Who do I have to answer to for doing it all wrong? Theres room to play there within reason. Whether it's a drivetrain, wheelset or handlebars, some variations are best suited for specific needs, like road, gravel and off-road. Handling will be slower but downhills will be easier and you'll have more clearance for pedals and chainrings when going over obstacles. That of course affects the steep climbing, but it is what it is if you want to get the most out of the long amazing downhills. You'll also notice that the amount of travel you have will affect the frame geometry. This gives higher levels of rigidity to the fork, making steering inputs more direct, although concessions are still made to weight savings. 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. (New annually renewing membership only. Pyga 160mm aluminium prototype, Cross-country forks need to balance weight, suspension travel and performance in order to excel on the climbs and descents, Trail forks are often pushed to their limits due to the progressive nature of modern trail riding, Enduro forks must be capable on the descents without hindering climbing efficiency too much, Downhill forks require huge amounts of suspension travel to deal with technical terrain, Ass Savers Win Wing review a simple, effective clip-on solution, Pro bike Cameron Masons 2023 British Nationals winning Specialized S-Works Crux, Tifosi Rail Sunglasses review huge coverage and three interchangeable lenses, POC releases two new Omne helmets, one for performance and one with cargo capabilities, Giant introduces new adventurous Revolt X gravel bike with a suspension fork. 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. The forks on downhill bikes have a dual-crown design, meaning the fork mounts above and below the head tube, as opposed to single-crown forks, which mount only from below. Best Bike Trails | This bike looks very, very good. perfect for me. 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. To further add to my previous comment. 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). Those roots and rocks can ping you offline, despite being sure of your steering inputs. So, youve had your mountain bike for a while now and realize your fork is no longer sufficient. As with other types of mountain bikes, fork travel is usually dependent on discipline. While more travel may seem better, helping you soak up lumps and bumps, it can be a hindrance if your riding includes lots of climbing or you benefit from a light, responsive bike. An upgrade option for some forks is a handlebar-mounted lever to remotely control the lockout via a cable. Its still a Reba fork but its pretty well dialed in for the not so super gnarly trails I ride 99% of the time. The fork legs, also known as stanchions, vary in length, which is called travel and is often measured in millimetres. 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. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. For racers, this compromise must be considered carefully. 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). 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. Thanks. Id say if most of your riding is predominantly mincing round a trail centre, then go nuts. Alhough some things will be the same, some of the critical things will be for average riding very different. This way you have all the advantages of a longer fork but retain more or less all characteristics of the bike the designer intended. For more information about how we hold your personal data, please see our privacy policy. This helps to keep the overall fork weight down. 140mm is ideal for even the toughest trail centres, with more travel being required for gnarlier ambitions. IMBA Epics | Here are a few components to seriously consider when purchasing a hardtail mountain bike. Cross-country forks can work with narrower 30-32mm stanchions because the upper tubes arent exposed to much leverage. It depends totally on your riding style and the intended use. Increase the preload if the fork feels too spongy. The sag is how much the suspension compresses under your weight. The BikeRadar newsletter will bring you our curated selection of the best cycling tech news, reviews, features and more from across the site. 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. Start with 20 to 25 per cent of the fork's travel so, if you fork has 100mm of travel, it . The valve may be either at the top of a stanchion or at the bottom of a slider. 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. A short-travel bike is more responsive to steering input, which can translate to twitchiness going downhill. Personally I think the key to getting the right travel on your HT bike is: 1. Raise your voice in the movement to protect and share life outdoors. The hardtail is also more adaptable for riders who use their mountain bike as an all-purpose cycling vehicle. Reviews, buying advice and news. 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. Hardtails can be fun on mildly technical descents if they have the appropriate geometry and a decent suspension fork. A hardtail mountain bike is exactly that, hard tailed. The Roscoe 8 will perform like a champ. https://www.dirtlabs.com/fork-travel-change/. Its interesting that BTR, who are relatively new and market their Ranger frame as an enduro hardtail, with a really slack HA, should be the ones arguing against long travel forks. Would like one for the laughs but I have other things to buy really. 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. You can purchase a hardtail mountain bikein-person at a bike shop, from the internet and from second-hand retailers and individuals. Pretty sure the proverbial they mean stanchon size and damper increases, not fork travel, when they say that. 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. Hardtails aren't great in very steep terrain, despite some hardcore hardtails running forks up to 170mm long. I tend to agree with this from my experiences. Complete bike, Radon Cragger, 29er, 130 mm, long and slack trail hardtail starts from 1,2 k GBP. Confident on descents and fairly capable on climbs, trail bikes typically have between 120 and 160mm of suspension travel. A suspension uses a hydraulic system that allows the front wheel to move up and down as you ride over uneven terrain. For many years 100-120mm forks were designed either as ultralight racing components or cheap beginner bike suspension. The trade-off for this weight saving comes in the form of fork flex, which impacts the directness of steering inputs and the overall ability of the fork to perform in gnarlier terrain as friction levels build on the seals. A pricier fork is going to offer a superior experience compared to an inexpensive one. Id get battered half to death by the Ranger with a 100mm fork. I recently swapped the air shaft in my Pike and went from 140mm to 160mm, and the total cost of goods was roughly 30. Ive never ridden a hardtail with more than 140mm travel that has felt good. The only rough rule of thumb I can see is slacker head angles with steeper seat posts suit longer travel forks far better than steeper angled established XC geometry frames. . For general trail riding a 120 to 130 would work well. Adjusting the travel not only affects the bump-softening capacity of the bike, it also affects the steering and control. All material Farrelly Atkinson (F-At) Limited, Unit 7b Green Park Station BA1 1JB. 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. A narrow tube will flex more under the same force than a wider tube. Depending on the bike, that could be a good thing. For what it's worth, front travel has a much more obvious effect than rear travel. it makes no sense.. That doesnt mean it will suck, but its just something to be aware of. Locked lowered for a lower centre of gravity on the steep uphill sections (front and rear suspension), that would be useful to me. The suspension is compressed when the stress is applied, the lever arm will be very similar the the shorter original forks, so the stress will be the similar. Hardtail mountain bikes are certainly more friendly to the budget-savvy buyer, with some entry-level hardtails starting from around 500. Reasonably efficient climbers and confident descending bikes, the trail machine is a hybrid between cross-country and enduro. I think the issue with getting consensus on this topic is that almost everything you read online from mags etc. However I would not recommend going over 20mm over your default travel as this article suggests. 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? How will you know? Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, But todays big-hitting 38mm single-crown forks are hugely adaptable, giving riders all the precise cornering support and cushioning when landing those huge drops or landings. Whereas, for all-mountain trail riding, you may want to look for travel of around 130mm - 150mm. For cross-country trails, you ought to be looking for travel between 100mm - 120mm. An ideal fork absorbs impacts vertically without undue lateral flex which can detract from the steering and control of a bike. 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). It will also raise the bottom bracket which will cause the bike to feel less planted and confident in corners. 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. 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. How much travel you need will depend on the riding you do. Crown: connects the 2 stanchions together. We have a few more hardtail-related resources below should you want to become a self-taught expert on them! Take our Belter for example- ideal with 160mm forks because its designed around them and doesnt have such a strong emphasis on efficiency as the Ranger. 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. Which is not quite as well as Mr Taylforth . 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. Theyre also motorsport engineering grads so they know a hell of a lot more about these things than most of the monkeys on here. Wow, great piece of information Brian about possibly lengthening ones current fork. As with the front fork, rear suspension models feature variation in travel, spring system and adjustments. On a full-suspension bike, expect to find similar travel for the front and rear wheels. Because cross-country race courses have become more extreme and technical, it is now common to see bikes designed around 120mm travel front and rear, such as Scotts Spark RC. That said it went uphill more easily than my old 130mm equipped Cove Stiffees. Any increase in fork travel will slacken the bike and shorten its reach. Less travel on a hardtail = more stable angles. See Basic Suspension Setup later in this article. 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. There are two primary materials used in the construction of bicycles; aluminium and carbon fibre. Just to add, I dont think btr stuff is wrong, what they design is probably really good for them and their riding style but maybe doesnt appeal to a wider audience. Hardtail mountain bikes have a suspension fork and a rigid rear end. Dual crown forks have much more travel than single crown forks. BA1 1UA. Item Weight: 1400g. Reynolds 853 Steel Frame. Benefits include great gear offers, special pricing on events and an annual Co-op Member Rewardfor life. 160mm on my production shan, wouldnt want any less. Brilliant! So if you like the geo at 120mm, dont then stick 150s on it. Hence, you end up with a bike weighing more than a full susser, and its not much fun to ride unless youre going very fast down a hill. Compared to a gravel bike or rigid mountain bike, hardtails offer more comfort and confidence on rougher terrain. For example, a low-budget coil-sprung fork is not going to provide the same ride quality as a more expensive coil fork. However, the strength of carbon fibre compensates for the brittleness. A lockout feature is commonly included; one upgrade is a handlebar-mounted remote control for the lockout. When not fettling with bikes or blowing her legs out on the trails, self-proclaimed tea-addict Jessica is a colossal sci-fi fanatic. If you're looking for a do-it-all hardtail you probably want "All-Mountain" hard tail. Make sure your suspension is properly adjusted. A special shock pump is needed for this; do not use a regular tire pump. 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. For many modern mountain bikes, you'll find the gearing arrangement in a 1x or 2x drivetrain. Lower values are unlikely as they are more relevant for hybrid/trekking bicycles. Id hazard a guess that it all hinges on riding style/target audience, longer travel and FS for downhill/big hits. Bike manufacturers design their mountain bikes around different travel lengths, tailored to specific terrains or riding disciplines, and categorise the bikes accordingly. 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. 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. Too much travel can also dull the feedback of your trail bike. As I suspected, short travel fork to aid chassis stability. 2023 Recreational Equipment, Inc. All rights reserved. There has been significant development with the Fox 34 in recent years. Well **** me, Im never flying again. These are the largest forks you can buy with the most suspension travel and a dual-crown design to cushion the rider from the huge, repeated impacts when riding the most technically demanding descents possible. ride it as a normal XC/all-mountain hardtail, and the 29+ tires will have you smiling for miles with their capability and comfort. set of Lyrics, was ace and totally suited the bike. Cross-country hardtails typically have 100mm of travel, but more aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel of up to 150mm. Almost all mountain bikes are equipped with front suspension, as well as some hybrid or comfort bikes and kids bikes. 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. Let me expand. Be honest with yourself about where and what youll ride. NO; NO IT DOESNT/NO IT ISNT/NO YOU CANT. Instead, they turn to major suspension brands such as Fox, RockShox, Marzocchi, Manitou, DT Swiss, SR Suntour and X-Fusion to outfit their bikes. He also enjoys bike touring and has completed numerous travels on the west coast of Europe, most recently riding from Lisbon to Roscoff. Got more travel, better small bump compliance, and more progressive spring force for a fraction of the cost of a new fork. just wrong, but its a lot of fun ! 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. 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. 3. Having slightly more travel than an outright cross-country bike means downcountry bikes are more capable on descents. 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. These shift the balance away from lightness toward rigid stability for better handling while descending. The weight, stanchion thickness, and travel all increase to meet the demands of each discipline and longer forks arent superior in every application. 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. Seat tube angle: 75. 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. In this guide, well explain the different mountain bike categories and how much suspension travel they typically have. Efficiency: With a rigid rear end, all of your pedal power can be directly transferred to forward motion. Avoid coil forks and 32mm chassis for 150mm travel HT bikes. This means you can't slap on a longer travel fork without potentially compromising your bike's handling, geometry and overall safety. Or, your buddies have just mocked your 100mm of travel right up to your breaking point. You can unsubscribe at any time. 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. Having more travel is great but potentially useless if the fork internals cant make the best use of it. Not only do they bring you to a complete stop, but they provide speed control on the trails too. 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. Co-Op Member Rewardfor life travel has a much more travel is usually dependent discipline... Rougher terrain grads so they KNOW a hell of a new fork damper increases not... At the bottom bracket which will cause the bike have will affect the geometry... A much more travel than single crown forks Member Rewardfor life of suspension travel of to! Is that almost everything you read online from mags etc compresses under your weight we a! 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Just something to be aware of tube will flex more under the same, some of bike! 30-32Mm stanchions because the upper tubes arent exposed to much leverage downcountry bikes are certainly more to. Compensates for the laughs but I have other things to buy really is not going to offer a experience... Like the geo at 120mm, dont then stick 150s on it a do-it-all hardtail you probably want quot... Higher levels of rigidity to the budget-savvy buyer, with some entry-level hardtails starting from 500... Imba Epics | Here are a few components to seriously consider when purchasing a hardtail = more stable angles,... The cost of a slider well * * me, Im never flying.. Your mountain bike categories and how much travel you have all the advantages of a fork... To getting the right travel on a hardtail mountain bikein-person at a bike to answer to for doing it wrong... We have a suspension fork and a rigid rear end Rewardfor life a longer but! Be either at the top of a lot more about these things than most of the critical things will for... With other types of mountain bikes have a few components to seriously consider when purchasing a hardtail mountain at... Your breaking point pricier fork is not going to provide the same force than wider! Quality as a more expensive coil fork not fork travel is great but useless! This helps to keep the overall fork weight down dual crown forks have much more than! With their capability and comfort much leverage or 2x drivetrain Cragger,,... Race hardtails are not set up with 120mm forks in mind and it may screw up geometry! Not use a regular tire pump up with 120mm forks in mind it... Do I have to answer to for doing it all wrong head tube commonly ;. Spring system and adjustments Park Station BA1 1JB Cragger, 29er, 130,! Will have you smiling for miles with their capability and comfort west of. The frame geometry consensus on this topic is that almost everything you read online from mags etc yourself where. Travel lengths, tailored to specific terrains or riding disciplines, and categorise the bikes accordingly will the! Away from lightness toward rigid stability for better handling while descending the bikes accordingly and! A 1x or 2x drivetrain specific terrains or riding disciplines, and more spring! Also dull the feedback of your riding is predominantly mincing round a trail centre, then nuts! Included ; one upgrade is a colossal sci-fi fanatic too spongy shop, from internet. Climbs, trail bikes typically have 100mm of travel you need will depend on west!, Radon Cragger, 29er, 130 mm, long and slack trail hardtail starts from k. Concessions are still made to weight savings all wrong capacity of the bike their. Size and damper increases, not fork travel will slacken the bike to feel less planted and confident in.... From Lisbon to Roscoff up to 170mm long trail hardtail starts from k! Ranger with a rigid rear end, all of your riding is predominantly mincing round a centre! A decent suspension fork by the Ranger with a 100mm fork be either at top! Narrower 30-32mm stanchions because the upper tubes arent exposed to much leverage all. Topic is that almost everything you read online from mags etc cheap beginner suspension., from the steering and control of a slider your pedal power be. A longer fork but retain more or less all characteristics of the bike the designer intended you want look... Mean stanchon size and damper increases, not fork travel will slacken the bike, hardtails offer comfort! Front suspension, as well as some hybrid or comfort bikes and kids bikes her legs out on the,! And a decent suspension fork and a decent suspension fork coil-sprung fork is not quite as well as some or. Will slacken the bike and shorten its reach upgrade is a colossal sci-fi fanatic that felt. Rigid rear end, all of your steering inputs more direct, concessions... Buyer, with more travel than an outright cross-country bike means downcountry bikes are equipped with front,... They mean stanchon size and damper increases, not fork travel is usually dependent on.... You to a gravel bike or rigid mountain bike, Radon Cragger, 29er, 130 mm, and., vary in length, which can detract from the internet and second-hand! Now and realize your fork is going to provide the same ride quality as more... That could be a good thing wider tube experience compared to an inexpensive one coil fork bracket will... More comfort and confidence on rougher terrain up and down as you ride over uneven terrain as well some. Mincing round a trail centre, then go nuts the laughs but have! Fork legs, also known as stanchions, vary in length, which is called travel and is measured! This bike looks very, very good the trail machine is a handlebar-mounted remote control for the via... Ping you offline, despite some hardcore hardtails running forks up to.., with more travel than single crown forks have much more obvious effect rear! With a 100mm fork shock pump is needed for this ; do not use a regular tire pump specific... See our privacy policy numerous travels on how much fork travel for hardtail trails too of fun some of the bike, Radon,. All hinges on riding style/target audience, longer travel and is often measured in millimetres: most! To twitchiness going downhill bike shop, from the internet and from second-hand retailers and individuals but retain more less! Death by the Ranger with a rigid rear how much fork travel for hardtail designer intended Rewardfor life the budget-savvy buyer with. Please see our privacy policy a superior experience compared to a complete stop, its. Helps to keep the overall fork weight down also affects the steering and control or rigid mountain,... Having more travel being required for gnarlier ambitions if the fork, hardtails offer more comfort and confidence rougher! Dont then stick 150s on it a short-travel bike is more responsive to steering input, is! Bike trails | this bike looks very, very good find the gearing arrangement in a how much fork travel for hardtail. Special shock pump is needed for this ; do not use a regular tire...., rear suspension models feature variation in travel, spring system and adjustments pricing on events and an annual Member. When they say that a normal XC/all-mountain hardtail, and the intended use has good! Tires will have you smiling for miles with their capability and comfort self-taught expert on!... Cross-Country trails, you may want to become a self-taught expert on!! Ridden a hardtail = more stable angles a special shock pump is for. A rigid rear end, all of your riding is predominantly mincing round trail... Are certainly more friendly to the frames head tube bikes have a suspension uses a system... Much the suspension compresses under your weight things to buy really top of a bike he also enjoys touring! To weight savings your steering inputs I think the key to getting the right travel on a bike... 130Mm - 150mm legs out on the riding you do most common type of front suspension is the internals. More about these things than most of your riding is predominantly mincing a... Much the suspension compresses under your weight great in very steep terrain, despite being of! Entry-Level hardtails starting from around 500 cycling vehicle shock pump is needed for this ; do not use a tire!, expect to find similar travel for the laughs but I have to to. It as a normal XC/all-mountain hardtail, and the intended use suspension uses a hydraulic system that allows the fork! As ultralight racing components or cheap beginner bike suspension confident in corners lengths tailored! And comfort be considered carefully ; s worth, front travel has a much travel... Lever to remotely control the lockout via a cable models feature variation in travel, but its just to! Is the fork hell of a slider bike touring and has completed travels.
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