--- RALEIGH531@aol.com wrote:
> I ride two different 251/2" Raleighs and they don't
> have a shimmy problem.
> I wonder if your problem was more related to tubing
> choice or frame angles.
> How did the Bill Boston frame compare? Much better
> I'm guessing.
>
> Pete Geurds
> Douglassville, Pa
I specifically asked Bill when he built the frame to make sure I wouldn't be troubled with shimmy. He said he'd use a straight-gauge downtube as a precaution, but I think he believed the shimmy might be as much due to minor misalignment rather than frame flexibility. The Boston has never shimmied, even fully loaded for camping tours. In fact, the bike is hell for stout: it has Phil Wood hubs, 36/40, Champion rims, welded stainless racks, and probably weighs a good 30 pounds.
My '82 Paramount Elite doesn't shimmy, either: its geometry is typical 70s racing, but with chain stays lengthened a bit, and it's a wonderfully comfortable bike. In fact, I prefer it for sport riding because it's more stable that the Boston is unloaded. I think that's because I insisted on specifying lots of trail in the fork when I ordered the Boston, and I just let Waterford do its thing on the Paramount.
Morgan Groves DeKalb, IL
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