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Fork Axle to Crown Length and Rake

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Fork Axle to Crown Length and Rake

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Old 01-03-19 | 10:07 AM
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Fork Axle to Crown Length and Rake

Need help in determining the changes in handling of my road bike if I change fork. My bike is small with a 73deg HTA and the current fork I have is 368mm long and the rake is 43mm and I want to replace it with a fork with a 51mm rake and 380mm long. Will the head angle change in relation to the longer A-C? And what will be the new fork trail and its effect on overall handling. I'm having toe overlap with the current fork that's why I'm looking for another with a higher rake. Thanks.
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Old 01-03-19 | 11:11 AM
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Keep the stock fork.
Get used to the toe overlap. It is common and isn't a problem.
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Old 01-03-19 | 11:19 AM
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The longer fork will decrease the HTA by about .7 degrees, but the trail will be reduced by only a few millimeters, so the handling shouldn't change much. Unless you really want a new fork, it's big expense to gain less than 8mm of toe clearance. Having toe overlap on a small frame is not unusual and something you just have to live with. The only time it concerns me is when I'm making a U-turn.
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Old 01-03-19 | 12:43 PM
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Merely get into the habit of unclipping and placing your feet behind you when you turn the front wheel sharply.
No more foot overlap.
I own bikes with either toe overlap or no toe overlap. As others suggest, accept it as the personality of the bike. Toe overlap is only an issue for a fraction of the time the bike is ridden.

A further counterpoint is...consider with smaller bikes in particular, designers create bikes knowing there will be toe overlap understanding this is not a desirable trait.
Why is that? Its because designing it out for smaller frames is more downside than not having toe overlap. Change to overall riding characteristics of the frame is less desirable than toe overlap. Designers know this. You can try to violate the design created for a given frame but most of the time it will be the wrong direction as the guys that create the frame and choose a given fork for a frame tend to know best...perhaps not always but vast majority of the time.

Last edited by Campag4life; 01-03-19 at 12:47 PM.
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Old 01-03-19 | 01:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Campag4life
Toe overlap is only an issue for a fraction of the time the bike is ridden.
Which is why I seem to forget about it until 400 ms before it happens.
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Old 01-03-19 | 01:15 PM
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Toe overlap can't happen at speeds much above 3 or 4 miles per hour or so, i.e., above walking speed. I've been riding bikes with toe overlap for 55 years, since I got my first fixed-gear (track) bike. I probably practiced maneuvering at low speed for a little while until I got the hang of it.
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Old 01-03-19 | 01:31 PM
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Yea it will change since 380 is greater than 368 by 12 mm and so almost 1/2".. you will lower the head tube angle *

How Much? Get out a big sheet of paper and draw it out ... If you don't have CAD skills to computerize it..

* an arc with the rear axle center as its center.. axis..

Toe overlap issue goes away when you go fast , you only see it when very slow..

Its only a problem with big wheels not small folding bike wheels ..





...

Last edited by fietsbob; 01-03-19 at 01:34 PM.
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Old 01-03-19 | 07:48 PM
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If you get a longer fork length, don't forget to change your saddle tilt.
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Old 01-04-19 | 02:33 AM
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Thanks for all the replies. I'm considering the change only because I saw one for cheap on ebay. Will try to get it and if it doesn't work, I'll sell the fork again.
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