Geometry
Geometry
To the uneducated, the difference in design between a race bike and a sportive bike can be hard to distinguish. And yet the designs – and geometry in particular – can be almost chalk and cheese to those looking to get the best chance for success from their given road discipline.
A full-on race bike is often unashamedly twitchy and exciting to ride. It will sport a shorter wheelbase and have a long reach to the handlebars for that all-important ‘aero stretch’. But as mentioned earlier, we mortals are not so blessed when it comes to the positions and ride techniques adopted by elite riders; we need more comfort to get us around our big loop.
The sportive bike with its high head tube coupled to a shorter effective top tube enables riders to adopt a more comfortable and sustainable upright position. This allows for ease of access and position on the hoods of the shifters, and it also means that the drops of the bars are higher up, so when it comes to adopting a more aero position against a headwind or descent, riding is an altogether more pleasant experience.
If you look at the Giant Defy and it’s 100.7cm wheelbase on the M/L frame as against a measurement of 98.6cm on the same sized Giant Propel, you can see the geometry differences in action. Longer wheelbases help provide a more stable and easy-to-live-with ride for less experienced riders as the front end won’t feel quite as lively.