Bicycle with asymmetric steerer tube
AssigneeTrek Bicycle Corporation
InventorSteven Moechnig
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bicycle steerer tube assembly having an oblong asymmetric cross section formed along a portion of the steerer tube. The asymmetric portion of the steerer tube has a first diameter that is generally aligned with an axis of rotation of the front wheel and a second diameter that is generally aligned with a plane of rotation of the front wheel. The first diameter is greater than the second diameter and provides lateral stiffness to the wheel assembly and the second diameter accommodates longitudinal impact absorption of the fork and wheel assembly.
Claims16
A method of supporting a bicycle steerer tube comprising:
- providing a steerer tube body that is shaped to cooperate with a head tube of a bicycle frame;
- shaping a portion of the steerer tube body that is supported by the head tube to have a non-circular oblong cross section with a short axis aligned with a longitudinal axis of the bicycle frame and a long axis transverse to the short axis.
A method of forming a bicycle steerer tube assembly comprising:
- forming a steerer tube having a first end adapted to engage a fork crown and a second end adapted to engage a handlebar of a bicycle;
- and
- forming an asymmetric cross section along the steerer tube between the first end and the second end so that a wider portion of the asymmetric cross section is aligned with a pair of fork cavities formed by the fork crown and a narrow portion of the asymmetric cross section is aligned with a longitudinal axis of a bicycle.
A method of forming a bicycle steerer assembly comprising:
- forming a steerer tube and a fork crown as a one-piece body from a carbon fiber material;
- forming the steerer tube with an oblong cross section that extends along a portion of a length of the steerer tube;
- and
- forming a symmetric cross section of the steerer tube that offsets the oblong cross section of the steerer tube from the fork crown.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.