sayshell Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 (edited) why not measure wheelbase like this?? From rear hub to center of headtube (measured from the outside of the headtube) . This measurement would be very consistent. Here is a diagram to explain betterError with current method of measuring...the following things effect wheelbase but don't effect frame length..-fork length-fork rake-headtube angle-if the bars are tiltedeven front tire size will effect the number Edited October 10, 2009 by sayshell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borat Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 I can only imagine this idea has been tried and failed before, In my opinion; I can't really see what would fail about it.Why don't we let tarty be the judge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyseemonkeydo Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Maybe because that wouldn't be the wheelbase?How does the bar angle affect the wheelbase anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
that NBR dude Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 But that wouldn't be the WHEELbase....??And since when has bars being tilted affected the wheelbase? Or tyre size for that matter... And you mean when I use different forks, my frame doesn't magically stretch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeCottTrials Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 But that wouldn't be the WHEELbase....??And since when has bars being tilted affected the wheelbase? Or tyre size for that matter... And you mean when I use different forks, my frame doesn't magically stretch?I think its a great idea, makes a lot more sense.BUT if people are going to get picky about WHEELbase then why not simply call it frame length? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muel Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 You tend to measure with standard geo forks, and you just disregard the headtube angle effecting it.The idea is you use mainly the wheelbase, head angle, BB rise and chain stay legnth to get an idea of how it rides, the reason the systems how it is is because it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayshell Posted October 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 if you turn your bar left or right the hub will tilt left or right. Your fork must be perfectly facing forward to get the right number. It just seems a lot simpler and more consistent to me. For example what if you don't know your wheelbase and are not running a standard fork on your frame? You can't figure it out. With this number you could compare it to any bike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyseemonkeydo Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 The wheelbase is the wheelbase. Whatever fork your running, wherever your wheel is sitting in the dropouts, measure from the axle centre to axle centre and that's the wheelbase. Magic!As has been said, what you're describing is something completely different and more like 'frame length' but then you can get that from chainstay length and reach I guess to some extent... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayshell Posted October 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 The wheelbase is the wheelbase. Whatever fork your running, wherever your wheel is sitting in the dropouts, measure from the axle centre to axle centre and that's the wheelbase. Magic!As has been said, what you're describing is something completely different and more like 'frame length' but then you can get that from chainstay length and reach I guess to some extent...no it its't for example if I decrease the fork rake by 20mm the wheel would move back 20mm. If you increase fork length because the fork is not perfectly staight down but on a 70 degree angle the wheelbase will also increase. I think frame length would be more useful when buying a frame because you could just compare frame length and if its 5mm longer then your wheelbase is also 5mm longer, provided you don't change any components. Wheelbase is just a current measurement of frame length. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason222 Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Use reach instead of that measurement. Reach is from the center of the bb to the center of the top of the headtube.When I look at a frame, I don't consider wheelbase. I consider reach, head angle, head tube length, chain stay length, and bb height. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben John-Hynes Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 ...frame length and if its 5mm longer then your wheelbase is also 5mm longer, provided you don't change any components. Wheelbase is just a current measurement of frame length.So why change it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
that NBR dude Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 I think frame length would be more useful when buying a frame because you could just compare frame length and if its 5mm longer then your wheelbase is also 5mm longer, provided you don't change any components. Wheelbase is just a current measurement of frame length.But that doesn't take the head angle into acount, which can make 2 frames of the same "frame length" ride completely differently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eskimo Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Tarty are nice enough to give us 'Reach' length. You should use this rather than your crazy frame length way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyseemonkeydo Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 you could just compare frame length and if its 5mm longer then your wheelbase is also 5mm longerNo it wouldn't be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan6061 Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Where's the need for such an accurate measurement for wheelbase anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT! Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Wheelbase is such a popular measurement because it's relatively simple and gives the best overall approximation on how the bike rides, although it is the least accurate by the points that you mentioned.I don't think there needs to be a 'frame length' measurement, like has been said CS and reach is pretty much all you need to know. 'Frame length' doesn't tell you much more than the WB did anyway, still doesn't tell you the CS or reach so it's just as useless, a little less useless true but still useless non the less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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