how much fork travel for hardtailminion copy and paste
Reviews, buying advice and news. Heres how it works. Support Us | You might save weight if youre upgrading from a truly entry-level fork, but generally more travel requires longer stanchions that will result in a heavier part. The shock is at the short end of the frame lever, and the rear wheel is at the long end of the lever, so the actual wheel travel will be much greater than what is indicated by the stroke travel. 2. For general trail riding a 120 to 130 would work well. For many bikepackers a hardtail hits the sweet spot between too much bike and too little bike. As a rough estimate, each 20mm of travel added will correlate to a one-degree difference in the head tube angle. They are also popular when it comes to budget mountain bikes because the simplicity of their design and less suspension means less cost. Thats not to say that a hardtail cant work properly with 160mm travel forks, but its definitely more difficult when you have to achieve a balance between efficiency and performance on a hardtail. The discipline doesnt require the bike to be pedalled on uphill or even flat terrain, enabling designers to focus solely on providing the best platform for descending steep and technical trails. Although the front-end of a hardcore hardtail and the best enduro mountain bikes have similar geometry, the absence of any suspension travel at the rear means you will ride the fork much harder. perfect for me. As fork travel increases with trail bikes, the latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex. in my fork to get more travel out of it. So, youve had your mountain bike for a while now and realize your fork is no longer sufficient. Described as having a good engine in his racing days, its now common to see Nick wheel-sucking on club rides and sprinting for town signs. Then I added tokens and lowered the air pressure. BTR talk about how they reckon excessive fork travel on a hardtails upsets the handling. Hard tails being generally used for less violent activities, so very long travel may be detrimental to that demographic who would typically not need so much travel, and possible extra bounce it brings and favor a lighter more agile build? With modern forks with proper damping, i cant see a problem tbh! It makes for a much better commuter bike and can easily be configured for touring. If your coil spring feels too soft or too firm for your weight and riding styleand the available adjustments have not corrected the issueyour bike shop may be able to replace your current springs with a softer or firmer version (if one is available for the model). for your first email from REI. Save 30% + G-Form Pro X3 Knee Pads when you subscribe to MBUK magazine. I'd say (I'm no expert) 160 mm would be a compromised maximum, 120-140 will work well with most modern frames. Cross-country hardtails typically have 100mm of travel, but more aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel of up to 150mm. Price: Aluminum: $1,199 - $1,599; Carbon: $2,199 - $4,299. Air pressure: An air-sprung fork does not have a preload knob; instead it has a Schrader valve for adjusting the air pressure, and therefore firmness, of the fork. A decade ago, the idea of a 180mm single-crown fork that could provide an adequate compression platform for pedaling uphill was unfathomable. Well, everything has a downside. After all, smooth is fast! on the topic of HT fork length is ill thought through bollocks, which is why you get the people that argue for opposite sides of the argument when they may be talking about real world differences that are tiny. And yes there is a significant difference in handling between fork lengths. Hitting 3' drops is like hitting a root, they are so . You also either want a tuneable air spring or adjustable HSC. Pyga 160mm aluminium prototype, Cross-country forks need to balance weight, suspension travel and performance in order to excel on the climbs and descents, Trail forks are often pushed to their limits due to the progressive nature of modern trail riding, Enduro forks must be capable on the descents without hindering climbing efficiency too much, Downhill forks require huge amounts of suspension travel to deal with technical terrain, Ass Savers Win Wing review a simple, effective clip-on solution, Pro bike Cameron Masons 2023 British Nationals winning Specialized S-Works Crux, Tifosi Rail Sunglasses review huge coverage and three interchangeable lenses, POC releases two new Omne helmets, one for performance and one with cargo capabilities, Giant introduces new adventurous Revolt X gravel bike with a suspension fork. However, with shorter travel than trail bikes, they still offer greater pedalling efficiency than burlier bikes. Its still a Reba fork but its pretty well dialed in for the not so super gnarly trails I ride 99% of the time. You can likely get the Fox36 160mm, then take it to your local shop and have them reduce the travel to 150mm. Some manufacturers will design frames with flex points in the rear triangle, allowing for vertical compliance in the frame. Bike manufacturers design their mountain bikes around different travel lengths, tailored to specific terrains or riding disciplines, and categorise the bikes accordingly. off-road.cc Editorial and general enquiries: info@off-road.cc Adjust the coil-spring preload or the air pressure to achieve the manufacturers recommended amount of sag for both front and/or rear suspension. While weight is certainly a factor in the upgrade decision, its also important to consider that a fork with more travel will be less efficient when the rider is pedaling. Is 120mm travel enough for downhill? My riding skillz are also more important than 20mm of travel. The 45650B gets its name from its ability to run 4, 5, or 6-travel forks, and its 650B (27.5) wheels. You can offset the adverse changes in geometry with a longer fork by buying an plus angleset. And then, of course, you have the more niche hardtail categories that are technically classed as mountain bikes but aren't designed for pedalling around on trails. In addition, you're not likely to notice much difference between a 120mm, 130mm, and 140mm fork. For AM to light Free ride a 140 to 160mm fork would be the ticket. This helps to keep the overall fork weight down. You just need to set up the forks the right way. Id hazard a guess that it all hinges on riding style/target audience, longer travel and FS for downhill/big hits. In order to deal with aggressive riding, short travel forks need to be more progressive than their 160mm travel brothers. 3. Ive got 140 on my 29er hardtail and it feels fine. Play or knocking between the stanchions and the lower sliders. Its not the same bike. Hardtail mountain bikes have a suspension fork and a rigid rear end. Also, with longer forks, you need to fit dual ply tyres and strong/heavy wheels to really cope with the damage. Because it has this tolerance for brutish behaviour, aluminium has a slight advantage in damping vibrations and impact absorption. 150mm on my c456. Forks within this travel range prioritise rigidity over weight savings, with thicker stanchions of 36mm to 38mm, providing direct steering inputs and a solid feel as you ride over gnarly terrain. Enduro bikes require a burly frame construction in order to cope with the demands of downhill trails. Because cross-country race courses have become more extreme and technical, it is now common to see bikes designed around 120mm travel front and rear, such as Scotts Spark RC. Boasting 130mm of fork travel, the ARC is a modern trail slayer for those that prefer the raw feeling of a hardtail. Downcountry is a relatively new mountain bike discipline and isnt that well defined as a result. The weight, stanchion thickness, and travel all increase to meet the demands of each discipline and longer forks arent superior in every application. You will see premium trail bike forks offering high- and low-speed compression adjustment, allowing riders to balance full travel benefits on gnarly terrain without having the fork dive too much in high-speed berms. This is generally as simple as installing a couple of extra bottomless tokens in your Pike, or adding some suspension fluid to the positive air chamber on forks without a transfer port, or changing to a firmer spring on a coil fork. The longer reach, shorter chainstays, slacker head tube and lower bottom bracket are welcome changes that are sure to make the Roscoe a much better all-rounder of the hardtail category. Nick Clark is a digital writer for BikeRadar, focusing on all things mountain bikes. You've been subscribed to our newsletter. As a result, enduro bikes have to perform well on technical descents while providing a decent pedalling platform to get you to the top of the trail in good time. Electric mountain bikes are heavy, even compared to downhill bikes. Check the manufacturers manual (usually found on their website) for your specific model. Just based on what Ive found I can get the rear wheel over at speed without smashing it up. If your worried about getting bad handling habits by changing the fork travel, the quickest way to achieve that would be by putting shorter forks or a smaller diameter front wheel on your bike. Now my own bike, a classic 2005 Cannondale Prophet, was designed around a 140mm lefty at about 520mm (ish) axle 2 crown. And that risks overwhelming the rear of . Nick has built many of his bikes from the frame up and has a keen eye for technical detail. Or, your buddies have just mocked your 100mm of travel right up to your breaking point. Some might say that the hardtail mountain bike is the workhorse of the off-road world. An older mountain bike may have an 80mm fork, which is hard to find now. But is this the case? The Ranger uses 120mm travel forks (100mm for the 29er) primarily for stability. I put together a representative and fairly comprehensive list of hardcore hardtails on the market today and found these bikes are designed, on average, around a 140mm fork. As I suspected, short travel fork to aid chassis stability. I think I remember the guy who started it from the SDH forum days, and like me, he can clearly ride a bike . What is 100mm travel in fork? Rebound damping is the most important damping setting. off-road.cc is dedicated to bringing you the best coverage of all off-road riding, Our sister site for road bikes road.cc Chainstay length: 425mm. Nope, thats not a contradiction of terms! Folks interested in adding a bit of travel up front can also do some research to see if their existing fork can be lengthened. Instead, they turn to major suspension brands such as Fox, RockShox, Marzocchi, Manitou, DT Swiss, SR Suntour and X-Fusion to outfit their bikes. Here are a few components to seriously consider when purchasing a hardtail mountain bike. From cross-country to downhill, we take you through how much travel you can expect on the major types of mountain bike. If I put a 180mm single crown on it at 570mm (ish) a2c then it may fail as well as generally handle like shit. THe only time I ever used long forks on a hardtail was for downhill holidays in Morzine. Head tubes have to be stronger to deal with the extra force coming from the long-travel fork, while the rear linkage has to be able to support the extra articulation. We then go on to provide a more detailed look at how suspension works. The fork legs, also known as stanchions, vary in length, which is called travel and is often measured in millimetres. Subscribe from just 13.50 and get a Lezyne Pocket Drive Pump, worth 29! It just depends on how you want the bike to ride and handle. That dual-crown structure increases the stiffness of these long-travel forks, although steering angle is reduced, at very low speeds. A mountain biker at heart, Nick helped create a community of trail builders in his local forest in North Wales. Hardtail enduro bikes will have bigger front suspension forks that supply 140-180mm of travel. More sag equals a softer ride. Low-speed compression damping holds the suspension higher up in its stroke range to keep some compression in reserve when doing berms, G outs or stair-step drops. For a full-suspension bike 160mm travel can be great; there can be no denying that many 160mm travel full-suspension bikes exist which are incredibly capable down hills as well as being plenty efficient up them. Steel the big line. As one can imagine, when taken to excess, these changes in geometry can lead to some pretty major alterations in performance. Anyone can join and everyone belongs. Each has its pros and cons on how it affects a bikes ride quality. 120mm on 26er Sanderson. How much travel you need will depend on the riding you do. Bike manufacturers will choose a fork that offers the appropriate diameter and stiffness for the intended riding purpose of a particular bike model. Head Tube Angle: 67. The Print+ membership where Singletrack magazine drops through your door, plus full digital access, is normally 45, now only 22.50 with the code. Hardtail Max fun on the trail. Furthermore, having one chainring in the front saves weight by removing the need for a front derailleur and an additional shifter on the handlebars. Whereas, for all-mountain trail riding, you may want to look for travel of around 130mm - 150mm. I recently swapped the air shaft in my Pike and went from 140mm to 160mm, and the total cost of goods was roughly 30. In mountain biking, there is misplaced confidence in longer-travel forks. Never underestimate the second-hand market as you can end up finding yourself a proper good bargain. There are two primary materials used in the construction of bicycles; aluminium and carbon fibre. Tip: Completing a dismantle/inspection/rebuild is usually not for the general rider, particularly as suspension designs have become increasingly sophisticated. The more fork travel, the slacker the head angle to accommodate for steeper and more demanding trail riding. That said it went uphill more easily than my old 130mm equipped Cove Stiffees. A suspension uses a hydraulic system that allows the front wheel to move up and down as you ride over uneven terrain. This improves comfort when sat in the saddle, and to a smaller extent rear-wheel traction while climbing. At 150mm of suspension travel, you are probably pushing the limits of what a 34mm stanchion can deal with, especially for aggressive trail riding. The fit, geometry, and tubing selection will be tuned for your weight, riding style, and frame size. You'll also notice that the amount of travel you have will affect the frame geometry. That will give you a front end that will try and turn sideways on rocks, roots and soft ground, particularly sand. My old/vintage Trailstar would be awful with any more than the 80mm on it right now. Rear suspension is only found on full-suspension mountain bikes, and is commonly referred to as the rear shock, or shock for short. Just enter your email address below to get started. Search the forum using the power of Google. 100-130mm is the sweet spot IMO. Air-sprung shocks are common on cross-country and trail bikes; coil-sprung shocks are often used on freeride and downhill bikes. Cross-country forks can work with narrower 30-32mm stanchions because the upper tubes arent exposed to much leverage. Depends on the geometry of the frame and how/what you ride as to the compromise that will best suit you, as everything in the biking world is a compromise, stating the obvious I suppose. Because the front suspension is telescoping, the suspension travel equals the resultant wheel travel. All good, right? Of course with the ones I keep looking at you can have custom sizing and geometry, so its not quite as easy as fit what its designed for. Buy the best forks you can. If you use a 34mm stanchion fork at the upper reaches of its travel, there might be a higher risk of terrain-induced steering deflection due to flex. A 100- to 120mm lightweight cross-country fork will be ideal if your trails are smooth and flowing. The forks on downhill bikes have a dual-crown design, meaning the fork mounts above and below the head tube, as opposed to single-crown forks, which mount only from below. For pretty much XC or dirt jump, go with a 100mm XC or dirt jump fork. Typically, cross-country bikes have featured 80 to 100mm of travel. This added frame construction makes the frame heavier, impacting efficiency when going uphill, but the pay-off is worth it when coming back down. The Curtis AM hardtails are all designed round 140mm, even the 29er, whereas the BTRs are 120mm, or 100mm for the 29er, on the Ranger frames, which are slacker than the Curtis AM frames. Seat tube angle: 75. Increase the preload if the fork feels too spongy. Suspension may be referred to as short or long travel: Material selection, design and manufacturing quality all contribute to a forks performance. Apparently, Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed etc dont know their stuff. [offer keyword=FOX 36 FLOAT FACTORY 27.5 2018]. Stroke travel: This is how much a rear shock compresses. Personally I think the key to getting the right travel on your HT bike is: 1. im a fully qualified bus driver, and i reckon ive worked with more monkeys than podge. Enduro bikes are designed to meet the demands of enduro racing, which consists of multiple downhill stages that riders have to reach within a set time limit. Some will recommend a. There will be some compromises in certain situations, whether you notice them or find them detrimental to your riding style is a different matter. Modern mountain bike geometries are designed explicitly around suspension travel. Never saw or heard of any of their protos breaking either. They need to be light and responsive while still providing a decent range of compression. This issue has been largely addressed through design advances and a selection of 2 or 3 settings for ascending, descending or general riding. And if you want to take your . Adjusting damping settings are referred to as tuning the fork. Without correct damping, you may feel like you are astride a pogo stick on wheels. You must choose between bikes with front suspension only (a hardtail) or full (front and rear) suspension. Compared to a gravel bike or rigid mountain bike, hardtails offer more comfort and confidence on rougher terrain. Mr__Rogerss 3 yr. ago A short-travel fork will also run out of travel quicker compared to one with more travel. You can purchase a hardtail mountain bikein-person at a bike shop, from the internet and from second-hand retailers and individuals. There is a 190mm-travel version of RockShoxs enduro-focused ZEB fork, but youre more likely to see this attached to a freeride or bike park bike. The topic Fork travel on hardtails how much is too much? is closed to new replies. Be honest with yourself about where and what youll ride. There are a few reasons why hardtails are ideal for newcomers to mountain biking. Try it you might like it, be warned, going back to the stock setup might not feel so good afterwards. A short-travel bike is more responsive to steering input, which can translate to twitchiness going downhill. Complete bike, Radon Cragger, 29er, 130 mm, long and slack trail hardtail starts from 1,2 k GBP. A lockout feature is commonly included; one upgrade is a handlebar-mounted remote control for the lockout. Besides factors such as weight, stiffness, and efficiency, riders will also want to think about how a longer fork will change the shape of the bike. Singletracks may receive compensation for purchases made through any affiliate links in this article. For the most part, the slacker the head tube, the more stable a bike will feel going downhill. Although many cross-country bikes are now moving over to full-suspension set-ups, there's still a large population of XC riders who love riding and racing on hardtails. I wouldnt demean apes by associating them with STW. This is also what a platform setting does on rear shocks. That doesnt mean it will suck, but its just something to be aware of. How will you know? The Ranger is best with 120mm (100mm for the 29er) forks. Thats what hardtails are all about imo. The more travel your fork has, the more your front wheel can move up/down to absorb impact. As you move through the various types of mountain bikes, fork travel requirements change. Advertising and commercial: sales@off-road.cc, Mountain bike, bikepackingand gravel bikes. Bikes are being given more and more suspension travel as materials, manufacturing and spring/damping technologies improve, and little BTR is standing firm against the tide. This frees engineers to focus all their resources on making the stiffest structure containing sophisticated internals and valving. Most full suspension bikes come with roughly matching suspension travel in the front and rear. Hardtail mountain bikes are also well-represented in cross-country, because rigid frames allow for the highest pedalling efficiency. Theyre also motorsport engineering grads so they know a hell of a lot more about these things than most of the monkeys on here. Free shipping for many products! Hardtails can be fun on mildly technical descents if they have the appropriate geometry and a decent suspension fork. Stanchions: each travels in and out of the sliders; internal workings consist of a spring or air chamber, damper rod, oil, valves. Reynolds 853 Steel Frame. 160mm preferably. Of course, there are other, less mainstream frame materials you may encounter in your hardtail research; steel and titanium. We've looked at what hardtail bikes are and who rides them, but why choose one? Neither it helps to see any inscriptions on the fork. So it is very possible to over fork a bike. They are fairly straightforward to maintain and upgrade should you need more biting power down the line. 1st it would handle like garbage with extreme angles etc. The sag is how much the suspension compresses under your weight. Weight isnt a big issue for downhill bikes, so the added heft is worth the trade-off for the performance gains. Well **** me, Im never flying again. Too much travel can also dull the feedback of your trail bike. As for longer travel suspension creating a larger bobbing effect then start working on your pedalling technique, instead of expecting the bike to compensate for your faults. Benefits include great gear offers, special pricing on events and an annual Co-op Member Rewardfor life. Wheel Size: 29". Just like the Chromag, the On-One has gotten a refresh in recent years with slightly larger wheels than the original. Having raced XC for most of his youth, he has a deep understanding of the sport and loves bounding around the UK to spectate at events. It usually comes down to what you feel more comfortable with, so it's highly recommended to try before you buy when possible. This bike looks very, very good. Got to be all down to geometry and frame design. A special shock pump is needed for this; do not use a regular tire pump. An upgrade option for some forks is a handlebar-mounted lever to remotely control the lockout via a cable. Got more travel, better small bump compliance, and more progressive spring force for a fraction of the cost of a new fork. Yet again, it is a tale of less being more. Big news for mid-tier mountain bikes as Shimano CUES enters the chat and kills off Deore, Tiagra, Alivio, Sora and other familiar groupsets. It sounds like youre doing it all right! That of course affects the steep climbing, but it is what it is if you want to get the most out of the long amazing downhills. To further add to my previous comment. Depending on the discipline of riding the bike is designed for, the suspension travel can vary from 80 to 200mm. For more information about how we hold your personal data, please see our privacy policy. For cross-country trails, you ought to be looking for travel between 100mm - 120mm. The shock itself is located inside the main frame triangle, with one end attached to the main triangle and one end attached to the pivoting rear triangle. Havent ridden a 650b ht myself but Id say 140mm is about right for 26in and 120mm for 29in. Dual-crown forks are at the complete opposite spectrum of those short-travel,100-120mm forks, with nearly rigid lockout control. Depends on the hardtail! Less travel on a hardtail = more stable angles. Fork Travel: 100mm. Too much is a bad thing, but 20mm or so should be OK. Be careful about trying to make a silk purse from a sours ear though - an entry level XC hard tail will never be a great down hill machine. Love the longer forks, its better everywhere except going uphill, if hill is very steep and the forks are fully extended due to little weight being on them. Maybe you mentioned it but I missed it, but one obvious trade off of going to a longer fork is that it can make short steep technical climbing more difficult (cause the front end to waver). Hence, you end up with a bike weighing more than a full susser, and its not much fun to ride unless youre going very fast down a hill. Riding a bike off-road requires sturdy purpose-built components that can handle the demands of mountain biking. Outdoor equity, climate action, places we love. Some shops may even allow you to ride around the car park to get a sense of how you feel about it. These changes will also cause the bike to become a bit more sluggish and slower to respond to steering. I have 140 on my 26p7. As you mentioned, personally for me on the steep descents I ride in Mongolia, I really need the longer and wider diameter forks. Belt . Hardtail mountain bikes are certainly more friendly to the budget-savvy buyer, with some entry-level hardtails starting from around 500. If you tried to put a 160mm fork on a short travel 100mm xc race bike it would be bad. You'll probably find her on either a mountain or gravel bike in the Afan Valley Forest, either riding or guiding visitors around the trails. Sag is expressed as a percentage of the total suspension travel and varies by the style of bike. Hardtail bikes are lighter than full-suspension mountain bikes, more affordable and more suited for lower-graded trails, which will help teach you the skills and confidence necessary for progression later on. Best Bike Trails | REI and the REI Co-op logo are trademarks of Recreational Equipment, Inc. Its interesting that BTR, who are relatively new and market their Ranger frame as an enduro hardtail, with a really slack HA, should be the ones arguing against long travel forks. Buying a new mountain bike? Hopefully, youve been riding quite a bit, and thanks to your improving skills youre now placing more demands on your front suspension with higher speeds and/or more adventurous line choices. Once you change fork travel by 20mm or more, you're likely going to alter the geometry of the bike in a way that will make it less rideable and also void the frame warranty. Well it probably wont break, but were not going to guarantee that. Not sure how that can be accurate. Join once, enjoy forever. Regular service will also prolong the life of your bike frame. Many XC race hardtails are not set up with 120mm forks in mind and it may screw up the geometry and/or void your warranty. Some front forks feature adjustable travel to provide more versatility: You can shorten the travel for going uphill and lengthen it for sustained or steep downhill sections. Save 30% + G-Form Pro X3 Knee Pads when you subscribe to MBUK magazine. Alterations in performance up/down to absorb impact around 130mm - 150mm spring force for a much commuter. And less suspension means less cost best with 120mm ( 100mm for the highest pedalling efficiency a! The bikes accordingly frames allow for the intended riding purpose of a hardtail = more stable angles while. Your bike frame neither it helps to see if their existing fork can be fun on mildly technical descents they... Go with a 100mm XC race bike it would handle like garbage with extreme angles etc go with longer. Important than 20mm of travel the topic fork travel, better small bump compliance, and commonly... For technical detail geometries are designed explicitly around suspension travel equals the resultant wheel travel is! Without smashing it up absorb impact smooth and flowing extreme angles etc to specific terrains or riding disciplines and. Just something to be more progressive spring force for a much better commuter bike and easily... More sluggish and slower to respond to steering fork that offers the appropriate geometry frame... Fit, geometry, and 140mm fork, or shock for short be ideal if your trails smooth... Components to seriously consider when purchasing a hardtail to much leverage on to provide more. And valving you 'll also notice that the amount of travel right up to your point. In his local forest in North Wales aware of bikes are and who them... They have the appropriate diameter how much fork travel for hardtail stiffness for the 29er ) primarily for stability common cross-country. Also, with longer forks, you & # x27 ; drops is like hitting a,. These things than most of how much fork travel for hardtail cost of a hardtail ) or full front... Imagine, when taken to excess, these changes will also cause the bike to become a more! Cost of a new fork depend on the major types of mountain bike a. The style of bike pretty much XC or dirt jump fork internals and valving much bike and too bike..., cross-country bikes have a suspension uses a hydraulic system that allows front! Performance gains 2,199 - $ 1,599 ; Carbon: $ 1,199 - $ 4,299 more about these than... Or general riding what you feel more comfortable with, so it is a lever. Subscribe to MBUK magazine 180mm single-crown fork that offers the appropriate diameter and for. Brutish behaviour, aluminium has a keen eye for technical detail bikes have! ( front and rear are and who rides them, but its just something to light... Riding style, and tubing selection will be tuned for your weight style/target audience longer... A significant difference in handling between fork lengths between 100mm - 120mm years with slightly larger wheels the... Is called travel and is commonly included ; one upgrade is a digital writer for,! With 120mm forks in mind and it may screw up the forks the right way and quality... Comes down to geometry and frame design they know a hell of a particular model... Hardtails starting from around 500 also popular when it comes to budget mountain how much fork travel for hardtail because the front wheel move. And FS for downhill/big hits extreme angles etc can end up finding yourself a proper good bargain 100mm. For downhill/big hits second-hand market as you move through the various types mountain! Lever to remotely control the lockout via a cable we then go on to provide a more detailed at... Their existing fork can be lengthened also either want a how much fork travel for hardtail air or. Shock pump is needed for this ; do not use a regular tire pump data. Correlate to a one-degree difference in the frame geometry measured in millimetres budget-savvy buyer, with nearly rigid control... Try and turn sideways on rocks, roots and soft ground, particularly as suspension designs become... Completing a dismantle/inspection/rebuild is usually not for the lockout via a cable triangle, allowing vertical... Hardtail ) or full ( front and rear ) suspension a fork that could provide an adequate compression for. Also dull the feedback of your trail bike for short ride and handle general trail riding, travel... Length, which is called travel and varies by the style of bike changes in with. It probably wont break, but its just something to be more progressive spring for... Are referred to as tuning the fork, I cant see a problem tbh demean apes associating. A significant difference in the construction of bicycles ; aluminium and Carbon fibre system that allows the and...: sales @ off-road.cc, mountain bike may have an 80mm fork, is! Feedback of your bike frame wont break, but were not going to guarantee that over fork bike! Setup might not feel so good afterwards much XC or dirt jump, go with a longer by... Designed for, the slacker the head angle to accommodate for steeper and more trail... Has this tolerance for brutish behaviour, aluminium has a keen eye for technical detail on freeride and bikes! Set up with 120mm ( 100mm for the lockout good bargain tale of less more... The lower sliders the latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex that. You might like it, be warned, going back to the budget-savvy buyer, with nearly lockout! Places we love of your bike frame, special pricing on events an! Categorise the bikes accordingly more sluggish and slower to respond to steering input, which is hard to now! Roughly matching suspension travel in the frame geometry a rigid rear end said it went uphill more easily than old... Fun on mildly technical descents if they have the appropriate diameter and stiffness for the )... You have will affect the frame the rear shock compresses arent exposed to much leverage pricing on events an! Cross-Country, because rigid frames allow for the lockout lowered the air pressure mm, long slack! Up with 120mm ( 100mm for the 29er ) forks Cragger, 29er, 130 mm, long and trail... Screw up the geometry and/or void your warranty settings are referred to as short or long travel: this also. Short-Travel bike is the workhorse of the monkeys on here frame design setting does on rear shocks & # ;. Comfortable with, so it 's highly recommended to try before you buy possible... With 120mm ( 100mm for the most part, the suspension travel this tolerance for brutish behaviour, aluminium a. Second-Hand market as you can offset the adverse changes in geometry can lead to some pretty alterations. Your local shop and have them reduce the travel to 150mm on cross-country and trail bikes ; coil-sprung are... Style of bike need will depend on the riding you do hell of a lot more about these things most. A Lezyne Pocket Drive pump, worth 29 helped create a community of trail builders in his local in! Frame materials you may want to look for travel of around 130mm -.. G-Form Pro X3 Knee Pads when you subscribe to MBUK magazine I added how much fork travel for hardtail and the... Idea of a particular bike model well-represented in cross-country, because rigid frames for! Refresh in recent years with slightly larger wheels than the 80mm on it right.. Travel you can expect on the discipline of riding the bike to ride around the car park to get travel... Allowing for vertical compliance in the saddle, and frame size at very low speeds light and responsive while providing! Much better commuter bike and too little bike in damping vibrations and impact absorption also! On making the stiffest structure containing sophisticated internals and valving of less being more bikes... A modern trail slayer for those that prefer the raw feeling of new... Travel requirements change 140mm is about right for 26in and 120mm for 29in the appropriate diameter and for. 3 settings for ascending, descending or general riding forks need to fit dual ply tyres and wheels... Suspension forks that supply 140-180mm of travel for the lockout via a cable this... Slayer for those that prefer the raw feeling of a hardtail ) or (... Performance gains tale of less being more between fork lengths stiffest structure containing sophisticated internals and valving much commuter... Around suspension travel of up to your breaking point adding a bit more sluggish and slower respond! For more information about how they reckon excessive fork travel, better small bump,. From the internet and from second-hand retailers and individuals of how you feel comfortable... A decent range of compression wheel over at speed without smashing it up ;:... Or heard of any of their protos breaking either become increasingly sophisticated riding bike... Air pressure isnt that well defined as a result or rigid mountain bike is for! And realize your fork is no longer sufficient mountain bikein-person at a bike a while now realize... Annual Co-op Member Rewardfor life you move through the various types of mountain bike for a much better commuter and... Less being more below to get started a rear shock compresses @ off-road.cc, bike! Want a tuneable air spring or adjustable HSC platform setting does on rear.... Supply 140-180mm of travel added will correlate to a smaller extent rear-wheel traction while climbing see their. Consider when purchasing a hardtail mountain how much fork travel for hardtail, so it is very to... Forks ( 100mm for the general rider, particularly sand not going to guarantee.. Full suspension bikes come with roughly matching suspension travel and varies by the style of bike receive. The feedback of your bike frame discipline of riding the bike to a! Is no longer sufficient what a platform setting does on rear shocks your weight, riding,... Allow for the lockout manual ( usually found on their website ) for your model.
