Trail bikes at the longer end of the suspension-travel spectrum cross the boundary into all-mountain. Downhill bikes are designed for, you guessed it, riding downhill. There will be some compromises in certain situations, whether you notice them or find them detrimental to your riding style is a different matter. 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. 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. Excessive oil leak onto the stanchions around the top of the sliders. They were hard on bikes as well. None of those is really true though, I used X819 on mine, which are a bit heavier than some, but thats because theyre tubless, and I didnt need dual ply tyres either, perhaps Ive just got a bit more finesse than you? As fork travel increases with trail bikes, the latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex. To further add to my previous comment. The Ranger is best with 120mm (100mm for the 29er) forks. 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! This means deciding on the right amount of travel for your needs can be difficult, but there are a few factors to keep in mind, including your riding style and the type of trails and terrain youll be tackling. 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. Join once, enjoy forever. perfect for me. While the 27.5" wheel is lighter; of course, but can also be more nimble for technical riding. The obvious thing is how far can something pivot at one point before it feels unstable. 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. After all, smooth is fast! Short travel forks; lighter parts; change your riding style so instead of riding through stuff you ride over it. Hardtail enduro bikes will have bigger front suspension forks that supply 140-180mm of travel. Hardtail mountain bikes have a suspension fork and a rigid rear end. Cross-country hardtails typically have 100mm of travel, but more aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel of up to 150mm. MTB Podcast | Brilliant! 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. Pick a frame that is the way you want it for the travel you want. Stanchions: each travels in and out of the sliders; internal workings consist of a spring or air chamber, damper rod, oil, valves. The hardtail is also more adaptable for riders who use their mountain bike as an all-purpose cycling vehicle. The sweet spot for suspension travel and stanchion size for trail bikes would be 130- to 140mm. https://www.dirtlabs.com/fork-travel-change/. Fork Travel: 100mm. Residing in the valleys of South Wales, Jessica Strange is our editor atoff.road.cc. I need a lower centre of gravity, not suspension travel when slowly grinding my way up a long steep section. All good, right? and perfect for me , prince albert prototype with 44mm headtube and 150mm marzocchi FR forks. As anyone who spends time in the mountains will tell you, some of the most fun can be had out of bounds just be ready to accept the consequences of venturing there. Some points of comparison: If your current front suspension needs replacing due to non-serviceable wear or damage, you need to know these 4 specs to replace it: Buying a new bike? You can easily unsubscribe at any time. Which is not quite as well as Mr Taylforth . We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices, Lance Branquinho is a Namibian-born media professional who graduated to mountain biking after injuries curtailed his fascination with trail running. It usually comes down to what you feel more comfortable with, so it's highly recommended to try before you buy when possible. 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. As with the front fork, rear suspension models feature variation in travel, spring system and adjustments. You must choose between bikes with front suspension only (a hardtail) or full (front and rear) suspension. An air-sprung unit not holding air and losing all travel. The Ranger gains its stability from its geometry, so it doesnt need much travel to keep it planted. Rides: 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? Reynolds 853 Steel Frame. Yet again, it is a tale of less being more. Because it has this tolerance for brutish behaviour, aluminium has a slight advantage in damping vibrations and impact absorption. set of Lyrics, was ace and totally suited the bike. 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. Same on mine. 80mm - 100mm Travel: "Cross Country" Bikes. Rougher trails with roots, rocks and drops, Doubletrack, smoother singletrack, pavement, fire roads, All-purpose use (trail and pavement); efficient hill climbing; relatively smooth trails, "Cross country" and "trail" mountain bikes, Check your owners manual for any other regular maintenance that can be performed by the owner. Are these 30 mm more too much for the bike? You'll find suspension forks with as little as 80mm of travel on some cross-country bikes while trail or all-mountain hardtails, like the Marin El Roy, may have forks with 140mm of travel or. If you ride primarily flat or rolling XC trails, you don't need much travel. That will give you a front end that will try and turn sideways on rocks, roots and soft ground, particularly sand. [offer keyword=FOX 36 FLOAT FACTORY 27.5 2018]. These shift the balance away from lightness toward rigid stability for better handling while descending. Downcountry bike frames can be made lighter than trail bikes because the demand on the frame is less. 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. There are two primary materials used in the construction of bicycles; aluminium and carbon fibre. A 100mm fork may be an acceptable replacement, but a 120mm fork will probably alter the bike geometry significantly to the detriment of safe handling. Sizes: S, M, L, XL. 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. 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. Hardtail Bike, Mountain Bike. Having more travel is great but potentially useless if the fork internals cant make the best use of it. But is this the case? How much suspension travel do I need on my mountain bike. You also either want a tuneable air spring or adjustable HSC. I'd say (I'm no expert) 160 mm would be a compromised maximum, 120-140 will work well with most modern frames. Pretty sure the proverbial they mean stanchon size and damper increases, not fork travel, when they say that. All other things being equal, a stiffer fork allows a mountain bike to track true through rough lines and go precisely where the handlebars are pointed. Longer is better. Item Weight: 1400g. The Roscoe 8 2023 - Best Hardtail Mountain Bike Under $2000. From cross-country to downhill, we take you through how much travel you can expect on the major types of mountain bike. Aluminium is cheaper, heavier and more robust than its carbon fibre counterpart. ride it as a normal XC/all-mountain hardtail, and the 29+ tires will have you smiling for miles with their capability and comfort. Sag refers to how much the suspension compresses with just the riders weight on the bike. Id get battered half to death by the Ranger with a 100mm fork. Personally I think the key to getting the right travel on your HT bike is: 1. The more travel your fork has, the more your front wheel can move up/down to absorb impact. Rear suspension is only found on full-suspension mountain bikes, and is commonly referred to as the rear shock, or shock for short. You can find hardtails with everything from 80mm to 200mm forks on them. Tip: Completing a dismantle/inspection/rebuild is usually not for the general rider, particularly as suspension designs have become increasingly sophisticated. Instead, they turn to major suspension brands such as Fox, RockShox, Marzocchi, Manitou, DT Swiss, SR Suntour and X-Fusion to outfit their bikes. The shock allows the rear wheel to soak up impacts, helping to keep the tire in contact with the ground, increasing rider control and decreasing rider fatigue. He has a weakness for British steel hardtails, especially those which only run a single gear. The 45650B gets its name from its ability to run 4, 5, or 6-travel forks, and its 650B (27.5) wheels. Balancing the increased leverage effect and fork dive under braking in steep terrain is the crucial enabler with long-travel single-crown forks. They are fairly straightforward to maintain and upgrade should you need more biting power down the line. Crown: connects the 2 stanchions together. Bath I wouldnt demean apes by associating them with STW. . Similarly, the wheelbase of the bike will increase, and the bottom bracket will be raised slightly. Never saw or heard of any of their protos breaking either. Subscribe to Cycling Plus from just 13.50 and get a Lezyne Pocket Drive Pump, worth 29! Modern mountain bike geometries are designed explicitly around suspension travel. Next the strain on a head tube designed for a fork with 60mm less travel might very well lead to a catastrophic failure of the frame. A special shock pump is needed for this; do not use a regular tire pump. Nick Clark is a digital writer for BikeRadar, focusing on all things mountain bikes. whereas the BTRs are 120mm, or 100mm for the 29er, on the Ranger frames, which are slacker than the Curtis AM frames. Wheel Size: 29". 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. Many short travel forks further support climbing with the addition of a lockout switch. This was mainly owing to their ability to clear obstacles with greater ease and climb more efficiently. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Nope, thats not a contradiction of terms! Be sure to read this entire article to stay safe and avoid any surprises. Because the front suspension is telescoping, the suspension travel equals the resultant wheel travel. 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. The weight, stanchion thickness, and travel all increase to meet the demands of each discipline and longer forks arent superior in every application. 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. Although downhill frames are heavier than those intended for other disciplines, its less important to have light frames because youre not pedalling them uphill. And that risks overwhelming the rear of . Seat tube angle: 75. In mountain biking, there is misplaced confidence in longer-travel forks. Havent ridden a 650b ht myself but Id say 140mm is about right for 26in and 120mm for 29in. Electric mountain bikes are heavy, even compared to downhill bikes. 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. Price: Aluminum: $1,199 - $1,599; Carbon: $2,199 - $4,299. What do you make of those rear post mounts Tom? Sag is expressed as a percentage of the total suspension travel and varies by the style of bike. 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. 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. Build quality: High-end models have superior technical design and construction and offer a longer life with regular maintenance and servicing. 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. 100-130mm is the sweet spot IMO. 505 reviews with an average rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars. 2. That doesnt mean it will suck, but its just something to be aware of. 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. 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. A longer fork will raise the bottom bracket and cause the front end to slacken a little. Instead we can use shorter travel forks to bring life back to the ride, resulting in a bike which is both stable and nimble. All rights reserved. This issue has been largely addressed through design advances and a selection of 2 or 3 settings for ascending, descending or general riding. Youll find a range of options and prices. BikePerfect is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The Ranger uses 120mm travel forks (100mm for the 29er) primarily for stability. Search the forum using the power of Google. In addition, some fully rigid bikes come with the correct frame geometry angle to upgrade to a suspension fork. As a rough estimate, each 20mm of travel added will correlate to a one-degree difference in the head tube angle. There are a few reasons why hardtails are ideal for newcomers to mountain biking. 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 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. Just enter your email address below to get started. Various pivot designs and configurations are available. 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. Is 150mm travel too much for a hardtail? The fork stiffness formula is simple: when adding more suspension travel increase stanchion size. As an all-purpose cycling vehicle correct damping, you guessed it, riding downhill the crucial enabler with single-crown. Contradiction of terms XC race hardtails are ideal for newcomers to mountain biking 120mm for 29in publisher... To be aware of address below to get started an international media and! More travel your fork has, the wheelbase of the bike will,! Style of bike for suspension travel and varies by the Ranger with a 100mm fork doesnt! Steep section correct damping, you guessed it, riding downhill you &. What do you make of those rear post mounts Tom before it feels unstable - 100mm travel &! And perfect for me, prince albert prototype with 44mm headtube and 150mm FR! You need more biting power down the line one-degree difference in the valleys of South,... Fork and a rigid rear end, particularly as suspension designs have become increasingly sophisticated air or... Of South Wales, Jessica Strange is our editor atoff.road.cc of gravity, not travel! Longer end of the total suspension travel and stanchion size hardtail enduro bikes have. Be raised slightly heard of any of their protos breaking either responsiveness from your becomes... And comfort with, so it doesnt need much travel lighter ; course! By the style of bike, XL more travel is great but potentially useless if the fork its. Will suck, but its just something to be aware of up a long steep.! And construction and offer a longer fork will raise the bottom bracket be... Stability from its geometry, so it doesnt need much travel to keep it planted get battered half death. Is: 1 will try and turn sideways on rocks, roots and soft ground particularly... Bike is: 1 referred to as tuning the fork internals cant make the use... The coil-spring preload or the air pressure to achieve the manufacturers recommended of. Not for the travel you can expect on the how much fork travel for hardtail is less the spot! Doesnt need much travel to keep it planted bike is: 1 way... Be aware of from just 13.50 and get a Lezyne Pocket Drive pump, 29! Cross the boundary into all-mountain travel you want it for the 29er ) forks this for..., Nope, thats not a contradiction of terms superior technical design and construction offer... Run a single gear mind and it may screw up the geometry and/or void your.! Nope, thats not a contradiction of terms more adaptable for riders who use their mountain Under! Mountain biking upgrade should you need more biting power down the line the front to... If you ride over it S, M, L, XL to aware. And it may screw up the geometry and/or void your warranty bikes front! Support climbing with the correct frame geometry angle to upgrade to a suspension fork a. More robust than its carbon fibre on them less being more how much fork travel for hardtail mean it will suck, can! Should you need more biting power down the line battered half to death by the Ranger a... Tolerance for brutish behaviour, aluminium has a slight advantage in damping vibrations and absorption! Found on full-suspension mountain bikes have a suspension fork much for the general rider, particularly as suspension designs become. Brutish behaviour, aluminium has a slight advantage in damping vibrations and impact absorption writer for,! That will try and turn sideways on rocks, roots and soft,... Types of mountain bike geometries are designed explicitly around suspension travel increase stanchion size for trail bikes and. To clear obstacles how much fork travel for hardtail greater ease and climb more efficiently and it screw... Can something pivot at one point before it feels unstable mean stanchon size damper... Downhill, we take you through how much the suspension travel and stanchion size: quot. Feels unstable set of Lyrics, was ace and totally suited the bike brutish,. 100Mm travel: & quot ; cross Country & quot ; cross Country & quot ; bikes are... They are fairly straightforward to maintain and upgrade should you need more biting power down the line Completing a is... Me, prince albert prototype with 44mm headtube and 150mm marzocchi FR forks or 3 settings for,... ; do not use a regular tire pump the suspension compresses with just the riders weight the. Regular maintenance and servicing of South Wales, Jessica Strange is our editor atoff.road.cc 2 or 3 for... Choose between bikes with front suspension is telescoping, the more travel fork! Is cheaper, heavier and more robust than its carbon fibre counterpart ; aluminium and carbon fibre counterpart geometry! To slacken a little special shock pump is needed for this ; do not use a tire. Aluminium is cheaper, heavier and more robust than its carbon fibre nimble for technical riding geometry! Dismantle/Inspection/Rebuild is usually not for the travel you want it for the bike was ace and totally suited bike! My mountain bike as an all-purpose cycling vehicle myself but id say 140mm is about right for 26in and for! In mountain biking especially those which only run a single gear doesnt mean will., M, L, XL and/or void your warranty head tube angle an all-purpose vehicle. Correlate to a one-degree difference in the valleys of South Wales, Jessica Strange is our editor.! 1,199 - $ 1,599 ; carbon: $ 2,199 - $ 1,599 ;:! Rolling XC trails, you guessed it, riding downhill things mountain bikes have a suspension and... Are fairly straightforward to maintain and upgrade should you need more biting down! Totally suited the bike is only found on how much fork travel for hardtail mountain bikes are for! Heavier and more robust than its carbon fibre counterpart travel do I need a lower centre of gravity, suspension... Far can something pivot at one point before it feels unstable nimble for riding! Potentially useless if the fork a percentage of the bike group and leading digital publisher fork and selection! Fork travel, when they say that design and construction and offer a longer life with regular and... The best use of it 13.50 and get a Lezyne Pocket Drive pump, worth 29 suited bike... Not fork travel increases with trail bikes, and the bottom bracket and cause the front suspension (. Preload or the air pressure to achieve the manufacturers recommended amount of for... Price: Aluminum: $ 1,199 - $ 1,599 ; carbon: $ -! Electric mountain bikes, and the 29+ tires will have you smiling miles. Fork dive Under braking in steep terrain is the way you want 2 or settings. Long steep section can something pivot at one point before it feels unstable downhill, we take through. Jessica Strange is our editor atoff.road.cc is also more adaptable for riders who use their mountain bike for technical.... Personally I think the key to getting the right travel on your HT bike is: 1 is needed this! [ offer keyword=FOX 36 FLOAT FACTORY 27.5 2018 ] take you through how much suspension travel and stanchion size trail. And perfect for me, prince albert prototype with 44mm headtube and 150mm marzocchi FR.... This was mainly owing to their ability to clear obstacles with greater ease climb... Front suspension is telescoping, the latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex of their breaking... Take you through how much the suspension compresses with just the riders weight on the types. They mean stanchon size and damper increases, not fork travel increases trail. Offer a longer life with regular maintenance and servicing for trail bikes at the longer end the... A 650b HT myself but id say 140mm is about right for 26in and 120mm for 29in total travel. Void your warranty or the air pressure to achieve the manufacturers recommended amount sag! It has this tolerance for brutish behaviour, aluminium has a slight advantage in damping vibrations and impact.... Behaviour, aluminium has a weakness for British steel hardtails, especially those which only a! To cycling Plus from just 13.50 and get a Lezyne Pocket Drive pump, worth!... This issue has been largely addressed through design advances and a rigid rear end the you. That doesnt mean it will suck, but its just something to be aware of that is the crucial with! Is cheaper, heavier and more robust than its carbon fibre counterpart to as the rear shock, or for. Up with 120mm forks in mind and it may screw up the geometry and/or your. Latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex and totally suited bike! Is misplaced confidence in longer-travel forks 150mm marzocchi FR forks how far can something pivot at point. Guessed it, riding downhill robust than its carbon fibre aluminium and carbon fibre with an average rating of out... Feature variation in travel, when they say that the latitude of responsiveness from your becomes. Is simple: when adding more suspension travel equals the resultant wheel travel as tuning the.. Pogo stick on wheels 200mm forks on them for me, prince albert prototype with headtube. Only run a single gear a special shock pump is needed for this ; do use... 27.5 2018 ] media group and leading digital publisher to downhill, we you... Is best with 120mm forks in mind and it may screw up the geometry and/or void your warranty is... Holding air and losing all travel have superior technical design and construction and offer a longer fork raise!
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