| For most of us, well-intentioned but casual | | | | particularly helpful, especially if you |
| bike riders who secretly believe we might be | | | | happen to have anything unique about your |
| Lance Armstrong's heir if we only had a few | | | | physique, like long legs combined with a |
| more hours a day to spend on our bicycles, | | | | short torso. If you have long legs, you can |
| buying a new road bike is tantamount to | | | | straddle almost any bike, but will your body |
| buying a road bike frame. The frame is what | | | | be able to relax comfortable in the stretch |
| we're thinking of, something new and shiny | | | | between your saddle and the handlebars? The |
| and colorful, something we suspect even car | | | | whole geometry of the road bike frame matters |
| drivers envy when they see us flash through | | | | a lot to fit. And fit matters excessively to |
| the snarl of traffic. Truly, a road bike | | | | comfort.If you're a racer, comfort will not |
| frame is a beautiful thing and part of the | | | | be your only consideration. Indeed, it may |
| reason we love bicycling.When you have the | | | | be down among the last elements you consider. |
| good fortune to be looking at new bicycles, | | | | Speed is not usually built from comfort, and |
| though, you definitely want to look at a few | | | | the road bike frame that promotes speed is |
| elements besides the color of a road bike | | | | built of different materials than one used |
| frame. Face it. When you're on your way | | | | primarily for recreational riding. Frames |
| back home from a long Sunday ride and you're | | | | can be made of titanium, chrome-moly, |
| riding your thirty-fifth mile smack into a | | | | aluminum or steel, and each metal has |
| stiff headwind, the fact that your frame is | | | | different advantages of weight and strength. |
| cobalt blue or even Bianchi green is not | | | | Frame geometry varies, too, with touring |
| going to help you. The length of your seat | | | | bikes featuring a longer vertical base and |
| tube is going to help you and the length of | | | | top tube than the skittish racing models.So |
| your top tube and even the angle of the three | | | | when you're looking at road bike frames, |
| main tubes all put together is going to help | | | | think beyond the paint. Get a frame that |
| (or hinder) you, but color is not.If you shop | | | | fits both you and your purpose. Whether you |
| at a discount store or even a general purpose | | | | do your research online or in a good bike |
| sports store, if you get any help at all in | | | | store, you'll be glad you took the |
| choosing a bike that fits you, it will | | | | time.Alastair Hamilton is a successful writer |
| probably consist of a clerk instructing you | | | | who offers a truly unique depth of experience |
| to stand over the top bar of the frame and | | | | in competitive cycling, he also contributes |
| see if you can comfortably straddle it with | | | | adding technical articles on road bikes ( ) |
| your feet on the floor. This is not really | | | | to some cycling online magazines. |