# Big Guy or Small Bike you decide



## Mr Haematocrit (18 Dec 2013)

Thought this picture of Stijn Vandenbergh on Cav's Bike  was rather interesting and showed clearly the differences in the sizes between pro riders


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## Mr Haematocrit (18 Dec 2013)

Cav rides same frame size as me  looks tiny there


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## Crackle (18 Dec 2013)

He is 6ft 6 though, very nearly basketball player territory.


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## Mr Haematocrit (18 Dec 2013)

Crackle said:


> He is 6ft 6 though, very nearly basketball player territory.



I want to see Cav on his bike now.


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## fossyant (18 Dec 2013)

Saw the feed on Twitter earlier. Mark is still about 5' 8" isn't he ?


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## Mr Haematocrit (18 Dec 2013)

fossyant said:


> Saw the feed on Twitter earlier. Mark is still about 5' 8" isn't he ?



5' 9" (1.75 m)

We both ride the same size frames
Cav is taller than me 
Im better looking than Cav
All we have to do is work out who's the fastest


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## fossyant (18 Dec 2013)

I'm 5' 9" as well. That guy is a giant !


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## Beebo (18 Dec 2013)

Even the standard 700c wheels look too small, his head is almost 2/3rds the size of the rear wheel, has it been photoshopped?


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## Mr Haematocrit (18 Dec 2013)

Beebo said:


> Even the standard 700c wheels look too small, his head is almost 2/3rds the size of the rear wheel, has it been photoshopped?



not that I know off, it was posted by Cav himself.


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (18 Dec 2013)

That can't be a standard bike size


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## Linford (18 Dec 2013)

Works manager is 6ft 6". People in the 5ft 8" region look like children stood next to him from a distance.


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## Mr Haematocrit (18 Dec 2013)

Cav's bike is a 52 Venge with a 110mm Zipp SL145 stem.


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## cyberknight (18 Dec 2013)

fossyant said:


> I'm 5' 9" as well. That guy is a giant !


your both giants, i am 5 foot 7" on a good day!


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## Saluki (18 Dec 2013)

Crackle said:


> He is 6ft 6 though, very nearly basketball player territory.


My brother was 6'6" and used to ride my ponies. I'm 5'7" ish and bro used to call me 'pygmy person'.

Great picture that.


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## Linford (18 Dec 2013)

I joked about being 5'4" a few years ago on here....I know better than that now as certain people were a bit disrespectful the 'little man syndrome' comments.
Lesson learned - Avoid divulging that you are fat/bald/short/grey/etc as people can use it to wind you up.


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## Booyaa (18 Dec 2013)

I'm also 6ft 6 and look like that on a frame sized like that, kids bike they are called.


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## Hacienda71 (18 Dec 2013)

Doesn't look like a 700c wheeled bike. I am 6'4" ish and my lower leg is no where near as high as the wheel on my bike. In the photo the guys lower leg is bigger than the wheels. At a guess I would say it is a 24" wheel bike and Cav is taking the piss.


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## Mr Haematocrit (18 Dec 2013)

The bikes proportions look fine to me, including the wheels. I would say its comparable to my Venge


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## ColinJ (18 Dec 2013)

Here he is on his own bike ... He's pretty tall!


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## Hacienda71 (18 Dec 2013)

Is he really only 6'6"? He looks about 7'


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## Mr Haematocrit (18 Dec 2013)

Considering the size of that frame and the position of his legs he looks a pretty tall fella


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## Kies (19 Dec 2013)

Mr Haematocrit said:


> 5' 9" (1.75 m)
> 
> We both ride the same size frames
> Cav is taller than me
> ...



1 of the first 3 statements are incorrect!!!!


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## Kies (19 Dec 2013)

Linford said:


> I joked about being 5'4" a few years ago on here....I know better than that now as certain people were a bit disrespectful the 'little man syndrome' comments.
> Lesson learned - Avoid divulging that you are fat/bald/short/grey/etc as people can use it to wind you up.



Wow - your short,fat,bald AND grey! 
Don't ever ask the mirror mirror on the wall ...


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## Mr Haematocrit (19 Dec 2013)

Kies said:


> 1 of the first 3 statements are incorrect!!!!



You think I'm taller than Cav?


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## ohnovino (19 Dec 2013)

I'm 6'8" and I've sat on a couple of bikes looking like that, usually with a salesman saying, "Yeah, you'll be fine, it's a perfect fit for you."


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## Linford (19 Dec 2013)

Kies said:


> Wow - your short,fat,bald AND grey!
> Don't ever ask the mirror mirror on the wall ...



 If it made others feel better about themselves here, I have probably been all of these things in their eyes


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## SteCenturion (19 Dec 2013)

Mr Haematocrit said:


> Cav's bike is a 52 Venge with a 110mm Zipp SL145 stem.


You're not house sitting in Italy for him r u ??
Good Cav knowledge !!


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## oldroadman (21 Dec 2013)

Linford said:


> I joked about being 5'4" a few years ago on here....I know better than that now as certain people were a bit disrespectful the 'little man syndrome' comments.
> Lesson learned - Avoid divulging that you are fat/bald/short/grey/etc as people can use it to wind you up.


 You could be related...I tower over you by 6cm or so, but all the rest is pretty accurate nowadays!
There's nothing wrong with being little, riders like Stijn are wonderful to sit behind, you feel nothing! Then when it's your turn to come through, just hear them complain about lack of shelter! It's even better in echelons
What I did see the other days had me feeling big though, a couple of guys from South America I met whilst our (OK, in the cafe..). Riding 47 and 48 frames. Beautiful bikes, and 3cm less than mine. They could climb a bit, though, and gave me a chance to try and remember my Spanish from about 100 years ago, mainly the words for "easy!!"


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## SteCenturion (21 Dec 2013)

ohnovino said:


> I'm 6'8" and I've sat on a couple of bikes looking like that, usually with a salesman saying, "Yeah, you'll be fine, it's a perfect fit for you."


I am 6 '0' dead on & my missus is 6 '2' - poss 6 '2' & 1/2 - best not ever introduce u both - she would think u were ace - more importantly - 
I CAN'T COOK


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## jifdave (21 Dec 2013)

SteCenturion said:


> I am 6 '0' dead on & my missus is 6 '2' - poss 6 '2' & 1/2 - best not ever introduce u both - she would think u were ace - more importantly -
> I CAN'T COOK


i'm 6'8 also and a pretty handy cook.... but manchester is far away


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## Basil.B (30 Dec 2013)

cyberknight said:


> your both giants, i am 5 foot 7" on a good day!


Same here!


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## Beebo (3 Jan 2014)

This picture made me laugh, just shows what perspective can do.
The small guy is only 5 foot 6, and the others are both over 6 foot.


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## The Couch (8 Jan 2014)

Beebo said:


> This picture made me laugh, just shows what perspective can do.
> The small guy is only 5 foot 6, and the others are both over 6 foot.


Strange... must have missed that game, because this doesn't ring much of a bell... and why is Kompany looking bigger then Fellaini on this picture ?
(Especially with Fellaini being closer to the camera)

Anyway, back in the spirit of the thread...
Apparently they switched it around this year and here's Cav on the bike of Svdb:





He might not be able to touch the ground, but at least he can just about reach the pedals


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## ianrauk (8 Jan 2014)

Mr Haematocrit said:


> 5' 9" (1.75 m)
> 
> We both ride the same size frames
> Cav is taller than me
> ...




Well.. 2 of of 4 in your case..


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## fimm (8 Jan 2014)

Cav looks a bit worried and also as if he's trying not to laugh... (the crossbar must be high enough to worry him, I would have thought...?)


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## Beebo (8 Jan 2014)

Cav looks a bit of a fatty at the moment. I know he's been experimenting with body weight over the past few years, is he going for heavy this year?


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## tigger (8 Jan 2014)

Beebo said:


> Cav looks a bit of a fatty at the moment. I know he's been experimenting with body weight over the past few years, is he going for heavy this year?



As pro cyclists go he's always got a higher body fat % than most of the others, but he's always especially porky this time of year. Likes his food and finds it hard to keep the weight off.


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## Mr Haematocrit (14 Jan 2014)

Cavendish has gone down a frame size for this season to a 49  despite standing at a decidedly average 1.75m (5ft 8in).

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/pro-bike-mark-cavendishs-specialized-s-works-venge-39539/


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## cyberknight (14 Jan 2014)

Mr Haematocrit said:


> Cavendish has gone down a frame size for this season to a 49  despite standing at a decidedly average 1.75m (5ft 8in).
> 
> http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/pro-bike-mark-cavendishs-specialized-s-works-venge-39539/


Wow !
I know bike fit is subjective with a lot of variables but it makes interesting reading as i am 1 inch shorter than Cav and have my seat about 8 mm higher but 1 cm further forward .People keep telling me i have my saddle to low but heel on pedal gives me the same fit as .889 x inside leg to BB , close to KOPS but slightly behind BB ( for those who use that method ). This seems to work for me .
He is also heavier than me , but his weight could be post x mas bloat atm .I hover around 147 llbs normally , dipping under in summer .


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## oldroadman (15 Jan 2014)

cyberknight said:


> Wow !
> I know bike fit is subjective with a lot of variables but it makes interesting reading as i am 1 inch shorter than Cav and have my seat about 8 mm higher but 1 cm further forward .People keep telling me i have my saddle to low but heel on pedal gives me the same fit as .889 x inside leg to BB , close to KOPS but slightly behind BB ( for those who use that method ). This seems to work for me .
> He is also heavier than me , but his weight could be post x mas bloat atm .I hover around 147 llbs normally , dipping under in summer .


 The formula for basic fit I was taught (which was the same as Le Blaireau used), is inside leg to ground (no shoes) then multiply by 0.883 for saddle top to centre of bracket axle, measured down the seat tube. Which is mighty close to your 0.889, and as both can be adjusted for leg proportions is a good start. A lot of people might say many pros sit too low, to which the response is, "try it for 5 or 6 hours without a stop at steady but decent speed, then make a judgment". In my view, people often look a bit too high, possibly derived from the time trialling culture where you can sit high and a long way forward (this is OK for a short trip, but...).


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## Peteaud (15 Jan 2014)

Mr Haematocrit said:


> Cavendish has gone down a frame size for this season to a 49  despite standing at a decidedly average 1.75m (5ft 8in).
> 
> http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/pro-bike-mark-cavendishs-specialized-s-works-venge-39539/



Thats interesting. The owner of the LBS is about 5'6" and rides a 46!!!

As the article says, it is all about feel.


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## Mr Haematocrit (15 Jan 2014)

I'm going to have to ask my LBS for a go on a 49 Venge to see how it compares to me. Really interested now


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## martint235 (15 Jan 2014)

Mr Haematocrit said:


> 5' 9" (1.75 m)
> 
> We both ride the same size frames
> Cav is taller than me
> ...


And who is better at going up hills??? 

must let it go.....


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## Mr Haematocrit (15 Jan 2014)

martint235 said:


> And who is better at going up hills???
> 
> must let it go.....



'Batterygate'....... oooh im never going to get over the shame 

must let martin's tires down ...


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## ianrauk (15 Jan 2014)

Mr Haematocrit said:


> 'Batterygate'....... oooh im never going to get over the shame
> 
> must let martin's tires down ...




nope...............


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