From: jobst.brandt@stanfordalumni.org
Subject: Re: What's the purpose of the seatstay bridge on a MTB?
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 00:16:06 GMT

David Johnson writes:

> There is also a small bridge between the chainstays of most (but not
> all) bikes.  Certainly that has nothing to do with brakes.  Its
> reason for existence is really the same as for the seat stay brace.

Well, if you changed a wheel without one of these on an older (longer
chainstays and horizontal dropouts) bicycle you would know immediately
why it is there, the tire gets jammed between the chainstays and you
have to pull it out of there and you're back in the dropout.  Oh shit,
as it goes back and forth in an attempt at a fast wheel change.

New frames with vertical dropouts and about 5mm between tire and seat
tube don't need no steenkin chainstay bridges.  It is this close
spacing that also got rid of the tire wiping ritual.  It rips up your
fingers as they jam between tire and seat tube if you aren't damn
careful.  Ouch!  That's nice.  The same guys who will tell you how
important tire wiping is, also tell you that a short frame is
"quicker", killing one or the other of these myths by their choice of
frames.

Jobst Brandt    <jobst.brandt@stanfordalumni.org>