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Old 01-23-19, 10:29 PM
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Andrew R Stewart 
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Originally Posted by rhm



The Worksman LGB (with a 20" front wheel) has the cargo basket mounted to the frame, Moulton style.

I still have some of the bikes I mentioned, so if you want me to measure, please tell me exactly what to do. I'm not confident of my ability to measure accurately and precisely.

I should have remembered about Worksman, having sold and serviced more then a few many years ago...

I would be very interested in the small wheeled bikes steering geometry that you have. There's a few ways to measure and all have some chance for error. I find that the best way to minimize errors is to do two different measuring methods and average them.

The absolute best way is to use the end points of the center lines that make up the steering axis angle, the axle to ground contact, the steering axis to axle (rake) and a direct tire diameter. Using center points reduces drift and increases the length of measuring so to also reduce line/angle errors. Trig then produces the angles.

The bikes must be secured upright, balanced side to side evenly, the front wheel held straight ahead (more on this later), kept from rolling fore or aft and on level ground/floor. A carpenter's square (24"x12"), a yard/meter stick/rule, masking tape, fine point marker, a couple of thin stiff somethings (like popcycle sticks or the same rulers) and pen and paper are needed to measure with.

A point along the side of the head tube at it's top and bottom need to be marked. Masking tape and the marker helps here. One trick is after placing the tape on the headtube is to take the yard stick and with one end close to the seta tube and BB and the other end on the top/bottom of the head tube rub it against the tape. This will mark really close to the side's center of the head tube. Mark these with the pen/marker. For each mark you want to do a couple of things. The first is to drop a plumb line to the ground and measure up. The second is to hold the yardstick along the headtunbe so it runs parallel to the steering axis best you can and touches the floor. Placing a strip of tape from just in front of the tire's contact patch and back to well under the top of the head tube serves as the marking surface for the plumb lines from the head tube and the steering axis center line. The steering axis center line will need both the bottom and top of the head tube measurements (By doing two of these rise and hypotenuse measurements you have two different calculations of the steering angle to average).

Next is the axle to floor to establish the tire's contact point. The first way is to use the carpenter's square or plumb line and center the axle WRT the ground, then mark that spot on the tape on the ground/floor. The other way is to take those two stiff and this strips. slide each under the front and rear of the tire with even pressure and at right angles to the bike's length. This gives two "lines" to measure half way between to get the tire's contact center point. mark this on that ground/floor tape. (From this point to the steering axis's point is trail).

Rake is the last bit (although with trail, steering angle and tire diameter rake can be calculated, but direct measurement is the double check). This is the hardest for most to measure as the steering axis is a virtual line and the rake is measured at a right angle to that. One can use the carpenter's square and/or yard stick to establish the steering axis and then using a piece of paper (with a square corner) measure/mark the axle's distance from the axis. Having a second person can help as more then two hands is needed usually. One can lay the bike on it's side, remove the ft wheel and do two measurements. One with the rake/fork pointing forward and one with the fork/rake turned 180* backwards to vary the measuring and provide mote averaging data.

The tire diameter is pretty straightforward to measure.

One can use the digital angle protractors to double check steering angle. Running through all the lining ups and markings a second time will give more averaging. Working with another while doing this can help with extra hands and allow for a second set of eyes looking at line and points. How to brace the bike completely upright is your issue, I find that trapping the back wheel between chairs/boxes works well. Using a strap (toe clip strap for us oldies) around a wheel and the frame will steady the roll fore and aft.

With these dimensions I (you) can calculate the castor angle and wheel flop. If you do this please report with your findings. Andy
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