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Why do bikes have sloping top tubes?
As people got used to the unconventional look of a mountain bike, with its sloping tube, frame designers began to incorporate the sloping top tube into road bikes as well. Usually, the reason given was that the smaller front triangle created by using a sloping top tube resulted in a lighter, stiffer frame.
How does top tube angle affect ride?
Seat tube angles range from about 70-75 degrees. A steeper angle moves the saddle forward while a shallower angle moves it back. Steep is fine for racers. It allows them to ride hard in an aero crouch, as the more open hip angle doesn’t constrain breathing or power transfer.
What seat tube angle is best?
Modern bikes favour steeper angles that put the saddle directly over the bottom bracket, making pedalling easier and more efficient. Putting your centre of gravity further forward also helps with climbing, making it harder for the front wheel to lift or wander around. An angle in the low 70s is good. Mid-70s is better.
What is effective top tube?
Effective (HT Top): The length of an “imaginary” level tube extending from the center of the seat tube axis to the top of the head tube. Effective (TT Center): The length of an “imaginary” level tube extending from the center of the seat tube axis to the point where the top tube intersects the center of the head tube.
What does a steep seat tube angle do?
A steeper seat angle puts you in a more centered position for climbing, and it’s easier to shift your weight forward and backward as needed, compared to feeling like you’re going to loop out any time you start climbing.
How important is head tube angle?
The steeper the head tube angle, the better handling you’ll achieve, but with less stability at speed. Most trail bikes have settled on a minute range of somewhere between 65 and 67 degrees. Downhill bikes will have angles anywhere from 62 to 64.
Is reach or effective top tube more important?
Reach is more constant. Consider a rider who is 6′ tall with two bikes; both bikes have a listed ETT of 610mm, but they have different seat angles.
How do I choose a bike endurance?
The geometry is probably the most important thing in creating a comfortable endurance bike, and in general bikes at the lower end of the market have a more relaxed geometry. This means that you should be able to pick up a comfortable endurance bike for well under a grand.
Are step-through bikes strong enough?
Because step-through bikes lack the top bar that connects the front and rear of the frame, they may be viewed as less robust than a traditional bike. As a result, they are frequently built of more durable materials, which means they are slightly heavier. This guarantees that they are strong and safe to travel on.
How much difference does head angle make?
When the head angle is steeper, the bike becomes more nimble and twitchy. The bike reacts faster to steering input making it prone to oversteer. Road bikes tend to have “steep” head angles in the 72 to 74 degree range. A half degree is more noticeable on bikes with steeper head angles, especially at higher speeds.
What does a steeper head tube angle do?
How do I know if my mountain bike is too big?
5 Signs Your Mountain Bike Is Too Big
- Struggling in Tight Turns. Are you finding it challenging to get your bike around slow, tight turns?
- Lack of Front Wheel Grip.
- Challenging to Lift the Front Wheel.
- Feeling Like a Passenger.
- Not Comfortable.
- Feeling Squashed.
- Feeling Unstable at Speed.
- Not Comfortable.
What is the difference between a sloping and sloping seat tube?
A sloping tube may make for a stiffer front triangle but a sloping top tube also adds more drag. Shorter seat stays make for a stiffer rear triangle which can make a bike more responsive in sprints but also doesn’t absorb shock as well. A shorter seat tube is lighter but a longer seatpost is not.
What are the pros and cons of a sloping top tube?
Reality is it’s largely a fashion statement. For every pro there is a con. A sloping tube may make for a stiffer front triangle but a sloping top tube also adds more drag. Shorter seat stays make for a stiffer rear triangle which can make a bike more responsive in sprints but also doesn’t absorb shock as well.
Why do road bikes have sloping top tubes?
As people got used to the unconventional look of a mountain bike, with its sloping tube, frame designers began to incorporate the sloping top tube into road bikes as well. Usually, the reason given was that the smaller front triangle created by using a sloping top tube resulted in a lighter, stiffer frame.
Why do time trial bikes have horizontal top tubes?
During this time most time trial bikes had top tubes that sloped from the seat DOWN to the head tube (the opposite of what we’re now used to). Burrows thinking was that it allowed the rider to get into a lower position, a horizontal top tube presented less drag and that a reduced head tube would also result in less drag.