[Norther]

I just noticed that there will soon be available updated version of upper crown with direct mount (boxxer stem mount specs) for Avalanche DHF forks. I just preordered mine. Nice and awaited upgrade

More info here

 

[Sandwich]

I had hoped he would consider reducing the offset on those crowns to make them handle like every other fork on the market....but no.

 

[ire]

Only about 10 years behind the times.

 

[jonKranked]

Only about 10 years behind the times.

form factor and weight sure. damping... still one of the best out there.

 

[- seb]

Just get the drill out you wimp

 

[IH8Rice]

Only about 10 years behind the times.

marz is in the same boat....and no one cares

 

[Sandwich]

I owned one of his forks and loved it, but the clamps were a big letdown. They twisted easily and the offset made the bike do tankslappers and steer like piss in slow sections.

The damping is great, but the chassis needs updating. I'd probably rock a single side damper fork with zero offset crowns and a direct mount.

Maybe he could steal rockshocks air cartridge and install it into his chassis, much like he produces a cartridge for RS forks...

 

[TrueScotsman]

I had hoped he would consider reducing the offset on those crowns to make them handle like every other fork on the market....but no.

Educate me- are the Avalanche forks bad for fast steering? I have no real-world experience of them.

Edit- I have just seen Sandwich's reply. Surely reducing the offset would make them slower steering?

 

[Sandwich]

My understanding of yaw, trail, and offset suggests that the more offset a fork has, the better it steers at high speed. The less, the more twitchy it is. Kind of... So the avy works well on a steeper HT angle...but you sacrifice slow speed handling. Lowering the offset, like a boxxer, makes the steering more direct.

I had my wheel "come out from under me" multiple times with the avy. I just leaned on it the wrong way, I believe, and it went to full lock as I was still trying to go forward. I don't know if it was muscle weakness or narrow bars or what, but it was quite bothersome to eat it on a berm that should be a piece of cake!

I may be off with my assessment (all of my knowledge comes from various internet articles on trail and offset), but the real world results were easily realized. High speed, my 67* brooklyn and avy did well. Get it slow, and the thing was a pig. My 65* sunday with 35mm offset boxxer handled well in both, but it gets a little floppy at 63.5*. Maybe the wide bars help, maybe it's something else, but the offset of the avy crowns just didn't work for me.

 

[Sandwich]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_(bicycles)

here's one. Increasing offset decreases trail. "A higher mechanical trail is known to make a bicycle easier to ride "no hands" and thus more subjectively stable, but skilled and alert riders may have more path control if the mechanical trail is lower." Too much offset brings about "wheel flop" which is touched on later in the article.

 

[TrueScotsman]

Sorry, that's the wrong way around. As you increase the fork offset, you actually decrease the ground Trail. This will actually decrease straight line stability and make turn-in easier. see pic;

Maybe Avalanche were ahead of their time!- Made for bikes with super slack head angles!

EDIT- I didn't refresh before posting!

 

[Sandwich]

ah, this helped http://www.dclxvi.org/chunk/tech/trail/

Anyways....20mm less trail would put the fork in the realm of everything else on the market. Seems like, if you're going to do a complete crown redesign, you may as well integrate that.

 

[TrueScotsman]

Yeah, I know what you are saying regarding making the fork the same as all the others. He surely would sell more if it were- no need to convince people of pros/cons.

As for steering analysis, try looking at Tony Foale's articles;
http://www.tonyfoale.com/
He has tried funny experiments with rake and trail.

 

[bullcrew]

Looks like a deity fantom stem on there.
Good for him it will be good to see if fox puts out the inverted fork then hes ahead of the game with a inverted fork with a fresh update he'd be ontop of the game.