I am looking a steel frame, either stock or custom, for the following type of rides:
• Normal club rides
• Centuries & Brevets
• Light touring carrying only clothes (eat in restaurants, sleep in motels)
Note, racing and fast riding (>20 mph) and loaded touring are excluded.
• Want a front handle bar bag on rack like VO or Bethoud. Would carry tools and tubes in back saddlebag, but can see 5 to 7 lbs in the handle bar bag. Want stable handling with the HB bag, with minimal steering forces required
I am open to either 650B (38 to 42 or 700C (32 to 35 mm), depending on toe clip overlap and top tube length. Currently riding a 21” 1988 Voyager with 72° head angle, 74° seat angle and 347 mm wheel radius (27 x 1-1/4 at 31.3 mm width).

I did a long search on the VBQ site and determined a “low trail” front geometry is a good solution. However, the site gave very few specifics of the numeric values which makes for “low trial”.

I looked at the Boulder Bicycles site, which again gave some specifics about the All Road and Brevet models, but no “low trail” specifics. The seat and head angles are very close to my Voyageur.

A search of posts turned up Radonneuring Geometry in the Frame builders section. Very good info, but still questions exists.

Questions for the group:

1. What numeric values, in mm, are “low trial”? Any idea of the trail used by Singer or Herse Radonneuring models?

2. What happens when you ride a “low trial” without the HB bag? Previous posts state shimmy is likely with NO Hands. Does maintaining a grip on the bars eliminate the shimmy??

3. Any experiences with the Boulder models?

TIA & Merry Xmas

John Hawrylak
Woodstown NJ