THYS 220 prototype in steel

Wheels were often fully made of carbon or Kevlar in the late 1980s. To cope with strong crosswinds, the front fork was positioned quite upright. However, this made the bike rather nervous. Nowadays, rowing bikes have a front fork that is positioned more horizontally. This makes the steering behavior calmer and moves the front wheel further forward. With the center of gravity lowered and positioned further back, brakes can be applied much more aggressively than with the earlier, higher models.