My 1976 62.5 cm Ellis-Briggs (British) has a wheel-base of 97.3 cm. With size 42.5 Sidi clipless shoes, I have about 2.5 cm tire overlap (no fenders).
Derek Davis, Phoenix AZ
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jan Heine [mailto:heine93@earthlink.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 9:53 AM
> To: Barbour, Christopher; classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: [CR]Re: pedal x f/wheel overlap
>
> One example is my KOF 1990 Mercian, 57 x 57 cm, with 59 mm trail.
> Plenty of overlap with fenders. Do you have geometry measurements for
> more classic British front-end geometries? I'd be interested.
>
> I guess I am putting the current Carradice-wearing lugged production
> bikes from Rivendell, Heron et al., in the British category despite
> the fact that their geometries may be quite different. These modern
> bikes all use geometries that result in very short front-centers -
> the result of the current fashion for a slack seat angle and trail
> numbers in the high 50s such as those found on my Mercian.
>
> To give you a datapoint, the French geometries are somewhat similar
> to the Italian racing geometries from the 1940s that Chuck quoted.
> Typical is 73 degree head angle with 50 - 60 mm fork offset for 700C
> tires. No toeclip overlap on those for my feet!
>
> Jan Heine, Seattle
>
>
> >Jan Heine writes:
> >
> >
> >
> >The typical British high-trail geometries (with much less fork rake)
> >often did have toeclip overlap, especially
> >when set up with fenders.
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >-------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >Jan, I have ridden many British bikes, dating from the 1890s to the
> >1970s, and my friends own quite a few such machines in sizes from 19"
> >c-t upward. None of these bikes have toe clip overlap with fenders. I
> >cannot recall ever seeing a British bike from the classic era, apart
> >from some track bikes (and not even all of those) that did not have a
> >fairly large fork rake. I am curious to know what British bikes, and
> >from what eras, you have found to have high-trail geometry.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Christopher Barbour
> >
> >Boston, Mass.