What is fork rake?

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.

How does fork rake affect handling?

Increasing the amount of fork rake will have the opposite effect: as the amount of trail gets smaller, the front wheel is less likely to follow the direction of the bike.

Does fork rake matter?

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 the rake on a front fork?

Fork rake is the distance between the steering axis (blue line) and the fork blades (purple line) at the front wheel's axle. The measurement is taken in millimeters on a line extending from a right angle from the steering axis and bisecting the center of the axle (the orange line).

Is fork rake and fork offset the same?

Fork Rake is also known as Offset, which more accurately describes what it is: the hub's offset from the steering axis. Not to be confused with the curvature of the fork blades, which some people think of as “rake”. Straight blade forks can have plenty of offset.

What happens if you change fork offset?

Both the headtube angle and fork offset can change the length of the trail number. By making the head tube angle slacker (decreasing the angle) you will make the trail longer. By reducing the fork offset, you will also make the trail longer.

Can I run 27.5 wheels on a 29er fork?

Condensed Answer: If the bike and the wheelset are designed for disc brakes, a 27.5” wheel will fit on a 29” frame and fork. Since 27.5” wheels are smaller, their diameter will change the geometry of the bicycle in a manner that the rider may not appreciate.

How does fork rake affect motorcycle handling?

Generally speaking (meaning there are exceptions) the greater the rake angle, the more stable the motorcycle is at higher speeds. To better understand this, visualize a motorcycle with 0 degrees of rake, with the forks straight up and down, perpendicular to the ground.

How is fork rake determined?

Measure the height of the fork dropout off the top of the flat surface (Dim A). Measure the height of the center of the steerer tube off the top of the flat surface (Dim B). Subtracting Dim B from Dim A will result in the fork offset or rake.

What is Harley raking?

An all-in-one soil conditioning machine, the Harley Rake can single-handedly prepare soil, remove rocks and debris, grade and blend, thatch, resurface, as well as prepare soil for seeding. We recently gave the Harley Rake the full photo treatment, with in-depth detail shots and multiple angles of this heavy-duty tool.

How much difference does fork offset make?

Increasing fork offset reduces trail. Larger wheels increase trail. With a larger wheel (e.g., a 29” wheel) the axle is higher off the ground compared to a smaller wheel. If you draw a line through the steering axis to the ground, it intersects the ground farther forward of the axle, increasing trail.

What does 44mm offset mean?

Again, it's all personal preference. Here's the skinny: 51mm offset reduces “trail” and adds turning agility, while 44mm offset adds “trail” and adds straight-line stability, especially at high speeds.

How much does fork travel affect head angle?

Geometry changes

As the fork gets longer, it raises handlebars up and slackens the head tube angle. As a rough estimate, each 20mm of travel added will correlate to a one-degree difference in the head tube angle.

How can I make my road bike more stable?

Generally though, if you move the front wheel forward by decreasing the HTA, the bike becomes more stable. Conversely, if you move the wheel forward by increasing the fork's offset you make the bike less stable.

How do you reduce wheel flop?

A more upright position puts less weight on the front, resulting in less wheel flop. To compensate, remember, you want just the right amount of “power steering” — a shallower head angle increases the amount of wheel flop.

How do I make my road bike less twitchy?

Basically you are perched over the front wheel, and every twitch and bump is causing you to react. Relax back a bit, sit further back, use your core strength to hold up your body instead of your arms and things should get smoother. 10 psi less in the front tyre might help too.

How are road forks measured?

Measure from the fork crown race to where the lower pressed race would enter the head tube. Next, measure the upper stack from where the upper pressed race would enter the head tube to the top of the adjusting race. Add any spacers and add the height of the stem. Add all these numbers together.

How are mountain bike forks measured?

Fork Length (Axle-to-Crown)

The more common method of specifying fork length on modern bikes, measured in a direct line from the fork crown to the axle. Length-on-Axis is the less common method of specifying fork length on modern bikes, measured from the fork crown to the axle along the steering/head tube axis.

What is rake measurement?

A rake is an angle of slope measured from horizontal, or in some contexts from a vertical line 90° perpendicular to horizontal. A 60° rake would mean that the line is pointing 60° up from horizontal, either forwards or backwards relative to the object.

What is a good lean angle on motorcycle?

For modern MotoGP bike and riders, it's 65 degrees, which is a full 45 degrees past the 20 degrees that human beings are naturally comfortable with.

What does a raked front end mean?

“Rake” refers to the angle between the front forks and the ground or, in case we are talking about just a frame, the angle between the head tube and the ground. In most stock bikes the triple-trees hold the forks parallel to the head tube so rake is the same for the frame and the bike.

What is caster angle on a motorcycle?

The caster angle or castor angle is the angular displacement of the steering axis from the vertical axis of a steered wheel in a car, motorcycle, bicycle, other vehicle or a vessel, as seen from the side of the vehicle.

How do I get a new mountain bike fork?

MTB wheels come in three sizes; 26”, 27.5” (650b) and 29”. When choosing an MTB rigid fork make sure it's the right size for your wheels. If your MTB or city bike is running V-brakes, check that the fork has mounts on the legs for the V-brake arms to be attached.

Can you put 29 inch wheels on a 27.5 frame?

Yes, you can do it. The diameter of a 29" wheel & tire is slightly larger than a 27.5+ wheel & tire. The 29" setup will raise your bottom bracket height.

Can you put 650b wheels on a 29er?

One thing you may want to consider is getting wider 650b rims and going for 650b+ (aka 27.5+) tires as they will fit a lot of existing 29ers and will not alter your geometry significantly. Anything from a 650x2.