Originally Posted by
RubeRad
Is it possible that for a non-performance kid's bike, the fork is actually 100% straight (incl the steerer), and the head-tube angle provides all the caster angle that is necessary for riding stability?
You would actually get more stability by having a normal fork installed backwards (at least if the front tire would still clear the down tube). Forks are raked in order to reduce the stability and therefore make it easier to steer around turns. But if there's so little rake that you can't tell (or none at all) then it shouldn't hurt to install it either way.