[Closed] Any reason NOT to have short chainstays on a bike?

front end lift while climbing and clearance issues

so we should all have vertical seat tubes to minimise chain stay length?

my 2p - a 'balanced' geometry = fun.

If you focus on only one element you'll end up compromise somewhere else.

the front wheel lifts too easily on climbs.

i'm too slow.

Stability at speed. DH bikes are longer for this reason.

As above.

I find long chainstays fun tho, 1985 Stumpjumper was one of the most fun and best handling bike's I've ridden.

Interesting. Cheers.
I ask because after going up a tyre size on my Voodoo, I had to slide the wheel back for clearance. Seemed to make a noticeable difference in getting the front wheel up.

Just wondering about many reasons for varying geometry, should I ever pull my finger out and design a frame or 2

So how do you get stability AND ease of chucking-about?

I think my 86 Rockhopper had 18" stays, it always felt very stable and comfortable. Front ends of course were a bit lighter back then even though the bars were probably the heaviest ever made.

Disregarding front mech, tyre and chainring clearance issues

😀

So how do you get stability AND ease of chucking-about?

Stability = long wheel base
Chuckability = minimal moment of inertia

So you can do it, it just has to be made of unobtainium.

:o)

So how do you get stability AND ease of chucking-about?

You practise! 😉

Stability and manoeuvrability are opposites. Fighter planes achieve both by having natural instability so great manoeuvrability with a computer system constantly keeping the aircraft stable.

So I need a button on the handlebars to lengthen the chainstays when required.

Replace the chainstays with a couple of remote dropper seatposts?

😀

Replace the chainstays with a couple of remote dropper seatposts?

Yes but you link them to your dropper post in it's usual place and as it drops down it pushes out the chainstays and as you raise it the chainstays shrink.

isn't that kind of what the Kona Magic link thing does (in part)?

ah, but what happens if you want to manual, whilst going down a steep descent? you need sdaale down AND chainstays shortened.

Surley what we're talking about here is the next gen Bionicon?

isn't that kind of what the Kona Magic link thing does

[url= http://www.konabikeworld.com/08_tech_magic.htm ]Something like that[/url] I think.

<goes off to find a Kona demo day...>

that reminds me of the original Mantiou full-suss frame which had a pair of Manitou shocks as seatstays...

I think some people are confusing short chainstays with a short wheelbase or assuming that the two go hand in hand which is not necessarily the case.

Short chainstays on their own.....means nothing. it's how they fit the bikes geometry as a whole and what your preference is as a rider.

Short chainstays for manuals - what more do you want?!

Back in the day I recall an Ozone Oxygen had 15.5" stays on bog standard front end geometry. incredibly skitty over anything rough but climbed well once you found a way of keeping the front end down!

I have a sovereign and don't have the chainstays on the shortest setting. I prefer them about 16.3-16.5. Any smaller and it becomes a bit unbalanced as an all rounder.

[img] [/img]

My custom frame has 14.6"(370mm) chainstays on 26" wheels.

It also has a 75 degree headangle and 480mm width handlebars. A bicycle which is in the opposite extreme to ALL the big mountainbike trends.

It is so sharp however that you need to be super accurate when you're riding; get your body language perfect or it WILL pitch you off. It torques up into powerwheelies during sprints and it's so short you only need to push your weight a little forward to be able to break traction on the rear wheel. It turns better than ANY bike I have ever owned.

'tis a polobike, it rides like an overgrown bmx and I love it.

Short stays are over-rated imo, it's just become the latest focus because of other things that the short rears help offset or balance.
As said above, balance is more important, but it's easier to think (and market / sell) one aspect of a bike is the key to it all.

Look at front to rear centre balance, BB height, bar to BB relationship etc too. Variable geo shouldn't be needed imo unless you want the real extremes like a Bionicon. I guess it's another remote-lever on the bar if you like that kind of thing.

I ask because after going up a tyre size on my Voodoo, I had to slide the wheel back for clearance. Seemed to make a noticeable difference in getting the front wheel up.

I can't see the picture in Retrodirect's post but I want his bike.

I had supershort chainstays before they were cool [/hipster]

[img] [/img]

[IMG] [/IMG]