Monday, November 21, 2005

Geometry Class

I recently got a suggestion from Eduardo to discuss bicycle geometry and how it affects handling characteristics. He thought it might be a good topic for the blog. I say, thanks for opening up the can of worms, Ed!

Geometry of bicycles is a very important aspect of fit. If your bicycle doesn't fit you correctly, then you will be compromised in performance, and probably not as comfortable as you could be. Geometry of the bike determines where in space the contact points of your bike will be, in a general sense. Geometry of bicycles also affects how the bicycle will react to inputs such as pedaling and steering. The geometry of a bike is a huge subject. I certainly do not pretend to know all the answers. I will try to give an overview of the subject with the help of alot of outside sources in future installments.

The focus of this investigation will be on the geometry of the typical 26 inch wheeled trail bike in comparison with the geometry of the current crop of 29 inch wheeled bikes which seems to be in flux. This should give us a really good case of "Excedrin headache" for all of us to deal with!

Hopefully, we'll all have some fun in this Geometry Class!

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