Specific custom Rake/Trail question

[Catrin]

....
Ultimately, seriously, this is all within normalcy, so I'd advise that you trust your builder. It's Waterford, after all. They've been doing this a while.

Indeed, that is my perspective as well! I am just trying to better understand the design to help me justify the cost. Waterford does beautiful work and have great people

My fitter encourages his clients who are getting a Waterford or Gunnar to talk directly with the frame builder so that all three of us (designer, fitter, and customer) are all happy when it is time for me to to literally sign off on the final design.

Thank you Margo, I appreciate it!

[lunacycles]

Cool. It's great you want to be in the know about all of it, even this minutiae which can make customers (and builders) a bit nutty... It's also cool you are going this route. I think it makes sense, it's great you're asking questions, and I hope you love your custom Gunnar!

[Catrin]

I just had a nice talk with my frame designer, and during the course of our discussion she decided to relax the fork a bit to make it a little more stable - and she is also going to allow for a little more toe overlap. It was a good discussion and I have a much better understanding on why their stock sizes just won't work for me as far as fit is concerned. I knew, generally, that their stock size wouldn't fit me, but now I've a better understanding why. Of course the difference in weight alone will make a big difference in handling!

It's all good, and thanks to Margo and everyone for their patience while I work this out. It is an exciting, if expensive, process. I also know that I could be paying a lot more and a properly designed steel bike will last me far longer than I will remember the price tag

[indysteel]

Those sound like good adjustments to make to the design. It's great that they're taking the time to explain all of it to you.

[Catrin]

Basically I wanted the sales pitch - how is this better than the stock size & I want to make certain that she is almost as stable as my LHT. I learned quite a lot and she listened to me as well.

[Catrin]

I got the sales pitch, and the design was tweaked as a result of my question. The trail was increased to 49.8 (rake was decreased to 48 from 50, head tube angle was changed from 71.5 to 71. The original trail was 44.5 according to my fitter.

I contacted Surly to find out the trail on my LHT, and THAT is quite close to 75 --- super stable to allow for heavy loads - it really is overkill unless it has a heavy load. I think this was a good change, considering what I am accustomed to, I think that the original trail would have felt twitchy.

A couple of final questions for my fitter today before I sign off on the design, and time to put some money down It looks like it will be possible for me to have my beautiful new bike sometime in March, barring unforeseen circumstances