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One thing that hardly ever anyone talks about is the seat tube angle.
Do you care about it? Do you ever give it some thought? Does it even matter?
Actually, NO, it doesn’t.
As an example, the head tube angle is far more essential and can make a MUCH extra important distinction to your using model.
And the opposite essential factor is the chainstay length.
However let’s get right down to the nitty-gritty of the mysterious seat tube (ST).
Usually, MOST of the BMX frames may have a 71-degree head tube angle.
That’s simply the usual that works WELL no matter what using model you’re into. Road, park, filth, circulate, pace, tech – that 71-degree is common.
You’ll hardly ever see a body (Cult Dehart and a couple of Brief, for instance) with a seat tube at a unique angle, say 70 and even 71.5.
The Seat Tube Angle Defined
So, what’s up with the angle nobody actually talks about and nobody actually cares about?
Is it actually as essential as another body specs?
Everyone seems to be all about the highest tube size, the pinnacle tube angle, the standover top, the underside bracket top and the chainstay size.
Even execs HARDLY point out the ST angle except they’ve a signature body and so they need to do one thing untraditional.
For example, Chase Dehart, as a substitute of going with a 71-degree one, made his body with a 70-degree seat tube angle.
The ST angles have an effect on the middle of gravity. Furthermore, the steeper the angle, the shorter your bike will really feel, and vice versa.
In different phrases, when you have a 21″ high tube (TT) body, it’ll:
- Really feel shorter if the ST angle is 72-degree
- Really feel longer if the ST angle is 69-degree
In order that’s that.
The angle at which the seat tube is will “tweak” the size of the body whereas the TT stays the identical.
A body with a 71-degree seat tube makes a 21″ TT body true to its size.
BUT!
When you’d change the angle of this identical body to 69-degree, the highest tube size stays at 21″, however the angle pushes the underside bracket extra ahead (towards the pinnacle tube).
This modification then makes the bike really feel as if the highest tube can be round 21.2″ (+/- 0.2″).
Please observe that the standover top additionally impacts how “lengthy/quick” the body will really feel primarily based on the ST angle.
Another factor!
As a result of the change in angle “pushes” the underside bracket ahead or backward, it alters the wheelbase barely.
Ought to You Fear About The Seat Tube Angle?
No, as a result of virtually all trendy frames include a 71-degree one.
Nevertheless, right here’s the place it could actually get difficult:
- If the change (primarily based on the standard 71-degree) within the seat tube angle is 0.5 levels, the longer/shorter body really feel gained’t be as noticeable.
- However if you happen to get a body with a 1+ diploma distinction within the angle, the body can really feel fully completely different. As talked about earlier, a 21″ body with a 71-degree seat tube will reply otherwise than the identical body with a 69-degree seat tube.
Can I Do One thing About The Seat Tube Angle?
You possibly can solely artificially change it when you have a railed seat, transferring the seat ahead or backward.
However this gained’t actually do a lot on a BMX bike versus a big-wheel bike as a result of it impacts the way you seat – and also you don’t seat a lot on a BMX bike.
You might also be keen on my article on the completely different BMX seat types.
Conclusion: Does Seat Tube Angle Matter?
NO.
I wouldn’t stress about it as a result of many of the frames include the basic 71-degree seat tube angle that matches any using model.
I’ll solely say this:
When you’re a technical road rider and also you come throughout a body you actually like and see it has a 69-degree seat tube angle, I don’t suggest you go for it.
Persist with 71 levels.
Recap:
- A 69-degree ST angle will make your body really feel longer.
- A 71-degree ST angle would make it really feel shorter.
A laid-back, “slack” ST angle (68-, 69-degree) provides you extra room so that you don’t really feel so “squashed.”
However I follow the 71-degree and give attention to getting a body with the fitting TT size as a substitute.
The much less you complicate, the higher.
Bear in mind, the angle of the seat tube gained’t make as a lot of a distinction as the pinnacle tube angle or chainstay will – so consider getting these proper.
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