Frame geometry

[thomas_cho]

Hi all,
A bit of background, I am thinking of a custom Ti frame from XACD. Lets not get into the issue of whether Ti is better, steel is better, or XACD is crap, no warranty etc. Many other threads have already covered these topics.

What I'd really like to discuss are what components of frame geometry contribute to specific handling characteristics of the bicycle.

How does the headtube/seat tube angle contribute to the handling?

Apart from affecting the overall wheelbase length, how else does chainstay length contribute to bike handling?

Thanks
Thomas

[drubie]

Hi all,
Apart from affecting the overall wheelbase length, how else does chainstay length contribute to bike handling?

Thanks
Thomas

http://www.dclxvi.org/chunk/tech/trail/

Not sure whether the information is useful or not, but I personally notice "trail" far more than chain stay length. If it's stability you're after, you want something that turns slower. Useless in a crit though.

[thomas_cho]

Thanks for the link. That was quite informative.

What about efficiency of the frame? Does larger, thicker chainstays increase stiffness?

[colafreak]

Why would you want stiffer?

You'd want to make sure you have a good answer to that question before you go chasing after the "stiffer is better" crowd.