Hey Geeks! Looking for some insight… on trail and handling. For me, trail of 54 feels bit nervous, 58 feels carvy and immediate, 62 feels stable but responsive (mainly road, same tire size). But here is the thing: you can get the same trail in different ways! Tarmac uses 73.5 HT angle & 43 rake, Time ADHX 45 gets to a similar place with 72.3 HT angle & 53 rake. Will these bikes handle differently and how? Maybe super geek territory but I think I am in the right place. Another example: 73 HT with 45 rake = 58 trail (super six), but also 72.6 HT with 47 rake = 58 (enve fray) - both 28mm tires. Will these bikes’ front ends handle differently? Thank you. - Joel
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Some relevant reading: Trail: why some brands are hiding a key indicator of how a bike feels. Some also consider “wheel flop” which is even more mathy: What is "Wheel Flop?" – Kuromori but of dubious usefulness unless you’re riding a chopper.
I think that bikes with similar trail regardless of HTA, rake, etc will handle similarly since all of those things work together. Where you will find differences is in toe overlap on smaller frames.
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In addition to the above:
- Trail is dependend on tire width (as this influences tire height)
- One should also take into account body mass distribution (fore/aft); and stem lenght in combination with bar width. And to a lesser extend handlebar reach and bb drop. All these elements together may make bikes with the same trail already feel differently.
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As I’ve said before, trail by itself doesn’t tell you much, it’s part of a much larger puzzle.
Maybe we should start a Wiki on “Factors influencing handling and bike choice”
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