chainstay length and cornering

Doug Huffman:

All else being equal, longer chainstays remove weight from the rear wheel.
Basic physics, center of mass, weight distribution. ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL


How so, and what do you mean by "all else being equal"? Since weight is
taken up by the two contact patches both wheels have with the ground,
what does it matter that the bike has a longer wheelbase? The weight
distribution is still the same.

Doug Huffman wrote:

All else being equal, longer chainstays remove weight from the rear wheel.
Basic physics, center of mass, weight distribution. ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL

Jose Rizal wrote:

How so, and what do you mean by "all else being equal"? Since weight is
taken up by the two contact patches both wheels have with the ground,
what does it matter that the bike has a longer wheelbase? The weight
distribution is still the same.

No, if you extend the chainstays, without moving the center of mass of
the bike/rider, the weight load on the rear wheel will be lessened,
while the weight load on the front will be increased by the same amount.

Sheldon "Old Enough To Have Grown Up With See-Saws" Brown
+----------------------------------------------------------+
| When I was in school, I cheated on my metaphysics exam: |
| I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me. |
| --Woody Allen |
+----------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
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Sheldon Brown wrote:

Doug Huffman wrote:

All else being equal, longer chainstays remove weight from the rear wheel.
Basic physics, center of mass, weight distribution. ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL

Jose Rizal wrote:

How so, and what do you mean by "all else being equal"? Since weight is
taken up by the two contact patches both wheels have with the ground,
what does it matter that the bike has a longer wheelbase? The weight
distribution is still the same.

No, if you extend the chainstays, without moving the center of mass of
the bike/rider, the weight load on the rear wheel will be lessened,
while the weight load on the front will be increased by the same amount.


Exactly. I suspect the effect is quite minor. But perhaps I should not guess. Naw, finding out requires
setting up (time) the measuring system and we all know the usenet is not about substance anyway.