[CR]Re: Thoughts on frame size and saddle heights in the good old days

(Example: Framebuilding:Technology)

In-Reply-To: <CATFOODIIZS2TRqf69a000001e6@catfood.nt.phred.org>
Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2001 23:17:09 -0500
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "Herb Langston" <langston@interaccess.com>
Subject: [CR]Re: Thoughts on frame size and saddle heights in the good old days

My restored and almost ready to ride Motobecane has no more than 7cm of seatpost showing, and should have less than that, except it would embarrass me. When I bought the bike in 1977, the dealer sized it for me (it's on the showroom floor and already assembled, therefore it fits you just fine).

Back in those days, average bike shop dealers had you straddle the top tube and place your feet flat on the ground. If your voice went up one octave, it was considered a correct fit. Better bike shop dealers would, before frame fit turned into a science, try to get a few inches of air between your nether regions and the top tube. If I weren't so ignorant at the time, I would have insisted on a 59cm frame over a 61.5cm. But I've had the darn bike for so long now that I can't part with it.

Herb Langston Evanston, IL
>As I was getting this here frame ready to ship to Mr.
>Pergolizzi (Sorry for the delay John, it's going out
>TODAY!), I had to remove the old steel seatpost. It's a
>58.5cm c-t italian frame from the 60s that came to me as a
>completely original bike, and I believe the post is
>original. Total length of the post, not counting the area
>where the seat-clamp goes, is 120mm. This is quite short
>for a frame of this size, and suggests to me that it really
>was expected that for most uses, one would have very little
>seat-post showing when the bike was fitted correctly.
>
>Chalk up another point for Grant P. Vintage content
>disclaimer: now I feel better riding my 58cm 60s Pogliaghi
>with only about 7cm of post showing. <g>
>
>Charles Andrews
>Los Angeles