In a message dated 4/12/04 10:17:38 AM Eastern Daylight Time, hersefan@comcast.net writes: In my experience, the best compromise frame has as much foot overlap as can be tolerated and has a relaxed head angle and longer fork rake. Use of 26" wheels is a good solution. Remember that rolling resistance rises for smaller wheels (but there are aero advantages) and tire selection gets lousy. My wife has 26" wheels on her Waterford and tire choice is a limitation. I am understanding what Mike and Brian Say, and realize this has strewn off - topic although people are frequently discussing modern custom frames on this list. I and Roy were originally talking my classic in-period Terry and then my in-period alpine, not a modern custom frame.
Anyway, since i have the screen, i'll chime in that Mike Kone's concerns for 'narrow' tire choices is well founded, although Terry herself markets a 28mm 650 skin, but whoa, why did anyone ever invent the 650? why, oh why? why not, stay with the most classic size ever invented? the size for which tires havbe been around since 1927? trhe most popular rim size ever. Period. no controversy. Get tires at any dime store. 26x one- or two-point whatever. The 559, as we refer to it these days., is a silly 6mm (three spokes side by side) different in radius, but takes tires from sub-inch to three inches.
I've gotten some lame reasons, but nothing that would impress me enough to make me understand and see the light.
I have the right of refusal, too, because i've lived and breathed this argument for decades and have designed custom singles and tandems for myself and satisfied customers with 559's, including a machine that holds a half dozen national road and tt medals with 'Mountain bike' rim size
Larry black
Mt airy, Md