If you ride steep terrain with a lot of extended descents, you'll likely want more travel. It is usually a measurement of how far the wheel axle moves in a vertical or near-vertical plane as the suspension compresses. Widgets, Explore Best Bike 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. A move like that may also void the frame manufacturers warranty since they didnt intend for riders to write gnarly 160mm checks that their frames cant cash. Ive used a 160mm bike with 160mm forks before and it just felt a bit odd, the bike gets imbalanced as the rear gets smashed despite you thinking you have loads of plush travel. Replacing your existing fork? Downhill riders are less bothered by weight or climbing efficiency. There are a few reasons why hardtails are ideal for newcomers to mountain biking. 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. (New annually renewing membership only. For general trail riding a 120 to 130 would work well. Folks interested in adding a bit of travel up front can also do some research to see if their existing fork can be lengthened. If he knew stuff hed not need to do fea & you just called a load of apes, monkeys. But in terms of suspension, these bikes range from beefed up cross-country at 110mm of travel, to lightweight trail with around 130mm front and rear travel. Thats what hardtails are all about imo. Save 30% + G-Form Pro X3 Knee Pads when you subscribe to MBUK magazine. For this reason, collisions and rock strikes are more likely to crack the frame rather than dent it. 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. Some riders may even prefer the feel of just adding some pressure to the air spring on their forks- simple! Fork Travel: 100mm. Given that this is an entry-level hardtail mountain bike, its nominal fork travel could be in range from 80 mm to 120 mm. For many modern mountain bikes, you'll find the gearing arrangement in a 1x or 2x drivetrain. im a fully qualified bus driver, and i reckon ive worked with more monkeys than podge. Downcountry bikes aim to balance a cross-country bikes efficiency with a trail bikes downhill capability. Cannot be used in conjunction with other offers, or when switching memberships), Contact UsPrivacyForum RulesClassifieds RulesLink RemovalNewsletter SettingsAdvertising, Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 84 total). At 150mm of suspension travel, you are probably pushing the limits of what a 34mm stanchion can deal with, especially for aggressive trail riding. Bounce up and down on the fork and let it settle to the sagged position. All good, right? Cheers! Unlike the useless fully extended locked position they come with. So if you like the geo at 120mm, dont then stick 150s on it. 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. Excessive oil leak onto the stanchions around the top of the sliders. And that risks overwhelming the rear of . That said it went uphill more easily than my old 130mm equipped Cove Stiffees. 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. You can offset the adverse changes in geometry with a longer fork by buying an plus angleset. This is also what a platform setting does on rear shocks. You must choose between bikes with front suspension only (a hardtail) or full (front and rear) suspension. 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. Most dirt jump specific forks are only 100mm. It pretty much requires 160mm minimum and 36. 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. For what it's worth, front travel has a much more obvious effect than rear travel. Check the manufacturers manual (usually found on their website) for your specific model. The more fork travel, the slacker the head angle to accommodate for steeper and more demanding trail riding. It sounds like youre doing it all right! For general trail riding a 120 to 130 would work well. 100MM Fork Travel. When designers create bikes, they do so with a holistic view that pairs geometry and spec list with the bikes intended use. When not fettling with bikes or blowing her legs out on the trails, self-proclaimed tea-addict Jessica is a colossal sci-fi fanatic. This bike looks very, very good. Here is what may be worth paying more for: Less weight: This is primarily achieved by moving from a coil to an air spring. The fork stiffness formula is simple: when adding more suspension travel increase stanchion size. 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. Hardtails can be fun on mildly technical descents if they have the appropriate geometry and a decent suspension fork. Pretty sure the proverbial they mean stanchon size and damper increases, not fork travel, when they say that. 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. 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. Hitting 3' drops is like hitting a root, they are so . https://www.dirtlabs.com/fork-travel-change/. Just like the Chromag, the On-One has gotten a refresh in recent years with slightly larger wheels than the original. That may come in handy someday. Use code HELLO54 when you join us as a print or digital member and your membership will be half price for the first year. I have 140 on my 26p7. . After all, smooth is fast! A longer fork will raise the bottom bracket and cause the front end to slacken a little. You've been subscribed to our newsletter. Many short travel forks further support climbing with the addition of a lockout switch. 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. Keep in mind that not all the settings described here are available on all suspension units. Depends on the hardtail- give it forks as long as it wants. They need to be light and responsive while still providing a decent range of compression. This adds more torsional stiffness to the fork, helping to keep steering inputs direct through the toughest terrain and providing strength for big impacts. 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. This added frame construction makes the frame heavier, impacting efficiency when going uphill, but the pay-off is worth it when coming back down. 100-130mm is the sweet spot IMO. Crown: connects the 2 stanchions together. Fork travel on hardtails how much is too much? Dont know about other wheel sizes. Let me expand. This hardtail features rear rack mounts and bikepacking-friendly. For example, the best XC forks for cross-country mountain bikes are short-travel forks as the trails are relatively smooth and comprise lots of climbing. Back it all the way out, then progressively add more until the suspension compresses and bounces only once as it returns to normal sag, when riding off a curb. The Print+ membership where Singletrack magazine drops through your door, plus full digital access, is normally 45, now only 22.50 with the code. Never saw or heard of any of their protos breaking either. An ideal fork absorbs impacts vertically without undue lateral flex which can detract from the steering and control of a bike. A decade ago, the idea of a 180mm single-crown fork that could provide an adequate compression platform for pedaling uphill was unfathomable. MTB Podcast | This gives higher levels of rigidity to the fork, making steering inputs more direct, although concessions are still made to weight savings. off-road.cc Editorial and general enquiries: info@off-road.cc 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. The weight, stanchion thickness, and travel all increase to meet the demands of each discipline and longer forks arent superior in every application. Youll find a range of options and prices. However I would not recommend going over 20mm over your default travel as this article suggests. For AM to light Free ride a 140 to 160mm fork would be the ticket. Hardtail mountain bikes are certainly more friendly to the budget-savvy buyer, with some entry-level hardtails starting from around 500. Havent ridden a 650b ht myself but Id say 140mm is about right for 26in and 120mm for 29in. Of course, trying out a bike provides you with valuable insight into what's suitable for you. I tend to agree with this from my experiences. Downcountry bikes usually feature stronger, stiffer forks, with thicker stanchions, usually 34mm in diameter. Adjusting the travel not only affects the bump-softening capacity of the bike, it also affects the steering and control. As with the front fork, rear suspension models feature variation in travel, spring system and adjustments. If you cant do either of these on your choice of air fork, walk away. Part Type: . Sag is expressed as a percentage of the total suspension travel and varies by the style of bike. Some shops may even allow you to ride around the car park to get a sense of how you feel about it. Obvious answer to OP is it depends on the bike and its geometry, and on the intended use, and on your riding style, and on the terrain, etc. Rebound damping is the most important damping setting. So if the rear shock gets 100mm travel, the bike will likely be spec'd with a 100mm travel fork (or thereabouts). 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. This minimizes your energy loss when riding paved surfaces or on long uphill climbs on smooth dirt surfaces. And the amount of metal thats been removed from the drive side chainstay to make room for the chainring? There will be some compromises in certain situations, whether you notice them or find them detrimental to your riding style is a different matter. A hardtail mountain bike is exactly that, hard tailed. 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. If they have 120mm forks allowed, I would give it a shot. 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. 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. So there you have it! Light front on steep climbs but I love it. But why shouldnt you fit a cross-country mountain bike, recommended for maximum fork travel of 120mm, with a 130mm fork? Electric mountain bikes are heavy, even compared to downhill bikes. REI and the REI Co-op logo are trademarks of Recreational Equipment, Inc. 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. The best electric mountain bikes will feature e-MTB specific forks and shocks, some with thicker stanchions for rigidity, and custom tunes that are suited to the heavier weight of the bike. 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. Suspension units are expensive to replace; suspension lifespan can be extended by having periodic service performed by a suspension specialist. Short travel forks; lighter parts; change your riding style so instead of riding through stuff you ride over it. You can choose how much fork travel you want the frame designed for: from a fully rigid bikepacker to a 150mm battleship. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Fox F80RL 26" Suspension Fork IS disc mount 197mm Straight 1 1/8" Steerer at the best online prices at eBay! matt's big breakfast pancake recipe, My old 130mm equipped Cove Stiffees adding a bit of travel up front also! To crack the frame rather than dent it be in range from 80 mm 120... Fork and let it settle to the air spring on their forks-!! 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