In a message dated 1/14/03 1:58:12 AM Eastern Standard Time,
TheMaaslands@comcast.net writes:
> http://ebay.com/
Most tandem captains should have experience, even tooperate tandems with less overlap. This would only be dangerous,if at all, at 'parking lot' speeds below about 7kph(4.2mph) Bike shops like ours that have been peddling wheelgoods for decades get to see many a novice, and the overlap issue arises frequenbtly.
Toss in the thousands of tandems, recumbents, and alternative machines that have gone through these portals and overlap's a front page issue, up there with 'standover'.
The 'elbow-fingertip/seattip-handlebars' issue, fortunately has not been mentioned lately, thank Eddy. (from the famous bumpersticker years ago -"Gd thinks he's Eddy Merckx)
We have to train and explain the overlap issue but it makes sense to most armchair engineers and shoppers after they take a sharp crit-style turn at a fairly slow speed and notice the front wheel deflecting less than they expected - sometimes a cm or so.
In fact,if someone tried to make a pedal and wheel ouch at most riding speeds, the turn would toss them o'er the bends before the tire collision.
Not to imply that close coupling is a virtue, but it's all in the geometry and numbers. I usually have a keen eyeball for frame and fork kick-ins,but this twofer looks stock and not modified. While I'm on it.... years ago during an Albert Eisentraut framebuilding class we sponsored at Georgetown Cycle Sport, we learned that there's an importand relationship between the head angle and fork offset. Has this consideration pretty much gone into the crapper now that few dare to make their own forks and now that people are 'upgrading to a carbinfibrefork' (puh-leeze!) for 'comfort', 'performance' or 'just so things don't match' (aha)
Hey, I got no kick against modern materials, and rode the GasCo Graftek almost 30 years ago. Gotta admit I felt better (in the head, of course) after XON got be the 'matching' carbonwrapper' fork than when I had the Haden-crowned aftermarket unit.
Both our Fuji and Waterpik(Teledyne) titanium frames makes us feel better with their original matching titanium forks - all with correct offset for their head angles.
Many tell me that if you can't take an overlap, fork it.
Larry Black Mt Airy, Md past the left fork in the road past the south fork of the Potomac.