160mm preferably. This effect is particularly noticeable in situations where the rider is pedaling out of the saddle. 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. 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. It will not be exact but it will come close. ie lets make a hardcore hardtail for 100mm forks even though youll struggle to find 100mm hardcore forks. The fit, geometry, and tubing selection will be tuned for your weight, riding style, and frame size. So Im idly pondering hardtails frames, looking at Curtis and BTR more than any others. I know who have been building bikes for longer, but do you reckon theres anything in BTRs reasoning? If you ride steep terrain with a lot of extended descents, you'll likely want more travel. The hardtail is also more adaptable for riders who use their mountain bike as an all-purpose cycling vehicle. 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. I am frustrated by these questions, but Im not bitter or angry about them- theyre valid in todays mountain bike industry. Any unusual collapse or resistance to normal function. Here is a link that should help sort this out. They are designed to straddle the line between enduro bikes and cross-country bikes, providing a ride thats fun but capable. Light front on steep climbs but I love it. Bolted onto the frame are quality components, like a SRAM XX1 Eagle drivetrain and a Fox Factory 34 fork on the top-end model. You can reasonably change fork travel, up or down, by 10mm. Thanks. A special shock pump is needed for this; do not use a regular tire pump. It is comparatively short: 1.5 to 3. For pretty much XC or dirt jump, go with a 100mm XC or dirt jump fork. Downhill mountain biking is solely about descending, with huge dampers that react intuitively to terrain impacts and help maintain the front tire's contact with the ground when cornering and braking. Check out our handy second-hand buyer's guide to be aware of the pitfalls. for your first email from REI. Having said that I plan to put a 150mm fork at 530mm (ish of course) that will slacken out the stock angles and modify the handling in an acceptable way. Bottom line: They all work well, and the average recreational rider is unlikely to notice significant differences in suspension performance. Cheers! And the amount of metal thats been removed from the drive side chainstay to make room for the chainring? Although many cross-country bikes are now moving over to full-suspension set-ups, there's still a large population of XC riders who love riding and racing on hardtails. 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. Is 120mm travel enough for downhill? There are fewer things to worry about when servicing and maintaining your bike by not having a rear suspension. Some brands run demo days at bike parks and trail centres where you can get advice and take a bike out for a spin on the trails. Hardtails have front suspension only, facilitated by a component known as a fork. And if you want to take your . Shorter suspension travel forks also bob less when climbing up steep trails in a standing position. The Roscoe 8 2023 - Best Hardtail Mountain Bike Under $2000. Steel the big line. Along with certain salad items, electric mountain bikes are one of the more in-demand items in the United Kingdom currently. It pretty much requires 160mm minimum and 36. Your Manzanita hardtail will be designed and built for you. I wouldnt demean apes by associating them with STW. 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. For example, a low-budget coil-sprung fork is not going to provide the same ride quality as a more expensive coil fork. Not sure how that can be accurate. 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. However, rim brakes aren't suitable for fast trail riding, and performance can be impeded when wet. If you are interested: maybe talk to bike-discount.de or send . Confident on descents and fairly capable on climbs, trail bikes typically have between 120 and 160mm of suspension travel. 120mm on 26er Sanderson. Air-sprung shocks are common on cross-country and trail bikes; coil-sprung shocks are often used on freeride and downhill bikes. The choice between the two types largely comes down to preference and difficulty of the trail they ride. We have a few more hardtail-related resources below should you want to become a self-taught expert on them! This means you can't slap on a longer travel fork without potentially compromising your bike's handling, geometry and overall safety. Depends on the hardtail! Im having fun on a 140mm 32.5lbs 29er hardtail riding natural trails at mince to medium speeds. in my fork to get more travel out of it. Obviously the tracks out there are always ****, and half the time it was just a case of hanging on for dear life rather than actually riding. NO; NO IT DOESNT/NO IT ISNT/NO YOU CANT. Excludes Gift Memberships, Discount applies to first year. Part of upgrading your fork is deciding where you want to optimize performance and where youre willing to sacrifice. Im not an engineer so Ive no legitimate idea beyond frowning and wondering is that really strong enough?. Balancing the increased leverage effect and fork dive under braking in steep terrain is the crucial enabler with long-travel single-crown forks. Who do I have to answer to for doing it all wrong? Jan 11, 2014. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, 2023 Recreational Equipment, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Build quality: High-end models have superior technical design and construction and offer a longer life with regular maintenance and servicing. Lower values are unlikely as they are more relevant for hybrid/trekking bicycles. Rear suspension is only found on full-suspension mountain bikes, and is commonly referred to as the rear shock, or shock for short. Hitting 3' drops is like hitting a root, they are so . Thank you for signing up to the BikeRadar newsletter! In future if i got another i think Id go for a 140. Several hardtail enduro frames exist which can accept 160mm forks; some are even designed around this value, but all are a compromise. Start with 20 to 25 per cent of the fork's travel so, if you fork has 100mm of travel, it . This added frame construction makes the frame heavier, impacting efficiency when going uphill, but the pay-off is worth it when coming back down. Preload: A coil-sprung fork often has a knob on top of one of the stanchions to allow for the unweighted tension on the spring to be increased or decreased. Arguably, brakes are one of the most important components to consider when buying a bike. The sweet spot for suspension travel and stanchion size for trail bikes would be 130- to 140mm. The 45650B gets its name from its ability to run 4, 5, or 6-travel forks, and its 650B (27.5) wheels. Most full suspension bikes come with roughly matching suspension travel in the front and rear. Some shops may even allow you to ride around the car park to get a sense of how you feel about it. Depending on the bike, that could be a good thing. 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. Singletracks Merch | Too much travel can also dull the feedback of your trail bike. For pretty much XC or dirt jump, go with a 100mm XC or dirt jump fork. Fork travel on hardtails how much is too much? Conversely, wider tubes will be heavier and stiffer to absorb the greater impacts generated from high speeds on rough terrain and jump landings. 1st it would handle like garbage with extreme angles etc. As a result, enduro bikes have to perform well on technical descents while providing a decent pedalling platform to get you to the top of the trail in good time. Excessive oil leak onto the stanchions around the top of the sliders. Depends on the hardtail- give it forks as long as it wants. Forks with mid-sized stanchions, either 34mm, 35mm or 36mm in diameter, are common on trail bikes. You can offset the adverse changes in geometry with a longer fork by buying an plus angleset. Efficiency: With a rigid rear end, all of your pedal power can be directly transferred to forward motion. Various pivot designs and configurations are available. In addition, you're not likely to notice much difference between a 120mm, 130mm, and 140mm fork. Almost all mountain bikes are equipped with front suspension, as well as some hybrid or comfort bikes and kids bikes. They were hard on bikes as well. When designers create bikes, they do so with a holistic view that pairs geometry and spec list with the bikes intended use. Some manufacturers will design frames with flex points in the rear triangle, allowing for vertical compliance in the frame. 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. While the 27.5" wheel is lighter; of course, but can also be more nimble for technical riding. For a full-suspension bike 160mm travel can be great; there can be no denying that many 160mm travel full-suspension bikes exist which are incredibly capable down hills as well as being plenty efficient up them. whereas the BTRs are 120mm, or 100mm for the 29er, on the Ranger frames, which are slacker than the Curtis AM frames. In addition, some fully rigid bikes come with the correct frame geometry angle to upgrade to a suspension fork. Youve probably reached this conclusion in one of two ways. If you use a 34mm stanchion fork at the upper reaches of its travel, there might be a higher risk of terrain-induced steering deflection due to flex. 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. You can easily unsubscribe at any time. Its still a Reba fork but its pretty well dialed in for the not so super gnarly trails I ride 99% of the time. Longer is better. It will also raise the bottom bracket which will cause the bike to feel less planted and confident in corners. When pedalling uphill Im not going fast enough to feel any difference, any extra weight in the fork is a bonus as it helps keep the front wheel on the ground. The main advantage of an air-sprung fork is its lighter weight, which translates to less effort when pedaling, especially uphill. Im not a fan of btr, their thought process seems to be all out of whack on a few of their products. However I would not recommend going over 20mm over your default travel as this article suggests. Downcountry is a relatively new mountain bike discipline and isnt that well defined as a result. Not really. 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. Anyone can join and everyone belongs. 140mm is ideal for even the toughest trail centres, with more travel being required for gnarlier ambitions. Trust me; weve thought about it, tested it (and many other weird and wonderful combinations), and proven it to our own satisfaction as well as many others! As forks get longer, stanchions also increase in diameter to prevent the fork from flexing like a wet noodle. Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. Already have an account with us? 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. 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. There has been significant development with the Fox 34 in recent years. Downcountry bike frames can be made lighter than trail bikes because the demand on the frame is less. Trail bikes at the longer end of the suspension-travel spectrum cross the boundary into all-mountain. Join once, enjoy forever. Got more travel, better small bump compliance, and more progressive spring force for a fraction of the cost of a new fork. There are two primary materials used in the construction of bicycles; aluminium and carbon fibre. Hard tails being generally used for less violent activities, so very long travel may be detrimental to that demographic who would typically not need so much travel, and possible extra bounce it brings and favor a lighter more agile build? Jump Bikes Enduro bikes are designed to meet the demands of enduro racing, which consists of multiple downhill stages that riders have to reach within a set time limit. He also enjoys bike touring and has completed numerous travels on the west coast of Europe, most recently riding from Lisbon to Roscoff. Whereas, for all-mountain trail riding, you may want to look for travel of around 130mm - 150mm. The original forks only go back on when I want to sell the bikes. The Curtis AM hardtails are all designed round 140mm, even the 29er, whereas the BTRs are 120mm, or 100mm for the 29er, on the Ranger frames, which are slacker than the Curtis AM frames. 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. What they said IMHO hardtails are used more for mincing along stuff* than for full on DH so less travel is generally required, I found my 456 to be a front end light going up hill with 140 and use TALAS if i had to pick i would have gone for 120 mm personally, * i have 100 mm 26 er and yes i could ride the lakes and proper mountains on it but honestly I would be using my FS for such a task. Shorter travel forks are generally aimed at cross-country mountain biking, designed to balance performance, lightweight and just enough suspension travel to help smooth out bumpy singletrack. The weight, stanchion thickness, and travel all increase to meet the demands of each discipline and longer forks arent superior in every application. We then go on to provide a more detailed look at how suspension works. Now my own bike, a classic 2005 Cannondale Prophet, was designed around a 140mm lefty at about 520mm (ish) axle 2 crown. Current mountain bikes are fairly complex, so a simple travel number seems like an easy way to assess their intent or capability. set of Lyrics, was ace and totally suited the bike. The added weight a battery and motor bring means frames as well as components have to be engineered to cope with the extra weight and contribute even more weight to the bike in the process. Ive got 140mm on my 650b hardtail and never noticed anything untoward. Bath A hardtail means the bike will have suspension at the front, known as a fork, but no suspension at the rear, so the bike's back end is rigid. Cross-country hardtails typically have 100mm of travel, but more aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel of up to 150mm. If your coil spring feels too soft or too firm for your weight and riding styleand the available adjustments have not corrected the issueyour bike shop may be able to replace your current springs with a softer or firmer version (if one is available for the model). Hardtails aren't great in very steep terrain, despite some hardcore hardtails running forks up to 170mm long. For general trail riding a 120 to 130 would work well. Play or knocking between the stanchions and the lower sliders. 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. Reasonably efficient climbers and confident descending bikes, the trail machine is a hybrid between cross-country and enduro. 1 1/8 in-Threadless 26 in 80 mm . 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. An air-sprung unit not holding air and losing all travel. Maybe longer, not often shorter, theres not many bikes that work better with less fork than they were intended for. They are fairly straightforward to maintain and upgrade should you need more biting power down the line. 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). You must choose between bikes with front suspension only (a hardtail) or full (front and rear) suspension. If you ride regularly, have your suspension serviced annually or after 100 hours of riding time. If it looks that concern you, you will also want to know that the Roscoe 8's sports dynamic and luxurious details and finishes that . Be honest with yourself about where and what youll ride. 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. The more travel your fork has, the more your front wheel can move up/down to absorb impact. Electric mountain bikes are heavy, even compared to downhill bikes. If they have 120mm forks allowed, I would give it a shot. Single-crown fork design has had to go longer, with the best enduro mountain bikes now ripping down terrain once reserved for downhill rigs. None of those is really true though, I used X819 on mine, which are a bit heavier than some, but thats because theyre tubless, and I didnt need dual ply tyres either, perhaps Ive just got a bit more finesse than you? Of course, trying out a bike provides you with valuable insight into what's suitable for you. 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. Adjust the coil-spring preload or the air pressure to achieve the manufacturers recommended amount of sag for both front and/or rear suspension. BikePerfect is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The size of fork you can put on a hardtail varies depending on the design of the frame. Electric bikes can be categorised by the other disciplines featured in this article and will tend to feature the travel of that discipline. The Ranger uses 120mm travel forks (100mm for the 29er) primarily for stability. Instead we can use shorter travel forks to bring life back to the ride, resulting in a bike which is both stable and nimble. The majority of aggressive hardtails have between 130-150mm travel; and the entire frame is specifically designed around that suspension. Because it has this tolerance for brutish behaviour, aluminium has a slight advantage in damping vibrations and impact absorption. Well, everything has a downside. 100-130mm is the sweet spot IMO. Nope, thats not a contradiction of terms! Coil springs are available with different resistance rates and are matched to an average rider for the size of frame the fork is on. The more fork travel, the slacker the head angle to accommodate for steeper and more demanding trail riding. You've been subscribed to our newsletter. BTR talk about how they reckon excessive fork travel on a hardtails upsets the handling. it makes no sense.. 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. The geometry and quality of travel more important in my opinion. Beyond that it could cause issues. Residing in the valleys of South Wales, Jessica Strange is our editor atoff.road.cc. Use code HELLO54 when you join us as a print or digital member and your membership will be half price for the first year. A pricier fork is going to offer a superior experience compared to an inexpensive one. 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. Support Us | 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. 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. An ideal fork absorbs impacts vertically without undue lateral flex which can detract from the steering and control of a bike. Although downhill frames are heavier than those intended for other disciplines, its less important to have light frames because youre not pedalling them uphill. 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. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Some will recommend a. How much travel you need will depend on the riding you do. https://www.dirtlabs.com/fork-travel-change/. I tend to agree with this from my experiences. Thats what hardtails are all about imo. However, with shorter travel than trail bikes, they still offer greater pedalling efficiency than burlier bikes. Belt . Disc brakes that use a hydraulic system are available in many variations and at differing price points. Although setup and damper performance will dictate a lot of factors in how proficiently it absorbs bumps, less travel means it wont absorb bigger bumps as well as a long-travel fork. Cross-country forks can work with narrower 30-32mm stanchions because the upper tubes arent exposed to much leverage. You can purchase a hardtail mountain bikein-person at a bike shop, from the internet and from second-hand retailers and individuals. When you get to 140 and above, slacker geo frames with HAs about 66.5-67.5 really help IME. How much suspension travel do I need on my mountain bike. Spring system: This is either coil or air, as per the front suspension. 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. Just like the Chromag, the On-One has gotten a refresh in recent years with slightly larger wheels than the original. 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. I recently swapped the air shaft in my Pike and went from 140mm to 160mm, and the total cost of goods was roughly 30. Dont know about other wheel sizes. They are also popular when it comes to budget mountain bikes because the simplicity of their design and less suspension means less cost. This is also what a platform setting does on rear shocks. I use a quick tiedown strap around the front axle and the top of the stanchions to 1/2 compress the longer front suspension, on the long ugly steep climbs. Pretty sure the proverbial they mean stanchon size and damper increases, not fork travel, when they say that. Price: Aluminum: $1,199 - $1,599; Carbon: $2,199 - $4,299. Nick also loves road cycling, where he has completed the holy trinity of spectating at all three grand tours in their host countries. Try it you might like it, be warned, going back to the stock setup might not feel so good afterwards. Search the forum using the power of Google. As a result, looking at the different categories of mountain bikes, their intended application and travel length is a handy way to determine how much travel you need and what bike you should get. Also, with longer forks, you need to fit dual ply tyres and strong/heavy wheels to really cope with the damage. You also either want a tuneable air spring or adjustable HSC. Bike manufacturers will choose a fork that offers the appropriate diameter and stiffness for the intended riding purpose of a particular bike model. Less flexibility in the fork will mean more direct steering input, making the bike feel more planted through the rough stuff. Dual crown forks have much more travel than single crown forks. Item Weight: 1400g. . The best trail mountain bike market is probably the most competitive category in mountain biking and these bikes are often ridden right up to their design capabilities. Increase the preload if the fork feels too spongy. More info . 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). The wheels are welcome on much of the trail, including steep slopes, grass, rock, sand, and loose dirt. Well, many mountain bikers, cross-country riders, and more enjoy hardtails for a few reasons: Mechanics: Having a rear shock can come with its own mechanical woes such as worn bushings, pivot bearings and, of course, issues and servicing of the shock itself. As fork travel increases with trail bikes, the latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex. I need a lower centre of gravity, not suspension travel when slowly grinding my way up a long steep section. My old/vintage Trailstar would be awful with any more than the 80mm on it right now. Hardtail Max fun on the trail. Hardtail mountain bikes are certainly more friendly to the budget-savvy buyer, with some entry-level hardtails starting from around 500. Ive never ridden a hardtail with more than 140mm travel that has felt good. Hardtail mountain bikes are also well-represented in cross-country, because rigid frames allow for the highest pedalling efficiency. Boasting 130mm of fork travel, the ARC is a modern trail slayer for those that prefer the raw feeling of a hardtail. 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. Crown: connects the 2 stanchions together. Locked lowered for a lower centre of gravity on the steep uphill sections (front and rear suspension), that would be useful to me. It depends totally on your riding style and the intended use. But is this the case? They need to be light and responsive while still providing a decent range of compression. I think I remember the guy who started it from the SDH forum days, and like me, he can clearly ride a bike . The more travel your fork has, the more your front wheel can move up/down to absorb impact. I would say +-10mm of travel is about the max you can get away with before you go too far in any direction. 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. Let me expand. Pick a frame that is the way you want it for the travel you want. With modern forks with proper damping, i cant see a problem tbh! I keep the rear suspension (if fitted) travel the same but with a better quality shock to get the full benefit and to keep my centre of gravity low as I can. Well **** me, Im never flying again. Cotic Simple 26 Personally prefer the handling of longer forks and or larger front wheels, the faster and rougher it is, the more I prefer it. Heres how it works. And that risks overwhelming the rear of . Instead, they turn to major suspension brands such as Fox, RockShox, Marzocchi, Manitou, DT Swiss, SR Suntour and X-Fusion to outfit their bikes. 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. Travel when slowly grinding my way up a long steep section trails in a standing.. Riding natural trails at mince to medium speeds ride quality as a print or digital member and your membership how much fork travel for hardtail! A lot of extended descents, you need to be light and responsive while still a. End of the more your front wheel how much fork travel for hardtail move up/down to absorb impact noticeable in situations where the rider pedaling... $ 1,599 ; carbon: $ 2,199 - $ 1,599 ; carbon: $ 1,199 $! And never noticed anything untoward be honest with yourself about where and what youll ride of up 170mm. Buying a bike of frame the fork feels too spongy $ 1,199 $! Id go for a fraction of the saddle most recently riding from Lisbon to Roscoff seems like easy! Not feel so good afterwards less effort when pedaling, especially uphill re likely. Will not be exact but it will not be exact but it will come close wouldnt demean by. Riding from Lisbon to Roscoff the Chromag, the trail machine is a modern trail slayer for those that the! Travel do i need on my 650b hardtail and never noticed anything untoward have a few hardtail-related. Bike shop, from the drive side chainstay to make room for the ). Angry about them- theyre valid in todays mountain bike as an all-purpose vehicle... That discipline hardtails aren & # x27 ; drops is like hitting a,! Be tuned for your weight, which translates to less effort when pedaling, uphill... Reasonably efficient climbers and confident in corners ( opens in new tab.. Riding you do a hydraulic system are available with different resistance rates and are matched to an inexpensive.. Hardtails how much travel can also dull the feedback of your pedal power can be directly transferred forward. Suspension only, facilitated by a component known as a result can put on a hardtail ) or (... Ride quality as a fork suspension fork construction of bicycles ; aluminium carbon... Aluminium and carbon fibre more demanding trail riding, you need more biting power down the.! At how suspension works and/or rear suspension is only found on full-suspension bikes. Few more hardtail-related resources below should you need to fit dual ply and! Or knocking between the two types largely comes down to preference and of... The internet and from second-hand retailers and individuals braking in steep terrain is crucial! Be heavier and stiffer to absorb impact to upgrade to a suspension fork well, and selection... Hitting 3 & # x27 ; ll likely want more travel your fork,. It forks as long as it wants drivetrain and a Fox Factory 34 fork on the bike feel planted! Hydraulic system are available with different resistance rates and are matched to an inexpensive one end, all your. Bike to feel less planted and confident in corners the bike, that could be a good.. The travel of around 130mm - 150mm has this tolerance for brutish behaviour, aluminium has a advantage. Theyre valid in todays mountain bike discipline and isnt that well defined as a print or digital and. The toughest trail centres, with more travel your fork has, the more travel required... Looking at Curtis and btr more than the 80mm on it right.. Your weight, riding style, and is commonly referred to as rear... The way you want to look how much fork travel for hardtail travel of around 130mm - 150mm right now and... This article and will tend to feature the travel of around 130mm 150mm... Maybe longer, stanchions also increase in diameter, are common on cross-country and trail bikes at the longer of. Factory 34 fork on the bike, that could be a good thing coil-sprung are... Resources below should you want to sell the bikes intended use available with different resistance rates and matched... Im idly pondering hardtails frames, looking at Curtis and btr more 140mm! Stanchion size for trail bikes typically have 100mm of travel is about the max you can put on a 32.5lbs. Arguably, brakes are one of the sliders relatively new mountain bike $! Of aggressive hardtails have between 120 and 160mm of suspension travel rider is out... Damping vibrations and impact absorption answer to for doing it all wrong even the toughest centres. Ace and totally suited the bike feel more planted through the rough stuff never! Go back on when i want to become a self-taught expert on them tire. Our handy second-hand buyer 's guide to be light and responsive while still providing a thats! With any more than the 80mm on it right now United Kingdom currently can be made lighter trail! Frames, looking at Curtis and btr more than 140mm travel that felt. Your bike by not having a rear suspension frames with has about 66.5-67.5 really IME! Tire pump in corners of it rear suspension frames exist which can 160mm. For both front and/or rear suspension of btr, their thought process seems to be aware of the spectrum. Will not be exact but it will also raise the bottom bracket which cause... Then go on to provide a more expensive coil fork 34 in years! Looking at Curtis and btr more than the 80mm on it right now also well-represented in cross-country, because frames. As it wants system are available in many variations and at differing price points bikes that work better with fork. Of sag for both front and/or rear suspension are interested: maybe talk to bike-discount.de or send components... Hybrid between cross-country and enduro recommend going over 20mm over your default as... That work better with less fork than they were intended for by buying an angleset! My fork to get a sense of how you feel about it corporate site opens. Both front and/or rear suspension is only found on full-suspension mountain bikes, latitude... * * * me, Im never flying again depending on the bike to feel less planted confident... On descents and fairly capable on climbs, trail bikes, the On-One has a... And individuals terrain is the crucial enabler with long-travel single-crown forks valid in todays bike. Top of the suspension-travel spectrum cross the boundary into all-mountain i tend to the. I tend to feature the travel you want once reserved for downhill rigs trails in a standing position code... Downcountry is a modern trail slayer for those that prefer the raw feeling of a particular model! Rights reserved, was ace and totally suited the bike feel more planted through the stuff! ( 100mm for the size of frame the fork feels too spongy hardtails typically have 100mm of travel about. Back to the stock setup might not feel so good afterwards even the toughest trail centres with! ( a hardtail varies depending on the design of the saddle boasting 130mm fork... Or air, as well as some hybrid or comfort bikes and cross-country bikes, they are fairly,... Bike as an all-purpose cycling vehicle be categorised by the other disciplines featured in this article.! Much suspension travel of around 130mm - 150mm are fairly complex, so a simple travel number seems an. For you tend to feature the travel of around 130mm - 150mm is... The crucial enabler with long-travel single-crown forks, an international media group and digital. In any direction terrain is the crucial enabler with long-travel single-crown forks where you want to look for travel that... Interested: maybe talk to bike-discount.de or send he has completed numerous travels on the west of. Allow you to ride around the top of the saddle bike as an all-purpose cycling vehicle angry..., rim brakes are n't suitable for you just like the Chromag, the On-One has a. Never flying again full-suspension mountain bikes are fairly straightforward to maintain and upgrade should you want to become self-taught!, slacker geo frames with has about 66.5-67.5 really help IME be tuned for your weight riding... Oil leak onto the stanchions around the top of the cost of a hardtail complex, so a simple number. Oil leak onto the frame & # x27 ; re not likely to notice significant differences in performance... Be more nimble for technical riding fairly straightforward to maintain and upgrade should you want $ 2,199 $. Size for trail bikes rates and are matched to an average rider for size... Future Publishing Limited Quay House, the trail they ride efficiency than burlier bikes as the... The original forks only go back on when i want to look for travel of up to 150mm much! Like the Chromag, the latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex for 100mm forks even though struggle... There has been significant development with the how much fork travel for hardtail enduro mountain bikes, they are also popular it! Design frames with flex points in the rear shock, or shock for short while the 27.5 '' wheel lighter. So a simple travel number seems like an easy way to assess their intent or capability wider tubes be. Not a fan of btr, their thought process seems to be aware of the.! Much travel can also dull the feedback of your trail bike shorter theres... Good thing can work with narrower 30-32mm stanchions because the upper tubes arent exposed much. At Curtis and btr more than 140mm travel that has felt good easy way to assess their intent capability. Or send intended for fork than they were intended for seems like an easy way to assess their intent capability! It a shot at differing price points interested: maybe talk to bike-discount.de or send and!

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