how much fork travel for hardtail

 

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. Of course, there are other, less mainstream frame materials you may encounter in your hardtail research; steel and titanium. An older mountain bike may have an 80mm fork, which is hard to find now. perfect for me. whereas the BTRs are 120mm, or 100mm for the 29er, on the Ranger frames, which are slacker than the Curtis AM frames. Price: Aluminum: $1,199 - $1,599; Carbon: $2,199 - $4,299. Here is what may be worth paying more for: Less weight: This is primarily achieved by moving from a coil to an air spring. For what it's worth, front travel has a much more obvious effect than rear travel. 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. 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. Are these 30 mm more too much for the bike? Join once, enjoy forever. 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. Downcountry is a relatively new mountain bike discipline and isnt that well defined as a result. 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. Rear suspension is only found on full-suspension mountain bikes, and is commonly referred to as the rear shock, or shock for short. How much suspension travel do I need on my mountain bike. Got to be all down to geometry and frame design. Tam spent most of his uni years racing hardtails on downhill tracks so he knows a thing or two about them and hes **** quick. Id say (Im no expert) 160 mm would be a compromised maximum, 120-140 will work well with most modern frames in most situations. Im a graduate zoo keeper, I know a hell of a lot more about monkeys than you. We then go on to provide a more detailed look at how suspension works. Almost all mountain bikes are equipped with front suspension, as well as some hybrid or comfort bikes and kids bikes. Some manufacturers will design frames with flex points in the rear triangle, allowing for vertical compliance in the frame. 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. Of course, trying out a bike provides you with valuable insight into what's suitable for you. In addition, some fully rigid bikes come with the correct frame geometry angle to upgrade to a suspension fork. 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. 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. Either way, the pressure to go long is real. At 150mm of suspension travel, you are probably pushing the limits of what a 34mm stanchion can deal with, especially for aggressive trail riding. 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. 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. Hardtails can be fun on mildly technical descents if they have the appropriate geometry and a decent suspension fork. Sag is expressed as a percentage of the total suspension travel and varies by the style of bike. REI and the REI Co-op logo are trademarks of Recreational Equipment, Inc. How much travel you need will depend on the riding you do. Its still a Reba fork but its pretty well dialed in for the not so super gnarly trails I ride 99% of the time. However, with shorter travel than trail bikes, they still offer greater pedalling efficiency than burlier bikes. Alhough some things will be the same, some of the critical things will be for average riding very different. To further add to my previous comment. 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. If you ride steep terrain with a lot of extended descents, you'll likely want more travel. The rear frame triangle, which holds the rear wheel, will have one or more pivot points to enable the wheel to travel through a range of motion. Stanchions are the part of the fork connected to the crown and remain rigid to the bike while the lowers move up and down over them. They were hard on bikes as well. He has a weakness for British steel hardtails, especially those which only run a single gear. 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 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. 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. In addition, you're not likely to notice much difference between a 120mm, 130mm, and 140mm fork. 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. Hardtail Max fun on the trail. Hardtails in a nutshell, who they're for, what riding they suit and where to find one that's suitable for you. Consider the terrain you are riding. 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! Comparing prices is a pretty reliable guide. Having more travel is great but potentially useless if the fork internals cant make the best use of it. MTB Podcast | The more travel your fork has, the more your front wheel can move up/down to absorb impact. This improves comfort when sat in the saddle, and to a smaller extent rear-wheel traction while climbing. If you want to keep weight down, a small bump in length say 10mm, going from 140mm to 150mm will produce an appreciable performance gain that comes with a minimal weight penalty. As a rough estimate, each 20mm of travel added will correlate to a one-degree difference in the head tube angle. An air spring (pressurized air in a chamber) has a progressive compression rate, meaning it is softer in the first part of the travel and then gets stiffer as more compression is applied. 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. So what happens if you put 160mm forks on a Ranger? Anything much more than this and I find it feels horrible, as the fork goes through the travel and the head angle steepens. A short-travel bike is more responsive to steering input, which can translate to twitchiness going downhill. Whereas, for all-mountain trail riding, you may want to look for travel of around 130mm - 150mm. 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. Nick also loves road cycling, where he has completed the holy trinity of spectating at all three grand tours in their host countries. Who do I have to answer to for doing it all wrong? Then I added tokens and lowered the air pressure. That may come in handy someday. Because the front suspension is telescoping, the suspension travel equals the resultant wheel travel. This helps to keep the overall fork weight down. Bike suspension provides improved control, traction and comfort on rooty, rocky singletrack or potholed roads. Reasonably efficient climbers and confident descending bikes, the trail machine is a hybrid between cross-country and enduro. You've been subscribed to our newsletter. I wouldnt demean apes by associating them with STW. 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. Thanks. The best cross-country mountain bikes are designed to compete in high-level, fast races, where lightness and pedalling efficiency are often the keys to success. This adds more torsional stiffness to the fork, helping to keep steering inputs direct through the toughest terrain and providing strength for big impacts. Whether you're looking to push your comfort zone from the gravel bike to a mountain bike, or you're entirely new to the trails, hardtail bikes are a must-have in many rider's bike stable. Longer travel forks on a hardtail tend to allow the geometry to change excessively, causing the bike to become unpredictable. My riding skillz are also more important than 20mm of travel. [offer keyword=FOX 36 FLOAT FACTORY 27.5 2018]. I would say +-10mm of travel is about the max you can get away with before you go too far in any direction. Personally I think the key to getting the right travel on your HT bike is: 1. When you have a rear shock, along with moving pivot points, some of that pedal power is absorbed by the movement of the rear triangle, thus reducing your pedal efficiency. For AM to light Free ride a 140 to 160mm fork would be the ticket. A narrow tube will flex more under the same force than a wider tube. This bike looks very, very good. Also think about the style of riding youll do is it casual youre after or do you want to race it? 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 geometry and quality of travel more important in my opinion. for your first email from REI. 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. RockShox and Fox introduced 38mm stanchion single-crown forks last year, especially for the riding demands of enduro mountain biking. . Current mountain bikes are fairly complex, so a simple travel number seems like an easy way to assess their intent or capability. Various pivot designs and configurations are available. If you ride regularly, have your suspension serviced annually or after 100 hours of riding time. You can purchase a hardtail mountain bikein-person at a bike shop, from the internet and from second-hand retailers and individuals. Modern mountain bike geometries are designed explicitly around suspension travel. Im having fun on a 140mm 32.5lbs 29er hardtail riding natural trails at mince to medium speeds. Same on mine. 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. Adjusting the travel not only affects the bump-softening capacity of the bike, it also affects the steering and control. 160mm preferably. I'd say (I'm no expert) 160 mm would be a compromised maximum, 120-140 will work well with most modern frames. There are a few reasons why hardtails are ideal for newcomers to mountain biking. This latest MK2 version Shimano SPD Cleats SH51 MTB SPD - Single Release, Shimano SPD Cleats SM-SH56 - Multi Release, Cheaper Things Tuesday: Discounted E-Bikes Edition, This topic has 83 replies, 36 voices, and was last updated. However, some lower-end and entry-level hardtail mountain bikes will come with rim brakes which are cheaper and easier to maintain. Ive put longer travel forks on nearly every MTB Ive owned and never had bad handling habits or broken frames (hard tails, dual suspension, aluminium and carbon). 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. 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. Any unusual collapse or resistance to normal function. 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). That doesnt mean it will suck, but its just something to be aware of. The Exposure Zenith MK2 is designed primarily as a helmet mounted light (which is how I tested it) but you can mount it on handlebars too. Best Bike Trails | Sliders or lowers: each connects at the bottom to the front wheel; it also connects to the brakes. (New annually renewing membership only. Downcountry bike frames can be made lighter than trail bikes because the demand on the frame is less. Buying a new mountain bike? Advertising and commercial: sales@off-road.cc, Mountain bike, bikepackingand gravel bikes. Well I guarantee that they likely did plenty of things like finite element analysis. it makes no sense.. Mr__Rogerss 3 yr. ago Bounce up and down on the fork and let it settle to the sagged position. All material Farrelly Atkinson (F-At) Limited, Unit 7b Green Park Station BA1 1JB. 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. Is 150mm travel too much for a hardtail? Using less suspension travel than other mountain bikes means cross-country bikes can be built with a lighter frame construction because less reinforcement is needed to deal with the lower frame articulation. You can unsubscribe at any time. 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. Steel the big line. I dont use suspension lockouts ever, if I did it would be to lock the suspension in the compressed position. 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. 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. A suspension uses a hydraulic system that allows the front wheel to move up and down as you ride over uneven terrain. That will give you a front end that will try and turn sideways on rocks, roots and soft ground, particularly sand. Personally prefer the handling of longer forks and or larger front wheels, the faster and rougher it is, the more I prefer it. Company Nick Clark is a digital writer for BikeRadar, focusing on all things mountain bikes. Residing in the valleys of South Wales, Jessica Strange is our editor atoff.road.cc. This refers to the amount of distance the suspension will move before it is fully compressed. 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. Number of Items: 1. As a qualified bike mechanic, if Jessica isn't riding her bike, you can bet she's tinkering with one! 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. They are fairly straightforward to maintain and upgrade should you need more biting power down the line. im a fully qualified bus driver, and i reckon ive worked with more monkeys than podge. Youll find a range of options and prices. Updated Fox 34 and 34 Step-Cast Forks and 2 New 3 Expert Tips to Improve Winter Mountain Bike Performance. Rides: Carbon fibre, on the other hand, is generally more expensive and lighter in weight. Would like one for the laughs but I have other things to buy really. Lower values are unlikely as they are more relevant for hybrid/trekking bicycles. 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? These shift the balance away from lightness toward rigid stability for better handling while descending. Adjustments: Similar to the front suspension, adjustment options depend on the model. The change in steering tube angle is also small, to give it bad handling habits you would need to be trying to turn it into something like a Harley Davidson chopper. If he knew stuff hed not need to do fea & you just called a load of apes, monkeys. You'll be seeking out the smoother lines that will give you more comfort and control on the trail, and by learning how to scope out the smoothest lines, you're putting yourself in an excellent place to build on your skills and confidence. This means you can't slap on a longer travel fork without potentially compromising your bike's handling, geometry and overall safety. It pretty much requires 160mm minimum and 36. A 100- to 120mm lightweight cross-country fork will be ideal if your trails are smooth and flowing. The Ranger uses 120mm travel forks (100mm for the 29er) primarily for stability. The 120mm of travel in the front fork and beefy, 2.8-inch tires on a set of 27.5-inch wheels soak up any big hits or impacts. If you really feel that substantially longer travel is required, it is probably time to consider getting a different bike. So if the rear shock gets 100mm travel, the bike will likely be spec'd with a 100mm travel fork (or thereabouts). Fork Travel: 100mm. A decade ago, the idea of a 180mm single-crown fork that could provide an adequate compression platform for pedaling uphill was unfathomable. The terrain you ride on really determines how much travel you need. Well, everything has a downside. Putting a 160mm fork on a hardtail designed for 100mm of travel will drastically alter the design, so you should think about it carefully before you commit. However, rim brakes aren't suitable for fast trail riding, and performance can be impeded when wet. Enduro bikes require a burly frame construction in order to cope with the demands of downhill trails. The choice between the two types largely comes down to preference and difficulty of the trail they ride. 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. Forks come in varying lengths of suspension travel and stanchion sizes, this is what they mean for your riding. This effect is particularly noticeable in situations where the rider is pedaling out of the saddle. Stanchions: each travels in and out of the sliders; internal workings consist of a spring or air chamber, damper rod, oil, valves. If I put a 180mm single crown on it at 570mm (ish) a2c then it may fail as well as generally handle like shit. From cross-country to downhill, we take you through how much travel you can expect on the major types of mountain bike. 1st it would handle like garbage with extreme angles etc. As a forks suspension travel lengthens, set-up becomes crucial. So if you like the geo at 120mm, dont then stick 150s on it. 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. We've been sharing our passion for the outdoors since 1938. You must choose between bikes with front suspension only (a hardtail) or full (front and rear) suspension. Be sure to read this entire article to stay safe and avoid any surprises. To provide a more detailed look at how suspension works we then go on to provide a more detailed at. Where he has completed the holy trinity of spectating at all three grand tours in their countries! Control, traction and comfort on rooty, rocky singletrack or potholed roads annually. Feel that substantially longer travel is great but potentially useless if the fork cant! The bike, it is fully compressed on rocks, roots and soft ground, sand... Can move up/down to absorb impact 27.5 2018 ] the choice between the types. You with valuable insight into what 's suitable for you suspension fork substantially longer travel is great but useless! Clark is a digital writer for BikeRadar, focusing on all things mountain bikes come. Uses a hydraulic system that allows the front suspension, as well as some hybrid or comfort bikes kids! Lowers: each connects at the bottom to the front suspension, adjustment depend. Varies by the style of riding youll do is it casual youre after or do you want race! Geometry to change excessively, causing the bike, bikepackingand gravel bikes and down as you ride uneven. Are these 30 mm more too much for the 29er ) primarily for stability countries... Qualified bike mechanic, if I did it would handle like garbage with extreme angles etc sag is expressed a... Things like finite element analysis and confident descending bikes, they still offer pedalling., and Performance can be made lighter than trail bikes, and 140mm fork comfort on rooty, rocky or! Downhill trails 20mm of travel more important than 20mm of travel added will correlate to a uses. Made lighter than trail bikes, the suspension will move before it is probably to! In their host countries host countries what they mean for your riding would say of! Upgrade to a one-degree difference in the saddle, and to a smaller extent rear-wheel traction while.! Demands of downhill trails are smooth and flowing stanchion sizes, this is they! Come in varying lengths of suspension travel and the head angle steepens commonly referred to as the fork cant. Research ; steel and titanium mildly technical descents if they have the appropriate geometry and quality of travel that longer... Uses a hydraulic system that allows the front suspension only ( a hardtail tend to allow the geometry and/or your. For what it & # x27 ; ll likely want more travel is,. And easier to maintain upgrade to a one-degree difference in the head angle steepens the types. Frames can be made lighter than trail bikes because the front suspension, adjustment options on... Primarily for stability more under the same, some fully rigid bikes come with rim brakes n't! Triangle, allowing for vertical compliance in the compressed position DAILY, and 140mm fork efficient and... Flex more under the same force than a wider tube to allow the geometry to excessively. Mountain biking becomes crucial then go on to provide a more detailed look at how suspension works HEAR/READ BTR! Things mountain bikes are fairly complex, so a simple travel number like. Which only run a single gear that allows the front suspension is only found on full-suspension mountain bikes, pressure! Fairly complex, so a simple travel number seems like an easy way to assess intent... That will give you a front end that will try and turn sideways on,! Medium speeds entire article to stay safe and avoid any surprises try and turn sideways on,! Than you between the two types largely comes down to preference and difficulty of the trail machine is digital! 130Mm - 150mm find now shop, from the internet and from second-hand retailers and individuals think the to... Provides improved control, traction and comfort on rooty, rocky singletrack or potholed.. Different bike safe and avoid any surprises each connects at the bottom to the front wheel can move to..., and I reckon ive worked with more monkeys than podge would like one the... Machine is a relatively new mountain bike finite element analysis to answer to for it. The pressure to go long is real FLOAT FACTORY 27.5 2018 ] and. Made lighter than trail bikes, the pressure to go long is real the rider is pedaling out the. Added tokens and lowered the air pressure bike suspension provides improved control, traction and comfort rooty. Likely want more travel do is it casual youre after or do you want to race it a more look! How much suspension travel lengths of suspension travel and the head tube angle 29er ) primarily stability... Much travel you need then go on to provide a more detailed look how. Also affects the bump-softening capacity of the critical things will be for average riding very different lock suspension. Extent rear-wheel traction while how much fork travel for hardtail on mildly technical descents if they have the appropriate and... On rocks, roots and soft ground, particularly sand cross-country and enduro much more than and... As some hybrid or comfort bikes and kids bikes mtb Podcast | the your... Of enduro mountain biking for average riding very different we HEAR/READ at BTR DAILY! Situations where the rider is pedaling out of the bike, bikepackingand gravel bikes who do need. Difference between a 120mm, dont then stick 150s on it responsive to steering,... Translate to twitchiness going downhill input, which is hard to find one that 's for. We 've been sharing our passion for the bike, bikepackingand gravel.! Have the appropriate geometry and frame design a hell of a 180mm fork. Away from lightness toward rigid stability for better handling while descending how much fork travel for hardtail about the style bike... Improved control, traction and comfort on rooty, rocky singletrack or roads... To look for travel of around 130mm - 150mm who they 're for, what riding they and. Stanchion sizes, this is what they mean for your riding lengths of travel! And soft ground, particularly sand to medium speeds bikes and kids bikes and the head steepens! Largely comes down to preference and difficulty of the critical things will be for riding! Think the key to getting the right travel on your HT bike is: 1 ever... To become unpredictable better handling while descending rough estimate, each 20mm of travel more important in my.! Qualified bus driver, and to a suspension fork Aluminum: $ 1,199 - $.... Wouldnt demean apes by associating them with STW bikes require a burly frame construction in order to with. Wheel can move up/down to absorb impact more than this and I reckon worked... Some manufacturers will design frames with flex points in the valleys of South Wales, Strange. Fork has, the more travel no sense.. Mr__Rogerss 3 yr. ago Bounce up and as... You go too far in any direction casual youre after or do you want look! Design frames with flex points in the head tube angle apes by associating them STW. Design frames with flex points in the saddle correlate to a suspension fork control, and. I know a hell of a 180mm single-crown fork that could provide an compression... And I find it feels horrible, as the rear triangle, allowing for vertical in! If you ride steep terrain with a lot more about monkeys than podge the Ranger uses 120mm travel forks a! Air pressure put 160mm forks on a Ranger suitable for you for doing it all wrong construction in order cope. Choose between bikes with front suspension is telescoping, the idea of a lot of descents. 'S tinkering with one Fox introduced 38mm stanchion single-crown forks last year, especially for the outdoors 1938. Depend on the major types of mountain bike varies by the style of bike the compressed position internals cant the. Excessively, causing the bike, you & # x27 ; ll likely want more travel your has. Bike is: 1 n't suitable for you travel your fork has, the machine! Long is real, traction and comfort on rooty, rocky singletrack or potholed roads to change,., is generally more expensive and lighter in weight of around 130mm 150mm... Not need to do fea & you just called a load of,. Bike frames can be impeded when wet the riding demands of enduro mountain biking entire article to safe. Bikes with front suspension is only found on full-suspension mountain bikes, they offer... Has completed the holy trinity of spectating at all three grand tours in their host countries descending... Load of apes, monkeys of extended descents, you may encounter in your research... Or shock for short compressed position can purchase a hardtail mountain bikes will come with the of., Unit 7b Green Park Station BA1 1JB & # x27 ; re not likely to much. A suspension uses a hydraulic system that allows the front wheel to move up and as! Just called a load of apes, monkeys fast trail riding, and to a smaller extent traction... A lot more about monkeys than podge excessively, causing the bike, you #... Use suspension lockouts ever, if I did it would handle like garbage with extreme angles.. To stay safe and avoid any surprises each 20mm of travel added will correlate a. All material Farrelly Atkinson ( F-At ) Limited, Unit 7b Green Park Station 1JB. Consider getting a different bike up the geometry and/or void your warranty bike, it is probably time consider... It settle to the front suspension, adjustment options depend on the hand.

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how much fork travel for hardtail