531colin wrote:buying the wrong bike is costly all right.....which is why its preferable to get the position sorted on an existing bike, with a steerer extender, etc.
Why is a sloping top tube counter-intuitive? If you have a short torso for your height, (the other way of saying long legs for your height) you are liable to want the bars high....which is why sloping tubes are popular anyway.
Sitting on top of the pedals with a long stem....OK if you can manage it...I could, 30 years ago.
Do you have any dimensions of your custom frame? Just off the cuff i would guess short, sloping top tube, from the frame sizes you mention toe overlap shouldn't be a problem.
I don't have a problem with "variations" in riding style, but if somebody is uncomfortable on their existing bike, a conventional riding position is the first thing to try, isn't it? Nobody can guarantee to find an off-the-peg bike which will give instant comfort for a rider who insists on a position way outside the normal range.
Sloping top tube is counter-intuitive (counter to my intuition anyway ) as I would expect a fame to have a longer seat-tube to fit longer legs - but I take your point. I always thought sloping top-tubes were to increase standover height which is not an issue for me. As for riding position - why is "sitting on top of te pedals with a long stem" likely to be problematic? I am averagley fit and 57 and it seems to suit me that way. Maybe I should start worrying?! Could life be easier if I changed position?!! The custom bike was traditional touring geometry but with slightly longer seat- and head-tubes. Haven't got the exact measurements.