> The super-long chainstays of 1940s and 1950s racing bikes
> were intended to provide a straight chainline. (Source: Jack
> Taylor, interview in Bicycle Quarterly Vol. 7, No. 4. There
> are many other references to keeping the chainline straight
> in the literature of the time.)
>
> > But, short chain-stays for cyclotourists?
>
> Relatively short. In fact, by today's racing standards,
> they were still long. A good cyclotouring bike in the 1940s
> or 1950s had chainstays somewhere between 430 and 445 mm.
A while back there was a 1980s model Trek 728 listed for sale that a member posted about here, and I recall that the chainstay length was stated to be 47centimeters. This dimension was stated in a reference site, I can't recall the site, but the site author said this model is sought after because the 47 length accomodates rear panniers.
Jan, is there a minimum chainstay required for most panniers, or have pannier dimensions changed to match a preferred chainstay length?
Or perhaps, by definition, a "cyclotourist" may or may not utilize rear panniers?
Joe Starck
Madison, Wisconsin USA