Originally Posted by
Xhim
Well, thanks, y'all. I bought an Origami Crane, still in the 2 wk test drive, but for the most part pretty pleased with it. Riding it I'm experiencing (and thus better understanding) much of what you have been talking about. What should have been obvious--but for me the beginner was not--is that the higher gear ratio in fact means higher energy output to get to those higher speeds. I guess I should have figured that. I maintained about 70 rpm on my old 3 speed comfortably and wished for overdrive. Now maintaining 70 rpm--on the exact same stretch of road--in 8th gear on my Crane is just more work.
Mechanical trail is a concept I have also gotten acquainted with. My Crane "feels" less stable than my old bike, but MT explains why.
Something that no one has mentioned is, uh, maybe the technical term is "over the top"? I.e., when I brake suddenly, I tend to do front wheelies. Thinking about it it, I should have expected that, too, but I didn't. That will take some adjustment.
This is a very educational forum!
Well that tendancy to go over the top is a large component of riding position and possibly a shorter wheel base. I have really learned to appreciate a small road bike seat being able to extend my arms and slide my ass back past the seat to bias my weight back, it took some getting used to but now that is second nature for me.