[paslemeilleur]

Hi to all road.cc readers,

Fascinating to read about Jan Heine’s preference for French, low trail, 650b design and his take on flexible frames and climbing faster: https://janheine.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/a-journey-of-discovery-part-5-frame-stiffness/

Seems counter-intuitive to what we keep getting told but who knows?! I recall Richard Hallett did the Dragon ride on his beautiful 650b.

Anyone who does know about planing, please feel free to comment/advise.

Thanks!

Topic

[Colin Peyresourde]

He specifically refers
He specifically refers throughout to steel framed bikes. No specific comment on how carbon responds. I can’t really imagine this effect happening with carbon in the same way, but I know which I prefer.

[Topcat]

I suppose a bit of spring is
I suppose a bit of spring is only useful if it is slight and returns the energy it absorbs. One of those awful “urban” bikes you can hire on holiday that flexes inches at the bottom bracket definitely doesn’t help climbing!

[Daveyraveygravey]

Planing in boat terms is
Planing in boat terms is almost a different way of travelling ; the boat is more ON the water than in it. I can’t see how a flexing frame is any way like a planing boat, or how a flexing frame helps you climb?

[paslemeilleur]

Thanks Topcat and JonD for
Thanks Topcat and JonD for your comments and insights.

Can it really be that a flexible frame is better for climbing? It seems this subject is little mentioned in the bike press: in 20 years, it’s the first time I’ve read about such an idea.

[JonD]

I suspect ‘planing’ is just
I suspect ‘planing’ is just the author’s attempt at an analogy – in boat terms it’s where the hull is sitting *in* the water vs moving fast enough to be travelling on the surface – less hull drag in the former.

[Topcat]

I’ve never heard the term
I’ve never heard the term “planing” in reference to bicycle frame flex. However I seem to remember Sheldon Brown claimed a bit of flex was no bad thing for the reasons the article in the link gives.

[Author]

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