>Can anyone tell me the ride characteristics of most randonneuse bikes.
>I'm thinking about getting something that gives me the ability to
>carry a light load, probably on the front, as well as ability to
>mount fenders.
>Don't really want to run a large tire, maybe a 28c.
>I'm kinda trying to get away from carrying a bag on my back in the
>100 degree summer heat.
>Maybe a "sportif" would be more to your liking? I like how Curt Goodrich
>described the differences in his road, randonneuse and sportif bikes at his
>website:
> http://www.curtgoodrich.com/
The sportif does not ride so well with a front bag. You want a randonneur geometry, perhaps without the lights (unless you sometimes get caught in the dark.)
Overall, the handling of a _good_ randonneur bike with a front load and wider tires is remarkably similar to the handling of a racing bike with no load and narrow tires, as Phil mentioned. That is the beauty of a _good_ randonneur bike, as you get the speed of a racing bike with added versatility.
Both have steep angles (usually 73 degrees), but the randonneur bike has much more fork rake. There are some minor handling differences as you approach the cornering limit, which you may or may not feel:
- the racing bike reacts more to leaning, because it has more wheel flop. It reacts more quickly to your input. The bike first falls into the curve, then goes straight after you "caught" it, rather than cornering on a constant radius. This is great for 90-degree turns, for example, in criteriums. Hairpins are a bit more "hairy," because you'll have to correct more to keep the bike on a constant radius.
- the randonneur bike is steered more into the corner, but once you are cornering, it will be on a more constant radius, yet easily adjusted. Hairpin turns are easy, whereas a criterium would be more difficult, as the bike does not react before you do. Basically, you set up the bike for the corner. The randonneur bike handles more precisely - you could hit a quarter lying on the road in mid-corner.
- under a tired rider, the randonneur bike will be more easy to keep riding straight (reacts less to leaning).
By the way, most classic racing bikes before 1965 had a "randonneur" geometry, because they were designed for long races over challenging courses in small groups, rather than riding in a huge pack jostling for position. (Tires were wider, too.)
The mechanics behind this and the exact geometries for various tire sizes, etc., have been discussed in Bicycle Quarterly, most recently in Volume 5, No. 3 ("How to Design a Well-Handling Bicycle").
Jan Heine
Editor
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