I’ve recently increased travel up front from 120mm to 140mm, actual increase of 20mm axle to crown length, and only a 40g weight increase.. I’ve removed 15mm headset spacers from under the stem to maintain a similar bike position which works for me.

The bike now seems a little sluggish and vague. Is this due to the change in head angle?

Yes its the extra length, if you cant get used to it a shorter stem may help.

Sluggish and vague? Or stable and not “twitchy”?
Steering will be slower. You did the right thing by dropping the stem.
Might be worth moving saddle forward a bit as well.

I hear voices too but that is ‘head angels’

How will moving the saddle forward / getting a shorter stem help … more weight forward??

Slackening the head angle will not only alter the steering feel, but will also slacken the seat angle – which will move your centre of mass slightly backward.

– Shorter stem will speed up the steering and move your centre of mass further forward.

– Moving the saddle forward will again move your centre of mass slightly further forward.

Ah I see, i’ll try moving the saddle forward slightly, my stem is already pretty short at 90mm for XC riding.

90mm really isnt very short.

Not wanting to confuse matters but wont a shorter stem make you sit more upright and bring your weight further back still?

But I would definately get a shorter stem if I were you.

I consider my 90mm stem long and could really do with a 70mm one.

“Shorter stem will speed up the steering and move your centre of mass further forward”

Speed up steering I get, if only from personal experience, but surely a shorter stem (if anything) moves weight back slightly. Have I missed something?

Argh. My bad, I can’t believe I wrote that! Yes, short stem shifts the weight further back, easier to lift the front end but front end more likely to lift unintentionally on climbs, speedier steering. Phew.