71 - Custom Frame Builder Tom Sturdy

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• 2:15 meet bike builder Tom Sturdy
• 10:30 Dan Empfield’s bike anatomy: above and below the ‘waist’ of the machine
• 13:00 not all geometry charts are created equal
• 14:15 fit metrics and ride characteristics are not wholly independent of one another so be careful when trusting bike reviews when the reviewer rides a frame of a different size
• 15:30 discrepancies are amplified in the smaller frames
• 17:30 the key ‘below the waist’ dimensions: wheelbase, bottom bracket drop, and fork trail
• 18:00 wheelbase determines steering response, where a greater steering input is required to turn a bike with a longer wheelbase and vice versa. This effect is very sensitive to changes in wheelbase. Longer bikes therefore tend to be more stable in a straight line.
• 23:45 BB drop or BB height dictates tipping stability, so slower bikes like MTB, gravel, cross want a higher BB height (lower drop) for better balancing. Conversely, a faster bike like TT / triathlon is better off with a lower BB height (more drop) for straight line stability. 
• 30:45 trail influences the steering feedback. That is, the amount of resistance the bike offers when you try to turn the bars. Rider experience with trail is very subjective. 
• 41:45 all of these - and others too! - combine to create a unique ride feel.
• 47:00 why custom?
• 49:45 why titanium?
• 53:30 titanium additive manufacturing (3D printing) in custom bikes offers the ultimate optimization and customization options

Find Sturdy Cycles at their website and on Instagram.