Re: [CR] Measuring bike frame angles

(Example: Framebuilding)

From: <Stronglight49@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:40:27 -0400
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: Re: [CR] Measuring bike frame angles


Thanks to all for the info on clever measuring gadgets.

Yesterday I took this later 1970s French bike out for a long ride - more than long enough to match in miles my recent birthday age, of 59.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3547/3998092219_1d98d4c47d_b.jpg

The bike was still built with greater wheel clearances than more modern bikes, but has very quick steering compared to many of my other bikes of the decade. Fork is fairly straight compared to some bikes but not dramatically so.

With a new digital measuring toy I was able to confirm that the frame angles are considerably steeper than I had previously assumed: 74.0 seat tube and 74.5 head tube. Now knowing the tube angles, the brisk steering qualities definitely makes more sense.

By the way, the saddle on this bike is my "rescued" (then butchered) $10 Brooks B17. Prompted by the recent thread on mutilated saddles, I finally got around to trimming the sharp cut corners below the lower rear rivets and also now "cleaned up" the previously more crudely chamfered lower edge. Felt fine over the long miles I'd ridden yesterday.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2486/3997021212_bcc4452dce_b.jpg

Cheers!

BOB HANSON, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, USA