Mountain Biking - Wonder how short the stays on a hardtail can get and still...

Fit at least a 26x2.3 tire comfortably.

Have it with slalom/4x geometry, nice low bottom bracket height, handle a 3"-5" travel fork and have the tire an inch from the seat tube for a short wheelbase and snappy cornering.

Could probably achieve the wheel base but the issue could be crank arm clearance. Which going to a 73mm bottom bracket might fix.

If anyone is wondering the cogs are a turning in my head.

I think I know the frame for you. My friend Dan built it in "Hairy Gary" Selner's (Hairy Gary Bikes) shop on Gary's jig. Shortest stays he could with a fat tire; one-off milled billet chainstay/BB junction; fillet-brazed tubes (not sure if they were True Temper, Columbus or which. He built it specifically to race the HT class at Beacon. Anyway, I'm sure it's just collecting dust in his basement.

see now i'm thinkin goofy curved seat tube that curves away from the tire like on a time trial bike now that would get you snappy handling lol,

also i don't think crank arm clearance would be too huge a deal but what do i know, 4x bikes to my knowlege only run a singe chainring so this would be a moot point, but I knew a guy who put 2.35s on an xc bike and the tire rubbed the front derail, had to space the bb out a tad

Not sure on the 26", but the Tonic Fab Fall Guy has 14.25", and the Arcade Juggernaut is 14.0". They're both 24's, so not what you're looking for, but looking at their geometry might help you figure out how to design a 26.

Walt (of Waltworks custom bikes) just wrote about this issue on his blog. He's talking about 29ers, but the same basic principles probably apply. It's an interesting read.

http://waltworks.blogspot.com/2009/03/short-stays-tire-clearance-what-works.html

also i don't think crank arm clearance would be too huge a deal but what do i know, 4x bikes to my knowlege only run a singe chainring so this would be a moot point, but I knew a guy who put 2.35s on an xc bike and the tire rubbed the front derail, had to space the bb out a tad

You could use an 83mm BB setup for arm clearance and run it 1x9.



The 29'er in mention?
http://tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:9mdVUVIPyb05hM:http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rq77Q7-Z5Ds/R1GUIt96wfI/AAAAAAAAAEI/Wn-n9_ZOh0k/s1600-R/100_1000.JPG


There's always the erectusbike.

Transition Bank? I don't think the stays could get any shorter running a 2.5 than this and the geometry i believe you are looking for:

http://www.transitionbikes.com/images/Bank_HomePic1.jpg
ETT - 22/23/24"
ChainStay Length 16"/406.4mm ;)

superco charger

Tonic Fab Howie will take a 2.3 at 15.25. NS Suburban (26" version) is also 15.25, but I can't find how wide a tire it'll take.

Looks like gastro's Superco wins though, taking a 2.5 at 15.

Transition Bank? I don't think the stays could get any shorter running a 2.5 than this and the geometry i believe you are looking for:

http://www.transitionbikes.com/images/Bank_HomePic1.jpg
ETT - 22/23/24"
ChainStay Length 16"/406.4mm ;)


As is my dmr has the same length stays.

Thanks for the edit, Ed - - you sly dog!

I can't do that to just anyone...but I do remember someone changing something of mine one day just for a little hoot...so there's my hooter.

Oh man. I should . . . but I shouldn't. Oh man! . . . but it would be bad form for a mod to get banned :lol:

Keep it clean Super-D
http://photoramas.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/great-horned-owl.jpg