So don't buy a bike just cause BB height doesn't sound high enough. your bikes headset is already assembled in LT/slacker or ST/steeper. On the spec sheet, my full suspension has the highest BB of my 3 bikes. Because when I sit on it or when I dip the suspension the pedals are closer to the ground. Suspension design is going to play a part because my FSR has a 3/4" higher BB height than my Chameleon and I have ocassional strikes with the FSR. If you don't have techy downhills though, the slacker hta isn't too important if you want the climbing ability that much more.Īnd do your own research on bottom bracket height. Plus you'll get used to it too and it will be 'normal'. So it is definitely a give/take scenario. The compromise for ME to have a steeper head tube angle would make the rest of my riding less fun. The chameleon tracks every so slightly straighter than the FSR at slow speed up a hill. I believe the fork offset is different (handles differently), or the shorter chameleon stem makes a difference. Two head angles are within 1/4 degree of each other. I guess I shouldn't say slack at 67.2 and 67.5 degrees but it is far different than 70/71. I think the handling is getting better and better on the slack bikes. Also, until pretty recently, hardtails were rarely or never slack (angles greater than 70), so you are probably used to steep rather than slack. But since you mentioned short travel, I assume that means moderate trails, which might make you a better candidate for the higher-60 degree than the mid-60s frames. Less than 68 degrees gets you toward slack. Also, a slack head tube tends to keep object strikes more "aligned" or parallel with the axis of the fork, rather transverse to it, so it's a bit better oriented to do its job. It's any time a less slack geometry would put too much weight forward, as in downhill or rough terrain where the front wheel might "stick" in something like a crevice in a rock garden. It's not jumps that slack geometry particularly helps with. Frankly, I still haven't quite gotten used to it. To me, once the bars are turned a bit from straight, they have a bit of a tendency to "flop" to an even greater deviation. Anytime you actually have to use your handlebars to steer, as in tight and twisties, it's going to be a bit of an adventure that will take some getting used to, assuming you are coming from XC geo. That means the front end can be light while climbing.Ī slack geometry bike likes to be leaned to be steered. In particular, progressive mountain bike designs with slack Head Tube Angles are increasingly adopting steeper seat tubes in order to preserve ideal rider. A slack headtube puts the front wheel more forward, which means further away from the weight of the rider (depending on seat tube angle and some other things). The two main downsides to a slack headtube are climbing and imprecise steering at low speed.
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