I read in an earlier post that you typically run significantly less fork shock pressure.
What then happens on drops etc.? For example a 5 foot drop, you’re a bit nose heavy, aren’t you just going to bottom out really easily?!
I’m 85kg (187lbs) and run about 90psi in my Fox 38’s. Any less and I bottom out pretty harshly on the trails I ride.
Regardless, I would love to try this innovation out!
In a general sense though, you aren’t completely wrong in your thinking here that it will change how you need to balance support and sensitivity for the fork. This is actually one of the advantages of running a longer chainstay on it. (Numbers are rough for illustrative purposes and don’t necessarily represent reality.)
Bike A:
Short chainstay, long forward stem, low bar
Neutral body position puts 20% load on the bars and gives a 40/60 F/R weight distribution.
100% load on the hands gives 90% load on the front tire.
0% load on the hands gives 30% load on the front tire.
Your fork has to be set up to function from 30% load to 90% load with neutral being at 40% load and 20% load on the hands.
30% load on the front tire is underloaded from the forks neutral setup, so you need to consciously stay forward for that 20% hand load or more for neutral to higher front loading.
Bike B:
Short chainstay, Reversed stem, Raised bar
Neutral body position puts 0% load into the bar, and gives a 30/70 F/R weight distribution.
100% load on the hands gives 70% load on the front wheel.
0% load on the hands gives 30% load on the front tire.
Your fork has to be setup to function from 30% load to 70% load with neutral being at 30% load and 0% load on the hands.
30% load on the front tire is neutral loaded for the forks neutral setup at 0% load on the hands, so you can just stay centered for neutral loading and any added amount in the hands for higher front loading.
Bike C:
Long chainstay, Reversed stem, Raised bar
Neutral body position puts 0% load into the bar, and gives a 40/60 F/R weight distribution.
100% load on the hands gives 70% load on the front wheel.
0% load on the hands gives 40% load on the front tire.
Your fork has to be setup to function from 40% load to 70% load with neutral being at 40% load and 0% load on the hands.
40% load on the front tire is neutral loaded for the forks neutral setup at 0% load on the hands, so you can just stay centered for neutral loading and any added amount in the hands for higher front loading.
Bike C has the most consistent front loading with the least variability between max and minimum loading at only 70-40 so 30% range. This makes fork setup easier to balance good traction and sensitivity with good support.
Bike B is not quite as easy to balance fork setup at 70-30 so 40% range, but never has you underloaded from neutral unless you are actively lifting and directing it around.
Bike A has the widest variability for the most difficult fork setup balance at 90-40 so 50% range arguably even being 90-30 so 60% range when accounting for that 10% window underloaded still needing to work well until you are actively lifting and directing it.
This is also why it’s so important to rebalance the front suspension softer. Your neutral position on bike B underloads the front by 20% from where it was on bike A, and your max load is also dropped 20% from bike A. As such even just trying to match 20% hand load on bike B will have you underloaded from bike A for how it is setup. When you do rebalance it though, the more consistent loading with that smaller variability gives a more predictable front end that is less prone to being underloaded.
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