on 7/1/04 12:54 AM, Jeremy Lieberman at jeremylieberman@nyc.rr.com wrote:
> If obviously not
> scientifically proven, none-the-less it would appear that Kirk is on to
> something. I just wonder if his design can yet be further developed, using
> some sophisticated cad programs, which could enable a builder to test several
> 'bends' of steel seeking the most vertical travel and eventually arrive upon
> some sort of optimal (or at least the most possible vertical movement with
> solidly connected steel) movement for a given riders weight and road use. I
> wonder if from a Physics perspective, his long S bend seatstays could be as
> well done using instead only one long sweeping C bend? Comments? Thanks,
If you read Mr. Kirk's site, you will see that he is most interested in repeating common bicycle myths rather than science. These effects can be tested, yet nobody does. Why?
There is no advantage to the builder to test. If you come up with a plausible story, people will believe it and will even feel the difference when they ride the bike. Testing can be difficult and expensive. A positive test result just confirms the story. Believers will still believe. Skeptics will likely question the validity and credibility of the test. A negative test result blows the whole concept.
A good example of this phenomenon is Specialized's tire testing. Several years ago Specialized arranged for third-party testing of their tires along with tires from Continental, Michelin, Vredestein, and Hutchinson. The test results showed that Specialized out-performed the other tires in treadwear, cornering traction, and rolling resistance. The result? The other companies objected and even threatened to sue. The bicycle newsgroups were filled with claims that the tests were rigged in Specialized's favor. In the end, Specialized advanced very little in the marketplace as a result of the test.
Todd Kuzma
Heron Bicycles
Tullio's Big Dog Cyclery
LaSalle, IL
http://www.heronbicycles.com/
http://www.tullios.com/