[Closed] Lyrik 37mm offset

The offset is the distance the axle is set ahead of the steering axis, so shorter offset means shorter wheelbase by slightly less than the difference in offset.

So you’re increasing the trail (steering self-centring) by about 7% but decreasing the wheelbase by about 0.5%

This change in trail is about the same as slackening the head angle a degree but doing that would put the front wheel about 17mm further in front vs the slightly steeper head angle and shorter offset.

Thanks very much. So basically you’re saying a shortened wheelbase by about 9mm ish?

I feel the wheelbase on the frame I’ve just got (Pace Rc627) is not super long so I’m not keen on shortening it. Then again, they measure with a 37mm offset I think so I suppose I won’t be going any shorter than their geometry charts, plus 9mm is not a lot.

If it's any help, I went through exactly this recently.

My Ibis Mojo HD3 was running a 42mm offset pike. I replaced it with a Lyrik but struggled to decide between the 37 and the 46.

In the end, I went for the 37mm and had my first proper ride out on it yesterday.

Now, maybe it's because I've not ridden that particular bike for over 6 months, but the reality was, it made sod all difference.

“Now, maybe it’s because I’ve not ridden that particular bike for over 6 months”

I think 6 months is a little too long an interval during any AB test...

Unless riding back to back test I think most riders would fail to tell the difference in such small changes.

When I built up my Mk 1 Ibis Ripley they said use a 51mm offset fork and the bike was said to be optimised for 130mm travel but could run 140mm.

I drew it all out on a CAD package and the changes were very slight so in the end I opted for a 46mm offset fork and 140mm travel. Bike feels great.

My point being, the 37mm is very unlikely to cause a problem. I predict that in a few years, the offset option will disappear and they will all be short offset and long offset will be no more.

Thanks everyone,

Although I would normally gravitate towards the one that gives the longer wheelbase, I think in this case I will go for the 37mm. Sounds like it’s the better choice from the feedback, plus as Pace recommend a 37mm offset, I’m assuming they did all the geo charts with a 37mm

Enduro Mag have an enduro (funnily enough) fork shootout somewhere.

Their comments on offset are (paraphrasing here) 'it makes sod-all discernable difference'.

At some point it does. The early 29ers handled like a lorry. I had one. That's what started Gary Fisher's move to 51. Perhaps the difference is masked by modern short stem slack geometry?

“Their comments on offset are (paraphrasing here) ‘it makes sod-all discernable difference’.“

The differences are small enough that observer bias is sufficient to outweigh the changes but the changes are there. Going from 51 to 42mm offset on a 29er changes the trail by as much as reducing the head angle by 1.5 deg.

Cy from Cotic summed it up well:

“My take on fork offsets is that it's a personal preference, and the marketing budgets of other brands are making it a bigger thing that it actually is.

I have tried the RocketMAX with 42mm (short, on Lyrics), 46mm (X Fusion Trace 36 and McQueen) and 51mm (my current Cane Creek HELM29) and they all handle fine. Slightly differently, but just fine.
With my preferred bar width of 770mm across the grips I do prefer the slightly shorter offset, although I'll be honest I couldn't tell the difference between 42mm and 46mm. I have to use 785mm bars to get a similarly calm feel on the 51mm offset as it's more lively around the straight ahead position. The slightly more linear rate of response of the shorter offset works a little better with the narrower bar width.”

I had my Levo fitted with a 42mm offset 160mm Lyrik to replace the 51mm offset 150mm stock fork (it was something rubbish because I bought the bottom model) and it feels great - I can’t feel a downside due to the extra trail or fractionally reduced front-centre that would make me want a longer offset.

Thing i tend to do is make sure the stem length is slightly less, so 35mm for 37mm offset, 40mm for 42/46 and so on, always feel the stem and offset are linked quite a bit for steering, adding the bar width of course as previously stated.

Reality is, if it doesn't feel quite right you can add a little reach on those bars via a slightly longer stem, or moving the sweep forward a little if possible.

Similarly, I like to keep my hands behind the offset (along the head angle). It's not too hard to achieve when you consider the back sweep on the average 800mm bars.