On Aug 8, 8:45 pm, ted <[email protected]> wrote: > And I expect you are right. Sadly at least one of us (me) somehow > managed to remain ignorant of of some of it up to now. > I had hoped for a more cogent explication of the rational and evidence > for at least one of the positions. I now fear I will have to either > buy back issues of BQ or remain uninformed.
Ted, The word "planing" came from Matthew Grimm at Kogswell. I was describing the phenomenon, and compared it to a boat rising out of the water and using less energy at higher speed than at lower speed. Similarly, when you get in sync with the bike, it becomes easier to pedal. You don't use less energy, but the energy becomes easier to generate. Matthew said: "You mean, the bike planes?" We had been looking for terms to describe it. A "lively" frame sounded like squirrely handling to me. The French use the term "nervous" - as in a race horse that is eager to run. I don't think that term works well in English. As others pointed out, the concept had been proposed many times (GP in the Bridgestone catalogue, but even in Bicycling magazine), but without a name, it never got much traction. We also did not want a name that implied a process, because we did not know at the time how it worked. In the end, the name doesn't matter. We can argue all day whether a mountain bike should be name an "off-road bike" - you don't need mountains to ride it, and an mtb isn't even ideal for paved mountain roads. But the name stuck, and today, everybody knows what a "mountain bike" is. Arguing over semantics doesn't get us anywhere. Regarding the data and such, the experiments cost more than $ 5000 (building four identical frames with different tubing, three sets of identical components, etc.). It was financed by our subscribers. You will understand that it's not available free of charge online. Compared to scientific journals, Bicycle Quarterly is very affordable. If you don't have $ 8.50 for a back issues, you also could read it in your local library. (If they don't have the magazine, then you can request that they do.) Here is how we think "planing" works: An overly stiff frame limits the pedaling force on the down stroke by making your legs hurt with lactic acid buildup. A flexible frame accepts the extra pedaling input, stores it, and releases it during the dead spots. Obviously, what is "too stiff" will depend on the rider's power output, pedaling style and other factors. What we do know and have shown is that frame stiffness does make a difference in performance in a double-blind test. You can read an overview over our tests here: http://janheine.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/a-journey-of-discovery-part-5-frame-stiffness/ Jan Heine Editor Bicycle Quarterly -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
