Bicycle and motorcycle geometry#Mechanical trail

The wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers (or the ground contact points) of the front and rear wheels. Wheelbase is a function of rear frame length, steering axis angle, and fork offset. It is similar to the term wheelbase used for automobiles and trains.

Wheelbase has a major influence on the longitudinal stability of a bike,{{clarify|date=September 2020}} along with the height of the center of mass of the combined bike and rider. Short bikes are much more suitable for performing wheelies and stoppies.

==Steering axis angle==

File:Fork-rake.jpg reveal the steering axis angle, also called the rake angle]]

File:Chopper with long rake.JPG with an unusually large rake angle]]

The steering axis angle is called caster angle when measured from vertical axis or head angle when measured from horizontal axis. The steering axis is the axis about which the steering mechanism (fork, handlebars, front wheel, etc.) pivots. The steering axis angle usually matches the angle of the head tube.

In bicycles, the steering axis angle is measured from the horizontal and called the head angle; a 90° head angle would be vertical. For example, Lemond{{cite web

| title = Lemond Racing Cycles

| year = 2006

| url = http://www.lemondbikes.com/

| access-date = 2006-08-08

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060804084257/http://lemondbikes.com/

| archive-date = 4 August 2006

| url-status = dead

}} offers:

• a 2007 Filmore, designed for the track, with a head angle that varies from 72.5° to 74° depending on frame size
• a 2006 Tete de Course, designed for road racing, with a head angle that varies from 71.25° to 74°, depending on frame size.

Due to front fork suspension, modern mountain bikes—as opposed to road bikes—tend to have slacker head tube angles, generally around 70°, although they can be as low as 62° (depending on frame geometry setting).{{cite web

| url = https://www.pinkbike.com/news/nicolai-mojo-geometron-first-ride-2015.html

| title = First Ride: Nicolai Mojo GeoMetron

| date = 28 September 2015

| author = Paul Aston

| quote = GeoMetron Details: 62–63.5° head angle, dependent upon shock and fork length.

| publisher = PinkBike

| access-date = 2017-02-26}}

At least one manufacturer, Cane Creek, offers an after-market threadless headset that enables changing the head angle.{{cite web

| url = http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/components/headset/product/review-cane-creek-angleset-45583

| title = Cane Creek AngleSet review

| author = Matt Pacocha

| date = 23 December 2011

| publisher = BikeRadar

| access-date = 2013-04-14}}

In motorcycles, the steering axis angle is measured from the vertical and called the caster angle, rake angle, or just rake;{{cite web

| url = http://www.ridermagazine.com/motorcycle-features/understanding-motorcycle-rake-and-trail.htm/

| title = Suspension and Understanding Motorcycle Rake and Trail

| author = Rider Contributor

| date = 30 June 2009

| publisher = Rider Magazine

| quote = Rake is the angle, in degrees, that the steering head of the frame...is tilted back from the vertical

| access-date = 2013-12-14

| archive-date = 14 December 2013

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131214153905/http://www.ridermagazine.com/motorcycle-features/understanding-motorcycle-rake-and-trail.htm/

| url-status = dead

}} a 0° rake is therefore vertical. For example, Moto Guzzi{{cite web

| title = Moto Guzzi USA

| year = 2006

| url = http://www.motoguzzi-us.com

| access-date = 2006-12-11

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061212051256/http://www.motoguzzi-us.com/

| archive-date = 12 December 2006

| url-status = dead

}} offers:

• a 2007 Breva V 1100 with a rake of 25°30′ (25.5 degrees)
• a 2007 Nevada Classic 750 with a rake of 27.5°

The fork offset is the perpendicular distance from the steering axis to the center of the front wheel.

In bicycles, fork offset is also called fork rake. Road racing bicycle forks have an offset of {{convert|40|–|50|mm|in|abbr=on}}.{{cite web

| url = http://www.calfeedesign.com/tech-papers/geometry-of-bike-handling/

| title = Geometry of Bike Handling

| publisher = Calfee Design

| access-date = 2011-04-06}}

The offset may be implemented by curving the forks, adding a perpendicular tab at their lower ends, offsetting the fork blade sockets of the fork crown ahead of the steerer, or by mounting the forks into the crown at an angle to the steer tube. The development of forks with curves is attributed to George Singer.{{cite book

| url = http://speedreaders.info/11305-singer-story-cars-commercial-vehicles-bicycles-motorcycles

| title = The Singer Story: The Cars, Commercial Vehicles, Bicycles & Motorcycles

| author = Kevin Atkinson

| year = 2013

| publisher = Veloce Publishing Ltd.

| quote = The curved front forks of a bicycle are a George Singer patent, and still in use today.

| access-date = 2013-12-14}}

In motorcycles with telescopic fork tubes, fork offset can be implemented by either an offset in the triple tree, adding a triple tree rake{{cite web

| url = http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/rakeandtrail.html

| title = Rake & Trail Calculator

| publisher = RB Racing

| access-date = 2013-12-14}} (usually measured in degrees from 0) to the fork tubes as they mount into the triple tree, or a combination of the two.{{cite web|title=Back to School |last=Hornsby |first=Andy |year=2006 |url=http://www.american-v.co.uk/technical/handling/geometry/body.html |access-date=2006-12-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050404004810/http://www.american-v.co.uk/technical/handling/geometry/body.html |archive-date=4 April 2005 }} Other, less-common motorcycle forks, such as trailing link or leading link forks, can implement offset by the length of link arms.

The length of a fork is measured parallel to the steer tube from the lower fork crown bearing to the axle center.{{cite web

| title = Fork Lengths

| last = Rinard

| first = Damon

| year = 1996

| url = http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/forklengths.htm

| access-date = 2007-10-18

| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071026042329/http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/forklengths.htm| archive-date= 26 October 2007 | url-status= live}}

File:Bicycle fork geometry.svg

File:Cycle fork animation with constant trail (English text).gif

File:Cycle fork animation with constant angle (english text).gif

{{see also|Caster angle#Trail or trailing}}

Trail is the horizontal distance from where the front wheel touches the ground to where the steering axis intersects the ground. The measurement is considered positive if the front wheel ground contact point is behind (towards the rear of the bike) the steering axis intersection with the ground. Most bikes have positive trail, though a few, such as the two-mass-skate bicycle and the Python Lowracer, have negative trail.{{cite web

| url = http://www.python-lowracer.de/geometry.html

| title = Frame Geometry

| access-date = 2011-04-07| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110420000829/http://python-lowracer.de/geometry.html| archive-date= 20 April 2011 | url-status= live}}

Trail is often cited as an important determinant of bicycle handling characteristics,{{cite web

| url = http://www.phred.org/~josh/bike/trail.html

| title = Steering Geometry: What is Trail?

| author = Josh Putnam

| access-date = 2011-04-07| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110430032200/http://www.phred.org/~josh/bike/trail.html| archive-date= 30 April 2011 | url-status= live}}{{cite web

| url = http://www.dclxvi.org/chunk/tech/trail/

| title = An Introduction to Bicycle Geometry and Handling.

| publisher = C.h.u.n.k. 666

| access-date = 2011-04-07| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110430032241/http://www.dclxvi.org/chunk/tech/trail/| archive-date= 30 April 2011 | url-status= live}} and is sometimes listed in bicycle manufacturers' geometry data. Wilson and Papodopoulos {{Citation needed|date=December 2020}} argue that mechanical trail may be a more important and informative variable, although both expressions describe very nearly the same thing.

Trail is a function of steering axis angle, fork offset, and wheel size. Their relationship can be described by this formula:{{cite web

| title = Steering Geometry: What is Trail?

| last = Putnam

| first = Josh

| year = 2006

| url = http://www.phred.org/~josh/bike/trail.html

| access-date = 2006-08-08

}}

:$\backslash text\{Trail\}\_\backslash text\{bicycle\}\; =\; \backslash frac\{R\_w\; \backslash cos(A\_h)\; -\; O\_f\}\{\backslash sin(A\_h)\}$ and $\backslash text\{Trail\}\_\backslash text\{motorcycle\}\; =\; \backslash frac\{R\_w\; \backslash sin(A\_r)\; -\; O\_f\}\{\backslash cos(A\_r)\}$

where $R\_w$ is wheel radius, $A\_h$ is the bicycle head angle measured from the horizontal, $A\_r$ is the motorcycle rake angle measured from the vertical, and $O\_f$ is the fork offset. Trail can be increased by increasing the wheel size, decreasing or slackening the head angle, or decreasing the fork offset. Trail decreases as head angle increases (becomes steeper), as fork offset increases, or as wheel diameter decreases.

Motorcyclists tend to speak of trail in relation to rake angle. The larger the rake angle, the larger the trail. Note that, on a bicycle, as rake angle increases, head angle decreases.

Trail can vary as the bike leans or steers. In the case of traditional geometry, trail decreases (and wheelbase increases if measuring distance between ground contact points and not hubs) as the bike leans and steers in the direction of the lean.{{cite web

|title=THE TRAIL

|last=Cossalter

|first=Vittore

|year=2006

|url=http://www.dinamoto.it/DINAMOTO/on-line%20papers/Avancorsa/trail.htm

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20060510130419/http://www.dinamoto.it/DINAMOTO/on-line%20papers/Avancorsa/trail.htm

|url-status=dead

|archive-date=2006-05-10

|access-date=2006-12-14

}} Trail can also vary as the suspension activates, in response to braking for example. As telescopic forks compress due to load transfer during braking, the trail and the wheelbase both decrease.{{cite book

| title = Motorcycle Dynamics

| edition = Second

| last = Cossalter

| first = Vittore

| year = 2006

| publisher = Lulu.com

| isbn = 978-1-4303-0861-4

| page = 234}}{{self-published source|expert=y|date=September 2020}}{{self-published inline|date=February 2020}} At least one motorcycle, the MotoCzysz C1, has a fork with adjustable trail, from {{convert|89 to 101|mm|in|2|disp=sqbr|abbr=in}}.{{cite web

| title = MotoCzysz

| year = 2006

| url = http://www.motoczysz.com/main.php?area=bike

| access-date = 2006-12-14

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061201010312/http://www.motoczysz.com/main.php?area=bike

| archive-date = 1 December 2006

| url-status = dead

}}

Mechanical trail is the perpendicular distance between the steering axis and the point of contact between the front wheel and the ground.{{cite book

| title = Motorcycle Handling and Chassis Design: The Art and Science

| author = Tony Foale

| year = 2006

| page = 3-1

| publisher = Tony Foale

| isbn = 9788493328634

| quote = the distance between the ground contact patch and the steering axis as measured at right angles to that axis. The SAE refer to [this] as 'Mechanical Trail'

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=84hF-qoR5I8C&q=mechanical+trail

| access-date = 2013-10-18}} It may also be referred to as normal trail.{{cite book

| title = Motorcycle Dynamics

| author = Vittore Cossalter

| year = 2006

| page = 32

| publisher = Lulu.com

| isbn = 9781430308614

| quote = normal trail is the perpendicular distance between the front contact point and the steering head axis

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=rJTQxITnkbgC&q=normal+trail

| access-date = 2013-10-18}} In each case, its value is equal to the numerator in the expression for trail.

:$\backslash text\{MechanicalTrail\}\_\backslash text\{bicycle\}\; =\; R\_w\; \backslash cos(A\_h)\; -\; O\_f$, and

:$\backslash text\{MechanicalTrail\}\_\backslash text\{motorcycle\}\; =\; R\_w\; \backslash sin(A\_r)\; -\; O\_f$

Although the scientific understanding of bicycle steering remains incomplete,{{cite book

| title = Bicycling Science

| edition = Third

| last = Whitt

| first = Frank R.

| author2 = Jim Papadopoulos

| year = 1982

| publisher = Massachusetts Institute of Technology

| isbn = 0-262-73154-1

| chapter = Chapter 8

| url-access = registration

| url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780262731546

}} we do have a good overall understanding of the interdependent dynamic complexities.{{cite journal |last1=Jones |first1=David E. H. |title=From the archives: The stability of the bicycle |journal=Physics Today |date=1 September 2006 |volume=59 |issue=9 |pages=51–56 |doi=10.1063/1.2364246|doi-access=free|bibcode=2006PhT....59i..51J }} Mechanical trail is certainly one of the most important variables in determining the handling characteristics of a bicycle.

A trail of zero may give some advantages:{{cite web

|title=The Dynamic Stability of a Fully Faired Single Track Human Powered Vehicle

|last=Watkins

|first=Gregory K.

|url=http://www.coe.uncc.edu/~gkwatkin/Dissertation/chapter14.pdf

|access-date=2006-08-23

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060717170926/http://www.coe.uncc.edu/~gkwatkin/Dissertation/chapter14.pdf

|archive-date=17 July 2006

|url-status=dead

}}

• the influence of the position of the center of pressure of wind forces coming from the side is eliminated
• the wheel flop effect (see below) is eliminated

Skilled and alert riders may have more path control if the mechanical trail is lower while a higher trail is known to make a bicycle easier to ride "no hands" and thus more subjectively stable.

Wheel flop refers to steering behavior in which a bicycle or motorcycle tends to turn more than expected due to the front wheel "flopping" over when the handlebars are rotated. Wheel flop is caused by the lowering of the front end of a bicycle or motorcycle as the handlebars are rotated away from the "straight ahead" position. This lowering phenomenon occurs according to the following equation:

: $f\; =\; b\; \backslash sin\backslash theta\; \backslash cos\; \backslash theta$

where:

: $f$ = "wheel flop factor," the distance that the center of the front wheel axle is lowered when the handlebars are rotated from the straight ahead position to a position 90 degrees away from straight ahead

: $b$ = trail

: $\backslash theta$ = head angle

Because wheel flop involves the lowering of the front end of a bicycle or motorcycle, the force due to gravity will tend to cause handlebar rotation to continue with increasing rotational velocity and without additional rider input on the handlebars. Once the handlebars are turned, the rider needs to apply torque to the handlebars to bring them back to the straight ahead position and bring the front end of the bicycle or motorcycle back up to the original height.{{cite book |title=Motorcycle Handling and Chassis Design |last=Foale |first=Tony |pages=3–11 |year=2002 |publisher=Tony Foale Designs |isbn=84-933286-1-8 |url=http://www.tonyfoale.com/book/ |access-date=3 June 2010 }} The rotational inertia of the front wheel will lessen the severity of the wheel flop effect because it results in opposing torque being required to initiate or accelerate changing the direction of the front wheel.

According to the equation listed above, increasing the trail and/or decreasing the head angle will increase the wheel flop factor on a bicycle or motorcycle, which will increase the torque required to bring the handlebars back to the straight ahead position and increase the vehicle's tendency to veer suddenly off the line of a curve. Also, increasing the weight borne by the front wheel of the vehicle, either by increasing the mass of the vehicle, rider and cargo or by changing the weight ratio to shift the center of mass forward, will increase the severity of the wheel flop effect. Increasing the rotational inertia of the front wheel by increasing the speed of the vehicle and the rotational speed of the wheel will tend to counter the wheel flop effect.

A certain amount of wheel flop is generally considered to be desirable. Bicycle Quarterly magazine states, "A bike with too little wheel flop will be sluggish in its reactions to handlebar inputs. A bike with too much wheel flop will tend to veer off its line at low and moderate speeds."{{cite web |url=https://www.bikequarterly.com/glossary/ |title=Bicycle Quarterly -- Glossary |publisher=Bicycle Quarterly Press |access-date=29 August 2021}}

Forks may be modified or replaced, thereby altering the geometry of the bike.

Increasing the length of the fork, for example by switching from rigid to suspension, raises the front of a bicycle and thus decreases its head angle. Lengthening the fork would have the opposite effect on the rake of a motorcycle, since rake is measured in the opposite direction.

A rule of thumb is a 10 mm change in fork length gives a half-degree change in the steering axis angle.

Increasing the offset of a fork reduces the trail, and if performed on an existing fork by bending without lengthening the blades, shortens the fork.

{{cite web

| url = http://www.phred.org/~alex/bikes/Fork%20Re-raking%20Summary.pdf

| title = Fork Re-Raking and Head Angle Change

| last = Matchak

| first = Tom

| year = 2006

| access-date = 2008-05-30

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080517085444/http://phred.org/~alex/bikes/Fork%20Re-raking%20Summary.pdf

| archive-date = 17 May 2008

| url-status = live}}

The state of North Dakota (USA) has minimum and maximum requirements on rake and trail for "manufacture, sale, and safe operation of a motorcycle upon

public highways."{{cite web

| title = CHAPTER 39-27 MOTORCYCLE EQUIPMENT

| year = 2006

| url = http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t39c27.pdf

| access-date = 2006-12-14

}}

"4. All motorcycles, except three-wheel motorcycles, must meet the following

specifications in relationship to front wheel geometry:

:MAXIMUM: Rake: 45 degrees; Trail: {{convert|14|in|cm|2|abbr=off|sp=us|disp=sqbr}} positive

:MINIMUM: Rake: 20 degrees; Trail: {{convert|2|in|cm|2|abbr=off|sp=us|disp=sqbr}} positive

Manufacturer's specifications must include the specific rake and trail for each

motorcycle or class of motorcycles and the terms "rake" and "trail" must be defined

by the director by rules adopted pursuant to chapter 28–32."

For other aspects of geometry, such as ergonomics or intended use, see the bicycle frame article. For motorcycles the other main geometric parameters are seat height and relative foot peg and handlebar placement.

{{Portal|Companies|Transport}}

• Bicycle and motorcycle dynamics
• Bicycle fork
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• Motorcycle fork

{{reflist}}

• [http://wotid.com/tls/content/view/24/53/ Motorcycle Steering Geometry]
• [http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/forklengths.htm Bicycle Fork Lengths]
• [http://www.bikeforest.com/CAD/caster_angle.php Illustration of a dimension that is sometimes referred to as caster angle on bicycles.]
• [http://bikearama.com/theory/motorcycle-rake-trail-explained/ Motorcycle rake, trail and offset explained] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110319232225/http://bikearama.com/theory/motorcycle-rake-trail-explained/ |date=19 March 2011 }}

Category:Motorcycle dynamics