456 with a 4" fork - what's it like? - Singletrack World Magazine January 27, 2010

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This topic has 21 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 14 years ago by Shackleton.

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456 with a 4" fork – what's it like?
gonetothehills
Free Member

I've got an Inbred that I run with a 100mm Reba SL fork, but would a 456 with the same fork feel similar or not as 'lively'? There was just something I read on the OO website today where there was a suggestion that because of the beefed up nature of the 456, it doesn't have quite the same 'spring' as the Inbred.

Would I be missing the point of the 456 by not running the longer fork? I use the Inbred for good old fashioned cross country riding (mainly road, bridleway, road, track – that kind of thing) – and the big offroad adventures tend to take place on the full suss. I do love how the steel frame rides but maybe I should just save my pennies for the carbon Whippet maybe? 😉

Or maybe re-read that guide to lenghtening your 100mm Rebas to 120mm…? Hmmm…

Posted 14 years ago

carlphillips
Free Member

my 456 rides like a dog when i wind the fork down, kept at 130-140 is where it feels best

oh and i have an inbred too and i have yet to notice any difference in 'spring' what ever the hell that is??

Posted 14 years ago

Hairychested
Free Member

I kinda liked my 456SS with Blacks 100/120mm.

Posted 14 years ago

HTTP404
Free Member

456 with the same fork would in theory feel more lively since it would be running with a steeper head angle.
I used to run my 456 with recons at 115mm which I felt gave it a good compromise for the kind of riding I like doing – singletrack and trails with some climbing.

Posted 14 years ago

gonetothehills
Free Member

'spring?' – it's marketing stuff! 🙂 Keep it real and all that! Oh – you know – it's what *proper* frames feel like 🙂

Maybe I find out how to get the Rebas to 120mm and go for that – it'll sit in the middle of the fork / geometry then won't it? Might be a fun project too… Anyone succesfully done it without a degree in engineering…?!

Posted 14 years ago

Kato
Full Member

twitchy

i didn't like it

Posted 14 years ago

reggiegasket
Free Member

I actually prefer my 456 at 100-120 than at 140 but then I come from a bmx background so I like quickish steering.

If you like 100mm then just stay with the Inbred. If you want something longer/tougher then a 456 is it.

Posted 14 years ago

cp
Full Member

sweetspot for me for the 456 is 120mm. 100mm tends to be a bit twitchy, and 140mm bordering on too slow for XC rides. 120 seems to do most things excellently.

i have it set up as it was conceived – inline seatpost & weight relatively forward.

Posted 14 years ago

poppa
Free Member

456 has the same head angle as the Inbred for a given fork length, according to Brant:

The 456 has the same head angle as a standard inbred, for a given fork length, but has a steeper seat angle and shorter top tube to put you more over the front of the bike.
But most people I've seen ignore this with a love of layback seatposts and saddles pushed back – and then wonder why things get a bit light on the front end when climbing steep hills. Ah well.
The biggest difference between the 456 and the Inbred was that the 456 (and summer season) have (had?) a 1/8in larger top tube. Which adds 30% to stiffness and 20% to strength for 10% weight increase (roughly speaking).

Posted 14 years ago

hora
Free Member

Get an adjustable fork and you'll love the 456.

Posted 14 years ago

takisawa2
Full Member

Not sure if its relevant, but the old Soul I had climbed great at 100mm, but was a little twitchy on technical stuff/steep descents.

Posted 14 years ago

poppa
Free Member

Or to reinterpret my earlier post, going from an Inbred to a 456 both with the same fork, you will have the same head angle but you will be slightly more over the front on the 456.

Posted 14 years ago

firestarter
Free Member

i used to run my 456 with a talas fork so when i first got it i played around with the settings as you do 😉 on 100mm it felt quite nippy xc like even at 120mm it felt right good up and down and at 140mm it felt a little slack but still good for climbing but better for going down. i left it at 140mm in the end tho i think a 130 would be perfect if you had the chance

Posted 14 years ago

benman
Free Member

Why not just keep the inbred and lengthen your forks to 120mm? Thats what I run. Lengthening the rebas is a piece of cake

Posted 14 years ago

HTTP404
Free Member

Or to reinterpret my earlier post, going from an Inbred to a 456 both with the same fork, you will have the same head angle but you will be slightly more over the front on the 456.

Not so sure about that.
456 is 69.5deg with a 5 inch fork.
classic inbred is 70deg with a 4 inch fork.

iirc – a 1 inch change affects the head angle by roughly 1 deg.

Posted 14 years ago

knottie8
Free Member

its nothing to do with the fork travel, its the axle to crown distance you need to measure. some forks are long for the four inches of travel and some are short for five inches of travel. Even the headset(lower) thickness makes a difference to head angle.

Posted 14 years ago

poppa
Free Member

@HTTP404

Ok, Brant was wrong then.

Posted 14 years ago

Scienceofficer
Free Member

I've just put a 120mm reba on mine untill my new pipedream turns up. First ride is tomorrow – I'll let you know!

Posted 14 years ago

NWAlpsJeyerakaBoz
Free Member

I briefly used a 440mm rigid (same length as a 100mm fork) on my 456 when i was waiting for a suspension fork to arrive. Didnt feel right – too low and twitchy IMO. Now use a 120mm Recon, and it feels spot on.

Posted 14 years ago

HTTP404
Free Member

@Poppa
Brant is wrong? Their his babies, so not sure about that.

If you look at the inbred (or scandal) with long forks they just look slack(er) than a 456 with the same forks.

Posted 14 years ago

mk1fan
Free Member

Poppa is quoting Brant from the 'Inbred is dead' thread.

Posted 14 years ago

Shackleton
Full Member

I like mine with 100mm forks and don't find it twitchy, personally I think 120mm is about as much as I'd want on it. I got the 456 because I wanted an inbred with vertical dropouts but they were out of stock. Put the saddle 5-10mm further back on the rails – hey presto same geometry as an inbred, but in a better colour! And stiffer for those of a more substantial build.

Posted 14 years ago