Originally Posted by
chas58
mack_turtle – I’ve solved that problem on other bikes just by changing the front fork for more clearance. Going larger up front will slacken the HTA, give you more trail (~10mm), and provide a little shock absorption.
I can fit a 29x2 tire in my fork, but that's of no use when there's a limit of 35 in the rear. you could say "the front end writes checks that the back end can't cash" when you do that. personal experience with unrepairable tires in the trash can from slashes and severe pinches, always the rear, back this up. a skinny tire up front is actually preferable if I had to choose one or the other, because most of your weight is on the rear wheel and it's much easier to loft the front tire over and steer around tire-killing obstacles. the challenge is part of the fun but it stops being fun when you slice a tire wide open and have to walk 15 miles home—been there, done that. I tried modifying my frame and tried a 650b rear wheel with no luck. I am about to get a new frameset just for this reason. I enjoy riding a rigid, drop-bar bike on trails enough that it's well worth the cost at this point.