Giant Picture Thread, lets see em.

oldmanmx

Member
Jan 19, 2020
57
47
Camden NSW
Crookhaven River at Culburra Beach. Didn't realise the tide was coming in when I was taking this and had to get my feet wet to get the bike back out.

DSC00498-2.jpg
 

DrStupid

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Patreon
Jul 10, 2019
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Pleasureville Ky

GrandPaBrogan

⚡ eGeezer ⚡
Oct 5, 2019
1,329
2,068
New Zealand
I have to ask because I keep hearing this mentioned but have no idea what it means. What is the chain stay length and why does it matter? Thks
Yep you accidentally wandered into the ‘Giant brand’ forum. A warm welcome anyway. Understandable that it could be misread as the “ginormous” picture thread. ?

The exact location of the BB (bottom bracket - where the cranks revolve) is crucial to how a bike behaves. The resulting behaviour changes too depending if you’re seated or if you’re standing... over (but not limited to) two main aspects, cornering AND airborne balance.

Its a complex subject but in simple terms, the closer the BB is to the front wheel the better it is for climbing and cornering with a loose caveat - the rider remains mostly in a static seated position. A BB location that is closer to the rear wheel is better for downhill and jumping where the likelihood is that the rider is standing and in a reactive dynamic position.

The shorter the chainstay length is, the closer the BB is to the rear wheel. Obviously the overall wheelbase has a huge effect on this influence - as well as the BB height. The center of gravity will be lower with a low BB height - when the rider is standing (off the saddle) therefore more stable, but increases the chance of pedal strikes.

Because we all differ in technique and application, determining the “sweet spot” for the ideal BB location can be an issue for debate.

I personally prefer the feel of bikes with the shortest possible chainstay length and lowest possible BB height from the ground. This is not to say that this is ideal for everyone. ??
 
Last edited:

Bobajobbob

Active member
Aug 5, 2020
55
45
Kent UK
Yep you accidentally wandered into the ‘Giant brand’ forum. A warm welcome anyway. Understandable that it could be misread as the “ginormous” picture thread. ?

The exact location of the BB (bottom bracket - where the cranks revolve) is crucial to how a bike behaves. The resulting behaviour changes too depending if you’re seated or if you’re standing... over (but not limited to) two main aspects, cornering AND airborne balance.

Its a complex subject but in simple terms, the closer the BB is to the front wheel the better it is for climbing and cornering with a loose caveat - the rider remains mostly in a static seated position. A BB location that is closer to the rear wheel is better for downhill and jumping where the likelihood is that the rider is standing and in a reactive dynamic position.

The shorter the chainstay length is, the closer the BB is to the rear wheel. Obviously the overall wheelbase has a huge effect on this influence - as well as the BB height. The center of gravity will be lower when the rider is standing (off the saddle) therefore more stable, but increases the chance of pedal strikes.

Because we all differ in technique and application, determining the “sweet spot” for the ideal BB location can be an issue for debate.

I personally prefer the feel of bikes with the shortest possible chainstay length and lowest possible BB height from the ground. This is not to say that this is ideal for everyone. ??

Cheers for the explanation and apologies for invading a Giant thread. As you suggested i misread it as the 'great big picture thread' in new posts.
 


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