Old 10-10-06 | 09:05 PM
  #11  
Al1943
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 9,438
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From: Oklahoma

Bikes: Trek 5500, Colnago C-50

A few years ago I upgraded my Trek 5500 (56cm) and my wife's Trek 5220 (50cm) with Reynolds Ouzo Pro forks, a 43mm rake offset for me, a 40mm rake offset for her. Two years later we replaced the wife's bike and I kept the Ouzo Pro from her bike. The steer tubes were the same lengths so I decided to try her Ouzo pro in my bike. Head tube angle 73.8, rake offset 43mm, trail 52mm; with 40mm rake trail is 55mm. To my surprise I could feel a significant difference in handling. The bike still felt twitchy but did not seem to move laterally as quickly as before. After a couple of rides I had adjusted to the feel of the 40mm rake and my bike felt totally normal again. I prefer more trail and decided to stay with the 40 (sold the 43).
Later I built up a Colnago C50 (55cm), HTA 71.7, rake 43mm, trail 62mm. The Colnago's wheelbase is about one centimeter shorter. Bike feels stable at all speeds, tracks great through a sharp turn, makes me wonder why they don't all copy that geometry. I still ride the Trek as well and can't complain about it either but much prefer the steering of the Colnago. I guess it's the longer trail.
This is the calculator I used: http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/elenk.htm
Don't know why but the Anvil calculater in stevecaz's post gives me bigger trail numbers.

Al

Last edited by Al1943; 10-10-06 at 09:47 PM.
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