know, I'm a fussy git :roll:

On-one inbred has a longer toptube non?

The mary bars are very good at stretching me out on the sbike but they look pretty ugly on most bikes and I don't really want to go there. Any other long 18 inch bikes out there, My old kona lavadome seemed longer but I could be imagining things :?

A horizontal top tube of 21.5 is extremely short for a 18 c-c seat tube.

As has been said, a size 18 Kona (would be size 15 on your c-c basis) has a horizontal top tube of 23 (22.1 along the tube).

But I'm also puzzled by your measurement because my size 19 C16R (17.5 c-c) also has a horizontal top tube of 23, or just a fraction under.

will get the laser measuring tool out tonight (tape measure after a strong cup of coffee) and get the exact measurements and let you know.

The following are actual tube measurements, as I haven't got time to faf with trigonometry at the moment
Seat tubes measured C-T, Top tubes measured C-C.

Mrs P's Lava Dome (2001) - Seat tube 19", Top tube 22.5"

My Cinder Cone (1992) - Seat tube 21", Top tube 23.5"

C16R (1995ish) - Seat tube 19", top tube 22.25" (less of a slope than the Konas) (OK went out and did the horizontal mesurement on this one = 23", life is so confusing)

Now must really get back to work :shock:

Gaz, either you cannot measure a bike worth toffee or you've got some seriously freaky bikes :shock:

Frame size centre of crank to top of seat tube.
Virtual top tube, centre of headtube where top tube meets to centre of seatpost traveling horizontally.

Way round the problem is to ditch XC crouch in favour of more upright riding position but I know you like the XC crouch :roll: