For the past few days, I've had a relapse of the respiratory illness I had during the winter. So, I was off the bikes and generally out of commission.
I finally got out today, to go to the store. Along the way, I saw a bike that normally wouldn't capture my attention: one of the many department-store "mountain" bikes you see parked on the street. However, something struck me as odd about this one:
Did you notice what was off? Here's a shot that might give you a clue:
Did you notice that the brakes are mounted to the rear of the fork? That was the first thing that tipped me off to something else that's wasn't quite right: Look at the angle of the fork legs.
Yes, the fork is mounted backward. Was it deliberately installed that way by some kid who wanted to make his bike "different"? I don't know whether that's more or less disturbing than the other probable explanation: Whoever assembled the bike simply didn't know any better.
Look at how far the front wheel is from the rest of the bike:
It's not merely an aesthetic concern, however. I simply cannot imagine how the bike rides with the fork in such a position. I would expect the shopping carts in the local supermarket to have quicker, more responsive and more accurate steering than the bike with a fork mounted that way. In fact, with such handling, I'd be afraid to ride the bike, especially in traffic.
I wonder whether the bike's rider notices anything odd or unusual about the ride. Perhaps he or she has never ridden anything else and so has no basis for comparison. Perhaps this person thinks that bikes normally handle like that one.
Now that's a scary thought--at least to me.
I finally got out today, to go to the store. Along the way, I saw a bike that normally wouldn't capture my attention: one of the many department-store "mountain" bikes you see parked on the street. However, something struck me as odd about this one:
Did you notice what was off? Here's a shot that might give you a clue:
Did you notice that the brakes are mounted to the rear of the fork? That was the first thing that tipped me off to something else that's wasn't quite right: Look at the angle of the fork legs.
Yes, the fork is mounted backward. Was it deliberately installed that way by some kid who wanted to make his bike "different"? I don't know whether that's more or less disturbing than the other probable explanation: Whoever assembled the bike simply didn't know any better.
Look at how far the front wheel is from the rest of the bike:
It's not merely an aesthetic concern, however. I simply cannot imagine how the bike rides with the fork in such a position. I would expect the shopping carts in the local supermarket to have quicker, more responsive and more accurate steering than the bike with a fork mounted that way. In fact, with such handling, I'd be afraid to ride the bike, especially in traffic.
I wonder whether the bike's rider notices anything odd or unusual about the ride. Perhaps he or she has never ridden anything else and so has no basis for comparison. Perhaps this person thinks that bikes normally handle like that one.
Now that's a scary thought--at least to me.
