> Morning Everyone: > > I know that the Atlantis is design for rear loading more than front loading > but do any of you guys fight with the instability of front loading on a > Atlantis? > > Thanks > > K.
Hi Khalid, As another data point, I rode my Atlantis (now regrettably sold) loaded and unloaded, on- and off-road, 0-45mph and never had any instability issues with a front load. It was a 54.5cm 26" wheeled version with 1.5-2.0" tires. On more than several occasions, I loaded the front with weight (bag of wrenches strapped to the rack, small ortliebs with random items, etc) for fun rides in the mountains around Asheville. I loved the way the bike took corners on the smooth and fast descents. You can see a typical touring setup here http://tinyurl.com/3p35yvu For me, denser and heavier items up front and bulkier items in the rear works best. I've found larger/bulkier (not necessarily heavier) loads up front (Baggins panniers stuffed full, for example) are less appealling to me. Trying to keep the front weight as close to the steering axis as possible seems to work well for me. IMO, thinking of the Atlantis in particular, and Rivendells in general, as "rear loading" designs is oversimplifying a very sophisticated and complex issue in bicycle design - an issue not fully understood and definitely not agreed on in any universal way. In my experience, the handling of a bike when carrying a load is influenced by a whole host of variables, far more nuanced than "is the load in the front or rear". Are the racks sturdy? Are the connection points between racks and frame solid? How far is the front load distanced from the steering axis? Tire size and volume? Speed? Road/trail condition and type? Mountains and switchbacks or plains and straightaways? Standing or seating while pedaling? Handlebar type? Stem length? Rider weight and distribution? And I just get dizzy thinking about the relationship of head tube angle, fork rake, wheel size, tire volume, chainstay length, bb placement, tubing butts, tubing diameter, tubing thickness, handelbar width, stem length, quill height, etc.... I absolutely agree with Doug's recommendation of experimenting with load placement on your own. All this anecdotal interweb evidence can be helpful only to a point, then you gotta see what works for you. And after owning, loading, and riding 4 different Rivendell models, I feel any Riv (but especially the Atlantis) is a great platform on which to begin this experiment. And unless you are just carrying IPA's and propane a short distance to a barbeque, I don't highly recommend this load distribution. http://tinyurl.com/4x8czrt hope this helps some, -Jay B. Denver, CO -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
