tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post7289592551023936150..comments2023-09-08T06:31:18.925-05:00Comments on Belgium Knee Warmers™: No Time to Fork AroundRadio Freddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419506761098758178noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-70264234849742989052008-02-12T17:20:00.000-06:002008-02-12T17:20:00.000-06:00Dan, not sure who "pointed out to you" the 120mm s...Dan, not sure who "pointed out to you" the 120mm stem, but it is, in fact, 140mm. It could be that the guy who was there with the tape measure and the selection of stems actually knows what he is talking about. Our contact at Specialized would never have mentioned it, had they not been so frustrated by the silliness of the request. They (the Special Ed staffers) measured Bettini's bike up, down and sideways and delivered a properly sized bike. When he saw a 120mm stem, he immediately said, no, the bike was too big, that he needed the 49cm frame instead of the 52cm frame just so he could run a 140mm stem. They were incredulous. We wrote about it because it shows that the PROs can be more tied to the PRO look than us.Padraighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14806791547912750107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-511674160315244142008-02-12T12:59:00.000-06:002008-02-12T12:59:00.000-06:00It was pointed out to me, and I verified from phot...It was pointed out to me, and I verified from photos, that Bettini's stem is 120mm, not 140mm. There's a "140" on the stem, but that's a model number, not the stem length.<BR/><BR/><A REG="http://www.bikemannetwork.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/Alt-Bimage/CC-FSAOS140B.jpg">For example, click here.</A>djconnelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01484858820878605035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-25198960661330485922008-02-11T11:55:00.000-06:002008-02-11T11:55:00.000-06:00I realize this is an old topic, but I found it whe...I realize this is an old topic, but I found it when looking for info on Bettini's geometry. 13cm stem -- wow!<BR/><BR/>With respect to geometry, though: I think the factor is the angle of your back. Look in a mirror and rotate at the hips until your hips stop rotating, and further rotation would come at the expense of a flat back. There's a decent position. Now rotate arms at the shoulder. You have a choice: long with higher stem, or short with shorter stem. Now Bettini has a long stem, but he's riding a bike with an extremely short reach. But guys back in '89 were often on longer top tubes, with their arms way out in front, but with very similar back positions.<BR/><BR/>The focus should be on the back position. If your back is strained, it doesn't matter how fashionable you look, you won't be able to ride as well.djconnelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01484858820878605035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-72839878217627128362007-10-26T11:18:00.000-05:002007-10-26T11:18:00.000-05:00Recently I saw some video of the 1989 pro road wor...Recently I saw some video of the 1989 pro road worlds endgame and was struck by the PRO bike setups: nearly, if not all, bikes had their bars at the same height as the saddle and there wasn't too much seatpost showing. <BR/><BR/>The first time I can remember really noticing the extreme saddle to bar drop was in a Colnago ad featuring Michele Bartoli. The frame looked like it had a normal top tube length, but the seat tube wasn't very tall and his -17 stem had no spacers between it and the headset. The drops of his bars looked about even with his front wheel. What I also remember was the grimy drivetrain, it looked like he just came back from a rainy six hour recon of Paris-Roubaix. Maybe they were trying to show that Bartoli really rode the bike on display in the ad.Bobke Struthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14531816897802972850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-53942960779117865672007-10-26T08:11:00.000-05:002007-10-26T08:11:00.000-05:00Huge saddle to handlebar drop, and long stems – th...Huge saddle to handlebar drop, and long stems – that's the PRO look. It's funny – bikes don't look right to me unless they're set up that way. Funnier still, I've been training on a '92 Paramount with a quill setup, and no matter how much I gussy up the bike, it still won't look right to me until I find a nice 130-140mm quill stem.Doctor Whohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04227002888324517851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-64658919206452986582007-10-24T17:56:00.000-05:002007-10-24T17:56:00.000-05:00a shorter stem might be stiffer.. no?a shorter stem might be stiffer.. no?Ron Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394865788996482667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-9382362004912304212007-10-24T13:07:00.000-05:002007-10-24T13:07:00.000-05:00Sometimes a new paint job is all a sponsor needs t...Sometimes a new paint job is all a sponsor needs to satisfy a pro's demand for a stiffer/lighter bike or component. "Here you go Mario! These new red wheels are 20% stiffer!" "Oh yes! They do feel stiffer! Thank you!"<BR/><BR/>I feel for Specialized.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821760991275369602.post-88063148815210297102007-10-23T23:24:00.000-05:002007-10-23T23:24:00.000-05:00RIding a 130 or 140 mm stem is PRO.-NEILRIding a 130 or 140 mm stem is PRO.<BR/><BR/>-NEILAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com