Brain Farts of a Bike Tart

I’m in Kamikaze mode again – “off on one” some might say…

First things first, ‘dream bike’ will still happen.  However, as I have been reminded a couple of times in the last week my back still needs some time to get sorted – I reckon it’ll be next year before I do ride longer than four hours now.  When ‘dream bike’ does happen I still firmly believe it’ll be a Pegoretti with some seriously lush kit on it, but splashing out on something custom right now isn’t the wisest of ideas. 

So instead I’m using the time to try something different, which I was sort of planning on doing anyway only I was never all that sure about the options available.  My measure-up at CycleFit told me I needed a shorter top tube, which I already knew.  The difficulty I’ve had is finding a frame with a short enough top tube whilst still maintaining a tall enough head tube otherwise I was always going to end up with a fairly significant saddle to bar drop – basically just moving the problem rather than solving it. 

Colnago’s CX-1 and Cervelo’s RS both fitted the bill in terms of a shorter top tube and taller head tube, but I was never satisfied enough that the head tube height on either was sufficient.  Going up a size to get the head tube height I want meant pushing out the top tube again, and then they were both longer than my current Lynskey (which is already a tad too long).  Other frames fitted into the same limitations – Specialized Roubaix and Cannondale’s Synapse & CAAD8 amongst others. 

Then last night I chanced upon the Look 585 Optimum.  The XL / 57cm has a 56cm top tube (1.5cm shorter than the Lynskey) and a 19cm head tube.  This puts me right where I want to be.  Although the head tube is still slightly shorter (1.5cm) than the Lynskey the shorter top tube will position me more upright anyway, and despite theoretically being a larger size than the equivalent CX-1 or RS the top tube on the 585 is shorter and the head tube taller.

This frame feels like it will close a loop for me.  In the last couple of years I’ve ridden smaller race frames (55cm Omega Enigma, 56cm Cervelo Soloist, 56cm Cervelo R3), larger race frames (58cm Cannondale CAAD9, 58cm Cannondale SystemSix) and a larger relaxed geometry frame (Lynskey R330).  Despite being an XL or 57cm frame it sort of fits into a ‘smaller relaxed geometry’ category as the top tube is actually shorter than my previous 56cm frames (it’s really only an XL on account of its long seat tube).  All of these frames will have had enough differences in geometry, angles, fork rakes, wheelbases and front-centre measurements for me to really know how I like a bike to handle.  As such when I come to pull the trigger on ‘dream bike’ I’ll know exactly what works.

But it’s not all just a test – ‘dream bike’is likely to be both metal and comparatively heavy as far as the frame is concerned.  Being Ti the Lynskey is also metal and comparatively heavy.  At less than a kilo the 585 would serve well as a lightweight carbon race machine and useful second bike for when it’s not quite perfect enough conditions to wheel out ‘dream bike’.  It benefits over the Lynskey in being different enough to have real and useful purpose long term in a bike collection.

I have the Slane Cycles website up and an XL 585 is sat in my ‘shopping basket’ along with the rather lovely Look HSD stem to match it – the lethal combination of my credit card and an itchy mouse finger could see one arriving by Saturday… but I’m hoping a second hand one will crop up first. 

Kamikaze?  Extravagant?  Just plain stupid?  Possibly.  Probably in fact.  But frankly I don’t care – I just want to be comfortable on a bike again.