More trail is nice at high speeds (motorcycles usually have 80 mm of trail) but can feel sluggish at slower speeds.Īlso known as the steering axis, this angle influences stability in combination with fork offset by controlling “wheel flop”, or the tendency for the wheel to turn when leaned. 57mm of trail is considered by many to be an ideal combination of stability and agility.
Fork offset for road bikes usually ranges from 40 to 55 mm, generating trail figures from 50 to 63 mm. Trail is best thought of as the tire patch “trailing” behind the steering axis. Fork offset determines trail when considered with head angle (and the diameter of the wheel). Straight blade forks can have plenty of offset.
Not to be confused with the curvature of the fork blades, which some people think of as “rake”. How these measurements affect stability :įork Rake is also known as Offset, which more accurately describes what it is: the hub’s offset from the steering axis.
