130mm travel fork on 100mm travel specific frame

I have a 2004 Orange Evo 4 with a Manitou Axel Super Disc 100 fork.

If I stuck a Fox Vanilla R 130 on it would it matter?

I read things in magazines about bike geometry etc. but what is the actual
overall effect of having this additional 30mm of travel. Is it going to
damage the bike in anyway? Is the bike going to become unbearable to ride?

I'd be interested in your thoughts or experiences on this.

Thanks

Rich

"Richard Hamilton" wrote in message
...
I have a 2004 Orange Evo 4 with a Manitou Axel Super Disc 100 fork.

If I stuck a Fox Vanilla R 130 on it would it matter?

I read things in magazines about bike geometry etc. but what is the
actual overall effect of having this additional 30mm of travel. Is
it going to damage the bike in anyway? Is the bike going to become
unbearable to ride?

I'd be interested in your thoughts or experiences on this.

I've just put a 100mm Fox Float on a Giant XTC NRS frame that normally
comes with an 80mm fork. It has slackened the head angle a little, but
I don't find it a problem. I have a small frame, and the shorter
wheelbase made the steering quite quick.

I haven't however, ridden it up any steep hills. It may 'wander' a
little climbing a 1-in-4. Conversely, steep descents might have more
stability.

Why not try it and see. The Fox Vanilla can be re-configured by
altering the order in which the springs and spacers are installed
internally for 105 or 85mm anyway, so if it steers like a wheelbarrow
full of cement at 130mm, you can reduce it to something closer to what
it was originally anyway, giving you nothing to lose.


--

Regards,

Mark Davies

"Richard Hamilton" wrote in message
...
I have a 2004 Orange Evo 4 with a Manitou Axel Super Disc 100 fork.

If I stuck a Fox Vanilla R 130 on it would it matter?

I read things in magazines about bike geometry etc. but what is the actual
overall effect of having this additional 30mm of travel. Is it going to
damage the bike in anyway? Is the bike going to become unbearable to ride?

I'd be interested in your thoughts or experiences on this.

On a 42 inch (approx.1069mm) wheelbase the head angle is slackened by 2
degrees for 30mm extra fork length. Don't forget the added stroke may not be
the same as the additional length of the fork crown race to drop-out, but it
shouldn't be a great difference.

In practical terms I swapped my fixed 80mm fork, which in practice only had
75mm travel on a good day, to one that adjusts from 68mm to 103mm, on the 68
mm setting it is a tad longer (5mm IIRC) than the old fork.
As expected on the low setting it handles much as before but with a plusher
ride.
On the longer setting it's perfectly rideable but more prone to front wheel
lift on steep ascents. But it really comes into its own descending, not only
due to the greater shock absorbsion but also to the more confidence boosting
higher front end and perhaps the slacker head angle.

Pete

"Peter B" wrote in message
...
On a 42 inch (approx.1069mm) wheelbase the head angle is slackened by 2
degrees for 30mm extra fork length.

Oh no it isn't!
In fact it's more like 1.608 degrees, I've just realised my precision was
set to zero decimal places, doh!
(waits for a pedant to correct even this ;-)

Pete