visually proper bikes

[dancinkozmo]

Yeah, I hate seat bags too.

...i think this one's my favorite.

[marle]

Zip Lock Freezer bags filled with stuff in the back pockets are the answer to ugly saddle bags

[Bob Ross]

Zip Lock Freezer bags filled with stuff in the back pockets are the answer to ugly saddle bags

What's the answer to ugly back pockets?

[mattsbeers]

The answer is that only the people you're beating to the town sign sprint see them.

My Blog; Analog Mustache

[maunahaole]

What's the answer to ugly back pockets?

Ugly fanny packs

[stewie]

proper?

[WFSTEKL]

proper?

No. It needs a black 25mm setback seatpost and a 140mm stem, round bars and tubs. Other than that, it is perfect.

[TJ]

Camera angle or short stem?

[cottonBikeJoe]

I like the silver seatpost...but I agree with above...longer stem and tubs! Nice one though...real close.

[stewie]

Few more that I couldn't pass by without looking at them again..if any of these are yours, I'm just showing them off for you :)

[DCT]

please.... lets leave the gay bars and non setback posts out of this thread.

thanks in advance!

[ChimpMensa]

The ideal visual proportion in a bike is not identical to the ideal fitment of the bike as it needs to be ridden. Sometimes you shoot for something that looks good and it also happens to be usable with where the parts need to be on the bike.

As this is about a critique of the visual aspect, I'd offer that the stem might be a bit long out of proportion (or the saddle too low) to my view of a proper visual. The hoods are purposefully placed lower, as in a sprinters position on the bars or more rather the way Campy hoods/levers were positioned in the Merckx-era. And that's the setup on how I ride it.

I think if a bike is setup with setback and any kind of lowered bars, it will wind up in the ballpark of looking good. But it doesn't mean ding if it can't be ridden. What price vanity?

[Jas0n]

I'm a little torn by my thoughts as I read through this thread. As much as I can relate to the experience of seeing a bike and recognizing an inherent beauty in its proportion, its set-up - a part of me wants to believe in the beauty of a bike being set-up for a particular rider (even if that means that the bike might not perfect to the eye).

These are a pair of my personal rigs. They're both perfect to me (even the Newton bars) - minus a few details: I have to trim the Parlee's steerer, and the silver headset on the Vagen will probably be swapped in short order. And perhaps more importantly, when I'm riding each, they seem perfect from the only point of view that matters ... regardless of how imperfect their driver may be.

P.S. The Vagen is a new-to-me, but an old forum regular.

[Fourflys]

^^^ wow, that's like the Bat Bike! I like it!

[BryanF]

I could live with this saddlebag....

...when I saw this bike in San Jose a few years ago my jaw hit the floor. Not one for the Tuesday night crit, but perfect nonetheless.

[nerdwin]

For me, it's gotta have: 1) stem angle matches TT slope. 2) setback seatpost. 3) standard crankset. 4) water bottle bosses as equidistant from the BB as practical.

This comes close (minus the ano-bars)...

Baum-White.jpg

[Eric Estlund]

Non-offset posts don't make me cringe in the slightest.

There, I said it.

[Dave Thompson]

Non-offset posts don't make me cringe in the slightest.

There, I said it.

Brave soul. Good thing you're a builder, they won't slap you around too much.

[Roman]

no getting all wounded from this "they" out there. this was going well.

[endo shi]

Non-offset posts don't make me cringe in the slightest.

There, I said it.

Zero-offset posts make me cringe intellectually more than anything. Their use indicates the bike doesn't fit. Throw a zero-offset post on a stock 56 cm, 73^ STA and all of a sudden it's like you're effectively riding a 75^ STA with a setback post and a 54 cm top tube. It's just wonking up everything. Nobody in the know would get a custom bike with a 75^ STA (unless you're tiny), but everyone happily rides zero-offset posts.

That being said, there's always an exception to any rule.