Originally Posted by
DrIsotope
I think any uncertainty you're feeling in the corners comes from big, wide, heavy touring tires. Throw something thinner and lighter on there and I bet you'll rule out the high BB as well.
Interesting! I had thought that wider tires at lower pressures would add traction and make the corners feel more planted, but maybe not! My Trek Crossrip (74mm BB drop) has 32mm tires and feels under better control on the same corner, but the geometry is different - 25mm longer wheelbase, lower CoG, slower steering...
Originally Posted by
79pmooney
I have to force my weight back on a lot of bikes, but for me the issue is more my center of gravity being too far forward relative to the wheels. The solution for me is riding bikes with short chaintays and long front ends. I ride 175 cranks. If I have toe overlap (even if its just the fenders) that almost always means that bike is s so-so compromise for cornering and I have to remember to push my weight back.
The bike I raced was a '76 Fuji Pro. Very short chainstays. No overlap. BB was so high I rarely hit 175 cranks and i pedaled a lot of turns. That bike was scary early season but that was mostly a function of very quick steering. Once I was used to it, I trusted it completely on mountain descents. I never thought to push my weight back. That didn't start happening until I replaced it with a more conventional bike.
Funny this coming up. I see both of these issues now that I am running my Peter Mooney fix gear. I decided to have the bike built with a highish BB. Good move! I love it now after second guessing myself for 35 years. The bike was designed to be able to do everything but race. It has long chainstays for touring loads and big tires. Front end was kept in a bit to keep the wheelbase reasonable. Too short. I have to push back a bunch to corner. Big soft tires, esp in back help a lot. I'm planning to get the 28c Vittoria Graphene tires, hoping they will help.
I also feel as though I'm further forward on the CX bike and have some toe overlap (not too much, but some). I do feel more secure when I'm further back on the bike, like you. I think I can get used to the CX bike, but it's interesting to note how different bikes can feel with small changes in the measurements (10-20mm)