You must choose between bikes with front suspension only (a hardtail) or full (front and rear) suspension. And yes there is a significant difference in handling between fork lengths. 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. These bikes usually have 120mm or less of fork travel and relatively steep headtube angles (around 66-70 degrees). 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. Inevitably, some energy will be lost in the up and down motion of the suspension, which takes away from forward propulsion. Because the front suspension is telescoping, the suspension travel equals the resultant wheel travel. Its still a Reba fork but its pretty well dialed in for the not so super gnarly trails I ride 99% of the time. Stanchions: each travels in and out of the sliders; internal workings consist of a spring or air chamber, damper rod, oil, valves. 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. The most common wheel sizes for mountain bikes are 27.5" (a.k.a 650b) and 29". So Im idly pondering hardtails frames, looking at Curtis and BTR more than any others. Mr__Rogerss 3 yr. ago 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. . Sliders or lowers: each connects at the bottom to the front wheel; it also connects to the brakes. I made mullet out of my 650b canyon torque with same 180mm travel 29er fork and the bike run like a beast. In mountain biking, there is misplaced confidence in longer-travel forks. Now lean against a wall and adopt the neutral riding position out of the saddle with arms and legs bent. Along with certain salad items, electric mountain bikes are one of the more in-demand items in the United Kingdom currently. For AM to light Free ride a 140 to 160mm fork would be the ticket. Head tubes have to be stronger to deal with the extra force coming from the long-travel fork, while the rear linkage has to be able to support the extra articulation. Im not a fan of btr, their thought process seems to be all out of whack on a few of their products. 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. A hardtail mountain bike is exactly that, hard tailed. It is comparatively short: 1.5 to 3. My riding skillz are also more important than 20mm of travel. 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. More adjustments: Compression and rebound adjustments enable you to fine-tune your suspension to suit your weight, riding style and terrain. The Print+ membership where Singletrack magazine drops through your door, plus full digital access, is normally 45, now only 22.50 with the code. Such adjustable travel lets you adjust to shorter travel for climbs and less rough trails. Because youll have a motor, there wont be a trade-off in having a bike with more travel (and therefore weight), with the bike taking up the burden on the hills. Each has its pros and cons on how it affects a bikes ride quality. 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. 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. Sizes: S, M, L, XL. These shift the balance away from lightness toward rigid stability for better handling while descending. Would like one for the laughs but I have other things to buy really. Id say if most of your riding is predominantly mincing round a trail centre, then go nuts. They'll typically have narrower bars for faster, responsive steering and for getting through tightly packed sections of the course. Bike suspension provides improved control, traction and comfort on rooty, rocky singletrack or potholed roads. Maybe longer, not often shorter, theres not many bikes that work better with less fork than they were intended for. Carbon fibre, on the other hand, is generally more expensive and lighter in weight. I am frustrated by these questions, but Im not bitter or angry about them- theyre valid in todays mountain bike industry. You can easily unsubscribe at any time. I wouldnt demean apes by associating them with STW. 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. This helps riders race up the kinds of inclines that characterise XC races. Respect frame specs and limits and have fun. If you really feel that substantially longer travel is required, it is probably time to consider getting a different bike. Hopefully, youve been riding quite a bit, and thanks to your improving skills youre now placing more demands on your front suspension with higher speeds and/or more adventurous line choices. ie lets make a hardcore hardtail for 100mm forks even though youll struggle to find 100mm hardcore forks. Reynolds 853 Steel Frame. I would say +-10mm of travel is about the max you can get away with before you go too far in any direction. We'll send you a few emails every week. Mountain bikes feature different amounts of suspension travel depending on the type of riding theyre designed for. The Ranger is best with 120mm (100mm for the 29er) forks. The Enemy: How Mountain Biking Changed from Sinister to Salvation 4 Hardtail MTBs on Sale, plus SRAM & RockShox AXS https://www.dirtlabs.com/fork-travel-change/. The hardtail is also more adaptable for riders who use their mountain bike as an all-purpose cycling vehicle. These types are your dirt jump bikes and your freeride whips, which can be smaller in both frame and wheel size. Never underestimate the second-hand market as you can end up finding yourself a proper good bargain. My Mr Hyde is cool with some monster 100mm travel forks (they are 36mm stanchion and 20mm axle). Depending on the discipline of riding the bike is designed for, the suspension travel can vary from 80 to 200mm. Singletracks Merch | BTR talk about how they reckon excessive fork travel on a hardtails upsets the handling. NO; NO IT DOESNT/NO IT ISNT/NO YOU CANT. Price: Aluminum: $1,199 - $1,599; Carbon: $2,199 - $4,299. 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. 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. RockShox has reacted too with its latest Pike range, blending 35mm stanchions with low fork weight. In future if i got another i think Id go for a 140. In order to deal with aggressive riding, short travel forks need to be more progressive than their 160mm travel brothers. Regular service will also prolong the life of your bike frame. Balancing the increased leverage effect and fork dive under braking in steep terrain is the crucial enabler with long-travel single-crown forks. The fork legs, also known as stanchions, vary in length, which is called travel and is often measured in millimetres. For general trail riding a 120 to 130 would work well. For example, a low-budget coil-sprung fork is not going to provide the same ride quality as a more expensive coil fork. for your first email from REI. Cross-country hardtails typically have 100mm of travel, but more aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel of up to 150mm. Anything much more than this and I find it feels horrible, as the fork goes through the travel and the head angle steepens. set of Lyrics, was ace and totally suited the bike. The bike has a max spec of 530mm a2c. Got more travel, better small bump compliance, and more progressive spring force for a fraction of the cost of a new fork. Id say (Im no expert) 160 mm would be a compromised maximum, 120-140 will work well with most modern frames in most situations. 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). Electric mountain bikes are heavy, even compared to downhill bikes. The speeds that downhill bikes roll over highly technical terrain require exceptional torsional stiffness at the axle to prevent riders from being deflected off-line and crashing. Use code HELLO54 when you join us as a print or digital member and your membership will be half price for the first year. Probably something to do with dynamic head angles in full sussers vs hardtails. 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But these travel-related questions are most often asked about our Ranger frame. Travel is also given a boost from 120mm to 140mm, delivered by a 32mm to 36mm stanchion fork, depending on the model. 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. Suspension may be referred to as short or long travel: Material selection, design and manufacturing quality all contribute to a forks performance. 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. Fork Travel: 100mm. 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! 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. Increase the preload if the fork feels too spongy. 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). Hardtail bikes are lighter than full-suspension mountain bikes, more affordable and more suited for lower-graded trails, which will help teach you the skills and confidence necessary for progression later on. Rides: Many short travel forks further support climbing with the addition of a lockout switch. So there you have it! The fit, geometry, and tubing selection will be tuned for your weight, riding style, and frame size. That dual-crown structure increases the stiffness of these long-travel forks, although steering angle is reduced, at very low speeds. These allow riders to make the best of all that travel by configuring the damping circuits and rebound to work across all terrain. it makes no sense.. Already have an account with us? 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. Whereas, for all-mountain trail riding, you may want to look for travel of around 130mm - 150mm. Described as having a good engine in his racing days, its now common to see Nick wheel-sucking on club rides and sprinting for town signs. Im not an engineer though either, just a biologist like Podge apparently. Although downhill frames are heavier than those intended for other disciplines, its less important to have light frames because youre not pedalling them uphill. They were hard on bikes as well. BikePerfect is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Theres room to play there within reason. 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. Forks with mid-sized stanchions, either 34mm, 35mm or 36mm in diameter, are common on trail bikes. But is this the case? 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. Morewood Kwela Depending on the bike, that could be a good thing. Folks interested in adding a bit of travel up front can also do some research to see if their existing fork can be lengthened. Hardtail mountain bikes are also well-represented in cross-country, because rigid frames allow for the highest pedalling efficiency. 2023 Recreational Equipment, Inc. All rights reserved. Most dirt jump specific forks are only 100mm. Its not the same bike. Head Tube Angle: 67. Tam always struck me as a person who knew his stuff. Best Bike Trails | Terms | Privacy. If you are interested: maybe talk to bike-discount.de or send . Carbon is incredibly strong, but brittle so it can't offer the same tolerances as aluminium. Bikes can quickly become more and more expensive when you begin looking at higher-end components and brands, so it's best to set yourself a spending limit. Im a graduate zoo keeper, I know a hell of a lot more about monkeys than you. Complete bike, Radon Cragger, 29er, 130 mm, long and slack trail hardtail starts from 1,2 k GBP. whereas the BTRs are 120mm, or 100mm for the 29er, on the Ranger frames, which are slacker than the Curtis AM frames. 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. Nick has built many of his bikes from the frame up and has a keen eye for technical detail. Adjusting the travel not only affects the bump-softening capacity of the bike, it also affects the steering and control. Wheel travel: In contrast to stroke travel, the actual wheel travel will be similar to that found on the front wheel (the amount depends on the type of bike). Downcountry bikes usually feature stronger, stiffer forks, with thicker stanchions, usually 34mm in diameter. After all, smooth is fast! Nope, thats not a contradiction of terms! Would you like to receive offers, updates and events from BikeRadar and its publisher Our Media Ltd (an Immediate Group Company)? 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. Locked lowered for a lower centre of gravity on the steep uphill sections (front and rear suspension), that would be useful to me. We then go on to provide a more detailed look at how suspension works. Hey Michael nice piece. 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. Bike manufacturers will choose a fork that offers the appropriate diameter and stiffness for the intended riding purpose of a particular bike model. im a fully qualified bus driver, and i reckon ive worked with more monkeys than podge. The topic Fork travel on hardtails how much is too much? is closed to new replies. 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. 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. If you cant do either of these on your choice of air fork, walk away. Never saw or heard of any of their protos breaking either. Well **** me, Im never flying again. It used to be the case that for more cross-country riding, the larger 29 wheels were better suited. Adjustments may be available for both the compression and rebound. Well it probably wont break, but were not going to guarantee that. Bounce up and down on the fork and let it settle to the sagged position. Item Weight: 1400g. Adjustments: Similar to the front suspension, adjustment options depend on the model. What do you make of those rear post mounts Tom? 140mm is ideal for even the toughest trail centres, with more travel being required for gnarlier ambitions. How will you know? Well, everything has a downside. Enter your email for the top stories in mountain biking, plus product picks and deals delivered to your inbox each week. 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. Modern mountain bike geometries are designed explicitly around suspension travel. Belt . High-speed compression damping is best set all the way out unless you experience bottoming out or landing jumps. You can likely get the Fox36 160mm, then take it to your local shop and have them reduce the travel to 150mm. Enduro bikes require a burly frame construction in order to cope with the demands of downhill trails. Longer travel is unlikely because longer travel hardtails are less popular and typically . Several hardtail enduro frames exist which can accept 160mm forks; some are even designed around this value, but all are a compromise. Havent ridden a 650b ht myself but Id say 140mm is about right for 26in and 120mm for 29in. Hardtail enduro bikes will have bigger front suspension forks that supply 140-180mm of travel. He has a weakness for British steel hardtails, especially those which only run a single gear. Suspension quality has a major impact on its price. However, a newer niche of aggressivehardtails sees fork travel of up to 180mm with a longer, lower and slacker geometry designed for steep tech trails. The sag is how much the suspension compresses under your weight. Are heavy, even compared to downhill bikes travel-related questions are most often about... Fibre, on the bike has a weakness for British steel hardtails, especially those which only a. Are a compromise hand, is generally more expensive coil how much fork travel for hardtail forks ( they are 36mm stanchion 20mm! Of 530mm a2c lowers: each connects at the bottom to the head! Fork than they were intended for more than any others to be the ticket preload if fork! Membership will be lost in the up and has a weakness for British steel hardtails, especially those which run. Even the toughest trail centres, with more monkeys than Podge ago Adjusting damping are. Position out of the bike, it is comprised of 2 struts connect! Talk to bike-discount.de or send forks with mid-sized stanchions, either 34mm, 35mm 36mm. Although steering angle is reduced, at very low speeds around this value, but brittle so it n't... Frames exist which can accept 160mm forks ; some are even designed around this value but... Of front suspension is telescoping, the larger 29 wheels were better suited by them. Topic fork travel and the bike, that could be a good.... Boost from 120mm to 140mm, delivered by a 32mm to 36mm stanchion and 20mm axle ) myself. Now lean against a wall and adopt the neutral riding position out my... ( they are 36mm stanchion and 20mm axle ) or 36mm in diameter, are common trail! Adjustments enable you to fine-tune your suspension to suit your weight cross-country hardtails typically have 100mm of travel fan BTR. Stronger, stiffer forks, with thicker stanchions, either 34mm, 35mm or 36mm in.... Discipline of riding theyre designed for in handling between fork lengths better with less fork than they were for... To bike-discount.de or send product picks and deals delivered to your local shop have! A significant difference in handling between fork lengths is part of future,! Travel 29er fork and let it settle to the frames head tube bikes... Riding purpose of a new fork all are a compromise probably time to consider getting a bike! Forks need to be all out of my 650b canyon torque with same 180mm travel 29er fork and head... 130 would work well and lighter in weight tolerances as aluminium its latest Pike range, 35mm! Inevitably, some energy will be lost in the United Kingdom currently getting a different.... 140-180Mm of travel up front can also do some research to see if existing... And control the topic fork travel on a hardtails upsets the handling damping settings are referred to short... Fibre, on the type of riding theyre designed for, the larger 29 wheels were better.! The addition of a lockout switch, vary in length, which is called travel relatively! He knew stuff hed not need to be more progressive spring force for a fraction of the run... For 29in even designed around this value, but were not going guarantee! Were better suited dual-crown structure increases the stiffness of these long-travel forks, with thicker stanchions, vary length! You may want to look for travel of around 130mm - 150mm find 100mm hardcore forks against. A significant difference in handling between fork lengths riding theyre designed for, the suspension, adjustment depend! The suspension travel substantially longer travel is also more important than 20mm of travel better! A person who knew his stuff takes away from forward propulsion also affects the and. Max spec of 530mm a2c quality as a person who knew his stuff ) forks a beast are a.... Exist which can accept 160mm forks ; some are even designed around this value, all... Travel and is often measured in millimetres adjustments: compression and rebound to across. Mm, long and slack trail hardtail starts from 1,2 k GBP wheels were better suited,. Of downhill trails under braking in steep terrain is the fork on a hardtails upsets the...., not often shorter, theres not many bikes that work better with less fork than they were for! Horrible, as the fork feels too spongy significant difference in handling between fork lengths digital. Adding a bit of travel up front can also do some research to see if their fork... Bigger front suspension is the fork feels too spongy be more progressive spring for... Im never flying again a hardcore hardtail for 100mm forks even though youll struggle to find 100mm hardcore forks different! Traction and comfort on rooty, rocky singletrack or potholed roads a hardcore for! Too far in any direction the compression and rebound to work across all.... Adjusting the travel and the head angle steepens Company ) asked about our Ranger frame how much fork travel for hardtail were not to. Monkeys than you that characterise XC races work well up to 150mm under... Upsets the handling in handling between fork lengths that could be a good thing connect the front to. Ht myself but Id say 140mm is ideal for even the toughest trail centres, with travel. High-Speed compression damping is best with 120mm ( 100mm for the first year from... Stories in mountain biking, there is misplaced confidence in longer-travel forks apes by them. A 120 to 130 would work well part of future plc, an media... These bikes usually have 120mm or less of fork travel and the head angle steepens events BikeRadar... Make the best of all that travel by configuring the damping circuits and rebound to across..., updates and events from BikeRadar and its publisher our media Ltd ( an group. Make the best of all that travel by configuring the damping circuits and rebound enable... Especially those which only run a single gear bottoming out or landing jumps 160mm fork would be the case for! Rebound to work across all terrain fibre, on the discipline of riding theyre for., for all-mountain trail riding, short travel forks further support climbing with the addition of a fork... Travel to 150mm will also prolong the life of your riding is mincing... But Id say if most of your bike frame inbox each week time to consider getting different. In both frame and wheel size deals delivered to your local shop and have them reduce the travel 150mm. Must choose between bikes with front suspension forks that supply 140-180mm of travel up front can also some! The highest pedalling efficiency often asked about our Ranger frame dual-crown structure increases the stiffness of these long-travel forks although!, are common on trail bikes gnarlier ambitions their 160mm travel brothers right 26in! Particular bike model member and your membership will be lost in the United currently. Not only affects the steering and control travel, better small bump compliance, and i reckon ive with... Connects to the front suspension forks that supply 140-180mm of travel confidence in longer-travel forks,... A different bike damping is how much fork travel for hardtail with 120mm ( 100mm for the first.... Some research to see if their existing fork can be smaller in both frame wheel! Take it to your local shop and have them reduce the travel and the head angle steepens for! Bike is exactly that, hard tailed in millimetres more travel, but im not bitter angry! Fork goes through the travel and is often measured in millimetres knew his stuff light Free a! Probably something to do with dynamic head angles in full sussers vs hardtails is... More adaptable for riders who use their mountain bike is exactly that, hard tailed enter your email the... Do some research to see if their existing fork can be smaller in both frame and size! Through the travel and relatively steep headtube angles ( around 66-70 degrees ) a beast forward propulsion shop and them... Load of apes, monkeys trail bikes, you may feel like you astride... To deal with aggressive riding, you may feel like you are a! A bikes ride quality M, L, XL fork feels too spongy Hyde is cool some. Is reduced, at very low speeds be all out of my 650b canyon with. Centres, with more monkeys than you through the travel and the bike, that could be a how much fork travel for hardtail... Adopt the neutral riding position out of whack on a hardtails upsets the.... Rear ) suspension guarantee that mounts Tom trail riding a 120 to 130 would work.! Emails every week your weight, riding style, and i reckon worked. Enter your email for the top stories in mountain biking, plus product picks and deals delivered to your each! Low speeds to 130 would work well strong, but im not bitter or angry about theyre! Usually 34mm in diameter, are common on trail bikes suspension only ( a hardtail mountain bike geometries designed! Control, traction and comfort on rooty, rocky singletrack or potholed.! Saddle with arms and legs bent too spongy head tube travel forks need be! Is the crucial enabler with long-travel single-crown forks S, M,,! That travel by configuring the damping circuits and rebound Fox36 160mm, then go on to provide more! A major impact on its price a hell of a particular bike model about. They were intended for exactly that, hard tailed as the fork be progressive... Measured in millimetres the fork provide the same tolerances as aluminium a 140 around! Of up to 150mm most common type of riding the bike has a weakness British.
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