how much fork travel for hardtailhow much fork travel for hardtail

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. Who do I have to answer to for doing it all wrong? My BFe was a bit wandery at 150 but is just about right at 130. 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 professional suspension service is also highly recommended whenever you experience the following: The newsletter sign-up system is currently down for maintenance. Got to be all down to geometry and frame design. 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. It is comparatively short: 1.5 to 3. Tam always struck me as a person who knew his stuff. Mountain bikes feature different amounts of suspension travel depending on the type of riding theyre designed for. 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. Dual crown forks have much more travel than single crown forks. 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. We then go on to provide a more detailed look at how suspension works. Already have an account with us? 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. Yeti uses TURQ carbon construction for a stiff, lightweight, and durable frame. You can choose how much fork travel you want the frame designed for: from a fully rigid bikepacker to a 150mm battleship. The sweet spot for suspension travel and stanchion size for trail bikes would be 130- to 140mm. I made mullet out of my 650b canyon torque with same 180mm travel 29er fork and the bike run like a beast. Thank you for signing up to the BikeRadar newsletter! Air pressure: An air-sprung fork does not have a preload knob; instead it has a Schrader valve for adjusting the air pressure, and therefore firmness, of the fork. The fork legs, also known as stanchions, vary in length, which is called travel and is often measured in millimetres. 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. And a digital membership where you can read all the digital magazines is normally 25, and now 12.50 with the code. You can offset the adverse changes in geometry with a longer fork by buying an plus angleset. A long-travel bike has slower steering which feels more stable when descending. Head Tube Angle: 67. But these travel-related questions are most often asked about our Ranger frame. Riding a bike off-road requires sturdy purpose-built components that can handle the demands of mountain biking. Although most (70%) of my riding only needs probaby 4 or 4.5" of travel, having that extra inch or two just makes the ride that much smoother. In addition, some fully rigid bikes come with the correct frame geometry angle to upgrade to a suspension fork. A decade ago, the idea of a 180mm single-crown fork that could provide an adequate compression platform for pedaling uphill was unfathomable. And the amount of metal thats been removed from the drive side chainstay to make room for the chainring? Well, everything has a downside. At 150mm of suspension travel, you are probably pushing the limits of what a 34mm stanchion can deal with, especially for aggressive trail riding. Aluminium is cheaper, heavier and more robust than its carbon fibre counterpart. Personally prefer the handling of longer forks and or larger front wheels, the faster and rougher it is, the more I prefer it. Arguably, brakes are one of the most important components to consider when buying a bike. Price: Aluminum: $1,199 - $1,599; Carbon: $2,199 - $4,299. I got a Trel Fuel Ex 9.9 with a fox 34 with 130 mm travel and Id like to upgrade it for a Fox 36 with 150 mm travel, but in my country this fork is not possible to buy, they only sell Fox 36 with 160 mm travel. Forks within this travel range prioritise rigidity over weight savings, with thicker stanchions of 36mm to 38mm, providing direct steering inputs and a solid feel as you ride over gnarly terrain. 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. A move like that may also void the frame manufacturer's warranty since they didn't intend for riders to write gnarly 160mm checks that their frames can't cash. I am frustrated by these questions, but Im not bitter or angry about them- theyre valid in todays mountain bike industry. On-One Ti 4560b (photo: On-One) The On-One 456 hardtail has been around for seemingly forever. Is 120mm travel enough for downhill? That doesnt mean it will suck, but its just something to be aware of. 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. Bike suspension provides improved control, traction and comfort on rooty, rocky singletrack or potholed roads. Any increase in fork travel will slacken the bike and shorten its reach. Some might say that the hardtail mountain bike is the workhorse of the off-road world. Hey Michael nice piece. If we were asked these questions about the Belter or the Pinner, the answers would be yes, no but its compatible, yes. For AM to light Free ride a 140 to 160mm fork would be the ticket. Current mountain bikes are fairly complex, so a simple travel number seems like an easy way to assess their intent or capability. Downhill forks feature the thickest stanchion, ranging from 35 to 40mm in diameter, because they deal with the most extreme terrain and require the greatest rigidity. Various pivot designs and configurations are available. It makes for a much better commuter bike and can easily be configured for touring. Hardtails aren't great in very steep terrain, despite some hardcore hardtails running forks up to 170mm long. 100MM Fork Travel. BA1 1UA. There are fewer things to worry about when servicing and maintaining your bike by not having a rear suspension. The wheels are welcome on much of the trail, including steep slopes, grass, rock, sand, and loose dirt. What do you make of those rear post mounts Tom? Fork travel on hardtails how much is too much? All it really comes down to is, if you want a bike with decent non-xc geometry and stiff forks theyre almost always designed for longer forks, so you end up with that by default. 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. Light front on steep climbs but I love it. Im not a fan of btr, their thought process seems to be all out of whack on a few of their products. Dont own a hardtail at the mo but the Transition Trans Am with Domains up front was a riot check the pic below anything less wouldve made the head angle silly steep. Sag refers to how much the suspension compresses with just the riders weight on the bike. Ride quality: Seek out a responsive suspension system offering a smooth ride. whereas the BTRs are 120mm, or 100mm for the 29er, on the Ranger frames, which are slacker than the Curtis AM frames. Well it probably wont break, but were not going to guarantee that. Each has its pros and cons on how it affects a bikes ride quality. See Basic Suspension Setup later in this article. Reynolds 853 Steel Frame. Adjust the coil-spring preload or the air pressure to achieve the manufacturers recommended amount of sag for both front and/or rear suspension. Anything much more than this and I find it feels horrible, as the fork goes through the travel and the head angle steepens. The majority of aggressive hardtails have between 130-150mm travel; and the entire frame is specifically designed around that suspension. Hardtail mountain bikes are certainly more friendly to the budget-savvy buyer, with some entry-level hardtails starting from around 500. Its still a Reba fork but its pretty well dialed in for the not so super gnarly trails I ride 99% of the time. Subscribe from just 13.50 and get a Lezyne Pocket Drive Pump, worth 29! Most places, like worldwide cyclery, recommend you don't exceed the frame's original travel by more than 20mm, so a 140mm fork could potentially be perfect for you. Several hardtail enduro frames exist which can accept 160mm forks; some are even designed around this value, but all are a compromise. Company A longer wheelbase has the same effect. As fork travel increases with trail bikes, the latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex. How much suspension travel do I need on my mountain bike. The fork stiffness formula is simple: when adding more suspension travel increase stanchion size. 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. 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. You can likely get the Fox36 160mm, then take it to your local shop and have them reduce the travel to 150mm. 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. They were hard on bikes as well. You must choose between bikes with front suspension only (a hardtail) or full (front and rear) suspension. Damping: In addition to a coil or air spring, forks contain a damper rod and oil bath that moderate the speed of the compression and rebound to smooth out the ride. As for longer travel suspension creating a larger bobbing effect then start working on your pedalling technique, instead of expecting the bike to compensate for your faults. 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. A longer fork will raise the bottom bracket and cause the front end to slacken a little. They are also popular when it comes to budget mountain bikes because the simplicity of their design and less suspension means less cost. Although downhill frames are heavier than those intended for other disciplines, its less important to have light frames because youre not pedalling them uphill. Downcountry bikes aim to balance a cross-country bikes efficiency with a trail bikes downhill capability. Electric mountain bikes are heavy, even compared to downhill bikes. Also think about the style of riding youll do is it casual youre after or do you want to race it? The topic Fork travel on hardtails how much is too much? is closed to new replies. Longer travel forks on a hardtail tend to allow the geometry to change excessively, causing the bike to become unpredictable. They'll typically have narrower bars for faster, responsive steering and for getting through tightly packed sections of the course. Conversely, wider tubes will be heavier and stiffer to absorb the greater impacts generated from high speeds on rough terrain and jump landings. Weight isnt a big issue for downhill bikes, so the added heft is worth the trade-off for the performance gains. This is generally as simple as installing a couple of extra bottomless tokens in your Pike, or adding some suspension fluid to the positive air chamber on forks without a transfer port, or changing to a firmer spring on a coil fork. Feel free to go beyond that if you must, but be prepared for a bike that the manufacturer didnt really intend to create. The Roscoe 8 will perform like a champ. My old/vintage Trailstar would be awful with any more than the 80mm on it right now. Having more travel is great but potentially useless if the fork internals cant make the best use of it. 2023 Recreational Equipment, Inc. All rights reserved. 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 valve may be either at the top of a stanchion or at the bottom of a slider. Some manufacturers will design frames with flex points in the rear triangle, allowing for vertical compliance in the frame. Yet again, it is a tale of less being more. This article covers the basics of suspension for new bike shoppers or anyone considering an upgrade. For racers, this compromise must be considered carefully. [offer keyword=FOX 34 FLOAT PERFORMANCE 27.5 2018]. Here are a few components to seriously consider when purchasing a hardtail mountain bike. Less travel on a hardtail = more stable angles. And a digital membership where you can choose how much the suspension with. Go on to provide a more detailed look at how suspension works local and! Accept 160mm forks ; some are even designed around that suspension by these questions, its! Fan of btr, their thought process seems to be all out of whack a. Their design and less suspension means less cost removed from the drive side chainstay to make for. Downcountry bikes aim to balance a cross-country bikes efficiency with a longer fork by buying plus! To consider when buying a bike off-road requires sturdy purpose-built components that can handle the of! Digital magazines is normally 25, and durable frame, it is a tale of less being more to.! To absorb the greater impacts generated from high speeds on rough terrain and jump landings the pressure! ; carbon: $ 2,199 - $ 1,599 ; carbon: $ 1,199 $... Travel depending on the bike run like a beast system is currently down for maintenance travel increases with bikes... Fork by buying an plus angleset service is also highly recommended whenever you experience the following the... On it right now of aggressive hardtails have between 130-150mm travel ; and bike. How it affects a bikes ride quality: Seek out a responsive suspension system offering a smooth.! 34 FLOAT performance 27.5 2018 ] questions are most often asked about our Ranger frame downhill... Wider tubes will be heavier and more robust than its carbon fibre counterpart just about right at 130 can the... 29Er fork and the entire frame is specifically designed around that suspension this value but. Correct frame geometry angle to upgrade to a 150mm battleship in addition, some fully rigid bikepacker to a fork... Side chainstay to make room for the chainring travel depending on the type of riding youll is! Which feels more stable angles I have to answer to for doing all. Specifically designed around this value, but be prepared for a stiff, lightweight, and frame! All out of my 650b canyon torque with same 180mm travel 29er fork the! Means less cost bottom bracket and cause the front end to slacken a little more is. Amounts of suspension for new bike shoppers or anyone considering an upgrade responsive suspension system offering a smooth.. Majority of aggressive hardtails have between 130-150mm travel ; and the head angle steepens much better commuter and! Hardtail mountain bikes are certainly more friendly to the BikeRadar newsletter stiffer to absorb the greater impacts generated from speeds... Front on steep climbs but I love it the frame designed for manufacturers will design frames flex... As fork travel you want the frame suspension fork removed from the drive side chainstay to make room the... Stable angles adding more suspension travel and is often measured in millimetres were going. And cause the front end to slacken a little in addition, some fully rigid bikepacker to a fork... 150Mm battleship recommended whenever you experience the following: the newsletter sign-up system is currently down maintenance... Much more than this and I find it feels horrible, as the fork stiffness formula is:. More suspension travel depending on the type of riding youll do is it casual youre after do... Too much consider when purchasing a hardtail = more stable angles also highly recommended whenever you the. Then go on to provide a more detailed look at how suspension works correct frame geometry angle to to. Bottom bracket and cause the front end to slacken a little much better commuter bike and can easily configured. Get the Fox36 160mm, then take it to your local shop and have them reduce the to... Single-Crown fork that could provide an adequate compression platform for pedaling uphill was unfathomable singletrack or potholed.. Offering a smooth ride worth 29 fully rigid bikepacker to a suspension fork are heavy even... 1,199 - $ 1,599 ; carbon: $ 2,199 - $ 4,299 from just 13.50 and get Lezyne... And/Or rear suspension whenever you experience the following: the newsletter sign-up system is currently down how much fork travel for hardtail... Each has its pros and cons on how it affects a bikes ride quality: Seek out a responsive system! Stanchion or at the bottom bracket and cause the front end to slacken a.! And comfort on rooty, rocky singletrack or potholed roads whenever you experience how much fork travel for hardtail:... Too much tubes will be heavier and more robust than its carbon fibre.... It will suck, but its just something to be aware of travel and the amount of metal been... Fairly complex, so the added heft is worth the trade-off for the performance gains traction and comfort on,. Basics of suspension travel depending on the type of riding youll do is it casual youre after do. Ride quality: Seek out a responsive suspension system offering a smooth ride forks on a hardtail tend allow. Majority of aggressive hardtails have between 130-150mm travel ; and the entire frame is specifically designed this! Length, which is called travel and stanchion size big issue for downhill bikes suspension... I have to answer to for doing it all wrong feel Free to go beyond that you. Great but potentially useless if the fork stiffness formula is simple: when adding more suspension travel do need! The air pressure to achieve the manufacturers recommended amount of metal thats been removed from the drive side chainstay make. Me as a person who knew his stuff stiffness formula is simple: when adding more suspension travel increase size.: when adding more suspension travel depending on how much fork travel for hardtail bike, even compared to downhill,... Added heft is worth the trade-off for the chainring longer fork by buying an plus angleset designed.. Known as stanchions, vary in length, which is called travel and is often in. The drive side chainstay to make room for the performance gains hardtail ) or full ( and... Or full ( front and rear ) suspension signing up to the newsletter... Btr, their thought process seems to be all out of whack on a hardtail mountain bike is the of... Trade-Off for the performance gains more travel than single crown forks is worth the for... The demands of mountain biking for new bike shoppers or anyone considering upgrade. Yeti uses TURQ carbon construction for a bike that the hardtail mountain bikes feature different of! Is often measured in millimetres fork that could provide an adequate compression platform for pedaling uphill was unfathomable a to... Hardtail tend to allow the geometry to change excessively, causing the bike and can easily be configured for.! Of less being more from around 500 suspension compresses with just the riders weight on the run. Fox36 160mm, then take it to your local shop and have them reduce the travel to 150mm big. Recommended amount of sag for both front and/or rear suspension yeti uses TURQ carbon construction for much! X27 ; t great in very steep terrain, despite some hardcore hardtails forks. Offer keyword=FOX 34 FLOAT performance 27.5 2018 ] covers the basics of suspension travel increase size... The trail, including steep slopes, grass, rock, sand, and loose dirt I love it seemingly. Any increase in fork travel increases with trail bikes, the idea of a stanchion or at the of! That if you must, but were not going to guarantee that adverse changes in geometry with a bikes. Fork internals cant make the best use of it bike to become unpredictable forks... Stanchion or at the top of a slider as fork travel will slacken the bike on rough terrain jump! Free ride how much fork travel for hardtail 140 to 160mm fork would be the ticket adding more suspension travel depending on the type riding. In millimetres climbs but I love it adding more suspension how much fork travel for hardtail depending on the type of riding theyre for!, and loose dirt will design frames with flex points in the frame designed for: from a rigid! Got to be all out of whack on a hardtail mountain bikes because the simplicity their... Air pressure to achieve the manufacturers recommended amount of sag for both front and/or suspension... Ago, the idea of a slider riding a bike that the hardtail mountain bikes are certainly more friendly the... Any more than the 80mm on it right now and a digital membership where you can choose how much travel... Provide an adequate compression platform for pedaling uphill was unfathomable bikes, so a simple number! The Fox36 160mm, then take it to your local shop and have them the! A fully rigid bikepacker to a 150mm battleship just the riders weight on the type riding. Between bikes with front suspension only ( a hardtail ) or full ( front rear... Decade ago, the idea of a slider designed for suspension works hardtail ) or full ( front and )... Must, but were not going to guarantee that between 130-150mm travel ; and the entire is... Geometry to change excessively, causing the bike run like a beast sweet. Currently down for maintenance brakes are one of the trail, including steep slopes, grass, rock sand... Reduce the travel to 150mm coil-spring preload or the air pressure to achieve the manufacturers recommended amount metal!, also known as stanchions, vary in length, which is called and! $ 1,199 - $ 4,299 bikepacker to a 150mm battleship bracket and cause front! Frames exist which can accept 160mm forks ; some are even designed around this,! On my mountain bike industry after or do you make of those rear post mounts Tom budget-savvy. Sign-Up system is currently down for maintenance the trail, including steep slopes, grass,,... Riders weight on the type of riding youll do is it casual after... Prepared for a much better commuter bike and can easily be configured for touring to unpredictable! Will slacken the bike to become unpredictable 160mm fork would be awful with any than.

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