I was wondering how many of you notice the different offsets of different fork manufactuers and also sometimes different models. For example I run Supercross forks on my race bikes and they have a 20mm offset which btw is pretty small compared to other companies. I also run Shadow forks on my park bike which have a 26mm offset. Most companies like S&M build their forks with a 32mm offset, however some like Shadow and Subrosa offer 2 different offset lengths, short and traditional. It seems to me that by choosing a fork with a different offset you could essentially change the theoretical Head Tube angle of the frame, which could affect the steering, launch, etc, of the bike. So my questions are: A. Have you ridden forks with different offsets and noticed the differences between them? B. Which do you prefer for racing or dirt or park, short or traditional?

MTS

Suprised no one was really interested in this info. Maybe I will re post it in the racing forum.

MTS

I just figured they were all a standard dimension. More offset would make the bike steer slower.

I guess if my steering feels too quick I just case a set of doubles until the forks feel right.

Definitely interested. Fork "rake" is a big deal to me. I guess since all I use are S&M I never noticed any difference.

offsets are are all over the place.

on my race/dirt bikes i prefer it a little bit more offset, but don't really care that much.

on my "trick" bikes i definitely want less offset, but not zero.

I can remember back in the 80's or so fork rake was a measurement that was often published. I don't see them much these days.

I can't find a trig calculator but I'm going to make an educated guess that the difference between a 32mm offset and a 25mm offset fork is about 1 degree of head tube angle. I always liked the forks with less offset for my race frames because it seemed like it gave all the XXL frames I've run an extra pop off the faces of jumps. For me it seemed like the longer the bike the less it wanted to get up in the air.

My race and park bikes have the same head angle, the steering is night and day... SX forks on the race bike, Pitchforks on the park bike... It now takes a couple laps to get used to my race bike after some time off.. Considering a diffeernt fork for the park bike to get something with a little less offset..

I had to go through the same deal when I took the sinisters off my race bike and put on the SX forks.. The SX was both shorter and had less offset... Lighter too... That took a little getting used too...

Now, if I know I have a race coming up, I try to leave the park bike alone for a while so the race bike doesn't feel so strange when I get to the track..

Brian

I know you're a SX guy but why not just use S&M Race XLT's on the race bike? Heck, you can even put Supercross stickers on them!

Well. I could buy one set of forks for the park bike, or 2 sets of forks for both race bikes... Which route would be cheaper?

Also, the pitchforks I have are somewhere around ten years old... They could use a replacement... But, I never worry about them when I am riding... They ride just as well as the day I got them.

Brian

Cheaper is better I assume.

I'm right there with you with 10 year-old Pitchforks. I'm cheap too!

plus the XLT's are 4oz heavier. that 4oz over the front end is a big difference. 4oz spead over the entire bike wouldn't be a problem

The amount of offset on a fork will make a bike ride differently. Take a look at sheldonbrown.com and look up rake and trail. Less offset will not change the head angle but a shorter or longer axle to crown length will. So will different sized tires.

Backin the 80's they made forks with the legs that were not in line with the steerer tube. Today forks are made in line with the steerer tube, with the exception of the Odyssey director fork. That's why we talk about offset not rake now.

It's not so much that I am cheap, just poor...

Brian

I run a 10 mm front axle in a fork with 14mm dropouts, and I can definately feel a difference; it makes the front end tighter.

Well, I just got some Hoffman EP forks and put them on my Subrosa. Do very many other street riders ride with the flat forks? I ride pegless too, and just wanted to play with a different feeling to my bike