herneweb

Traditional 63%, Compact 37%

It's that time again. The votes are in and traditional has beaten compact as your frame geometry of choice. I know the relative merits of both styles and they been discussed at length in forums around the web, but I voted for traditional. My reasons? Well, I am tall rider and find the lower head tube and generally longer top tube on compact frames makes bike fit much more difficult. I think compact frames can look really goofy if you need to pack the steerer with spacers to get the correct bar height and use a two foot seatpost to get the correct saddle height. If you don't need to, great, compact might be for you.

Reviewing the votes that have been on the site over the past months I have been building the beginnings of a site visitor rider profile.

• Their ideal bike would be based around a traditional frame kitted out with Campagnolo components.
• They enjoy the pro races, but don't pay too much attention to the scandals.
• They are a Jan Ullrich fan but don't think that Ullrich can win the Tour again.
• They are not a fair-weather cyclist and continue to ride throughout the off-season.
• When heading out on a ride they reach for powerbars and sport drinks before the fruit basket.

Sound like you?

The vote this time is an effort to build on the profile. Do you climb uphill just for the downhill, or are downhills just a distraction from the real riding?

Comments:

Traditional (i.e. non-cpmpact frame) but both Shimano and Campy work equally well.

Love pro racing, read all the scandals, wish the sport were a)more popular and b)cleaner.

Jan who? I don't think he has the killer instinct.

Year-round cyclist, own a bike with fenders.

PowerBars taste like sh!t, sports drinks taste like piss.
By  fixedgear
 

I must not be a traditional site visitor!::GRIN:: Think about what I ride as a roadie! I do consume Clif and Protein bars on rides, but make my own electrolytic replacement drink. I do ride whatever the season or weather though if it's remotely possible!
By  Tom Stormcrowe
 

how should I vote if I love both climbing and descending but am a shambles at either...Richy
By  Anonymous
 

fixedgear - I'm with you on everything but Ullrich (and maybe Shimano). He has to do it this time. If Lance can get a fairytale ending, I hope Jan can get one too

Tom - I'm not an average reader either. I get far too obsessed with the scandal.

Richy - I'll let you into a secret. Vote for climbing then clear your cookies, then vote for downhill ;-). Sorry, I have no secrets for Pantani-like climbing or Savoldelli-like descending, as I am also demon at neither.
By  iain
 

I ride traditional with Shimano, but the compact is intriguing. I can't help but wonder ... I think I'd perhaps give the compact a chance if I were looking for a new bike.
Like pro racing, wish riders and testers were both a little cleaner, wish some dishonest riders hadn't made it so difficult to trust cyclists back in the day. But I also wish the testers were a little less eager to end a rider's career. At some point they need to face up to the fact that their testing methods simply cannot be perfect, and are likely far from (I know, I'm baiting mags here).
Ullrich's likeable. He coulda won in '98 if he'd conserved his strength a little better/raced smarter. But I think he's learned from Lance's tactician ways, so I'd imagine he'll be a power to be reckoned with in Tour '06.
I do ride when possible during the winter, but really, it's seldom possible around here. When I ride in the winter, I'm the only one out there.
Clif Bars lately. Also Access, Tiger's Milk, Powerbar, Bioprotein (some of those are from the days when I was into weightlifting). I like fruit too.
By  Caloi-Rider
 

I must try a Clif bar again, I haven't had one since they came free on the front of bike magazines years ago.
By  iain
 

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