Originally Posted by
OldTryGuy
My numerous measuring tapes are all in agreement and fairly certain that my BSCE degree qualifies me as being able to accurately read tapes.
Now to get out on my 2013 Giant Propel Advanced SL with 38.5" WB (97.79cm) for a few miles.
Sorry that you're a bit uncomfortable on the TRACK BIKE, if me I'd find a way to make that sucker geared and FUN on the road.
BTW, 75yo in July
So your recumbent has a 13.5-foot wheelbase? That's hard to picture.
Also, I don't follow the reasoning regarding adding derailleurs to a track bike to make it more "fun." I've always had a lot of fun riding track bikes, starting with my Helyett in 1964 at age 13. (Not sure what your age has to do with the topic, but I'm 73.)
My Felt TK2, the one with the 95-cm wheelbase, is fun, too, and extremely stable, as you would expect of a bike with that wheelbase. It's just that it reacts too quickly to road imperfections, which I recognize sounds like nonsense. I guess you'd have to find a bike with a similarly short wheelbase and ride it to understand.
Editing to add a link to a
Bicycling! magazine review of a Rigi bike, with a 95.5-cm wheelbase, or 0.5 cm longer than the Felt TK2 track bike. The article includes several mentions of how weird it is to ride a bike (a geared bike, at that) with such a short wheelbase.