Originally Posted by 531Aussie
I assume you like Kennedy's idea about the long stays? Is anyone else doing it?
That Scapin I had must've had a 74+ degree headtube -- it was so twitchy that it was almost dangerous.
When I bought one of the aluminium Taiwanese robot frames off Kennedy a few years ago, I'd been mainly riding my Ralieigh, which has pretty light steering. This Kennedy import (the guy who painted it reckons it's a Norco
) has heavier steering, and I complained to John that it made the bike feel slow, blah, blah, even though I liked the stability.......but after I got used to it I realized that something like 73 degrees is MUCH better than trying to get my bikes to feel like the track bike I had when I was 21
I think if you're tall, you should have longer stays. The further back you sit (ie: if you're tall or have long upper legs) the longer your stays should be. One length of stays does not fit all, which is what most companies seem to think. That makes no sense.
As for steering, 73 degree HTA with a 45mm rake will suit most people's tastes in not being too twitchy or heavy or anything like that. I like a certain trail figure in terms of handling, and I think that's part of what makes a Thylacine a Thylacine.
Of course there are other things to consider, too, such as bar width and stem length. They make a difference to how a bike feels and steers too, but people often forget about that. They think they can get away with an ill fitting frame and just put a longer or shorter stem on it and eveything will be roses. Doesn't work like that in my book.
Having said all that, I'm still living and learning. Road bikes aren't my main focus, but I'm not skimping when it comes to doing my homework and formulating ideas and giving them a go.