BikeRadar Tech Talk Podcast Ep 1: Fork offset

Confused by fork offset? Seb and Tom talk numbers in our geeky Tech Talk podcast series

The three fork crowns are shown – giving 51mm, 44mm an 37mm offset respectively

Andy Lloyd

Tom Marvin

Published: June 3, 2019 at 3:45 pm

We're kicking off a new BikeRadar Podcast 'Tech Talk' series with a look at the potentially confusing topic of fork offset. What does it mean? How does it work? Will it make any difference whatsoever to your life?

Fork offset dictates your bike's trail figure, and this impacts on how stable, or calm, your bike feels on the trail. In recent years, bike manufacturers have woken up to the difference this can make to handling, but it's not quite so simple, as we explore in this episode.

Seb testing a bike
Seb's often out and about testing different set-ups - Andy Lloyd

Seb started experimenting with fork offset before anyone really bothered to care, so we reckon he's the best person to guide us through this tricky topic.

Diagram explaining fork geometry
This is what we're talking about: fork offset, trail, and steering axis - Seb Stott

The links you need

Male cyclist riding mountain bike woodlands
Yeah, even Specialized's Epic Evo can be sent...! - Steve Behr

BikeRadar Podcasts

If this is the first BikeRadar Podcast you've come across, fear not! Links to our previous episodes are below. Don't forget to subscribe to the BikeRadar Podcast via your regular podcast service to make sure you don't miss any more.

Episode 1 - Cycling Plus' Bike of the Year Special (Spotify/iTunes)

Episode 2 - MBUK's Trail Bike of the Year Special (Spotify/iTunes)

Episode 3 - The BikeRadar Podcast - How do £10k bikes even exist? (Spotify/iTunes)

Episode 4 - The BikeRadar Podcast - SRAM versus Shimano, and more! (Spotify/iTunes)

Any more for any more?

If you've any questions on this topic, please leave them in the comments and we'll get back to you. If there are any other geeky areas you want us to talk about in future episodes, let us know too!

Coming up we've got episodes about suspension dampers, suspension springs and other areas of bike geometry, but we're always looking for more ideas.

Tom Marvin

Senior technical editor

Tom Marvin is a technical editor at BikeRadar.com and MBUK magazine. He has a particular focus on mountain bikes, but spends plenty of time on gravel bikes, too. Tom has written for BikeRadar, MBUK and Cycling Plus, and was previously technical editor of What Mountain Bike magazine. He is also a regular presenter on BikeRadar’s YouTube channel and the BikeRadar podcast. With more than twenty years of mountain biking experience, and nearly a decade of testing mountain and gravel bikes, Tom has ridden and tested thousands of bikes and products, from super-light XC race bikes through to the most powerful brakes on the market. Outside of testing bikes, Tom competes in a wide range of mountain bike races, from multi-day enduros through to 24-hour races in the depths of the Scottish winter – pushing bikes, components and his legs to their limits. He’s also worked out that shaving your legs saves 8 watts, while testing aerodynamics in a wind tunnel. When not riding he can be found at the climbing wall, in his garden or cooking up culinary delights.
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