Seat/chain stay shapes
11-30-06, 01:00 PM
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Seat/chain stay shapes
In looking at various bikes, I have often wondered what shaping of the stays (especially the seat stays) does for the bike. For ex., Litespeed uses the backward swept seat stays, Cannondale uses the violin shape, and my IF uses straight stays (although the chain stays have a bend in them). Does shaping the stays transfer more power to the road (is that the theory?) or is it designed to make the ride smoother? Or could it be for some other reason?
11-30-06, 01:03 PM
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Originally Posted by whitemax
Or could it be for some other reason?
(by suggesting to the buyer that the non-straight seatstay somehow adds "plushness")
11-30-06, 01:10 PM
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Presumably you can dial in ride characteristics to a degree ( or at least give yourself a basis to advertise that you can.
I was somewhat surprised with how beefy the stays on my TCR are. The horizontal thickness is presumably to decrease lateral flex.
The seat stays are also very beefy. They're particularly thick vertically, at least compared to some other CF frames, such as a Cervelo R3.
I would think that this helps with the overal stiffness of the bike, but also contributes to the rather firm ride.
I was somewhat surprised with how beefy the stays on my TCR are. The horizontal thickness is presumably to decrease lateral flex.
The seat stays are also very beefy. They're particularly thick vertically, at least compared to some other CF frames, such as a Cervelo R3.
I would think that this helps with the overal stiffness of the bike, but also contributes to the rather firm ride.
11-30-06, 01:29 PM
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And then you have the Cervelo R3, with the thinnest seatstays ever.
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11-30-06, 01:39 PM
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but really wide laterally, presumbably to increase lateral stiffness, but allow some vertical compliance.
From picks they look like tooth picks, but looking at them from above they're very wide.
From picks they look like tooth picks, but looking at them from above they're very wide.
11-30-06, 01:48 PM
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Originally Posted by whitemax
...Or could it be for some other reason?
11-30-06, 02:01 PM
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They're particularly thick vertically, at least compared to some other CF frames, such as a Cervelo R3
But yeah, I think the differences are mostly to make a basis for advertising differences in ride quality and stiffness that may or may not be there
