Steel road bikes, yet another narrow focus bicycle thread.

[ducnut]

Originally Posted by Chisenhallw

Question about lugs.

I've got a couple (four) female friends who are above 6' tall. Needless to say, there are no women's geometry bikes that big that I know of. If you know of a company making them that big stock (no custom builders), I'll point them to it & they might send you homebaked cookies. So I'm toying with the idea of dabbling in framebuilding, so that these ladies can have bikes that fit them properly.

Here's my question about lugs. I know that a women's specific geometry is going to change the angle of the tube as it goes into the lugs; does anybody make the lugs with the right angles?

I'm a decent home welder (vocational re-training FTW), and have grasped the theories behind brazing. I can put a bike together, but I've never done frame building.

Thanks.

What specific aspect of a unisex frame are they having trouble with?

I'm thinking you're confusing a compact frame design (shorter seattube vs toptube) with "women-specific geometry", as nearly all the new stuff is compact frame. What "women-specific" mostly refers to is the use of lighter tubesets (in some cases), narrower bars, specific saddle, smaller/closer positioned/shorter travel levers, and smaller frame sizes. At over 6' tall, the proportions of their body parts shouldn't have issues with what petite women have issues with. If you must go to custom options, it's hard to beat the affordability of Gunnar.

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Chisenhallw

Question about lugs.

I've got a couple (four) female friends who are above 6' tall. Needless to say, there are no women's geometry bikes that big that I know of. If you know of a company making them that big stock (no custom builders), I'll point them to it & they might send you homebaked cookies. So I'm toying with the idea of dabbling in framebuilding, so that these ladies can have bikes that fit them properly.

Here's my question about lugs. I know that a women's specific geometry is going to change the angle of the tube as it goes into the lugs; does anybody make the lugs with the right angles?

I'm a decent home welder (vocational re-training FTW), and have grasped the theories behind brazing. I can put a bike together, but I've never done frame building.

Thanks.

See if Rivendell has some 62 cm Betty Foys still on hand, which might be big enough. http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/f-foy.htm

But if they don't mind a normal top tube, have them talk to the shop about their specific sizing requirements, and it's possible one of the other stock frames will work. Otherwise they're looking a customs... and Riv customs are pricey, but very very nice.

[gearguywb]

If you are talking about a complete design and build (full custom) then there is no such thing as women's specific. The build would be to exactly what the rider needs.

Most WSG type of bikes are simply a marketing ploy with shorter top tube/stem in relation to the rest of the bike (along with some graphics). It's the great thing about custom...build it for the specific rider with all of the other options (chain hangar, pump peg, tube selection, chain stay length, trail, etc.)

[Gummee!]

Originally Posted by Chisenhallw

Question about lugs.

I've got a couple (four) female friends who are above 6' tall. Needless to say, there are no women's geometry bikes that big that I know of. If you know of a company making them that big stock (no custom builders), I'll point them to it & they might send you homebaked cookies. So I'm toying with the idea of dabbling in framebuilding, so that these ladies can have bikes that fit them properly.

Here's my question about lugs. I know that a women's specific geometry is going to change the angle of the tube as it goes into the lugs; does anybody make the lugs with the right angles?

I'm a decent home welder (vocational re-training FTW), and have grasped the theories behind brazing. I can put a bike together, but I've never done frame building.

Thanks.

FWI've seen just building a bike isn't rocket science. Just make sure everything's straight and you're good to go.

FITTING someone on said bike is where the alchemy comes in.

Most women's specific designs are simply shorter front to back with maybe an angle change at the seat tube. Maybe lighter gauge tubes get tossed in the mix too.

My ex- was 6' even. LONG legs. Short torso. Sitting down, we were the same height. She just had 6" longer legs than I did. Her 'optimal' frame was 58ST x 55-56TT with somewhat slack angles on the ST. A similar height guy would be on a 58cm square bike.

Hop on over to Velocipede Salon and you can ask all the questions you want to the framebuilders there. There's guys from Richard Sachs to guys you've never heard of over there.

Oh, and Italian frames tend to be slightly shorter front to back than some of the others. Colnago stands out. Cinelli too IIRC.

Good luck!

M

[ttpete]

Originally Posted by anotherguy

This should help you. This too. The bicycles intended purpose determines geometry not who's sitting on it. Sizing is different but that's where a custom build comes into play.

Are you locked into brazed lug construction? Personal preference or customer choice? Tig welded frames are every bit as good as lugged. If it's preference I understand. It's mine as well.

The second link is a book from 1979 that I owned at that time. I had one of the firms mentioned, Condor Cycles in London, build me a frame. Back then, it was almost $1000. It was a lugged frame, and the hand work on the lugs was beautiful, almost like lace. Looks like they're still in business. http://www.condorcycles.com/our-bikes

[Chisenhallw]

Originally Posted by anotherguy

Are you locked into brazed lug construction? Personal preference or customer choice? Tig welded frames are every bit as good as lugged. If it's preference I understand. It's mine as well.

Thanks for the links.

I'm not locked into brazed lug, but unless you're willing to buy me a TIG welder..... If I was going to put together a frame, I'd *rather* TIG it; I feel much more comfortable doing that than brazing. But brazing you can do with a torch and some filler...

Originally Posted by ducnut

. At over 6' tall, the proportions of their body parts shouldn't have issues with what petite women have issues with. If you must go to custom options, it's hard to beat the affordability of Gunnar.

My experience has been that you are incorrect. Tall women are still proportioned like women, just taller. They still have shorter waists & torsos.

Originally Posted by Andrew

See if Rivendell has some 62 cm Betty Foys still on hand, which might be big enough. http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/f-foy.htm

Oo, hey, thanks for the tip.

Thanks everybody else for the responses; keep 'em coming.

[anotherguy]

You're welcome. By all means keep us updated. Where do you live? I have access to a Miller Syncrowave.

[Gummee!]

Originally Posted by anotherguy

You're welcome. By all means keep us updated. Where do you live? I have access to a Miller Syncrowave.

He's up near Bawlmore.

IME you can make a stock size bike fit most people with the addition or subtraction of a few piecesparts. You need help with that Chisenhallw, just lemme know.

M

[Chisenhallw]

Originally Posted by Gummee!

He's up near Bawlmore.

IME you can make a stock size bike fit most people with the addition or subtraction of a few piecesparts. You need help with that Chisenhallw, just lemme know.

M

I haven't had good experience with that. Shopping for my girlfriend's bike, she settled between a Raleigh Grand Sport & a Specialized Dolce, each sold by a different shop. The shop that had the raleigh claimed they could mimic women's geometry by swapping some parts around. We gave them a day and stopped by for a test ride. She climbed out of the saddle; "Nope." We bought the Dolce.

[HamboneSlim]

Originally Posted by Chisenhallw

I've got a couple (four) female friends who are above 6' tall. Needless to say, there are no women's geometry bikes that big that I know of...

I've always thought mixte frames were very elegant. Is that what you mean by women's geometry frames?

[Chisenhallw]

Originally Posted by HamboneSlim

I've always thought mixte frames were very elegant. Is that what you mean by women's geometry frames?

No. More like this;



But in like, 59/60 cm.

[Gummee!]

Easy peasy: build it 60cm tall and 57cm long.

/discussion

M

[Chisenhallw]

Originally Posted by Gummee!

Easy peasy: build it 60cm tall and 57cm long.

/discussion

M

\discussion. Hence my original question; that's going to change the angle that the lug receives the tube, right? Do they make lugs with those angles?

[HamboneSlim]

Originally Posted by Chisenhallw

No. More like this;

But that's not beautiful.

Women shouldn't have to ride bikes that aren't beautiful.

[tony the tiger]

Originally Posted by HamboneSlim

I've always thought mixte frames were very elegant. Is that what you mean by women's geometry frames?

oh, my
...

Originally Posted by HamboneSlim

But that's not beautiful.

Women shouldn't have to ride bikes that aren't beautiful.

Is it wrong that I like that bike? Where can I get a set of racks like that?