"Sporty" rim brake frames with decent clearance

I have a 54 pacer you can come try?

Like that, in what way didn't it work for you? How did it compare to the CAAD10?

Ah cheers, 54 may just be a little low/long for me atm but i'll let you know if i fancy giving one a try.

Updated the OG list, 12 options so far!

Just didn’t feel very lively for a light aluminium frame. That’s not to say it was sluggish. I do think a lot of it was down to the wheels and a pair of regular road wheels would have livened it up considerably.

Higher stack and more relaxed than the CAAD. Beware the geometry - they’ve a very long top tube.

For what it’s worth I swapped all the parts over to an Equilibrium which on paper was the ideal bike for me. However when riding it felt like it was actively resisting any forward motion. Didn’t last long.

I had that Kinesis and found exactly the same. Great build but uninteresting.

Just built up an optimo cyclocross for someone close to me.
Pretty fast and comfortable with 32 Corsas,
Takes up to 35 with guards.

1 Attachment

I’m 6’4or 5 and had a big casseroll, it fit great with a 0 set back post and 110mm stem with slightly wider than normal for me bars. it was a great bike even with modest spec. I shouldn’t have sold it. then again i shouldn’t have bought it either given at the time all i wanted to do was go fast,

I’m really happy with my Mr Pink.
I keep thinking ooh carbon disc road bike would be nice, then I ride the All City and the feeling passes. It’s a really comfortable and quick(ish) bike.

This ain't something you can buy but felt it fits this thread. My mate built the frame himself back he studied to become a bike mechanic and I built the forks for him years later. Still wip.

4 Attachments

Thats awesome! Im impressed that 36c tyres fit with those 539 brakes.

This might be the right thread to ask:

Modern 11 speed shimano levers - which mid reach callipers work best with them? Are br-650s going to be rubbish? Would 11 speed callipers with pad extenders be a better option?

I heard really good things about br650's

They are the older Ultegra grade long reach right? I had those with 11sp Shimano and that was banging

Seem to be hard to find now. I have tektro 559 which are decent

Sweet, that’s good to hear. Thanks.

Regarding long drop calipers, I have TRP RG 957s and they're really good, but seem to have gone up £50 a pair since I bought them at the start of the year. Not sure I'd shell out over and above 559s unless going on a tarty build

TRP RG 957s

My vote, always been impressed with mine and they look "Sporty". They still come up on Ebay occasionally around £70.

riding it felt like it was actively resisting any forward motion

Nuts how adding a bit of clearance and a few mounts seems to suck the life out of a frame. If the bridge on my CAAD was 5-10mm higher i could stick on some 32's setup tubeless and be done with this.

Nice example https://www.lfgss.com/comments/17032572/

To avoid spanning the other thread, there's plenty of clearance with that Ritchey fork, here's with 30c measured tyres (Corsa Control):

and with Chorus 12 brakes:

Ultegra brakes have more clearance...

Some time ago there was the Pearson 'I'll get me coat' which had mid-reach calipers and.. I thought a carbon frame, this looks like it:

But there's also some images online of a definitely-not-carbon version too.

I had a Dawes Sportif Elite for a while - again mid-reach, 32+ tyre clearance, Reynolds 853 + carbon fork. It rode ok but nothing amazing, I think because it had quite long chainstays it just didnt feel like it had much zip to it. But I think they can be found quite cheap.

Since this thread suits my current interests, an anecdote about road bikes and tire clearance.

An "industry" friend and I have been chatting lately about a bike that he is having commissioned. His first "custom" bike. The request to the builder was, sporty road bike with mid/long reach calipers, and clearance for up to 32. You can get a lot done on 32s, and certainly don't need any more than that for nearly any road.

Then, again, I was talking to Zach at Amigo Frameworks about a new frameset he's working on for semi production, like his Bugout. It will be a fast and sporty steel road bike(frame and fork), electronic only, clearance for no more than 32.

There are a number of production bikes out there that are rim brake and take 32s. The soon to be released Velo Orange is rim brake with 28-32 clearance. Crust Malocchio, is weird with it's brake situation(I assume mistake in production/design, but who knows), but still sporty road bike with decent clearance.

Seems 28-32 is becoming the go-to and I'm happy about that.

Also, dolan prefisio claims 28s with full guards. Cheap by comparison to most.

And veloci og steel, and has anyone mentioned the Condor Fratello? (Edited because condor and Dolan already mentioned in OP)

Crust Malocchio

Bizarre, they could have just moved the bridge up 10mm and avoided the whole odd brakes issue

Yeah it really bothers me when I think about it, so I just don't think about it.