Road Bike Wheelbase Length

Wheelbase and bottom bracket drop.

Road bike wheelbase length. This is why downhill mountain bikes have gotten progressively longer over the years. A 56cm trek madone sl 6 disc road race bike for example has a 98 3cm wheelbase because agility is important here while a trek domane endurance bike in the same size has a longer 100 8cm wheelbase. However the length of the top tube is also different. The vertical growth in rider and bike is not matched by a wheelbase growth and you d be wrong to not wonder why not.

Wheelbase sort of takes care of itself in most cases. Longer front ends and longer forks make the bikes track straighter and more stably. As said before the wheelbase on a touring bike is wider in contrast with a road bike. Stem length is intertwined with how head angle and fork rake affects bike handling it has become a key ingredient in modern mountain bike design.

Touring bikes 1050 1070mm road bikes 996mm cx 1018mm. Bikes with long chainstays improve stability creating a longer wheelbase in the process while bikes with short chainstays result in sharper handling and reduce the length of the wheelbase. Many manufacturers size road bikes by top tube length. The frame geometry is slightly different between a road bike and a touring bike.

Accuracy will also be increased if you measure the wheelbase on both sides of the bike and take the average because this will compensate. The wheelbase of an all round smaller bike will be shorter. Wheelbase has a major influence on the longitudinal stability of a bike along with the height of the center of. A longer wheelbase provides a more stable and comfortable ride.

Wheelbase is a function of rear frame length steering axis angle and fork offset. It is similar to the term wheelbase used for automobiles and trains. Handlebar width handlebar width on road bikes is measured either centre to centre and referred to as c c or outside to outside and referred to as o o. A short wheelbase bike is sort of like short skis.

Modern road bike design is rooted in 1940s 1950s style road and touring bikes ridden by europeans who usually topped out at 5 9. Road bike geometry explained. Wheelbase comparison of 57cm bikes. It is probably a combination of these things.

Touring bikes have a long wheelbase due to a combination of a slack head angle long fork rake and long chainstay length. Touring bike 445 470mm road bikes 405 415mm cx 420 435mm. Usually the top tube of a touring bike is shorter allowing the rider to go on an upright position. Leaving more length for flex.

It won t track as well on loose surfaces as a longer wheelbase bike.