The new Bacchetta “A” frames… and what you can do with them!
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Let me start by saying that we are always thinking about ways to make our bikes a better value and making them more versatile is just one way we try to apply that thinking. Over the years we’ve made a number of frame changes to our bikes in an effort to improve their versatility but keeping up with those changes, and what they mean to you in a practical sense, is sometimes a daunting task. So if you haven’t seen or heard anything about our new dropout system the article below will be a good primer.
Drive side Adroit dropouts
Non-drive side Adroit dropouts
The first thing you should know is that the “A” in our new A-frames refers to our “Adroit” dropout system. Adroit means “having or showing skill in handling multiple situations well,” and that’s just what this system does. Simply put, this new dropout system allows you to quickly change your bikes rear dropout spacing for 135mm to 130mm, or vise versa, in a matter of minutes. So, if you’re like me, with a collection of road/mountain bike wheels down in the basement and a wish that there was an easy way to use them without a lot of futzing around, now you can. Also, besides making the rear dropout spacing a non issue, our “A” frames incorporate braze-ons for canti studs, positioned for using V-brakes on 26”(559) wheels, a road brake boss positioned for 700c wheels, and a disc brake tab on the rear dropout. Yeah, you’re right, that gives you a ton of options for brakes and wheels. If you already have disc wheels and brakes, using all the possible combinations is pretty straight forward. But to make things easier on your wallet Bacchetta has also sourced a Long-Reach V-brake that doesn’t cost an arm and leg so configuring our bike with 26”, 650b, 650c or 700c wheels doesn’t require taking out that second mortgage for disc brakes, disc wheels or a set of PAUL MotoLite brakes. The other great thing about the dual big wheel A-frames (Giro-26 and Corsa) is that these models are now considerably more configurable in regards to seat height. We’ve set bikes up using these frames with dual 700c, 650c, 26″, 24″ and down to 20″ wheels, which can change the seat height by almost 5 inches. That’s huge if you’re looking for the flexibility to quickly configure your bike for different riding situations. Like I said before, you can use the long reach V-brakes for 26”, 650b, 650c or 700c wheels but the dual 20” or dual 24” set-ups on these frames does require disc brakes and a fork change, to keep the steering geometry right. IMHO, the additional cost of wheels and a fork are modest in comparison to the cost of a new bike, so if you like to tinker and you’re on a tight budget, a Bacchetta A-frame can’t be beat! To give you some idea of what is possible… click the link below. Enjoy!
Originally posted on bacchettabikes.com on Jan. 4, 2017.
Dana Lieberman|
Dana has been riding recumbents for 25 years. Whether bicycle touring, racing, commuting or just riding with the family, he has ridden almost everything out there and has no problem telling you what he thinks! Owner of Bent Up Cycles and Bacchetta Bikes, Dana is passionate about turning new riders on to the joy of recumbent cycling. He also enjoys reading SciFi, hiking in the SoCal mountains and sipping a Chai Latte at the local coffee shop!
