shorter fork = longer stem? MTB for the road

ok humour me please

I'm building up a circa 2004 Trek 4300 as a road hack with the aim of sharpening up the handling a wee bit for city use... a bike to commute fast on rather than pull tricks on (as if!), 1.5" slicks tyres and bar ends are ready etc.

Originally it would have had 420 or 440mm a-c forks, so let's call it 430mm.

I have some rigid forks that fit the frame, but they are 395mm from a-c. Will this be too much of a difference?

Was wondering if fitting a (much?) longer stem, maybe 25-40mm longer than the original one, would do much to counteract this? Wider bars too? I am a very lanky sod after all too, so the extra reach would be handy but obviously wide bars are not ideal in between bus & kerb!

Any tips on tweaking a lightish hardtail for road use would be interesting to hear.. I basically want it to handle sharply, but not be deathy

I'll get some pics up when it's done, it's going to be powdercoated Yeti blue :shock: with black build kit I think (not sure as too many projects on to be err sure)!

best way is to try. i went from a 440 to a 400 on an mtb with the same stem and bars and it was fine. knowing you alex you've probably got 11ty billion stems to try anyway

I was going to say it will be to shifty but you say you want sharp it may be bang on!

As jama said, try it!

BB will be lower though so be careful!

cyfa2809":3i5unq43 said:

I was going to say it will be to shifty but you say you want sharp it may be bang on!

As jama said, try it!

BB will be lower though so be careful!

Click to expand...

aye, how do you mean be careful? pedal clearance?

jamabikes":1vfs7yrj said:

best way is to try. i went from a 440 to a 400 on an mtb with the same stem and bars and it was fine. knowing you alex you've probably got 11ty billion stems to try anyway

Click to expand...

well I don't like to brag :mrgreen: :roll:

actually the rigid forks I have are threaded and I only have a couple of 1 1/8" quill stems :? but I have a converter kicking around somewhere - will allow me to fit one of my 11ty billion ahead stems

as you say, I'll suck it and see

nice 1, Al

Pedal/kerb cornering clearance will be the biggest issue you will be facing, long before the question of stem length becomes relevant. I have a mate who refused to listen to my advice and went down that patha few years ago - he rode the bike twice and put it back in the shed, where it's been ever since.

Yeah pedal clearance

I wouldn't worry about clearance that much - it would just be the same as a road bike.

Errr.... no.

That's the argument my mate used.