Hardtail Angle set ...
 

[Closed] Hardtail Angle set musings

Posts: 0
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Preparing to build up the old 140mm Brodie and maybe modernise it a little.
Current head angle is 67.5 degrees, whats the magic angle nowadays?

I was thinking a drop down to 66, but works components will go to 65.5...is that too far?


 
Posted : 30/06/2017 9:38 am
Posts: 66085
Full Member
 

Way I always see it is, if you go as far as you can, you'll at least know something. If you go 3/4s of the way you'll always wonder if it was the right choice.

But half a degree isn't a huge difference anyway.


 
Posted : 30/06/2017 9:51 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Quite, my spitty is 66 but thats in a FS role.

Just seen the BFe that i used to have was 67 also...hmm


 
Posted : 30/06/2017 10:21 am
Posts: 14145
Full Member
 

Go as slack as you can. Remember that sagged and static angles are very different things on a hardtail.


 
Posted : 30/06/2017 11:08 am
Posts: 41786
Free Member
 

The only issue will be reach, you won't be able to match the slack angle with a short stem without compromising the reach to the bars, so if you stick with a mid length stem the steering may be a little slow.


 
Posted : 30/06/2017 11:17 am
Posts: 7630
Free Member
 

I'd go as slack as you can. I'm very tempted by one for my Trek Stache- 29+ with a 66 degree head angle sounds pretty mad.


 
Posted : 30/06/2017 11:18 am
Posts: 628
Free Member
 

Surely the change in reach is minimal with an angle set, 10mm max? And if you have a 20mm spacer under the stem with 10mm rise bars is the reach longer with no spacer and a 30mm rise bar? Haven't drawn that out, just idle musing in my caffeine fuelled brain.


 
Posted : 30/06/2017 11:22 am
 wl
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

My P7 claims 65 degrees and feels absolutely mint. Reckon I could go a bit slacker too, for cheeky Calderdale. I run a short stem to help offset the slackness.


 
Posted : 30/06/2017 12:13 pm
 5lab
Posts: 7926
Free Member
 

a slackset will (slightly) lower the front end, (slightly) extending reach, whilst the angle of the steerer will (slightly) reduce reach. there's naff all in it either way.

what is worth noting is that a sagged hardtail will steepen it's head angle by a couple of degrees, but a full sus will not (as it sags at both ends). therefore we should really all be running HTs with 2 deg slacker head angles than the equivilent full sus (so 63s static for a hardcore hardtail), yet almost no-one does


 
Posted : 30/06/2017 12:19 pm
Posts: 41786
Free Member
 

Surely the change in reach is minimal with an angle set, 10mm max? And if you have a 20mm spacer under the stem with 10mm rise bars is the reach longer with no spacer and a 30mm rise bar? Haven't drawn that out, just idle musing in my caffeine fuelled brain.

I meant more that a bike designed many years ago around one head angle with a 70mm stem, slackening it out will slow the steering down, but you can't just fit a 40mm stem to compensate like you would on a brand new bike as that would make it feel too short.

what is worth noting is that a sagged hardtail will steepen it's head angle by a couple of degrees, but a full sus will not (as it sags at both ends). therefore we should really all be running HTs with 2 deg slacker head angles than the equivilent full sus (so 63s static for a hardcore hardtail), yet almost no-one does

The counter argument is that for an intended use a HT just isn't as fast so shouldn't be as long, slack, or have as much travel.


 
Posted : 30/06/2017 1:51 pm
Posts: 3057
Full Member
 

A smidge under 63 static works for me. ๐Ÿ™‚
Love this bike.

[img][url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4257/35247736410_46b4bdecd5_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4257/35247736410_46b4bdecd5_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/VGHS2h ]2017-06-30_07-42-45[/url]


 
Posted : 30/06/2017 7:48 pm
Posts: 4787
Full Member
 

That is ssssslack!


 
Posted : 12/07/2017 2:34 pm