THE WHEEL BASE THREAD

Dunno what forks you've got, but all I could think of is that you could try and find something with a minimal amount of offset between the steerer tube and the stanchions. Not sure really how much variation there is in this between suspension forks though (possibly none?).

would toe overlap be a major issue for MTB?

ddb post a pic of yr frame

http://www.konaworld.com/Prod/000000317/2K6_COILER_650.jpg

MY SINGLE SPEED MTB, TURNS ON A DIME!! THIS THING IS LIKE DRIVING A TANK.

NO TOE OVERLAP ON THIS BITCH!!!

SRSLY, I REGRET GETTING THE BIGGER SIZE. THE DUDE AT THE SHOP WAS ALL "BIGGER BRO".......AND I WAS LIKE "YEAH BUT........OK"

Dropping the travel on the fork would definitely quicken up the steering, but it might defeat the point of a bike like that.

doesn't look like much can be done in the rear, so yeah: if you shortened the travel you'd end up with a shorter wheel base and a steeper headtube angle, both of which would make the turning quicker

YEAH, I ALREADY RETUNED THE FORK, ADJUSTED THE TRAVEL AND DAMPING I THINK IM JUST GONNA CUT THE FRAME IN HALF, LOSS AN INCH AND WELD IT BACK.

yeah ok!

Turning your forks round back-to-front would work too, but your bike probably wouldn't.

Actually you could just reverse the crown, then put the legs back on the right way.

"right way"

Backwards fork = more trail = more stable, right? Which, actually, is not what you want.

Also, backwards fork = disc mount on the front = braking force goes up, not down, so no fear of wheel popping out of dropouts!

I may be oversimplifying somewhere.

^^^ not true? i mean, on any of my bikes (road/track) reversing the fork would make for negative trail/rake, making it super-turny to the point of instability.

(xp)

Also, backwards fork = disc mount on the front = braking force goes up, not down, so no fear of wheel popping out of dropouts!

Yes, there is that - you'd have to travel everywhere backwards for your brake to work.

Sorry, I misread wot you rote.

I think I put my mind in backwards.

Well looking at the pic above: the fork is placed in front of the steerer tube, and the axle is in front of the fork legs, both of which mean the wheel is placed further forward, reducing the trail... right? So flipping it round should mean the wheel is further back and the trail is larger.

xposts

My flatmate got a replacement bike after hers was nicked, and the forks were put on backwards. I don't think she'd have noticed. If she rode it, ever.

What is "the trail"?

Distance between where the front wheel touches the ground, and... er... where the steerer tube would touch the ground if you continued it downwards at the same angle. Should be in front of the front wheel contact point. Longer trail = more stability. Shorter trail = more manoeveueurability.

Because the steering axis contact point is in front of the wheel contact point (positive trail), it means if you lean the bike in one direction, the wheel turns in that direction - so the bike keeps itself upright, steering under itself as it tilts. Negative trail would mean it would turn in the opposite direction to the lean, making it v difficult to ride.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c7/TrailDIAG2.jpg/400px-TrailDIAG2.jpg

NICE, THIS IS WHAT IM TALKING ABT!!

NICK B GETS A BANANA, REVERSING THE CROWN...AND SWITCHING THE FORKS MIGHT WORK!!!!!

JUST WONDERING IF THE CROWN WOULD HIT THE DOWN TUBE.

HIGH - 5 DUDES!

HMM, BUT WOULD THAT FCK UP THE -/+ AIR....HMMMMMMMMMMM

NO, IT SHDNT. I THINK.

IT TOOK SO MUCH TO GET THOSE FORKS TO ACTUALLY "WORK"....THEY ARE PRETTY SHIT. IF I HAD $700 LYING AROND I'D REPLACE THEM

http://www.beranger.org/miscd/brother_pt80_labelmaker.png

GBX ARE U POSTING FROM YR BIKE? OR DID U HIGHJACK A MACHINE DURING A PICK-UP?

WHY A LABEL MAKER?

i have a doctor's appt today, and am at home drinking tea.

i suggested a label maker for the +/- on yr fork, but oh well nevermind

AHHHHHHHHHHH.

WELL PLAYED!

After reading Ledge's pitch and then reading some other stuff, I dunno if reversing the crown would work or not. The more you learn, the more confusing it all gets. You'd increase the trail, shorten the wheelbase, raise the front end and also slacken the headtube angle. God knows what the net effect would be.

Maybe riding into a tree repeatedly might do the job just as well? Other than that, is there any way of running the forks a bit slacker without bolloxing up the feel too much?

I RUN THE FORKS PRETTY STIFF, THE BIKE WEIGHS A TON...SO IF THE FORK WERE ANY SOFTER, CLIMBS WOULD ALWAYS END IN VOMITING.

ITS A DOWNHILL BIKE...I JUST HAVE TO ACCEPT IT FOR ALL IT'S LIMITATIONS

ID SELL IT, BUT I'D TAKE SUCH A LOSS. I GUESS YOU LEARN WHAT U LIKE/NEED WITH EACH BIKE.......I NEED ANOTHER MTB. XC.

i demo'd rocky mountain's highest-end XC and it was unreal. like changed how i conceive of mountain biking (that is, it is definitely a viable means of transport for very extended journeys in the backcountry).