[blaklabl]

I have searched and searched, and I cannot find the answer I am looking for.

My bike has a 120mm fork, 67.5° head angle, 51mm offset and is 27.5+/29.

I am going to get a new fork and go up to 140mm travel. I have the option of getting another 51mm offset or can get in 44mm.

With going to longer travel, does it make sense to get the shorter offset? Does it matter? I really like how my bike handles now, just need a little more stiffness and a little more travel. I know longer travel will
Slack it out to about 66.5, so really I’m just super confused and I’m sure overthinking it.

Thanks for any advice ~

 

[PurpleMtnSlayer]

I’m just a guy on the internet so my opinion might not be correct. But I think the reduced offset forks are ideal for longer travel bikes. The reason is intended use. Reduced offset helps with handling and stability at high speeds which longer travel bikes are capable of. Regular offset helps keep steering light at slow speeds where most short travel bikes shine.

I don’t think a reduced offset fork will feel bad on a short travel bike. If all things are equal I would get reduced offset for resell value alone.

 

[PurpleMtnSlayer]

Another thing at lot of people who have reportedly done back to back testing say there isn’t that much of a difference and you can easily adjust to either one.

Ime the difference is pretty major. My favorite benefit (on my long travel enduro bikes) is my weight distribution is more forward on short offset. That means I have better front wheel traction all the time.

 

[*OneSpeed*]

Offset is just another way to tune how your bike handles. Not dissimilar to HTA.

A higher offset fork will handle better (quicker) at slow speed and while climbing. A lower offset fork will be more stable while descending at speed and cause the bike to wander more on the climbs.

One is no more right than the other until you consider the entire geometry and design of the bike. It just depends on how that manufacturer wants the bike to handle.

For your application I would say stick with the high offset fork if you want to keep the handling more similar to how it is now. When you slack it out with a longer fork it will slow down the steering slightly. Using a low offset fork would only accentuate that.

I'm just a guy on the internet so my opinion might not be correct. But I think the reduced offset forks are ideal for longer travel bikes. The reason is intended use. Reduced offset helps with handling and stability at high speeds which longer travel bikes are capable of. Regular offset helps keep steering light at slow speeds where most short travel bikes shine.

I don't think a reduced offset fork will feel bad on a short travel bike. If all things are equal I would get reduced offset for resell value alone.

Not entirely true, low offset forks get spec'd on XC race hardtails all the time. The Fox SC 32 with 44mm offset is a perfect example of that. It works well with a steeper HTA. Otherwise though you're right, longer travel trail bikes (especially 27.5 bikes) are often spec'd with low offset forks.

The offset will not affect resale value, one is no better than the other. Just depends on the application. For 29ers the 51mm offset is still more common though.

 

[*OneSpeed*]

Another thing at lot of people who have reportedly done back to back testing say there isn't that much of a difference and you can easily adjust to either one.

Under normal circumstances (like using the same amount of travel on two forks with different offsets) your right, there is something like a 9% difference in steering feel between a 44 offset and a 51 offset.

But, when you start adding an extra 20mm of travel and making an offset change things can happen faster.

Next we can throw an angleset into the conversation and really mix it up.

 

[*OneSpeed*]

There is also a good deal of personal preference involved. What one person loves may feel like garbage to someone else.

 

[blaklabl]

There is also a good deal of personal preference involved. What one person loves may feel like garbage to someone else.

And THAT is what I am most afraid of. That would be an expensive mistake....

 

[Timothy G. Parrish]

https://www.bikeradar.com/features/pushing-the-limits-of-fork-offset-an-experiment/

 

[PurpleMtnSlayer]

The offset will not affect resale value, one is no better than the other. Just depends on the application. For 29ers the 51mm offset is still more common though.

This is not true, look on Pinkbike there are tons of new take off forks with standard offset dirt cheap, same with new forks from internet shop. You can get last years stuff discounted now, as long as it's standard offset. The fact that more and more bikes are coming with reduced offset and most companies are marketing reduced offset heavy means standard offset will be viewed as old school more and more, making it harder and harder to sell standard offset, regardless which is "better."

Idk if any of that matters to OP tho.

OP, what is your current fork? Have you considered just extending the travel and getting it tuned?

If you really want a new fork with standard offset I'd suggest picking up a new take off from PB.

 

[blaklabl]

Idk if any of that matters to OP tho.

OP, what is your current fork? Have you considered just extending the travel and getting it tuned?

If you really want a new fork with standard offset I'd suggest picking up a new take off from PB.

It doesn't matter to me (resale).

It is a Reba RL w/ Charger2 damper and Debonair seal-head. It cannot be extended longer than 120 from my understanding. Tuning it won't make it stiffer, and if I could extend the travel that would only make it less stiff at 32mm stanchions.

TBH I just can't wrap my head around the whole thing with the offsets. I'm probably better off staying with 51mm offset and maybe not going to 140. Just something stiffer 120-130 ish.

 

[PurpleMtnSlayer]

Onespeeds point about everything needing to be in harmony is true. I would only do 140 if you could easily convert to down to 130 or 120. It’s super easy on most forks. If your into doing your own work I’d suggest the Manitou Mattoc, it’s easy to re-valve and rebuild yourself, lots of deals on the 51 offset right now.

 

[*OneSpeed*]

This is not true, look on Pinkbike there are tons of new take off forks with standard offset dirt cheap, same with new forks from internet shop. You can get last years stuff discounted now, as long as it's standard offset. The fact that more and more bikes are coming with reduced offset and most companies are marketing reduced offset heavy means standard offset will be viewed as old school more and more, making it harder and harder to sell standard offset, regardless which is "better."

That's my point, there is no "standard" offset.

I have a 2011 Kona Unit with a rigid steel fork that has a 42mm offset. At the other end of the spectrum a Jones truss fork has 76mm of offset!

If your seeing more of a certain type of fork it's just because it's slightly more common and there's more of them out there.

I agree that lower offset forks are becoming more common, at least it seems that way from what I read, so maybe people are experimenting and selling off their old forks?

OP, I asked this question a while back and ended up learning a lot. Check out the links in this thread. (it's about rigid forks but all the same rules apply).

https://forums.mtbr.com/29er-components/rigid-fork-offset-1032108.html

You can also Google "Fork offset", there's a few good videos and articles. You can also scroll to the bottom of this page and see what Knolly has to say about it. https://www.knollybikes.com/fugitive

 

[blaklabl]

Well, I overthought the **** out of the offset thing. I got a Helm Works 130 with the 44mm offset for my Fuse, and I quite literally can't tell the difference from 51mm. So I guess that's a good thing!