51mm offset Pike on a Stanton Switch9er - barge pole or not?

Having been through this before, you're unlikely to notice. If you do notice, you'll adapt and then not notice.

Having been through this before, you’re unlikely to notice. If you do notice, you’ll adapt and then not notice.

Mostly this +1.

Short offset - long wheelbase, slack angles, great straight-line stability, slower to turn.
Long offset - long wheelbase, slack angles, great straight-line stability, quicker to turn.

Depends what the marketing department thinks they'll sell more of this year, just look at Stooge with their 55-80mm offsets!

If you really want to mess with your head, there are calculators on line that let you play about with offset and head angle.

I'd guess that the difference between 18% sag and 30% sag probably makes as much difference to trail and wheel flop as the offset does. Where in that 140mm of travel does the fork spend most of its time?

Ah yes. The straight-talking, no BS STW advice I’ve come to know and trust over the years. My gut feeling is exactly that. If I notice a subtle difference in handling (at all), I’ll soon forget all about it. Thanks you two.

I went to opposite was with a transition Vanquish. Should have been 51, I fitted 44. I've not died yet.

It will make very little difference. Mike Kazimer from Pinkbike reckoned he probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference in a blind test. He only noticed it when he knew the offset.

the theory goes that it will feel a degree or two (slacker or steeper - oops I cant remember) than it actually is.

going away from their recommendations will alter the feel slightly, but probably not beyond the realms of usefulness

OK. So out of interest, does that mean a slightly longer offset essentially slackens the head angle a touch?

Head angle stays the same, it's the trail that decreases as the offset increases, in theory at least.

The frame you mention has a 65.5 head angle, so less likely to accentuate any small differences.

I have a 51mm offset on my Cotic Sodamax with 140mm fork giving 65.4 head angle & actually like the idea of quicker turning / handling on the hardtail.

My brain just fell over. May need to go for a bike ride to get it back on its feet 🤣 Thanks for all the input guys. All good food for thought.

Depends what the marketing department thinks they’ll sell more of this year, just look at Stooge with their 55-80mm offsets!

yeah but stuff like Stooge and jones are a different beast as they a playing with offsets for rigid only bikes to keep 29x3.25 and fat rubber handling in a sprightly manner.

Seemed to work for guys like Matt Lakin racing enduro series on a Mk4 and dirtbomb and doing a lot better than most with modern geo and suspension as he was on the podium quite a bit.

55mm offset was also used on the on-one fatbike, again to keep a big rubbery thing handling in a fairly fun way without going daft on the geometry

If you put that offset on boingly bike the fork bushings and would commit suicide in record time.

OK. So out of interest, does that mean a slightly longer offset essentially slackens the head angle a touch?

i think (and again, this plays with my brain, I've goth this arse about face before)

pushing the axle ahead of the line of the steerer tube with a longer 51mm offset. this decreases "trail", the distance betewen the tyre contact point and where the steerer angle intersects the ground, which makes the steering more lively/responsive (or twitchy and scary depending on how it is already)

I just switched frames on my MTB, basically from a 2020 medium to a 2021 small, and moved everything across. The fork I moved over has a 51mm offset and the new frame, when sold as a complete bike, comes with a 44mm offset fork so I am exactly where you might end up. I worried about it but honestly cannot tell the difference