100mm fork on 03 hardtail?

PeterThomas said:

Hi there,

I'm currently waiting for my 03 Caldera frame to arrive. I've got some Fox Float forks which I'm running at 80mm on my Orange O2 at the moment -- I was wondering if anyone is running 100mm forks on an 03 hardtail frame and if so, is the geometry ok?

Cheers

Pete

Click to expand...

I have in the past, and it does affect the ride, but not as much as people tend to think. Remember that a 100mm fork generally has more sag than an 80mm fork, so the 1 degree change in geometry comes down to about .75 of a degree change in geometry.
Basically, yes, the geometry is okay, but you will still notice a bit of a difference. The front wheel may wander on extended climbs, and that will be about all you notice.
Thanks,
Joe.

Did the frames actually change from 03 to 04 ?

Joe - Kona said:

I have in the past, and it does affect the ride, but not as much as people tend to think. Remember that a 100mm fork generally has more sag than an 80mm fork, so the 1 degree change in geometry comes down to about .75 of a degree change in geometry.
Basically, yes, the geometry is okay, but you will still notice a bit of a difference. The front wheel may wander on extended climbs, and that will be about all you notice.
Thanks,
Joe.

Click to expand...

My question for Joe is there really a difference in the Kona XC frame designs between 03 and 04 ? Comparing the stats the head/seat tube angles for 03 were 71/74 whereas in 2004 these were slackened to 69.5/72.5 (medium sized xc bikes - both hardtail and full suss). I would guess that this is exactly the change you would expect when changing the forks from 80 mm to 100 mm.

I added a 100 mm fork to my 03 Kahuna and basically there was only a slight difference exactly as Joe described: a bit more stable on the downhill but more wander when climbing. I was able to compensate somewhat by adding a longer flat stem.

BD

I was thinking along similar lines myself. Perhaps when they say the geometry changed they mean "the geometry they put in the specs" has changed.