Joy of riding a Sportive Road Bike

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When I first began riding drop bars, had this funny feeling that it was not all that right, at least for me. But everyone was doing it and it was built for speed and it did chew up the miles. Even with straight bars, great gears, it never felt good when you actually wanted speed as the flat back was not going to happen and neither were the arms going down more than little lower.

Not sure how the sportive came about but a tweak to angle, the shorter bar and some fangdangled suspension and anti-vibration (not sure if all these do what they supposed to do) a whole new world came about. You did the usual speed demon thing when you had to, but you also raised your head to see the world around you when you saw something striking catch your eye. You could also ride across some interesting terrain without rattling your bones. And you cover lot more miles without your posture taking a more permanent curve.

And its all in the geometry.
 

screenman

Legendary Member
So is a good bike fit.
 

Rob3rt

Man or Moose!
Location
Manchester
Nor can you use a sportive bike (essentially a road bike with a tall head tube) for cross country so what is your point?
 
Location
Northampton
When I first began riding drop bars, had this funny feeling that it was not all that right, at least for me. But everyone was doing it and it was built for speed and it did chew up the miles. Even with straight bars, great gears, it never felt good when you actually wanted speed as the flat back was not going to happen and neither were the arms going down more than little lower.

Not sure how the sportive came about but a tweak to angle, the shorter bar and some fangdangled suspension and anti-vibration (not sure if all these do what they supposed to do) a whole new world came about. You did the usual speed demon thing when you had to, but you also raised your head to see the world around you when you saw something striking catch your eye. You could also ride across some interesting terrain without rattling your bones. And you cover lot more miles without your posture taking a more permanent curve.

And its all in the geometry.

Interesting, what is your bike? make and model please?
 

screenman

Legendary Member
Its more like horses for causes. Nothing to do with bike fit. You can't use road bike for cross country not matter how much of bike fitting you avail yourself to.

Surely a bike fit is all about geometry. Getting the angles right to fit the individuals body shape and flexibility.
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
Raleigh and Carlton (amongst others) got the handling geometry right years ago, then road bikes got to be more and more aggressive/twitchy so now they have a new class of bikes they can sell.
 

screenman

Legendary Member
Raleigh and Carlton (amongst others) got the handling geometry right years ago, then road bikes got to be more and more aggressive/twitchy so now they have a new class of bikes they can sell.

Do you think that is the only reason?
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Which bike fit is scientifically correct, seeing as most of the major systems contradict their rivals often in some quite fundamental ways? It's the cycling equivalent of homeopathy.
 
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