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To understand trail you need to know that your front wheel is "pulled" not pushed by your front end. To figure trail, run a straight edge along the neck of the frame to the ground, and mark the spot. Then take a straight edge vertically through the front axle to the ground and mark it. The distance that the vertical line through the axle is behind the first mark is your trail. If you have negative trail your front wheel will wobble like a grocery cart with the front wheels turned forward. Typically raked trees are used to correct trail on bikes with radically raked necks 40 degrees and over and actually help handling by reducing trail. Reducing trail on a stock bike is never a good thing. I understand some raked trees correct the trail by off setting the fork tubes to maintain correct trail.
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