Trail or Mechanical Trail?
09-24-22, 08:09 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Trail or Mechanical Trail?
Do any of you use mechanical trail when designing a frame set?
Last edited by TiHabanero; 09-24-22 at 09:12 AM.
09-24-22, 09:32 AM
#2
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,392
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,693 Times
in
2,515 Posts
I have never heard of mechanical trail before. It's off by less than 10 percent from the trail that everyone uses over a fairly normal range of head angles. I suppose you could have long arguments on the interwebs on which is more suitable.
But for comparison purposes, I think the usual definition is more appropriate.
But for comparison purposes, I think the usual definition is more appropriate.
09-24-22, 06:21 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 18,066
Bikes: Stewart S&S coupled sport tourer, Stewart Sunday light, Stewart Commuting, Stewart Touring, Co Motion Tandem, Stewart 3-Spd, Stewart Track, Fuji Finest, Mongoose Tomac ATB, GT Bravado ATB, JCP Folder, Stewart 650B ATB
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4197 Post(s)
Liked 3,849 Times
in
2,300 Posts
It shouldn't mater which dimension one uses as long as one is consistent within their own calculations and analysis. I use the horizontal version of trail. No pneumatic no mechanical. Andy
__________________
AndrewRStewart
AndrewRStewart
09-24-22, 08:51 PM
#6
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,392
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,693 Times
in
2,515 Posts
Trail as we usually talk about it is the distance along the ground between the steering axis and the contact point of the tire. Mechanical trail is the shortest distance from the steering axis to the contact point of the tire. So mechanical trail = trail * sin(head tube angle)
I'm using "contact point of the tire" as a shorthand for the intersection of the ground and a vertical line that goes through the front axle.
There is also pneumatic trail. When I see someone talking about that, I suspect they are counting on the fact that very few people actually understand it.
I'm using "contact point of the tire" as a shorthand for the intersection of the ground and a vertical line that goes through the front axle.
There is also pneumatic trail. When I see someone talking about that, I suspect they are counting on the fact that very few people actually understand it.
Likes For unterhausen:
