Rick has had a Desperado ATB/Commuter for over 2 years. When he picked up the machine he explained that he was going to be in the market for a road bike in the near future. This spring he called and indicated that he had been test riding all of the "Great" production bikes and was calling me to build him a road bike that steered from the seat of the pants just like the 'commuter'. I fitted him up and the rest is explained in the picture of his return from the first test ride.
Rick has 2 fused lower vertabrae and the seatpost is a major consideration for designing. When sitting on the bike the suspension sags creating a shallower seat tube angle and a longer top tube. Having a custom frame allowed the designer (me) to steepen the seat tube angle which then shortened the top tube by 10mm.
Perfect.
Ask Rick what he thinks about the True Temper Platinum series tubing.
The seat cluster is a 'wrap around the seat tube/connecting to the top tube' with the stays to allow more surface area to secure the top tube to the seat tube due to the extra loads caused by the extra forces of a suspension seatpost. It also acts on the tortional stiffness of the rear triangle in a special way. Sweet.
I used for tubing True Temper's Platinum series throughout. Chain stays
and down tube are oversized for bottom bracket stiffness while everything
else is conventional diameter and thin walled for compliance. After all,
it is about the ride!
Component list is a group of Campy. Sweet.
