sittin' on the fence not sure if I can afford to join in...

DrJo

Senior Retro Guru
Ola friendly retrobikers
Hopefully this post will generate some interest.. This is my first tentative dip in the waters of retro road and to say the least i'm just a little bit nervous. I come from a 20" 24" 26" 29" ride it like you stole it kind of background and have way too many project bikes in the shed already.
As lady luck would have it I picked one of these up none too expensive only yesterday, very happy i was too....

A lovely 22" ribble 531c 92-95ish, not the one in the picture, same paintjob, though mines in need of serious toptube tlc. Came with og hs/stem/bars/brifters/brakes and drivetrain (campag avanti/mirage). All in a bit of a sorry state but they may polish up ok. Not the smartest of gruppo's but at the price no complainin'. No wheels, seatpost or saddle however..

I've never had a road bike but I know this is going to be a bit short for my 6'3" frame. And I know that size matters it's true. No doubt we've all been in this situation, should I build it on a budget and ride it even if it's a bit small or sell it to keep things elsewhere moving on.....
I've already got a few other slow builds on the go. Can I afford another build, wouldn't it be nice if I could!!

So I think to myself whats that ol' thing in my shed, perhaps I could trade that for some wheels or ting.... shouldn't really sell it as i'll never get another ... but it might generate some interest.
cue pic of original sales brochure,
quality matching frame and fork, seattube c-c 22" in need of paint. Comes with non standard holdsworth headtube badge (cyclone deluxe badge cut down for the new zephyr model) ooh rare bit too. more info here..http://www.nkilgariff.com/HoldsModelPages/Zephyr.htm

Perhaps i should build this up instead... or sell it, or trade for some wheels or just swap this whole pile for a bike that works ( and fits me of course)... so please some advice some offers/swaps and maybe a bit of a reality check on how many bikes I really need......

thanxeverso DrJo
 

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Re: sittin' on the fence not sure if I can afford to join in

If the ribble is a bit small, you can make it bigger, so to speak. Only takes a stem.

A 64cm frame is "correct" for me, but I've built up a 54cm with long stem and seatpost. Gives me a lot of spare standover height!
 
Re: sittin' on the fence not sure if I can afford to join in

I'm 6' with short legs and I ride a 22.5" frame. It is far better off to start with a frame that is the correct size for you rather than try to make a small one fit with lots of Seatpost and stem. It won't feel right and will handle like a dog.

You should at least be able to ride the Ribble though. One blast on thin tyres, zipping along faster for less effort and you'll be hooked!

In my opinion, if it doesn't fit you properly to begin with, it never will.
 
Re: sittin' on the fence not sure if I can afford to join in

Iwasgoodonce":2nm5iarv said:
I'm 6' with short legs and I ride a 22.5" frame. It is far better off to start with a frame that is the correct size for you rather than try to make a small one fit with lots of Seatpost and stem. It won't feel right and will handle like a dog.

Tell that to Mr Moulton!
 
Re: sittin' on the fence not sure if I can afford to join in

since you're new to the road, I say build and ride the one you have, if you like it then you can swap later on. riding the bike you have will also give you a better idea of the size you need, as once you get your position sorted, it will be easier to determine the correct frame size. sizing on the road is a lot different to off it!
 
Re: sittin' on the fence not sure if I can afford to join in

Bats":2i9ent21 said:
Iwasgoodonce":2i9ent21 said:
I'm 6' with short legs and I ride a 22.5" frame. It is far better off to start with a frame that is the correct size for you rather than try to make a small one fit with lots of Seatpost and stem. It won't feel right and will handle like a dog.

Tell that to Mr Moulton!
The moultonis designed like that and will handle as such. The seat post sticking out doesn't matter too much, the short (for you) top tube will affect handling. Last thing you want is over/under steer descending at 40mph. Or speed shimmy.

I would sell, regularly scanning the for sales on RB, there seems a short supply of 22" frames and lots of 24" (esp from our Dutch friends). So you should have no probs selling and lots of choice buying to get something that properly works for you.
 
Re: sittin' on the fence not sure if I can afford to join in

pigman":223875sh said:
Bats":223875sh said:
Tell that to Mr Moulton!
The moultonis designed like that and will handle as such. The seat post sticking out doesn't matter too much, the short (for you) top tube will affect handling. Last thing you want is over/under steer descending at 40mph. Or speed shimmy.

Ahh but nobody mentioned top tube length. For example, my 54cm bike has a top tube longer than my 60cm bike. Weird things happen when you buy second hand bikes, not even mentioning how high you want the bars.
 
Re: sittin' on the fence not sure if I can afford to join in

I think a 22 inch frame will be much to small for you and you will waste a lot of money and time building it up and trying to make it fit. If it was me id sell both frames and put the money to a project that fits you. Im 6 ft 2 inches and the smallest frame I can comfortably ride is a 23 1/2 inch, the largest is 25 1/4.
 
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