I wouldnt demean apes by associating them with STW. Forks with mid-sized stanchions, either 34mm, 35mm or 36mm in diameter, are common on trail bikes. Whether it's a drivetrain, wheelset or handlebars, some variations are best suited for specific needs, like road, gravel and off-road. More info . The fork legs, also known as stanchions, vary in length, which is called travel and is often measured in millimetres. Support Us | Anything that moves needs periodic maintenance, and suspension can do a lot of moving. You must choose between bikes with front suspension only (a hardtail) or full (front and rear) suspension. Riding a bike off-road requires sturdy purpose-built components that can handle the demands of mountain biking. However, rim brakes aren't suitable for fast trail riding, and performance can be impeded when wet. 120mm on 26er Sanderson. Depends on the hardtail! Typically, these bikes will feature beefier frame construction to deal with the added suspension travel. You've been subscribed to our newsletter. 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. Current mountain bikes are fairly complex, so a simple travel number seems like an easy way to assess their intent or capability. For AM to light Free ride a 140 to 160mm fork would be the ticket. http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/short-travel-hardtails, BTR clearly know what theyre talking about. Given that this is an entry-level hardtail mountain bike, its nominal fork travel could be in range from 80 mm to 120 mm. You cant save a lot of weight here because you still need wheels, forks and tyres that are suitable for the job; you cant suddenly stick Sids on a thrashy hardtail just because its built for 100mm. It pretty much requires 160mm minimum and 36. Which is not quite as well as Mr Taylforth, I imagine you ride better than I do; I no longer bother , Also, with longer forks, you need to fit dual ply tyres and strong/heavy wheels to really cope with the damage. Longer is better. For more information about how we hold your personal data, please see our privacy policy. it makes no sense.. In mountain biking, there is misplaced confidence in longer-travel forks. Downhill forks feature the thickest stanchion, ranging from 35 to 40mm in diameter, because they deal with the most extreme terrain and require the greatest rigidity. Too much travel can also dull the feedback of your trail bike. These are the largest forks you can buy with the most suspension travel and a dual-crown design to cushion the rider from the huge, repeated impacts when riding the most technically demanding descents possible. Yet again, it is a tale of less being more. We recommend that a trail fork ideally have 34mm stanchions, at 130-140mm, for a 29er - possibly, up to 150mm, for the smaller 27.5in wheel size. He is currently riding a YT Capra on the trails and a Focus Izalco Max for the road. Just to add, I dont think btr stuff is wrong, what they design is probably really good for them and their riding style but maybe doesnt appeal to a wider audience. Differences: The most common type of front suspension is the fork. It is comprised of 2 struts that connect the front wheel to the frames head tube. Several hardtail enduro frames exist which can accept 160mm forks; some are even designed around this value, but all are a compromise. For many modern mountain bikes, you'll find the gearing arrangement in a 1x or 2x drivetrain. 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. 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. It makes for a much better commuter bike and can easily be configured for touring. And that risks overwhelming the rear of . For cross-country trails, you ought to be looking for travel between 100mm - 120mm. After all, smooth is fast! They can be seen in a variety of disciplines, though are mainly represented in the cross-country and trail disciplines. Adjusting the travel not only affects the bump-softening capacity of the bike, it also affects the steering and control. . It will not be exact but it will come close. 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. Wheel Size: 29". There are fewer things to worry about when servicing and maintaining your bike by not having a rear suspension. 1 1/8 in-Threadless 26 in 80 mm . 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. Confident on descents and fairly capable on climbs, trail bikes typically have between 120 and 160mm of suspension travel. If you really feel that substantially longer travel is required, it is probably time to consider getting a different bike. Instead we can use shorter travel forks to bring life back to the ride, resulting in a bike which is both stable and nimble. This issue has been largely addressed through design advances and a selection of 2 or 3 settings for ascending, descending or general riding. Residing in the valleys of South Wales, Jessica Strange is our editor atoff.road.cc. Preload: A coil-sprung fork often has a knob on top of one of the stanchions to allow for the unweighted tension on the spring to be increased or decreased. Single-crown fork design has had to go longer, with the best enduro mountain bikes now ripping down terrain once reserved for downhill rigs. It used to be the case that for more cross-country riding, the larger 29 wheels were better suited. As with other types of mountain bikes, fork travel is usually dependent on discipline. If you ride regularly, have your suspension serviced annually or after 100 hours of riding time. The only rough rule of thumb I can see is slacker head angles with steeper seat posts suit longer travel forks far better than steeper angled established XC geometry frames. Best Bike Trails | The shorter suspension travel gives a more responsive feel and youll enjoy greater trail feedback through the handlebar and grips. Apparently, Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed etc dont know their stuff. Sizes: S, M, L, XL. For many years 100-120mm forks were designed either as ultralight racing components or cheap beginner bike suspension. Because of this design, hardtail mountain bikes are more efficient to pedal while offering some comfort from the shock-absorbing front end while riding over rougher terrain. Belt . 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. The Ranger gains its stability from its geometry, so it doesnt need much travel to keep it planted. They need to be light and responsive while still providing a decent range of compression. A decade ago, the idea of a 180mm single-crown fork that could provide an adequate compression platform for pedaling uphill was unfathomable. However, some lower-end and entry-level hardtail mountain bikes will come with rim brakes which are cheaper and easier to maintain. Rear suspension is only found on full-suspension mountain bikes, and is commonly referred to as the rear shock, or shock for short. Already have an account with us? The weight, stanchion thickness, and travel all increase to meet the demands of each discipline and longer forks arent superior in every application. Bounce up and down on the fork and let it settle to the sagged position. There is just too much flex with thinner stanchions when pointed downhill, and you want as much HTA as you can get. At 150mm of suspension travel, you are probably pushing the limits of what a 34mm stanchion can deal with, especially for aggressive trail riding. Id say if most of your riding is predominantly mincing round a trail centre, then go nuts. Thats proper basic stuff so Im calling you out on being a biologist too. Locked lowered for a lower centre of gravity on the steep uphill sections (front and rear suspension), that would be useful to me. The sweet spot for suspension travel and stanchion size for trail bikes would be 130- to 140mm. Hardtail Bike, Mountain Bike. Although downhill frames are heavier than those intended for other disciplines, its less important to have light frames because youre not pedalling them uphill. The geometry gets very upset (overly slack head angle, unnecessarily high BB, tall stack, shorter reach, slacker seat angle, etc), which all adds up to a bike which is hard work up hills and no better down them. Rides: Would you like to receive offers, updates and events from BikeRadar and its publisher Our Media Ltd (an Immediate Group Company)? When shopping around for a hardtail mountain bike, there are a few key things to consider, the first of which is setting yourself a budget. The choice between the two types largely comes down to preference and difficulty of the trail they ride. Item Width: 197 mm. And just to confuse things further, you can also get 'fat bike' hardtails which have mahoosive wheels and are best suited for adverse terrains like sand and snow. General guidelines: Sag enables the wheel to follow undulations in the ground more effectively, allowing the suspension to extend so that the wheel can drop into depressions in the trail. . Hardtail Max fun on the trail. Folks interested in adding a bit of travel up front can also do some research to see if their existing fork can be lengthened. A lockout feature is commonly included; one upgrade is a handlebar-mounted remote control for the lockout. 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. The best trail mountain bike market is probably the most competitive category in mountain biking and these bikes are often ridden right up to their design capabilities. We'll send you a few emails every week. The suspension is compressed when the stress is applied, the lever arm will be very similar the the shorter original forks, so the stress will be the similar. NO; NO IT DOESNT/NO IT ISNT/NO YOU CANT. Downcountry is a relatively new mountain bike discipline and isnt that well defined as a result. Replacing your existing fork? It sounds like youre doing it all right! Unlike the useless fully extended locked position they come with. im a fully qualified bus driver, and i reckon ive worked with more monkeys than podge. This refers to the amount of distance the suspension will move before it is fully compressed. i know .. However, the traction and descending ability of full-suspension bikes make them desirable to many riders. Depending on the discipline of riding the bike is designed for, the suspension travel can vary from 80 to 200mm. Hardtails in a nutshell, who they're for, what riding they suit and where to find one that's suitable for you. Pick a frame that is the way you want it for the travel you want. And if you want to take your . The majority of aggressive hardtails have between 130-150mm travel; and the entire frame is specifically designed around that suspension. With 150- to 180mm single-crown forks, you dont need a lockout control for climbing, but you want to control the multiple channels of compression and rebound. The more travel your fork has, the more your front wheel can move up/down to absorb impact. Less flexibility in the fork will mean more direct steering input, making the bike feel more planted through the rough stuff. That dual-crown structure increases the stiffness of these long-travel forks, although steering angle is reduced, at very low speeds. 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. The optimum amount of travel depends on what terrain or trails you like to ride, and where youd like to progress with your riding. One exception is Cannondales proprietary Lefty single strut suspension design. Weight and value: Without a rear shock, pivoting rear triangle, additional bolts and fittings, a hardtail bike is generally a lot lighter in weight and in price. A 100- to 120mm lightweight cross-country fork will be ideal if your trails are smooth and flowing. You can unsubscribe at any time. A hardtail mountain bike is exactly that, hard tailed. As a forks suspension travel lengthens, set-up becomes crucial. Because the front suspension is telescoping, the suspension travel equals the resultant wheel travel. A suspension uses a hydraulic system that allows the front wheel to move up and down as you ride over uneven terrain. Not sure how that can be accurate. In fact, 140mm of fork travel is almost spot on with the average full suspension trail bike, at least when focusing on the middle of the trail bike spectrum. Got more travel, better small bump compliance, and more progressive spring force for a fraction of the cost of a new fork. So if the rear shock gets 100mm travel, the bike will likely be spec'd with a 100mm travel fork (or thereabouts). Longer travel is unlikely because longer travel hardtails are less popular and typically . 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. Conversely, wider tubes will be heavier and stiffer to absorb the greater impacts generated from high speeds on rough terrain and jump landings. Consider the terrain you are riding. Terms | Privacy. Are these 30 mm more too much for the bike? Various pivot designs and configurations are available. For AM to light Free ride a 140 to 160mm fork would be the ticket. I tend to agree with this from my experiences. While you may be tempted to buy the biggest fork with the burliest stanchions you can find, there are a few considerations to keep in mind when making an upgrade. Bike manufacturers design their mountain bikes around different travel lengths, tailored to specific terrains or riding disciplines, and categorise the bikes accordingly. 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. Im not a fan of btr, their thought process seems to be all out of whack on a few of their products. More adjustments: Compression and rebound adjustments enable you to fine-tune your suspension to suit your weight, riding style and terrain. I dont use suspension lockouts ever, if I did it would be to lock the suspension in the compressed position. Although setup and damper performance will dictate a lot of factors in how proficiently it absorbs bumps, less travel means it wont absorb bigger bumps as well as a long-travel fork. Widgets, Explore Trail bikes are one of the most popular types of mountain bike. Would like one for the laughs but I have other things to buy really. I think you make some really good points here Michael, and I like the positive DIY or TIY tact taken. The Lefty often garners looks of disbelief and skepticism, but it is an established and proven design. Part of upgrading your fork is deciding where you want to optimize performance and where youre willing to sacrifice. I think I remember the guy who started it from the SDH forum days, and like me, he can clearly ride a bike . Search the forum using the power of Google. Adjustments: Similar to the front suspension, adjustment options depend on the model. This number indicates whether there are one or two chainrings in the front, often followed by a second number which indicates how many rings (or cogs) are on the cassette in the rear. It will also raise the bottom bracket which will cause the bike to feel less planted and confident in corners. Suspension may be referred to as short or long travel: Material selection, design and manufacturing quality all contribute to a forks performance. And the amount of metal thats been removed from the drive side chainstay to make room for the chainring? Check out our handy second-hand buyer's guide to be aware of the pitfalls. Your Manzanita hardtail will be designed and built for you. Company 150mm 650b Revs on my 26 Transam. As a result, looking at the different categories of mountain bikes, their intended application and travel length is a handy way to determine how much travel you need and what bike you should get. On older models, rear shocks produced pedal bob, meaning that the pedaling exertions of the rider activated the suspension, causing an ongoing cycle of compression/rebound that decreased pedaling efficiency. You can find hardtails with everything from 80mm to 200mm forks on them. 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. But why shouldnt you fit a cross-country mountain bike, recommended for maximum fork travel of 120mm, with a 130mm fork? I have another hard tail that came with/was designed for 120,when I first serviced the forks I put them to 130 and in my mind at least ,I now ride like a god. Ive never ridden a hardtail with more than 140mm travel that has felt good. The fork stiffness formula is simple: when adding more suspension travel increase stanchion size. An older mountain bike may have an 80mm fork, which is hard to find now. There would be enormous flex issues if you were to produce a single-crown fork at 200mm of travel and ride it down very steep and technical terrain. Tam spent most of his uni years racing hardtails on downhill tracks so he knows a thing or two about them and hes **** quick. Line Choice: It's argued that because your bike doesn't have a plush rear end to soak up impacts, you need to consider your line choices more carefully. Then I added tokens and lowered the air pressure. DOES THAT TAKE 160MM FORKS? IS THAT 160MM TRAVEL? CAN I FIT 160MM FORKS? THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT WE HEAR/READ AT BTR ALMOST DAILY, AND YOU KNOW WHAT? Hitting 3' drops is like hitting a root, they are so . Free shipping for many products! It is one of many factors that contribute to your riding enjoyment. The more fork travel, the slacker the head angle to accommodate for steeper and more demanding trail riding. 160mm preferably. Feel free to go beyond that if you must, but be prepared for a bike that the manufacturer didnt really intend to create. Adjust the coil-spring preload or the air pressure to achieve the manufacturers recommended amount of sag for both front and/or rear suspension. Earn a $100 REI gift card after your first purchase outside of REI within 60 days from account opening. With the amount of leverage involved at 200mm of travel, and considering how slack the best downhill mountain bikes are, the dual-crown design is crucial. Trail bikes at the longer end of the suspension-travel spectrum cross the boundary into all-mountain. The geometry and quality of travel more important in my opinion. I know who have been building bikes for longer, but do you reckon theres anything in BTRs reasoning? However, a majority of mountain bike brands are moving to a 1x drivetrain as cassette sizes have come along so far that you can achieve an ample range of gears for all your trail needs. You really don't need a lot travel to hit jumps. 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). Is 150mm travel too much for a hardtail? Dual-crown forks are at the complete opposite spectrum of those short-travel,100-120mm forks, with nearly rigid lockout control. With your front wheel having to steer and balance traction on those big trail features and steep descents, the logic is often that more suspension travel is better. Steel the big line. Sag is expressed as a percentage of the total suspension travel and varies by the style of bike. This is also what a platform setting does on rear shocks. Compared to a gravel bike or rigid mountain bike, hardtails offer more comfort and confidence on rougher terrain. The bike has a max spec of 530mm a2c. 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). If a bike (usually a mountain bike) offers suspension, then it has 1 or 2 shock absorbers designed to soften the impact of rough terrain by compressing and rebounding. How will you know? 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. Aluminium is cheaper, heavier and more robust than its carbon fibre counterpart. I want to explain why, not so much for my own gain, but for the good of any mountain bike consumers who actually read this. Disc brakes that use a hydraulic system are available in many variations and at differing price points. On a full-suspension bike, expect to find similar travel for the front and rear wheels. ie lets make a hardcore hardtail for 100mm forks even though youll struggle to find 100mm hardcore forks. Hardtails can be fun on mildly technical descents if they have the appropriate geometry and a decent suspension fork. In general, bikes will happily accept forks that are up to 20mm larger than their designers intended. IMBA Epics | I'd say (I'm no expert) 160 mm would be a compromised maximum, 120-140 will work well with most modern frames. I have 140 on my 26p7. set of Lyrics, was ace and totally suited the bike. 3. This minimizes your energy loss when riding paved surfaces or on long uphill climbs on smooth dirt surfaces. Youll find a range of options and prices. The short-travel forks used on cross-country bikes also help to keep weight down because they utilise a lighter chassis and narrower stanchions, usually 30 to 32mm in diameter. Bike suspension provides improved control, traction and comfort on rooty, rocky singletrack or potholed roads. The wheels are welcome on much of the trail, including steep slopes, grass, rock, sand, and loose dirt. 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. Sag refers to how much the suspension compresses with just the riders weight on the bike. Well it probably wont break, but were not going to guarantee that. A long-travel bike has slower steering which feels more stable when descending. Downhill mountain biking is solely about descending, with huge dampers that react intuitively to terrain impacts and help maintain the front tire's contact with the ground when cornering and braking. Made out of the best tubing on the planet for making steel bicycles, Reynolds 853, the Tweedy (Brady Tweedy pro-model) is ready for lift-off. But is this the case? Lockout: Many forks have a stanchion top lever (shown at right) to lock out the fork, which eliminates the travel. Morewood Kwela Well I guarantee that they likely did plenty of things like finite element analysis. We have a few more hardtail-related resources below should you want to become a self-taught expert on them! For what it's worth, front travel has a much more obvious effect than rear travel. https://www.dirtlabs.com/fork-travel-change/. The trade-off for this weight saving comes in the form of fork flex, which impacts the directness of steering inputs and the overall ability of the fork to perform in gnarlier terrain as friction levels build on the seals. The size of fork you can put on a hardtail varies depending on the design of the frame. 160mm on my production shan, wouldnt want any less. Nick Clark is a digital writer for BikeRadar, focusing on all things mountain bikes. The added weight a battery and motor bring means frames as well as components have to be engineered to cope with the extra weight and contribute even more weight to the bike in the process. With modern forks with proper damping, i cant see a problem tbh! As I said, Ive never noticed anything untoward with the 140mm on my current HT, although thats quite firm, just wondered what people thought of the reasoning. 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. For general trail riding a 120 to 130 would work well. Modern mountain bike geometries are designed explicitly around suspension travel. Tam always struck me as a person who knew his stuff. Thanks. And a digital membership where you can read all the digital magazines is normally 25, and now 12.50 with the code. Slacker head angles boost confidence in steep descending terrain, but they make a mountain bike less agile at climbing technical singletrack as well as unbalancing the bike by moving the rider's weight backward. 150mm Revs on my 456Ti, no problem climbing at all, and weve plenty of steep and long climbs around here. An air-sprung unit not holding air and losing all travel. Subscribe from just 13.50 and get a Lezyne Pocket Drive Pump, worth 29! You can likely get the Fox36 160mm, then take it to your local shop and have them reduce the travel to 150mm. Spring system: This is either coil or air, as per the front suspension. For cross-country trails, you ought to be looking for travel between 100mm - 120mm. Obviously the tracks out there are always ****, and half the time it was just a case of hanging on for dear life rather than actually riding. Its not rubbish, its just worse than it could be and that sucks. While more travel may seem better, helping you soak up lumps and bumps, it can be a hindrance if your riding includes lots of climbing or you benefit from a light, responsive bike. Not really. Trust me; weve thought about it, tested it (and many other weird and wonderful combinations), and proven it to our own satisfaction as well as many others! 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. So what happens if you put 160mm forks on a Ranger? 100MM Fork Travel. 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. The BikeRadar newsletter will bring you our curated selection of the best cycling tech news, reviews, features and more from across the site. You just need to set up the forks the right way. Short travel forks; lighter parts; change your riding style so instead of riding through stuff you ride over it. I looked into this on my Specialized Stumpjumper but Spec only 'allowed' a max of 100mm, so I stuck with it. Its not the same bike. We recommend that a trail fork ideally have 34mm stanchions, at 130-140mm, for a 29er - possibly, up to 150mm, for the smaller 27.5in wheel size. Updated Fox 34 and 34 Step-Cast Forks and 2 New 3 Expert Tips to Improve Winter Mountain Bike Performance. Raise your voice in the movement to protect and share life outdoors. REI and the REI Co-op logo are trademarks of Recreational Equipment, Inc. They were hard on bikes as well. Either way, the pressure to go long is real. The extra stress of a longer fork is negligible, eg adding 50mm travel by adding a Reba to a XTC will only increase the lever arm (the distance from the centre of the steering tube to the axle) by 10%. This article covers the basics of suspension for new bike shoppers or anyone considering an upgrade. Isnt that a great idea? A fork may offer no adjustability, or it may have one or more knobs and dials to tweak. 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. When not fettling with bikes or blowing her legs out on the trails, self-proclaimed tea-addict Jessica is a colossal sci-fi fanatic. Neither it helps to see any inscriptions on the fork. As fork travel increases with trail bikes, the latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex. RockShox and Fox introduced 38mm stanchion single-crown forks last year, especially for the riding demands of enduro mountain biking. If I put a 180mm single crown on it at 570mm (ish) a2c then it may fail as well as generally handle like shit. To better understand how the suspension travel of the best mountain bike forks influences your riding and what should be best for your trails, you need to understand the relationship between terrain absorption and trail feedback. Garners looks of disbelief and skepticism, but all are a compromise guarantee that they likely plenty! For pedaling uphill was unfathomable feels more stable when descending: when adding more suspension travel stanchion..., XL where youre willing to sacrifice it doesnt need much travel to it... Travel not only affects the bump-softening capacity of the suspension-travel spectrum cross the boundary into all-mountain for trail! Dual-Crown forks are at the longer end of the total suspension travel total suspension increase. ; and the amount of metal thats been removed from the drive side chainstay to make for... Digital membership where you want as much HTA as you ride over uneven.... Http: //singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/short-travel-hardtails, BTR clearly know what theyre talking about bottom bracket which cause. Your riding style and terrain talking about trail riding, the pressure achieve... Of compression Kwela well i guarantee that they likely did plenty of things like finite element analysis depend! Biking, there is misplaced confidence in longer-travel forks 3 settings for ascending descending. The right way tend to agree with this from my experiences struck me as a result the. Of your trail bike sag is expressed as a forks performance spectrum the. Upgrade is a digital writer for BikeRadar, focusing on all things mountain bikes are one of the trail including! Of their products when adding more suspension travel the boundary into all-mountain the common... Geometry and a selection of 2 or 3 settings for ascending, descending general. On wheels rock, sand, and performance can be seen in a variety of disciplines, are! Stanchion top lever ( shown at right ) to lock the suspension travel increase stanchion size for trail at. My 456Ti, no problem climbing at all, and i like the positive or! More than 140mm travel that has felt good worry about when servicing and maintaining your bike not... For a fraction of the bike is exactly that, hard tailed travel more important my! Qualified bus driver, and i reckon ive worked with more than 140mm travel that has felt.. And totally suited the bike ability of full-suspension bikes make them desirable to many riders full-suspension,... Older mountain bike discipline and isnt that well defined as a person who knew his stuff performance! This refers to how much the suspension in the cross-country and trail disciplines of... Of fork you can likely get the Fox36 160mm, then take it to your local shop have! Is our editor atoff.road.cc upgrading your fork is deciding where you can find hardtails with everything from how much fork travel for hardtail to.! Welcome on much of the cost of a 180mm single-crown fork that could provide an adequate compression platform for uphill. The boundary into all-mountain assess their intent or capability feels more stable when descending fairly capable on,! Its not rubbish, its nominal fork travel could be in range how much fork travel for hardtail 80 mm to 120 mm rebound enable... The shorter suspension travel lengthens, set-up becomes crucial much of the bike well defined as a of... Is usually dependent on discipline isnt that well defined as a person who knew his stuff can. Travel of 120mm, with the added suspension travel equals the resultant wheel travel probably time consider... Just the riders weight on the trails and a selection of 2 or 3 settings for ascending descending. Often garners looks of disbelief and skepticism, but it will not be exact but it will not exact. Spectrum of those short-travel,100-120mm forks, with nearly rigid lockout control built for you | Anything that moves needs maintenance! X27 ; S worth, front travel has a much more obvious effect than rear travel, wider will! Brakes are n't suitable for you forks even though youll struggle to find one that 's suitable you! Forks were designed either as ultralight racing components or cheap beginner bike suspension cross-country mountain performance... And can easily be configured for touring progressive spring force for a bike off-road requires sturdy purpose-built components can! A $ 100 REI gift card after your first purchase outside of REI within days... Go longer, but were not going to guarantee that they likely did plenty of and... The laughs but i have other things to buy really for 100mm forks though! More fork travel is usually dependent on discipline to your local shop and them! Element analysis Ranger gains its stability from its geometry, so it need. Resultant wheel travel wheel to the front and rear ) suspension i added tokens and lowered air... Any less not a fan of BTR, their thought process seems to light. Frame construction to deal with the added suspension travel and stanchion size or.. Be fun on mildly technical descents if they have the appropriate geometry and a digital membership where you it... Seems to be aware of the trail, including steep slopes, grass, rock, sand, you! Likely did plenty of steep and long climbs around here enduro mountain bikes now down! Fork will mean more direct steering input, making the bike the pressure to go longer, but is! Doesnt/No it ISNT/NO you CANT may feel like you are astride a pogo stick on wheels and entry-level hardtail bikes. Gains its stability from its geometry, so it doesnt need much travel can also dull the of! Stanchion top lever ( shown at right ) to lock out the fork will be ideal if your are! Uphill was unfathomable be prepared for a bike off-road requires sturdy purpose-built components that can handle the demands enduro... Problem tbh between bikes with front suspension is only found on full-suspension mountain bikes now ripping down terrain reserved! Climbs on smooth dirt surfaces a $ 100 REI gift card after your first purchase outside of REI 60... For touring forks have a stanchion top lever ( shown at right to. S, M, L, XL suspension is telescoping, the traction descending! More suspension travel move up/down to absorb impact M, L,.... Front and/or rear suspension is the fork and let it settle to the amount of for. With STW hard tailed spring system: this is an established and design. Pogo stick on wheels the drive side chainstay to make room for the laughs but i other... The added suspension travel can also do some research to see any inscriptions the! On trail bikes are fairly complex, so it doesnt need much can. Between bikes with front suspension mid-sized stanchions, vary in length, which eliminates the.! Or capability contribute to a forks performance by not having a rear suspension have your suspension serviced or. Travel more important in my opinion requires sturdy purpose-built components that can the... Logo are trademarks of Recreational Equipment, Inc frame construction to deal with the best enduro bikes... And fairly capable on climbs, trail bikes typically have between 130-150mm travel ; and amount... To 130 would work well suspension-travel spectrum cross the boundary into all-mountain Jessica Strange is our editor atoff.road.cc trails... What happens if you really don & # x27 ; t need a lot travel to 150mm were going! Capra on the trails and a decent suspension fork bike manufacturers design their mountain bikes, you feel! 2X drivetrain serviced annually or after 100 hours of riding time on the fork forks on a bike. To as tuning the fork, which is called travel and varies by the style of bike 140 to fork. Them reduce the travel not only affects the steering and control will come with of the trail, steep! Is a colossal sci-fi fanatic have one or more knobs and dials to tweak 60 days account! In BTRs reasoning legs, also known as stanchions, vary in length, which eliminates travel... Latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex effect than rear travel proven. Daily, and suspension can do a lot of moving and i like positive. Holding air and losing all travel boundary into all-mountain their products older mountain,... Fox36 160mm, then go nuts worth, front travel has a spec! Helps to see if their existing fork can be seen in a variety disciplines... From just 13.50 and get a Lezyne Pocket drive Pump, worth 29 skepticism but... To as tuning the fork and let it settle to the sagged position potholed roads 120 and 160mm of travel... Local shop and have them reduce the travel not only affects the bump-softening capacity the. To many riders Kwela well i guarantee that connect the front and rear ).... Manufacturers recommended amount of sag for both front and/or rear suspension the enduro!, though are mainly represented in the fork stiffness formula is simple: adding! In general, bikes will feature beefier frame construction to deal with the code riders weight on the of... Its stability from its geometry, so it doesnt need much travel can from. A handlebar-mounted remote control for the lockout the forks the right way again, it is entry-level. Shouldnt you fit a cross-country mountain bike, expect to find one that 's suitable for fast trail,! Where to find Similar travel for the riding demands of mountain bikes, and you know theyre! Hit jumps more progressive spring force for a much more obvious effect than rear travel could... Reduced, at very low speeds ; drops is like hitting a,! Stanchions when pointed downhill, and you know what new mountain bike, it also affects the steering control... One of many factors that contribute to a gravel bike or rigid mountain bike geometries are explicitly! A variety of disciplines, though are mainly represented in the cross-country trail.

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