I recently paid 20 bucks to dip my toes in the world of road bikes. I enjoy fixing things and making old things work better, so a C&V road bike appealed to me. My body proportions (longer legs, shorter torso) make typical "men's frame" bikes a little tough for me -- if I get a good seat post length, the top tube length feels too long and I feel very bent over. If I get a good top tube length, the seat tube is pretty tall, and I have negative stand-over clearance. So I sought out some type of low-step frame (conventional women's or mixte) and this Schwinn women's frame showed up. Guy was asking $30 or best offer, and a crisp $20 bill bought it. It's a 1984 Giant-produced Schwinn World Sport, in a 19" low-step frame version.

I cannot figure out this fork. It seems straight vertically (neither fork blade runs off to the right or left), and the steerer tube seems straight. The crown seems straight and nothing on the fork indicates any damage. But the way the fork tines curve REARWARD is very strange to me. The lower fender tabs are to the rear of the fork ends, so I know this is how this fork is supposed to be. The problem is it pretty much closes any gap between the pedal and the tire when turned, and I have a ton of toe overlap. It's essentially unridable for me at this point, unless I'm very cognizant of it and always paying attention to my feet.

schwinn1 by jnjadcock, on Flickr

schwinn2 by jnjadcock, on Flickr

schwinn3 by jnjadcock, on Flickr

The catalog page for the 1984 World Sport doesn't really show (or describe) such a fork. The specifications page that includes the 1984 World Sport describes the fork only as "hi-tensile steel, sloping crown". The wheelbase is the same 40" for all frames in this line.

Why would they have such a fork on this bike? Is it to increase trail? To decrease wheelbase? In the long run, I think I'm going to look for another frame (possibly a true mixte), but I'm super curious about this fork and if anyone has ever seen one like it.