Re: Cold bending Rigid Mountain Bike forks

[Dane Buson]

GerryO <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I am in the process of experimenting with a crank forward bike design with
> both wheels being 26 inch . My steering is very sensitive and I was thinking
> that an increase in positive trail would be worth investigating. My setup
> has 1.5 inches presently. I would like to increase it to 3 inches plus. The
> forks are Rocky Mountain and very strong. In the past I have cold bent road
> bike forks with an electrical conduit bender successfully. Has any one tried
> cold bending these mountain bike type of forks and been successful? Has any
> one tried heating and bending these forks with success? What method did you
> use?

You'd probably have better luck in rb.tech.

--
Dane Buson - [email protected]
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
-- Hunter S. Thompson

 

[philcycles]

Dane Buson wrote:
> GerryO <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > I am in the process of experimenting with a crank forward bike design with
> > both wheels being 26 inch . My steering is very sensitive and I was thinking
> > that an increase in positive trail would be worth investigating. My setup
> > has 1.5 inches presently. I would like to increase it to 3 inches plus. The
> > forks are Rocky Mountain and very strong. In the past I have cold bent road
> > bike forks with an electrical conduit bender successfully. Has any one tried
> > cold bending these mountain bike type of forks and been successful? Has any
> > one tried heating and bending these forks with success? What method did you
> > use?
>
> You'd probably have better luck in rb.tech.
>
Reraking the forks-which can be done- will decrease, not increase the
trail.
Phil Brown

 

[Scott]

philcycles wrote:
> Dane Buson wrote:
> > GerryO <[email protected]> wrote:
> > >
> > > I am in the process of experimenting with a crank forward bike design with
> > > both wheels being 26 inch . My steering is very sensitive and I was thinking
> > > that an increase in positive trail would be worth investigating. My setup
> > > has 1.5 inches presently. I would like to increase it to 3 inches plus. The
> > > forks are Rocky Mountain and very strong. In the past I have cold bent road
> > > bike forks with an electrical conduit bender successfully. Has any one tried
> > > cold bending these mountain bike type of forks and been successful? Has any
> > > one tried heating and bending these forks with success? What method did you
> > > use?
> >
> > You'd probably have better luck in rb.tech.
> >
> Reraking the forks-which can be done- will decrease, not increase the
> trail.
> Phil Brown

That depends on which direction he bends them. He doesn't say he's
adding to the offset, he says he wants 3 inches of trail. If he
"straightens" (reduces the offset) the forks enough he can achieve his
desired trail.

 

[GerryO]

29 March 2006 7:54 AM

Thanks for the response I was not thinking too deeply! I was more
concerned about the feasability of bending these type of forks. Does a
bicycle shop normally feel comfortable bending these mildly curved ,robust
type of forks or would it be something I would have to try on my own?

Cheers..Gerry

"Scott" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> philcycles wrote:
> > Dane Buson wrote:
> > > GerryO <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I am in the process of experimenting with a crank forward bike
design with
> > > > both wheels being 26 inch . My steering is very sensitive and I was
thinking
> > > > that an increase in positive trail would be worth investigating. My
setup
> > > > has 1.5 inches presently. I would like to increase it to 3 inches
plus. The
> > > > forks are Rocky Mountain and very strong. In the past I have cold
bent road
> > > > bike forks with an electrical conduit bender successfully. Has any
one tried
> > > > cold bending these mountain bike type of forks and been successful?
Has any
> > > > one tried heating and bending these forks with success? What method
did you
> > > > use?
> > >
> > > You'd probably have better luck in rb.tech.
> > >
> > Reraking the forks-which can be done- will decrease, not increase the
> > trail.
> > Phil Brown
>
> That depends on which direction he bends them. He doesn't say he's
> adding to the offset, he says he wants 3 inches of trail. If he
> "straightens" (reduces the offset) the forks enough he can achieve his
> desired trail.
>

 

[Scott]

GerryO wrote:
> 29 March 2006 7:54 AM
>
> Thanks for the response I was not thinking too deeply! I was more
> concerned about the feasability of bending these type of forks. Does a
> bicycle shop normally feel comfortable bending these mildly curved ,robust
> type of forks or would it be something I would have to try on my own?
>
> Cheers..Gerry
>

I imagine that they can cold set (aka "bend") the fork you're talking
about, but if it's beefy enough, they may have a bit of difficulty.

Depending on the "quality" of the local bike shops in your area, you
may find it easier and less expensive to just replace the fork. For
example, last fall I wanted a rigid fork to use on my MTB as I wanted
to use it as a 'cross bike. I found a replacement Specialized rigid
fork off a Rockhopper for $30. If you can find one with the right
offset, you're in business.

Scott

 

[philcycles]

Scott wrote:

> That depends on which direction he bends them. He doesn't say he's
> adding to the offset, he says he wants 3 inches of trail. If he
> "straightens" (reduces the offset) the forks enough he can achieve his
> desired trail.

That much trail only works well on a tandem.
Phil Brown