geometry / tube selection for sprint to olympic triathlon bike / road bike

[crookedcycle]

Hey all. Contemplating build number four. Have made three lugged frames, and have the ability (through my buddy who i build with) to tig as well. I've ridden and owned numerous aluminum bikes, as well as two carbon bikes. My favorite is still the first steel bike my friend and I build together. I own a tri bike, its aluminum, and I don't ride it anymore because a) the roads here in north east Ohio look like they have been subject to numerous IMD attacks and 2) until I get at least 15 miles out, the traffic is far to sketchy to feel safe riding in the aero bars. That being said, as I was pondering what to do for build four, the thought of a road bike with a hybrid geometry seems appealing. It would need to have a threadless steering column, to allow for the use of a stem and clip on aerobars. I'm not too hung up on the aerodynamics of the frame, and prefer more of a slam (horizontal) position than a high seat to bar drop position. I want a bike I can ride and enjoy safely given my local riding conditions, but be able to gain (some) aero advantage come race day. Basically I am wondering if this is a good idea, or an attempt to create a swiss army knife that in reality is as effective as a butter knife. Any and all input would be appreciated, and if I'm barking up the wrong tree, or am asking the wrong question, just let me know.
Jay Crook
Wickliffe, OH

[David Tollefson]

You're trying to design the position from the wrong direction. Roads bikes are designed from back to front (position-wise). Tri bikes are front to back. Sounds like you're trying to NOT make this to take advantage of what tri bikes are made for -- aerodynamic positioning. By all means, give it a shot and let us know how it turns out -- you might just love it. But you could likely get the same benefit by putting some shorty aero-bars on your road bike.

[fortyfour]

Welcome Jay. This is how I would approach this project, and since it's only #4, I'd use it as a learning experience to experiment with geometry, handling and intent:

Design the bike for the purpose you intend it's ultimate use, and choose geometry specs for how you want the bike to handle given your terrain and intentions you've outlined above. Build, ride and take notes. Repeat. Repeat often. Take more notes. What you're looking to do is design and build around an intention, and the only way to go about that is to make an "educated guess", build it and ride it in every scenario possible. This is exactly how I arrived at how I build my own bicycles and what shapes them into the bicycles that they are. When clients come to me, given this experience (and on going feedback), I can listen to what the customer wants, and in return built them what they need. (I'm paraphrasing a lot of my own experience and methodology.)

As an aside (and this is not directed to you or anyone in particular) I think too many times, too early on, builders want each bike to be perfect. This is just not so. You'll chase your tail trying to make everything perfect. Use these instances as a chance to experiment within a known set of parameters, so when you actually build the bike up and ride it, you have a baseline for feeling out how the bike is handling and performing in contrast to or in tandem with how you designed/intended it to be. That alone will speak volumes above anything else. This is a game of subtle, incremental changes and tweaks. Having this baseline, you'll be better informed with each build. You will not only learn a heck of a lot about choices and intention, but you'll also be honing your skills all the while - this last part of the equation being a paramount ingredient to this entire exercise.

Good luck.