How to work out head angle

Isn't there an app for that? Hold phone against headtube, read number.

I use one called Bubble, on Android, but there are plenty.

Thanks for that, ill see what its about.

youd need to be sure that the floor is level, or find the angle of the floor and adjust the reading for the head angle. or be sure that the axles are level before measuring the head angle.

edit, or measure the angle with the bike in one direction, then turn the bike round and put the front wheel exactly where the back wheel was and vice versa, measure again and take the average.

edit, edit, i think

Use the box you’ve got. It’s perfect.
the floor doesn’t even need to be level if you zero it on the floor as you say. The floor does want to be pretty flat (smooth, not curved).

Depending on how you rotate the box onto the bike, you may end up with an angle from horizontal, in which case subtract the result from 90.

Overthinking it, download app then put your phone against the fork leg, or go old skool and use a protractor, simples.

Floors often aren't as flat/level as you think they would be...

Angle finder apps are the right tool, but you MUST take a 2 way average for the figure to be accurate... That is to say measure the bike with it facing one direction, the again turned 180deg, and take the 2 way avg...

Clinometer app on your phone. There are loads.  You can also use it to measure the floor (with a straight edge not directly).

Overthinking it, download app then put your phone against the fork leg, or go old skool and use a protractor, simples.

but if you’re interested enough in your head angle to measuring it, you may as well do it properly.

as well as not being level, floors are often uneven, so even using an inclinometer on a long straight edge may not translate to the bike actually being level.

The fork leg also may not be the true head angle.

Measure at the steerer - on the head tube if it's not tapered, or on the stem bolts if it is.

I keep looking at these posts about level floors and mobile phones and thinking you’re all wrong and the only people right here are me and OP. So, to prevent me turning into a shouty arse later tonight after a bottle of wine, I’ll make my opinion clear but elaborate no further and wish you all a lovely head-angle measuring weekend, by whichever method makes you happy :).

I keep looking at these posts about level floors and mobile phones and thinking you’re all wrong and the only people right here are me and OP. So, to prevent me turning into a shouty arse later tonight after a bottle of wine, I’ll make my opinion clear but elaborate no further and wish you all a lovely head-angle measuring weekend, by whichever method makes you happy :).

but just in case you pop back in, you did say, “The floor does want to be pretty flat (smooth, not curved).”

but i’m only kidding. what’s even more “funny” i would never consider measuring my head angle. im just here for the procrastination.

Bike with minimal lean against wall, measure top of headtube to floor then measure from same point down the fork leg to the floor. Head angle is 90deg take away the inverse cosine of the first size/second size. Honestly guys, is it only joiners that can do maths nowadays?🤪

Angle measuring App. I’m sure there’s a way to figure it out using trigonometry/maths but I just use an app.

or do what many bike companies do and just guess/lie.

The apps are no where near as accurate as the axminster angle finder .

Use that

but just in case you pop back in, you did say, “The floor does want to be pretty flat (smooth, not curved).”

You knew I would! I said flat, not level.

See! See what you’ve done! My pedantry is terrible at the best of times. I’m tryna be self aware here. My pedantry, combined with an engineering topic, combined with alcohol (later) could take me to a dark place!!

All said with a big friendly smile I hope you realise.

You knew I would! I said flat, not level.

it’s friday evening, what else would you be doing?

and for the record, i agree about flat/level. i just took your comments as criticism and lashed out

Just how accurate and anal are we getting here, most mechanics in the world cup pits just put an inclinometer or their phone against the stanchion or fork leg, surely within half a degree will do, do it indoors, that's level enough, if your headtube is tapered or you can't trust the forks, pop the stem cap off and plonk a protractor or phone on top of the stem or spacers or against the stems steerer clamp.

goldfish24Full Member
I keep looking at these posts about level floors and mobile phones and thinking you’re all wrong and the only people right here are me and OP. So, to prevent me turning into a shouty arse later tonight after a bottle of wine, I’ll make my opinion clear but elaborate no further and wish you all a lovely head-angle measuring weekend, by whichever method makes you happy :).

Hence my post, which still NOBODY else has picked up on, about it almost being irrelevant where you measure and how, but it is the TWO WAY AVERAGE that is important... 🤷🏻‍♂️🤦🏻

Christ, sometimes I think everyone in here is selectively deaf... And then I realise that all people are looking for when searching for answers online is those that align with their preconceived ideas, and that anything that might cause cognitive dissonance is ignored much less actually considered at all...

Just how accurate and anal are we getting here, most mechanics in the world cup pits just put an inclinometer or their phone against the stanchion or fork leg, surely within half a degree will do

IT. DOESN'T. BLOODY. MATTER!!!

All that matters is the two way average... Your measuring equipment can be out by 1%, 10%, or it can be cock on... Take the two way average, and the result returned will always be the same! 🤦🏻

Someone needs therapy 😀

Hence my post, which still NOBODY else has picked up on, about it almost being irrelevant where you measure and how, but it is the TWO WAY AVERAGE that is important…

don’t worry, it wasn’t you they were ignoring, it was me! i suggested the same thing in the 4th post.

About 63.2 degrees

Taken from the floor to the fork lower I would say thats an approximate. There are no tyres fitted, its on it's rims.

This is the 2020 version( with a 27.5 fork and 27.5 front wheel is would normally be 65 degrees., the 2021 version is 64.

It looks pretty bloody slack 😕

For those concerned voices over the floor.

The machine measures the flatness of anything in relation to the earth, so you can place it on any surface that might look flat, but in relation to the planet if its out it tells you. Placed on my floor it tells me the floor is out by 0.5 of a degree, and I can then zero it before taking the fork measurement.

Use your digital angle guage, it's made for the job & much more accurate than a phone.

Put your bike on the kitchen worktop & zero the guage on that, it'll be much Flatter than the floor.

You could do a two way average, but if you've zeroed the angle guage on a flat surface, it'll be pretty accurate.

Thats what I did. The post above yours is the result. 63.2 degrees which I'm going to guess is too slack, especially for a trail bike, though is it that or enduro 😕 but anyway the slackness is more suited to a DH and its obviously not that.

After much speculation as to the flatness of the floor I was hoping for a few more opinions 😆 so this can be a bump.

I suppose options would be an angleset, but that just seems yet another 70 quid