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Questions and answers about sports

How is chainstay length defined for frames with horizontal dropouts?

4 min read

Asked by: Jenna Robinson

How is chainstay length measured?

The chainstay length is the straight line distance between the centre of the bottom bracket axle and the centre of the rear dropout, so it’s fairly easy to measure with a ruler.

What is a good length for a chainstay?

Normal chainstays are: Road bikes: 40.5 to 41.5cm… less than 16 ½ inches. Touring bikes: 42 to 43.5cm…

What difference does chainstay length make?

The popular perception is that chainstay length is one of the most important factors in bike design because stay length affects bike handling, acceleration, climbing ability, and descending stability.

What is considered a short chainstay?

For 26″ and 27.5″ full suspension bikes, something between 420mm and 430mm would be considered short, while for a 29er, something in the mid 430’s would be considered short.

What does chainstay length mean?

What is chainstay length? The distance from the center of the bottom bracket to the center of the rear wheel axle. This measurement is taken from the side view of the bike, ignoring the z-axis such that the width of the axle or bottom bracket does not come into play.

What does a 26 inch bike mean?

And what does it mean when they say “26 inches”? A 26 inch mountain bike means that the wheels have an internal diameter of 26 inches. This measurement is commonly used in reference to mountain bike. For example, a man who stands 5’8″ would be best suited for a 26-inch frame.

What is bottom bracket drop?

Definition. BB Drop is the vertical distance between the centre of the bottom bracket, and the axles of the front and rear wheels. This is a fixed, static measurement. Once a bike is built up and has no rider on it, this doesn’t change.

Does chainstay length matter BMX?

Does it really matter? Yes. The length of your chainstay will have a huge impact on your riding. I went from a 12.75″ CS to a 13.25″.

How is top tube length measured?

Top Tube Length

  1. Actual (Center-Center): Measured along the length of the top tube from the center of the seat tube to the center of the head tube. …
  2. Effective (HT Top): The length of an “imaginary” level tube extending from the center of the seat tube axis to the top of the head tube.

What is a dropped chainstay?

Dropped Chainstay



This is a driveside only modification, so the pair of stays is asymmetric. The “dropped” stay in this pair curves downward as it approached the bottom bracket shell and back up again to join the frame. The curve is continuous, made from a single piece of titanium.

What is a seat stay?

Seat Stays



The seat stay connects the seat tube to the rear dropout. Most bike frames use two parallel tubes that connect above the rear wheel. This is also the spot on the frame where the rear brake caliper is attached.

What is modern mountain bike geometry?

We're gonna jump into the basics of modern mountain bike geometry. Is that how I do. It. You're gonna hear me say things like head angle seat angle reach and stack trail. And offset wheelbase.

How is top tube length measured?

Top Tube Length

  1. Actual (Center-Center): Measured along the length of the top tube from the center of the seat tube to the center of the head tube. …
  2. Effective (HT Top): The length of an “imaginary” level tube extending from the center of the seat tube axis to the top of the head tube.

What is a BMX chainstay?

One of the most important specs on a BMX frame, is the chain stay. Your chain stay connects at the bottom bracket and runs all the way to the rear wheel. Usually, the distance can vary from 12.5″ to 14″. Choosing the right chain stay will help with certain tricks and ultimately enhance your riding.

What is bottom bracket drop?

Definition. BB Drop is the vertical distance between the centre of the bottom bracket, and the axles of the front and rear wheels. This is a fixed, static measurement. Once a bike is built up and has no rider on it, this doesn’t change.

What are chainstays on a bike?

What is the chainstay? The chainstay or “stays” = The pair of frame tubes that joins the bottom bracket shell to the rear axle holders (the slots the back wheel goes in). This means that the chain stays connect the bottom bracket (BB) to the center of the back wheel.

Why is a shorter chainstay better?

Just stuffing a longer or shorter stay on a particular bike doesn’t mean a thing if it isn’t incorporated properly. Yeah, there’s a very general sense that a very long chainstay provides stability, and a short chainstay yields quicker manueverability.

What is a dropped chainstay?

Dropped Chainstay



This is a driveside only modification, so the pair of stays is asymmetric. The “dropped” stay in this pair curves downward as it approached the bottom bracket shell and back up again to join the frame. The curve is continuous, made from a single piece of titanium.