So, excited to jump aboard a bike sporting revolutionary, never been done before short chainstays? Don't get too excited. As you can see above, short chainstays were a hot trend in '89. Something tells me they may have been sought after on crit road bikes before that. Just another reminder that trends come in cycles and that WTB's been around long enough to see that trend, accommodate it, then see that trend resurface again. Maybe long stays are next - the ultimate in traction, compliance, and cushy flex? Who knows, maybe flex is hot in the future. Below is a picture of a normal length Speedmaster, you can see the longer overall arm spacing:
Here's a shot of another WTB Compact design, we didn't have any Compact Speedmasters readily available for me to snap some shots of so here are a couple photos of a Compact Toggle Cam from Susie's lovely pink Phoenix. This brake's mounted on the seatstay so it negates the short chainstay argument, but at least is another example of a rad compact cam style brake, still feeling exceptionally smooth and powerful today:
She's got them linked up to some lovely black Paul levers, which look identical to the black Love Lever Compact levers they offer today, still made in Chico. Here's a shot of the non drive side, you can see it's definitely a short arm. This brake feels amazing:
Stay tuned for more been there before trends on WTB's Throwback Thursdays.