RE: [CR]Campy pedal with tall cage

Content-class: urn:content-classes:message
Subject: RE: [CR]Campy pedal with tall cage
Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 22:12:56 -0800
Thread-Topic: [CR]Campy pedal with tall cage
Thread-Index: AcYlYIwBSh8ZaZCBQA2Bi4ap4k/VHQAAX2iw
From: "Mark Bulgier" <Mark@bulgier.net>
To: "Wayne Davidson" <wayne.collect@xtra.co.nz>, <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>

Wayne Davidson wrote:
> Hi all, I would think that sitting on your steed 10mm lower,
> might help with a more stable ride coming from a lower centre
> of gravity.

Depends on what you mean by stability I guess, but most people find the tallest bikes, like ordinaries or "tall bikes" (off topic, http://tallbike.net/) to be the MOST stable, and the lowest (recumbents) the LEAST so. Same reason as why balancing a broomstick on end is so much easier than balancing a pencil. The higher up you are, the slower you tip over.

I believe there are advantages to a low center of gravity, but directional stability isn't one.

Clearly, regular classic racing bikes can be stable enough for most people's taste; at least everyone will agree that too much stability is a bad thing -right? There's no reason to raise a bike up any more than is needed to prevent pedal strike when turning.

Mark Bulgier
Seattle WA USA