"Werehatrack" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
On Sat, 06 Aug 2005 14:47:00 GMT, C Wright
wright9_nojunk@nojunk_mac.com said:
The latest issue of Bicycling Magazine (Sept. 2005) has a review of a Pinarello F4:13 and, among many other things, they comment that "it's also one of the sharpest-cornering bikes we've ever ridden - your could practically rub your hip on the road and not worry about blowing a turn." That got me to wondering if, by design, one bike can really corner better than another and, if so, why? If cheap entry level bikes are excluded and the comparison is limited to bikes with high quality aluminum, carbon or Ti frames and a reasonably good set of wheels why would one bike be able to corner better than another? Or, would the major factor simply be tire compound?
Tire compound, road surface condition and material, presence of debris, and rider foolhardiness (aka desperation, sometimes called bravado or bravery) are the principal factors that determine cornering speed. The rest is just hype. (Magazines are often driven by hype.)
What about headtube angle and wheel base? Take the extremes. If the head-tube angle was 90 degrees, the thing would handle like a shopping cart.
Quoted message said:
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The latest issue of Bicycling Magazine (Sept. 2005) has a review of a Pinarello F4:13 and, among many other things, they comment that "it's also one of the sharpest-cornering bikes we've ever ridden - your could practically rub your hip on the road and not worry about blowing a turn." That got me to wondering if, by design, one bike can really corner better than another and, if so, why? If cheap entry level bikes are excluded and the comparison is limited to bikes with high quality aluminum, carbon or Ti frames and a reasonably good set of wheels why would one bike be able to corner better than another? Or, would the major factor simply be tire compound?
Tire compound, road surface condition and material, presence of debris, and rider foolhardiness (aka desperation, sometimes called bravado or bravery) are the principal factors that determine cornering speed. The rest is just hype. (Magazines are often driven by hype.)
Quoted message said:
What about headtube angle and wheel base? Take the extremes. If the head-tube angle was 90 degrees, the thing would handle like a shopping cart.
That is not necessarily true. It's the trail that's the important thing, and a reasonable amount of trail can be generated with any fork angle, including 90 degrees and even *over* that. I have ridden such a bike, and it works fine.
The reason that standard bikes have steering heads angled around 72 degrees or so is to provide enough foot clearance while keeping a reasonable wheelbase. That, and the force of tradition.
(clip) If the head-tube angle was 90 degrees, the thing would handle like a shopping cart. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ That is not necessarily true. It's the trail that's the important thing, (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Besides, a shopping cart has the handlebar way back BEHIND the rear wheel axis. :-)
What about headtube angle and wheel base? Take the extremes. If the head-tube angle was 90 degrees, the thing would handle like a shopping cart.
Only if you flipped the fork around backward. Otherwise, you'd have negative trail (the steering axis BEHIND the contact patch) and the bike would be a horror story to ride, trying to throw you off at every opportunity.
"Mark Hickey" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
The Pretzel said:
What about headtube angle and wheel base? Take the extremes. If the head-tube angle was 90 degrees, the thing would handle like a shopping cart.
Only if you flipped the fork around backward. Otherwise, you'd have negative trail (the steering axis BEHIND the contact patch) and the bike would be a horror story to ride, trying to throw you off at every opportunity.
