front drive re: trail

Bill I am new at this recumbent idea, what is trail?... how does this affect a bike? Larry in
Leduc, Canada.
P.S. I love the WYMS tandem any plans available

Trail is the distance from where a line through the head tube hits the ground in front of where the
tire touches the ground. Trail causes the handle bar to generate a control spring (centering
spring). Like the centering spring on a joy stick. IMHO trial is the key design feature that
determines how a bike/motor cycle handles. The other key factors are wheel mass and tiller/stem.

Trail also generates Fork flop, which is a tendency for the handle bar to turn toward the directions
that the frame leans. Too little fork flop makes the rider spend more energy controlling the bike.
Too much fork flop makes the fork react violently to frame lean. Happily, there is a fairly wide
range of fork flop that works for most of us.

Trail also causes "pedal steer" in swb bikes. People that are sensitive to pedal steer tend to try
other methods of generating "control spring".

My text book discusses trail and wheel mass, I still don't know enough about tiller/stem. But
knowledgeable people use it with good effect.

I may have some drawings for that WYMS in a pile of papers in the garage. We ride it occasionally,
mainly in parades. I coast the whole way. The people along the parade route are all yelling "He
isn't pedaling". ha ha That's the only time the stoker hears that one.

THe Queen won't let me sell the WYMS, but I have some other front drives coming up on ebay.
--
Bill "Pop Pop" Patterson Retired and riding my Linear, my front drive low racer and our M5 tandem.

See some Bikes At:

http://home.earthlink.net/~wm.patterson/index.html

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