Squid-in-Training said:Do frames like the Castellano Fango
http://www.castellanodesigns.com/fango.htmland this Ibis
http://www.totalbike.com/news/article/24/have a propensity to fail?
There are other similar softail designs out there, notably the carbon-stayed
Cannondale Scalpel:
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/02/images/large/scal3000_02.jpgThoughts?
The Scalpel is not in the current Cannondale line. The other two
cited are far from common. I don't believe that there is enough of a
population of this type of bike in use to make it possible to draw a
conclusion that the design type is durable. Additionally, I have to
question the wisdom of making the chain stays flexible enough to
perform as springs. This is a location where stiffness has been cited
as a primary concern by most bike makers; how would destiffening that
frame member be a good move? Finally, at least one of the cited
frames apparently achieves its springing effect through the use of a
very wide, flat chainstay which renders the effective width of the
stays in the crank area considerably greater than normal; this will
necessitate a greater crank offset away from the centerline, probably
leading to a much less than optimal chainline.
If you want an inch of rear suspension travel, a suspension seat post
is a better bet in my opinion.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
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