Old 08-16-22, 04:13 AM
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branko_76 
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Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: The Urban Shores Of Michigami
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Bikes: ........................................ .....Holdsworth "Special"..... .......Falcon "Special".......... .........Miyata 912........... ........................................

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Top Tube, Stem Length, Fork Offset & Handling

Several years ago I found a 1980 Miyata 912 that had been highly modified by the previous owner, the best way to describe it would be that he had "middle-aged" it. I bought it to restore it back to its original light-weight, fast-paced and nimble handling characteristics. The last time I had ridden a 912 was in 1990. After restoring it and riding it for a couple of seasons, I now prefer it to my older Falcon that had been my main bike for almost 20 years.

The Miyata is faster and much more nimble than the Falcon. It has a tighter wheelbase, beefier seat stays and less fork offset. Despite the stiffer frame geometry, I find the Miyata more comfortable to ride. After taking several measurements to find out why this is, I think the main reason is the length of the top tube which is a full inch shorter than the Falcon.

Before I undo the cloth handle bar tape I meticulously installed on the Falcon to swap out the stem for a shorter one, I thought I'd ask for opinions on the pro's and con's of :

"short top tube / long stem"
vs
"long top tube / short stem"

also, is there an optimal relationship between stem length and fork offset?


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