I Wouldn't Buy One

[cyberknight]

Yes, but it looks far too flimsy, it's not a frame that I would be keen to ride.

Work mate had 2 giants with that sort of frame both crack around the join of the seat tube and top tube, thankfully giant have a good return policy ,He has now bought something with a more traditional geometry .

 

[Serge]

http://bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.com/2013/10/changing-positions.html

Thanks for that, really interesting article.

 

[Illaveago]

I was thinking about the seat post minimum insertion line. Surely they need to be designed for each frame unless they allow enough leeway ?

 

[Drago]

Wow - so much negativity and conjecture from people who are, if you don't mind my saying so, unlikely to have a clue what they are talking about.

Whereas you do, of course?

It's not easy or wise to just guess how structurally sound something is by just looking at it.

Unless you have some expertise in structures.

I confess, I have two bikes from Planet X that I've been extremely happy with, so I'm probably a little biased.

More than a little biased, judging from the extensive group d your post covers.

I think I'd trust Planet X to have got this right.

Planet X have got what right? They neither design nor build their frames. They're a bike assembler and retailer, nothing more (Not that there's anything wrong with that as a business model)

One of them is an old Pro Carbon, which to my eye is even more compact than the new version, and mine (I'm 6'4 on a bike with 56cm seat tube) probably has more seat tube showing than the one pictured above - it hasn't broken.

Just because something has never happened to you does not mean it has never happened to someone else. I've never broken my left leg, but it does not follow that left legs do not break. A correlation of 1 is the classic statisticians joke.

Actually, I think it's rare to hear of Pro Carbons breaking, and there seem to be plenty of them out there.

No one is singling out carbon in this thread. The matter under discussion is compact seat stays and the effect it may have on a bikes structure, and to a lesser extent the aesthetics. Me thinks you both protest too much considering no one is having a pop at your bikes frame material.

I think it's a fantastic looking bike and disappointingly for all the people that love to hate Planet X, it'll probably have the performance to match.

No one is singling out Planet X in this thread. The matter under discussion is compact seat stays and the effect they may have on a bikes structure, and to a lesser extent the aesthetics. It just so happened the photo used was of a Planet X mount, but could equally have been a Giant, Trek, Felt, Spesh or 101 bikes for dozens of brands.


In summary, we get it, you have a Planet X bike and you like the budget bikemeisters. Well, no one is really suggesting there's anythng wrong with Planet X per se, so I'm not sure why you're so touchy.

 

[Globalti]

The Planet X bike is posed for the photo, I don't think even a pro would ride with that much seatpost exposed. If they did, they need a frame two sizes bigger.

 

[Illaveago]

It would be a good trick for a magician to start raising the saddle and seeing them continue doing it !

 

[MontyVeda]

So you need a 25" frame. A proper old-school steel one with a horizontal crossbar. None of that carbon rubbish.

I've got an 'XL' 21" mtb frame... for folk 6' - 6'5". The frame is the correct size for my height, the seat post and saddle height is correct for my inside leg.

 

[Crackle]

I imagine it's probably fine. It's not quite so ugly as some other dropped stay bikes I've seen, in fact, I'm come over a bit peculiar I think, I quite like it, don't tell Bollo!

 

[Johnno260]

Well structural integrity aside the aesthetics are a matter of opinion.

It’s like arguing what a better colour or better music choice.

I happen to like both frame geometry types but I’m a freak haha

 

[Moodyman]

Compact frames have been around for quite a while and have been used by some pro teams since the 90s. Giant, pioneered the design and remain market leaders. You'd think they know what they're doing.

In fact, contrary to upthread, they are probably better for heavier riders as all things being equal, they are stiffer. Seatpost cracks should not occur if the seatpost exceeds the top tube/downtube intersection.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I can see why people think frames like this will break into a 1000 pieces every time it hits a pebble because the press and the net is absolutely snide out with horror stories of carbon fibre frames and parts failing all the time. Even on here there's thread after thread saying " I was nearly killed by carbon fibre" , you can hardly wade through them all to find the 'good old days' threads we all love and cherish.

Maybe we should all steal steel bikes from skips , that'll put a stop to all this bike industry progress masquerading as progress.

for selective quoting please see below.

There's nothing in my post about carbon fibre, steel or aluminium. I haven't ridden a steel frame for twenty years and unless I buy a classic (Thinking about it from time to time) I never will again. But whether on a sloping frame or not I would doubt that moving the chain stays away from the top and down tube is as structurally sound as the traditional method of construction.

My opinion of course, feel free to differ.

 

[Blue Hills]

The bit I dislike the most is that Quasimodo top tube.

agree. It's fashionable innit? Justified on the grounds that it aids responsiveness or something. No idea if that stacks up, Strongly suspect its just a variant on "go faster" stripes of old.

 

[screenman]

Look in the mirror you lot, some of you sound like your parents. All this new fangled stuff, turn that racket down, your not going out of this house dressed like that and so on.

 

[Blue Hills]

I fear you mean you're.
]
and so on

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Mod Note:
everybody is entitled to their opinion, so I'm going to delete a couple of personal remarks.
The Italian bridge comment is in bad taste, don't you think?
End (Italian Mod) Note.