Seems to be a problem because it has a name/acronym. All it means is that at
speeds less than about 6mph, if you turn the wheel enough and time it just
wrong with your pedal stroke, your shoe hits the fender or tire. It's one of
those things that sounds worse than it is. It cannot happen at faster
speeds, because you don't turn the wheel that much except if you're doing a
near or full U-turn. When you go around a hairpin at 17 mph, you turn the
front wheel maybe 1.5-degees. It is ONLY at SUPER slow speeds and super
sharp turns that you can make contact.

I want to say this, because it even being a topic of discussion suggests
that there's something wrong. At the risk of being gross or something, it's
sort of like, "I have mucus coming out of my face--what can I do? What's
wrong with me?" And the answer is "blow your nose." But "TCO" (a term I've
used a hundred times, by the way) is "mucus coming out of face" in a
different context.

In a bike like the Atlantis, or any fatty tire bike, the designer, at some
point, comes to a fork in the road. He can design for NO TCO and compromise
the elements of design that affect position and fit and ride; or he can
design for P, F, and R and accept some TCO.

Or, just go to a smaller wheel. But even that involves some value
judgements. A 58cm Atlantis with a 26--inch wheel would have a monster-long
head tube that would look funny and make the bike less suitable to load
carrying than the 700C wheel version (with a longer fork and hence shorter
head tube). As it is, the 58 is a really well triangulated frame, and the
bike rides like a demon (my opinion, but I am biased).

TCO ends up being a problem---in my opinion---only in theoretics, but not in
practice. THere are some builders who would disagree; and although in the
spirit of diplomacy and reasonableness and "agreeing to disagree" and all
that, I accept that....I can't understand it. To fear TCO or to regard it as
Dangerous....well, it's ust something that to me doesn't make any sense.

I'm not saying anybody here fears it. I haven't read all the posts and
prolly won't...I just clicked on this thread for the heck of it, read
something, and now.....ahhh....shouldn't have said anything! Will regret it
in the morning. Going to bed. Goodnight, Moon.

Best,

G

-- 
Grant
Rivendell Bicycle Works
www.rivbike.com
925 933 7304

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