Utility Cycling - converting 700c bike to 26 inch with xtracycle and new fork

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darksiderising
10-05-08, 05:43 PM
Hi all,

I've been dreaming about an XtraCycle setup for a long time now. I have a bike onto which I would love to attach an XtraCycle. It is an old Univega road bike frame and I'm running a 1x9 setup on it with a flat bar right now.

Here's what I want to do:
Attach an XtraCycle and use a 26 inch wheel in the rear with a fatter, slick tire (1.75 or so).

Do you think that this will drastically alter the geometry of the bike? I am thinking that the wider tire in the rear will make up for the fact that the wheel is smaller.

Thanks,
Jim

badmother
10-06-08, 11:21 AM
I`we been wery close to doing this myself, thinking it should work well. I guess the angel of the fork (steerer tube) is one of the things you mus keep an eye on. I`we only got experience with homemade longtails. On those it is easy to play with angels and BB height. Since you are using a standard "extra", maybe ask in the "framebuilder" section for advice also?
Sturmcrow
10-06-08, 12:20 PM
Are you also planning to change the fork to a 26"? Putting a smaller tire in the rear will make the steering and handling a little more sluggish as a result of the long wheelbase and less steep head tube angle. Typically with a longer wheelbase you would be better off making the head tube angle steeper to make the steering more responsive. You would be doing the opposite of that. On the other hand, if you got your hands on a non-suspension corrected 26" fork, you may actually end up with a steeper head tube angle. http://www.bikexprt.com/bicycle/tandem.htm

darksiderising
10-06-08, 05:03 PM
Are you also planning to change the fork to a 26"? . . . if you got your hands on a non-suspension corrected 26" fork, you may actually end up with a steeper head tube angle.

I do have a 26 inch fork that I could stick on it. Do you think that going from a 700x23c front and back to a 26x1.95 (50 ISO width on the particular tire I am looking at) would make much of a different in BB height? I realize that the distance from the crown race to the fork ends is a factor in this. The fork that is on there now has very little clearance for the tire.