REI and the REI Co-op logo are trademarks of Recreational Equipment, Inc. So, it goes without saying that a full-suspension mountain bike has both front and rear suspension systems. Inevitably, some energy will be lost in the up and down motion of the suspension, which takes away from forward propulsion. Increase the preload if the fork feels too spongy. 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. Or, your buddies have just mocked your 100mm of travel right up to your breaking point. 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. Just enter your email address below to get started. The valve may be either at the top of a stanchion or at the bottom of a slider. The best electric mountain bikes will feature e-MTB specific forks and shocks, some with thicker stanchions for rigidity, and custom tunes that are suited to the heavier weight of the bike. Hardtail mountain bikes are also well-represented in cross-country, because rigid frames allow for the highest pedalling efficiency. off-road.cc Editorial and general enquiries: info@off-road.cc So it is very possible to over fork a bike. From cross-country to downhill, we take you through how much travel you can expect on the major types of mountain bike. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Then I added tokens and lowered the air pressure. 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. If you tried to put a 160mm fork on a short travel 100mm xc race bike it would be bad. Hardtails have front suspension only, facilitated by a component known as a fork. Beyond that it could cause issues. 2. At 150mm of suspension travel, you are probably pushing the limits of what a 34mm stanchion can deal with, especially for aggressive trail riding. Is 150mm travel too much for a hardtail? Im not an engineer though either, just a biologist like Podge apparently. Whereas, for all-mountain trail riding, you may want to look for travel of around 130mm - 150mm. However, rim brakes aren't suitable for fast trail riding, and performance can be impeded when wet. 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. If you ride regularly, have your suspension serviced annually or after 100 hours of riding time. Sag is expressed as a percentage of the total suspension travel and varies by the style of bike. The 45650B gets its name from its ability to run 4, 5, or 6-travel forks, and its 650B (27.5) wheels. The hardtail is also more adaptable for riders who use their mountain bike as an all-purpose cycling vehicle. Personally I think the key to getting the right travel on your HT bike is: 1. Nick has built many of his bikes from the frame up and has a keen eye for technical detail. Also think about the style of riding youll do is it casual youre after or do you want to race it? 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. The short-travel forks used on cross-country bikes also help to keep weight down because they utilise a lighter chassis and narrower stanchions, usually 30 to 32mm in diameter. 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. A narrow tube will flex more under the same force than a wider tube. Some manufacturers will design frames with flex points in the. Typically, these bikes will feature beefier frame construction to deal with the added suspension travel. After all, smooth is fast! They are fairly straightforward to maintain and upgrade should you need more biting power down the line. 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 . 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). Join once, enjoy forever. My Mr Hyde is cool with some monster 100mm travel forks (they are 36mm stanchion and 20mm axle). Note: Bicycle manufacturers dont make their own suspension products. Subscribe from just 13.50 and get a Lezyne Pocket Drive Pump, worth 29! 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). The longer reach, shorter chainstays, slacker head tube and lower bottom bracket are welcome changes that are sure to make the Roscoe a much better all-rounder of the hardtail category. How much suspension travel do I need on my mountain bike. Im a graduate zoo keeper, I know a hell of a lot more about monkeys than you. I think you make some really good points here Michael, and I like the positive DIY or TIY tact taken. How much travel you need will depend on the riding you do. Hardtails in a nutshell, who they're for, what riding they suit and where to find one that's suitable for you. 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. 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. Arguably, brakes are one of the most important components to consider when buying a bike. 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. If you are interested: maybe talk to bike-discount.de or send . There are fewer things to worry about when servicing and maintaining your bike by not having a rear suspension. Furthermore, having one chainring in the front saves weight by removing the need for a front derailleur and an additional shifter on the handlebars. Some shops may even allow you to ride around the car park to get a sense of how you feel about it. Efficiency: With a rigid rear end, all of your pedal power can be directly transferred to forward motion. 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. Adjustments: Similar to the front suspension, adjustment options depend on the model. https://www.dirtlabs.com/fork-travel-change/. Wheel Size: 29". Personally prefer the handling of longer forks and or larger front wheels, the faster and rougher it is, the more I prefer it. For general trail riding a 120 to 130 would work well. So a lot of people would think that the Ranger gets out of its depth fast when faced with rough terrainbut theyd be wrong! Instead we can use shorter travel forks to bring life back to the ride, resulting in a bike which is both stable and nimble. 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. RockShox and Fox introduced 38mm stanchion single-crown forks last year, especially for the riding demands of enduro mountain biking. Chainstay length: 425mm. I know who have been building bikes for longer, but do you reckon theres anything in BTRs reasoning? The fit, geometry, and tubing selection will be tuned for your weight, riding style, and frame size. You can reasonably change fork travel, up or down, by 10mm. Be sure to read this entire article to stay safe and avoid any surprises. 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. 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. BA1 1UA. Shorter suspension travel forks also bob less when climbing up steep trails in a standing position. 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. The Roscoe 8 will perform like a champ. It is comparatively short: 1.5 to 3. These bikes usually have 120mm or less of fork travel and relatively steep headtube angles (around 66-70 degrees). Less travel on a hardtail = more stable angles. Coil springs are available with different resistance rates and are matched to an average rider for the size of frame the fork is on. 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. 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. Dont know about other wheel sizes. Excludes Gift Memberships, Discount applies to first year. Mr__Rogerss 3 yr. ago Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. IMBA Epics | it makes no sense.. Cross-country hardtails typically have 100mm of travel, but more aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel of up to 150mm. Depends on the hardtail! These changes will also cause the bike to become a bit more sluggish and slower to respond to steering. You've been subscribed to our newsletter. Avoid coil forks and 32mm chassis for 150mm travel HT bikes. Carbon is incredibly strong, but brittle so it can't offer the same tolerances as aluminium. Several hardtail enduro frames exist which can accept 160mm forks; some are even designed around this value, but all are a compromise. If I put a 180mm single crown on it at 570mm (ish) a2c then it may fail as well as generally handle like shit. Cotic Simple 26 The more travel your fork has, the more your front wheel can move up/down to absorb impact. As a forks suspension travel lengthens, set-up becomes crucial. The best cross-country mountain bikes are designed to compete in high-level, fast races, where lightness and pedalling efficiency are often the keys to success. 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. So what happens if you put 160mm forks on a Ranger? Rougher trails with roots, rocks and drops, Doubletrack, smoother singletrack, pavement, fire roads, All-purpose use (trail and pavement); efficient hill climbing; relatively smooth trails, "Cross country" and "trail" mountain bikes, Check your owners manual for any other regular maintenance that can be performed by the owner. Fork travel on hardtails how much is too much? They were hard on bikes as well. More info . 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. 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! 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). 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. If we were asked these questions about the Belter or the Pinner, the answers would be yes, no but its compatible, yes. Neither it helps to see any inscriptions on the fork. 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. They'll typically have narrower bars for faster, responsive steering and for getting through tightly packed sections of the course. 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. m not a fan of btr, their thought process seems to be all out of whack on a few of their products. Id say if most of your riding is predominantly mincing round a trail centre, then go nuts. Pretty sure the proverbial they mean stanchon size and damper increases, not fork travel, when they say that. . Slacker head angles boost confidence in steep descending terrain, but they make a mountain bike less agile at climbing technical singletrack as well as unbalancing the bike by moving the rider's weight backward. 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. It sounds like youre doing it all right! So there you have it! . Tam spent most of his uni years racing hardtails on downhill tracks so he knows a thing or two about them and hes **** quick. A special shock pump is needed for this; do not use a regular tire pump. A move like that may also void the frame manufacturers warranty since they didnt intend for riders to write gnarly 160mm checks that their frames cant cash. Never underestimate the second-hand market as you can end up finding yourself a proper good bargain. Which is not quite as well as Mr Taylforth . Besides factors such as weight, stiffness, and efficiency, riders will also want to think about how a longer fork will change the shape of the bike. Use code HELLO54 when you join us as a print or digital member and your membership will be half price for the first year. 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. Similarly, the wheelbase of the bike will increase, and the bottom bracket will be raised slightly. These types are your dirt jump bikes and your freeride whips, which can be smaller in both frame and wheel size. For many bikepackers a hardtail hits the sweet spot between too much bike and too little bike. Each has its pros and cons on how it affects a bikes ride quality. Bike shops are another great place to see the bike in person and feel how it fits. That may come in handy someday. 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. Suspension travel describes the amount of movement a suspension fork or rear shock has. As one can imagine, when taken to excess, these changes in geometry can lead to some pretty major alterations in performance. 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. Number of Items: 1. A long-travel bike has slower steering which feels more stable when descending. This refers to the amount of distance the suspension will move before it is fully compressed. 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. Stroke travel: This is how much a rear shock compresses. Depends on the hardtail- give it forks as long as it wants. Longer is better. Dual-crown forks are at the complete opposite spectrum of those short-travel,100-120mm forks, with nearly rigid lockout control. 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. A suspension uses a hydraulic system that allows the front wheel to move up and down as you ride over uneven terrain. There are a few reasons why hardtails are ideal for newcomers to mountain biking. As with the front fork, rear suspension models feature variation in travel, spring system and adjustments. Nick Clark is a digital writer for BikeRadar, focusing on all things mountain bikes.
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