Was I seeing things??

[beachcaster]

Went out for a ride today.and about 10 miles out riding through country lanes.I came up behind 3 riders....the back two were side by side
and talking to each other as they rode and I sat behind them for a few hundred yards before they turned left at a T junction and I turned right.

I was looking at their bikes from behind and had never seen anything quite like them.
The bike frames had a top tube running down from the saddle end to the head tube at quite a steep angle
and the straight bars were only about 18ins wide.
Everything else ...wheels /tyres seemed full thin racing spec..

I wished I had been able to ask them what they were riding.

Anyone got any ideas ?

Barry

 

[MajorMantra]

Lo-pro (profile) frames maybe? They used to be popular for TTs I believe. Were they fixed gears? Stupidly short straight bars + lo-pro is sometimes a hipster fixed gear combination.

Matthew

 

[MajorMantra]

Here's a typical example, though this one has risers rather than straight bars:

Matthew

 

[wafflycat]

This sort of thing?

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/images/charge-Griffin-lo.jpg

 

[beachcaster]

This sort of thing?

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/images/charge-Griffin-lo.jpg

YES spot on Glad I wasnt seeing things

Thanks chaps.pretty sure they had gears though.

A very strange sight out in the east sussex lanes

Can anyone expand on the bikes virtues...or was it a fashion??

barry

 

[wafflycat]

Fashion IMO.

 

[jimboalee]

Minimalist commute bike. Saw one in Brum yesterday.

I had a Mercian Track frame in the seventies and did the same kind of thing to and from college.

 

[MajorMantra]

YES spot on Glad I wasnt seeing things

Thanks chaps.pretty sure they had gears though.

A very strange sight out in the east sussex lanes

Can anyone expand on the bikes virtues...or was it a fashion??

barry

Well for TTs the sloping frame would be a way to achieve a very aerodynamic position. Otherwise it's just fashion.

Matthew

 

[skwerl]

Well for TTs the sloping frame would be a way to achieve a very aerodynamic position. Otherwise it's just fashion.

Matthew

exactly. lo-pro frame and a 24" aero wheel. Great for aerodynamics but then let's ruin all that and stick some nice riser bars on there.

 

[wafflycat]

Err.. guys.. the bike the OP saw isn't a sloping frame and isn't a low-profile frame with smaller front wheel. It's a 'designer' thing. See

http://www.bikerumor.com/2009/07/20/charge-bikes-plug-griffin-fixie-fashion-designer-collaboration/

 

[Theseus]

The bike frames had a top tube running down from the saddle end to the head tube at quite a steep angle
and the straight bars were only about 18ins wide.

Err.. guys.. the bike the OP saw isn't a sloping frame and isn't a low-profile frame with smaller front wheel. It's a 'designer' thing. See

http://www.bikerumor.com/2009/07/20/charge-bikes-plug-griffin-fixie-fashion-designer-collaboration/

That top tube looks level to me.

 

[skwerl]

Err.. guys.. the bike the OP saw isn't a sloping frame and isn't a low-profile frame with smaller front wheel. It's a 'designer' thing. See

http://www.bikerumor.com/2009/07/20/charge-bikes-plug-griffin-fixie-fashion-designer-collaboration/

hmm

"top tube running down from the saddle end to the head tube at quite a steep angle"

or were you there as well?

 

[wafflycat]

I'm just going off the OP's response to my suggestion from his description.

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=861183&postcount=5

Perhaps you'd like to read it? You know, the bit where the OP says, "Spot On" but does add that the one he saw may have had gears.

 

[MajorMantra]

I think we can agree that a contradiction is at hand.

Matthew