What does increasing fork offset do?

What does increasing fork offset do?

Offsetting the fork more (increasing offset) pushes the axle further in front of the head angle. By reducing the fork rake (offset), the head angle remains the same for stability at high speed and down steep and rough trails, but the wheel is closer to the steering axis for better handling, especially at slower speeds.

What is a good fork offset?

For mountain bikes, the sweet spot that provides a good balance between stability and agility is around 80-100mm of trail. Many mid-travel bikes settle near 90mm with a 51mm offset fork.

Is fork offset important?

Simply put, fork offset, or fork rake, is the distance between the front axle and the steering axis – the imaginary line running straight through the midpoint of the steerer tube. Fork offset is linked to another important measurement: trail. Higher trail means greater stability and lazier, slower steering.

What does 44mm offset mean?

A reduced, 44mm offset fork allows the rider to run a slacker geometry with a similar wheelbase, but still enjoy a stable steering platform without sacrificing traction, stability, and control.

Why do you need a fork offset on a 29 ” bike?

By increasing the fork offset, Fisher was able to get a more nimble or fast feeling with the front wheel, helping the bike handle more like the 26” that people were used to. The 51mm offset forks were the new normal for 29” wheels until last year.

What’s the difference between 29er and 27.5in Forks?

Bigger wheels result in larger trail figures. It’s this reason that 29er forks often come with different offset figures than 27.5in forks. The most common offset for 29ers’ forks is 51mm (compared to 44-46mm for 27.5in forks). But should they? There are some bike brands don’t follow the 51mm-is-best tenet.

What’s the difference between a 44mm and 51mm fork offset?

The 44mm offset helps balance top tube length versus wheelbase. Let’s see how 44mm versus 51mm offset shifts geometry design. On the front end of the bike some of the major “personality” factors are trail, mechanical trail as well as wheel base.

What’s the difference between Trail and offset forks?

For 29″ bikes, the 51mm offset fork has been the standard for nearly a decade. What is trail? If you draw a line through the steering axis to the ground (as in the diagram above), trail is the distance from that point to where the front wheel touches the ground. Trail is what makes the bike’s front wheel self-straighten when it is moving forward.