Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational)
Reload this Page >

Gravel bike fork rake recommendation.

Notices
Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational) This has to be the most physically intense sport ever invented. It's high speed bicycle racing on a short off road course or riding the off pavement rides on gravel like : "Unbound Gravel". We also have a dedicated Racing forum for the Cyclocross Hard Core Racers.

Gravel bike fork rake recommendation.

Old 04-13-21, 05:48 PM
  #1  
keithdunlop
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
keithdunlop's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
Posts: 175

Bikes: 1988 Bottecchia Professional (for Eroica), 2011 Ridley Noah ISP (retired), 2020 Soma Fog Cutter (daily commuter), 2021 Ridley Kanzo Adventure (gravel), 2022 Tideace Aero (main road bike).

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 77 Post(s)
Liked 76 Times in 32 Posts
Gravel bike fork rake recommendation.

I'm upgrading the fork on my Soma and I'm looking for rake advice. I have a choice between 43mm vs. 48mm. The head tube angle is 73. The bike is setup as a fast commuter with occasional weekend fire road gravel duty. The current steel fork has a 43mm rake, but I'm wondering if I would improve off road handling by getting the 48mm. For example, the Enve G Series gravel fork has a 50mm rake. The Ritchey gravel/adventure fork is 50mm as well.

Last edited by keithdunlop; 04-13-21 at 05:51 PM.
keithdunlop is offline  
Old 04-13-21, 06:33 PM
  #2  
Moisture
Drip, Drip.
 
Moisture's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Southern Ontario
Posts: 1,575

Bikes: Trek Verve E bike, Felt Doctrine 4 XC, Opus Horizon Apex 1

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1034 Post(s)
Liked 193 Times in 163 Posts
Originally Posted by keithdunlop
I'm upgrading the fork on my Soma and I'm looking for rake advice. I have a choice between 43mm vs. 48mm. The head tube angle is 73. The bike is setup as a fast commuter with occasional weekend fire road gravel duty. The current steel fork has a 43mm rake, but I'm wondering if I would improve off road handling by getting the 48mm. For example, the Enve G Series gravel fork has a 50mm rake. The Ritchey gravel/adventure fork is 50mm as well.
Personally I would try out the 48mm fork just to play around with both and see what I like more.

It depends mostly on how you ride, where, how aggressively and how much weight you have over the front axle. If you do a lot of high speed riding you may want to stick with 43mm. If you're looking for sharper handling at lower speeds, go 48mm.

Keep in mind that 73 degrees is already rather steep for a gravel bike.
Moisture is offline  
Old 04-13-21, 07:58 PM
  #3  
unterhausen
Randomhead
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,362
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,662 Times in 2,496 Posts
The reason the Enve has more rake is because newer gravel bikes are coming with slacker head tube angles, not 73 degrees any more. Forks with 43-45mm rake will not work well with slacker head tube angles because they result in a bit too much trail. Putting it on your bike will result in lower trail than you are used to. I think lower trail feels fine, but some people don't like it. I think it imparts a livelier feel to the bike. I have a bike with 55mm rake and 73 degree HTA, and it took me a few minutes on the first ride to get used to it.
unterhausen is offline  
Old 04-14-21, 09:47 AM
  #4  
keithdunlop
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
keithdunlop's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
Posts: 175

Bikes: 1988 Bottecchia Professional (for Eroica), 2011 Ridley Noah ISP (retired), 2020 Soma Fog Cutter (daily commuter), 2021 Ridley Kanzo Adventure (gravel), 2022 Tideace Aero (main road bike).

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 77 Post(s)
Liked 76 Times in 32 Posts
Originally Posted by unterhausen
The reason the Enve has more rake is because newer gravel bikes are coming with slacker head tube angles, not 73 degrees any more. Forks with 43-45mm rake will not work well with slacker head tube angles because they result in a bit too much trail. Putting it on your bike will result in lower trail than you are used to. I think lower trail feels fine, but some people don't like it. I think it imparts a livelier feel to the bike. I have a bike with 55mm rake and 73 degree HTA, and it took me a few minutes on the first ride to get used to it.
Yah, this is what I've discovered after more research as well. The Ibis Hakka for example is a true gravel bike and has a 72 degree HT and it's paired with the 50mm rake fork. I'm thinking that my frame was not really intended as a gravel bike and pairing a 43mm rake fork with the 73 degree HT angle is the better option. It produces the recommended trail.

This site helped a lot:Bicycle Trail Calculator | yojimg.net
keithdunlop is offline  
Old 04-14-21, 01:51 PM
  #5  
mstateglfr 
Sunshine
 
mstateglfr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,531

Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo

Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10897 Post(s)
Liked 7,384 Times in 4,144 Posts
Originally Posted by keithdunlop
Yah, this is what I've discovered after more research as well. The Ibis Hakka for example is a true gravel bike and has a 72 degree HT and it's paired with the 50mm rake fork. I'm thinking that my frame was not really intended as a gravel bike and pairing a 43mm rake fork with the 73 degree HT angle is the better option. It produces the recommended trail.

This site helped a lot:Bicycle Trail Calculator | yojimg.net
There is no right or wrong here, especially with Soma's frames since they dont even come with forks and you can order forks with different rakes from them. As long as you get a fork with the correct A-C length, buy the rake that you want to get the trail that you want. A 43mm rake fork, 45mm rake fork, or 50mm rake fork will all work just fine- its really a matter of how do you want the handling to feel.

https://www.somafab.com/archives/pro...tter-frame-set
-- If you want to choose a third party option, please look something with the following specs. 1-1/8" non-tapered steerer, 390-400mm axle to crown length, and of course something that will fit the bike hub on your front wheel. 48mm rake is ideal. 44mm rake is acceptable. Please follow their instructions carefully.


https://www.somafab.com/archives/pro...e-set-v1-rosso

What kind of forks are compatible with the Fog CutterEven though we call this a road bike, we built the frame around a cyclo-cross length fork. So anything 390-400mm in length with a 44mm rake will work as designed. (48/50mm rake for the 48 and 52cm size) We do make a robust matching straight blade carbon fork for this frame, but you can run our lugged CX Disc Fork or Straight Blade CX fork. Or a third party CX fork. It needs to have a 1-1/8" steerer though. Road forks will be too short for this frame.
mstateglfr is offline  
Old 04-14-21, 02:03 PM
  #6  
keithdunlop
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
keithdunlop's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
Posts: 175

Bikes: 1988 Bottecchia Professional (for Eroica), 2011 Ridley Noah ISP (retired), 2020 Soma Fog Cutter (daily commuter), 2021 Ridley Kanzo Adventure (gravel), 2022 Tideace Aero (main road bike).

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 77 Post(s)
Liked 76 Times in 32 Posts
Thanks!

Thanks everyone! I got the matching Soma carbon fork with a 43mm rake. It provides the trail that the bike currently has that I'm already comfortable with.
keithdunlop is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.