I'm SEW confused!

Oh, wait, no, that's another forum! And THAT's how confused I am!

I was reading in another thread, something about someone looking for a new bike, and there was all this geometry thing, and tube length, and if you have a short tube and a long tube and a different sized post, and angles and I saw the word geometry a few times in there, and oh my gosh, it might just as well have been my husband and daughter rattling on in there, and I just get SO lost!

(and then one will say something about the FABRIC of the universe, or some such, and my ears will perk, and then they get back to confusing me again...)

So, put all this math into lay terms, like how does all this stuff apply to "choosing a bike for dummies" or something (much as I abhor that "dummies" concept! Gotta come up with a new term!)

And while I'm at it, I can hardly wait to get home tomorrow afternoon and get my bike out -- after a week away, I'll have to put air in the tires, and probably putter around a while before we go, just to annoy DH, since that's FUN! And then, the big camelbak on my shoulders, and sweatband on my head, and away I go!!!!! Yippeee for being home!

Karen in Boise

Hi,

I can understand geometry, but don't know much about bikes, and how their geometry is designed. Here are a few links that actually say something. (Most links I looked at just talked about geometry without describing what it was.:( )

In the link below, under the item "angles. Sheldon Brown states that the more vertical the vertical posts are, the harsher the ride, but the more quick ly manuverable the bicycle.

http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_an-z.html#angle


The article below describes how geometry acts to produce the steering characteristics of a bicycle.

http://www.phred.org/~josh/bike/trail.html

I haven't read these entirely yet. I see that I have stayed up WAY too late, once again!

BTW if anyone finds an article that explains this subject in detail, but is incomprehensible, I will try to make sense out of it for this forum.

Mary

Mary

well, I found in my case anyway, I was able to ignore all of that stuff and I let my DH tend to all those details. Until I decided I wanted a bike that HE didn't pick out for me.
The first thing I learned about was the seat post. I actually adjusted it myself!
Then I learned about the top tube. That's the thing that is between your seat and your handlebars.. if it's too long, you're in trouble. If you're comfy, don't worry about it.
Don't rush it. You will learn plenty here ask questions good luck.

http://www.answers.com/topic/bicycle-frame

Probably more than you need to know but explains tubing, characteristerics of frame materials, etc.