This is the third suspension fork for the Blackbuck and the final fork in the experiment overall. Let’s see how the Spinner 2Nine stacks up against the previous forks in the test.

Blackbuck with the Spinner 2Nine fork

The Spinner fork is an 80mm travel fork that will reside on the Blackbuck for an extended period for testing. Look for update on this fork in the future.

Head Angle- 72.0 degrees
Axle To Crown- 490mm (unsagged)
Offset- 44mm**
Wheelbase- 42.5?
Bottom Bracket Drop Range (EBB)-51.5mm-62.5mm
Approximate Trail*- 81 mm (unsagged)

Changes Made: This set up was nearly identical to the Reba/Blackbuck set up. Again, the same issue with the saddle and the dynamics of suspension existed with this set up not being quite “optimal” in terms of what I could achieve with the rigid forks in this test. That said, all the suspension fork set ups were very similar.

Handling Characteristics: The first ride out, I wasn’t very happy with the handling at all. It wasn’t very easy to get settled in to the Blackbuck/Spinner combo. It felt almost identical to the Fox/Blackbuck set up in that the steering wasn’t very snappy. This I ended up attributing to a poor fork set up. (I take the blame there!) So, I ran the settings slightly differently and gave it another try. Well, things were much better the next time out! This fork seems to be a rather nuetral geometry on the Blackbuck. Nothing really outstanding in terms of “slow versus quick”. I would say that the current move by manufacturers to the 44mm to 46mm offset range is definitely justified. The Blackbuck shows me that this range is where the handling becomes the most nuetral.

A Note On The Forks Ride: See my recent post on the Spinner 2Nine here.

Final Thoughts: Again, the offsets being proffered by today’s 29″er fork manufacturers make a lot of sense to me. It is quite obvious that the 44mm to 46mm offset is the sweet spot for a “nuetral” handling geometry on a 29″er. In the dynamic world of suspension, I think the manufacturers got this one right. Of course, in rigid forks, I do not necessarily believe that this same offset range needs to, or should be adhered to.

**Note: The manufacturer has not gotten back to me on the exact offset of the example I tested, but I am led to believe by them that it is 44mm. Once the offset is confirmed, I will post an update.

*The trail charts I used all gave slightly different answers and of course, your tire selection will also affect the trail figure slightly. Take my trail figures with a grain of salt. Your mileage may vary!

This ends the testing phase of the “An Experiment In Front End Geometry” series. Thanks for reading throughout the Summer and Fall! Look for a wrap up on these tests soon!