I've done trials with this and trail really does effet the ride more. The thing is when you look at bikes with say a higher BB it also has other differences. Find a bike that is "the same" as another with a higher bb. Now start changing the trail without changing the other factors and you'll see the differences. Lake your bike with long dropouts and ride it with the wheel all the way forward in the dropouts. Next try it with the wheel all the way back in the dropouts and see how much of a different you feel. I've done all these things and more to figure out how different things affect he ride of a bike and in every instance a little change in trail has been the most. Alas, you'll have to take my word for it unless you want to try the experiments yourself. enjoy, Brandon"monkeyman"Ives
"Nobody can do everything, but if everybody did something everything would get done." Gil Scott-Heron
On Tue, 22 May 2001, Rick Chasteen wrote:
> Monkeyman, I get your drift and I agree with the importance of trail. But I
> can't agree that .125" trail change is more significant than a 1 inch change
> in bottom bracket height or chainstay length. If that .125" decrease came
> out of .250" total trail, then MAYBE, but an inch of bottom bracket height
> and certainly an inch of chainstay length is huge. Both of the latter
> dramatically change weight distribution and center of gravity and, of
> course, the chainstay increase also lengthens the wheelbase.
>
> Rick Chasteen, Kansas City
>
> >.....125" trail change will affect the ride more dramatically than 1" of BB
> height
> > or chainstay length.
> > enjoy,
> > Brandon"monkeyman"Ives