hellmansam
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Muh Dartmoor Primal has a 66 deg. head angle, and I'm looking to get a 140 - 160mm fork to swap out for the current underforked 130mm. Have any of youse had a chance to feel the difference for yourselves ?
Who has switched 29er from 51mm to 44mm offset
- Thread starter hellmansam
- Start date
moorey
call me Mia
Not 29, 27.5. I didn’t notice a difference, but take that with a grain of salt, I’m not the most attuned rider at times.
I didn’t know they had a different offset at the time (OEM forks originally off a giant reign). I might have looked for a difference if I’d known at the time...but nope. Some will swear they feel it. I believe them.
I didn’t know they had a different offset at the time (OEM forks originally off a giant reign). I might have looked for a difference if I’d known at the time...but nope. Some will swear they feel it. I believe them.
The Reverend
Likes Bikes and Dirt
I have, on my Paradox. Was running 150mm fork with 51 offset and went 160mm with 44 offset.
Any difference felt would be hard for me to attribute to the offset. Bike felt nice before and still does. I wanted the nose a touch higher.
I seriously doubt you'd feel a huge difference unless you were hyper sensitive to these things.
I usually do feel small changes but this was hard to discern given the travel change too.
Any difference felt would be hard for me to attribute to the offset. Bike felt nice before and still does. I wanted the nose a touch higher.
I seriously doubt you'd feel a huge difference unless you were hyper sensitive to these things.
I usually do feel small changes but this was hard to discern given the travel change too.
I swapped my Lyrik CSU from a 51 to a 42 offset on a Turbo Levo and much prefer it. Running 160 travel so about 65.5 head angle. The lower offset calms the steering and I find it understeers much less easily as it reduces the tendency of diving into a corner. This could also be negated with a different riding style but for me I prefer to have to be more assertive with the bars than having it dart around on what feels like a edge. I like fast but I also like stable so again the lower offset wins.
This is good:
www.worldwidecyclery.com
Fork Offset Explained - Does It Really Make A Difference? [Video]
Fork offset is the measured distance from the steering axis to the mounting point of the front wheel. Another thing which has evolved to make bikes work better on even more parts of your ride. In this video, we clear the confusion and take an in-depth look at what fork offset is and how it will...
www.worldwidecyclery.com
moorey
call me Mia
Indeed...but still often means sweet FA in the real world to the average hack.This is good:
Fork Offset Explained - Does It Really Make A Difference? [Video]
Fork offset is the measured distance from the steering axis to the mounting point of the front wheel. Another thing which has evolved to make bikes work better on even more parts of your ride. In this video, we clear the confusion and take an in-depth look at what fork offset is and how it will...
That was kinda their conclusion no?
moorey
call me Mia
Sorry. Jumped the gun. Read a few articles discussing it, but not that particular one.
The others were clearly by marketers, saying if I'm not riding less offset, why even bother riding, bro?
Fo sho. I quite like these guys; considering they run a shop that would probably quite like to sell you a new fork they're pretty balanced in their reviews.
SummitFever
Eats Squid
I have experimented with the 51/44mm offset on a 130mm front travel 29er (Trance) and I can barely tell the difference. I think the low, long, slack thing means that a bit of extra trail with the 44mm offset is all just lost in the wash of all the other things making the bike more stable in a straight line. I wasn't able to try the exact same fork as I was comparing a 130mm 51mm offset Revelation to a 130mm 44mm offset Fox 34. I think I might prefer the 44mm but only because it actually shortens the wheelbase a little but it does make the steering feel a bit heavier.
I would not go a shorter offset fork if any of the following applies:
If none of that applies, then going with a 160mm 44mm offset fork will most likely be beneficial for some extra stability at speed. The extra 30mm of travel should see the head angle slacken by at least a degree and the reduced offset will just add to the stability.
I would not go a shorter offset fork if any of the following applies:
- your bike has an already short wheelbase (shorter offset will make that wheelbase shorter);
- your seattube angle is already slack (shorter offset will lift the front up a bit more than the same travel fork in longer offset and further slacken the seattube);
- you feel like your steering is already on the 'heavy' side or the steering isn't as responsive as you'd like.
If none of that applies, then going with a 160mm 44mm offset fork will most likely be beneficial for some extra stability at speed. The extra 30mm of travel should see the head angle slacken by at least a degree and the reduced offset will just add to the stability.
hellmansam
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Yeah had already watched that, hence posing the question here where we have a wide range of hack levels.
Yep.....I like kten's description, I get some wobble in corners with the bike leaned over and understeer that maybe isn't all down to my averageness, sounds like it can't hurt to try. The bike needs a longer travel fork anyway, not just for the sake of trying 44mm offset.
What fork is it currently?
hellmansam
Likes Bikes and Dirt
130mm Fox 34 Performance, the OEM fork off my Fuel EX. As far as I've been able to find out, it's not able to be extended via an air shaft swap.
ozzybmx
taking a shit with my boobs out
Back yonder, 51mm offset was the Gary Fisher G2 geometry that came on Gary Fisher and Trek bikes.
Recently it is now simply called 51mm offset, I have never changed it but apparently going to a lesser offset on the Trek/GF bikes with steepish head angles made them handle like shit.
It would make sense that with a slacker head angle it would be less obvious.
Recently it is now simply called 51mm offset, I have never changed it but apparently going to a lesser offset on the Trek/GF bikes with steepish head angles made them handle like shit.
It would make sense that with a slacker head angle it would be less obvious.
PJO
in me vL comy
It also made for a nice point of difference when it came to marketing the new 29er thing. I think most of the handling like shit was down to having a wheel that had a much heavier feel due to the greater rotating mass going from 26" to 29", no one seems to notice that anymore...
ashes_mtb
Has preferences
I've made the fairly extreme switch from a mid-90's 80mm 26er to a modern 120mm 29er and the difference in wheel/tyre weight is more pronounced to me than any other change relating to geometry, travel etc.
SummitFever
Eats Squid
This. My 26" Anthem X with sleeping bag, mat and food strapped to the handle bars feels not too much heavier than the 29er with nothing on it.
PJO
in me vL comy
That was said with tongue planted firmly in cheek.
Almost bit it off in the process!