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i have a 20 year old Marin that feels a bit odd compared to my later bikes.
Thought I would try and slacken it. Had some offset bushes that I bought when they first came out . They didn’t fit the bike I owned then and they don’t fit the Marin either. The bush is a fraction too big and the hole just a fraction too small.
Is there a brand that are known to have a reliable quality?
It’s new headset time and Superstar have a 2 degree angle set that will fit. Is 2 degrees too much of a difference? Normally superstar don’t have what I want in stock. Is a 2 degree headset from the same bin as a red anodised 25.4 , 600 mm handlebar?
Used Offsetbushings.com recently.
Just give them your model & year and they'll find the right size.
Hardware size dictates how slack you can go.
Fast postage and nice quality too.
It’s new headset time and Superstar have a 2 degree angle set that will fit.
Are you sure it'll fit 1 1/8th heatutbe? Seems pretty slack. Usually they are for tapered or 1.5 heattubes. I could be wrong, but worth checking again.
Think you can only get a 1 degree angle headset from Works Components for straight 1 1/8 headtubes.
Longer fork will slacken it too so you could go 20mm to take off a degree, then with above that's -2 degrees.
I did this with my hardtail and went from 69.5 to 67.5 (66.5 unsagged) and it is now way more fun!
I have a 120 steerer tube with an external headset.
Will this fit?
Stating the bleedin obvious, but the longer fork route will also slacken seatpost / raise bb height and possibly wreck the geometry for climbing etc. so don't overdo it.
It will if your headtube is 44mm but it wont if your headtube is 34mm. What size is your headtube?
That is true blackflag. I've done it on all my hardtails but never had full suss. I normally tip saddle down and move it forward to compensate and generally all has been good.
I take the approach of trying it out and if worse you can always revert back to standard
Offset bushings will lower the bb, a higher fork will raise it again, both will slacken it. What you will be left with is a slacker seat tube angle (slam the saddle forward on the rails) and a shorter reach and higher handlebars. I did this on a full susser (not as old school as the OP, but definitely pre- long, low etc.) : +20mm on fork travel, one offset bushing, 1.5 degree slackerer head angle. It worked well, but then I have never seen the need for really steep seat angles (and there are plenty of steep hills round where I am).
Mix 'n' match wheel/tyre sizes, larger wheel up front.
As an offset headset will rotate the bike forward around the axis of the rear axle wouldn't it give a steeper seat angle (albeit to a minuscule degree) or is my spatial imagination out of whack?
Offset headsets lower the front end around 3mm per degree (500mm a-c at 70 degrees).
RE different size wheels, I wouldn't bother trying a 24 in the back, though it would look cool.