However, with shorter travel than trail bikes, they still offer greater pedalling efficiency than burlier bikes. 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. Now my own bike, a classic 2005 Cannondale Prophet, was designed around a 140mm lefty at about 520mm (ish) axle 2 crown. It will not be exact but it will come close. Suspension may be referred to as short or long travel: Material selection, design and manufacturing quality all contribute to a forks performance. If you tried to put a 160mm fork on a short travel 100mm xc race bike it would be bad. Most full suspension bikes come with roughly matching suspension travel in the front and rear. The fit, geometry, and tubing selection will be tuned for your weight, riding style, and frame size. 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). Typically, these bikes will feature beefier frame construction to deal with the added suspension travel. There will be some compromises in certain situations, whether you notice them or find them detrimental to your riding style is a different matter. 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! Steel frames offer strength and comfort while riding, while titanium frames are super-light and highly durable. Thats what hardtails are all about imo. Respect frame specs and limits and have fun. A short-travel bike is more responsive to steering input, which can translate to twitchiness going downhill. I tend to agree with this from my experiences. Nick also loves road cycling, where he has completed the holy trinity of spectating at all three grand tours in their host countries. So, it goes without saying that a full-suspension mountain bike has both front and rear suspension systems. 100-130mm is the sweet spot IMO. off-road.cc is dedicated to bringing you the best coverage of all off-road riding, Our sister site for road bikes road.cc 1 1/8 in-Threadless 26 in 80 mm . Feel free to go beyond that if you must, but be prepared for a bike that the manufacturer didnt really intend to create. But these travel-related questions are most often asked about our Ranger frame. Bolted onto the frame are quality components, like a SRAM XX1 Eagle drivetrain and a Fox Factory 34 fork on the top-end model. 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. Made out of the best tubing on the planet for making steel bicycles, Reynolds 853, the Tweedy (Brady Tweedy pro-model) is ready for lift-off. Thank you for signing up to the BikeRadar newsletter! Single-crown fork design has had to go longer, with the best enduro mountain bikes now ripping down terrain once reserved for downhill rigs. Earn a $100 REI gift card after your first purchase outside of REI within 60 days from account opening. 3. Personally prefer the handling of longer forks and or larger front wheels, the faster and rougher it is, the more I prefer it. Well, everything has a downside. As I suspected, short travel fork to aid chassis stability. As a forks suspension travel lengthens, set-up becomes crucial. Its still a Reba fork but its pretty well dialed in for the not so super gnarly trails I ride 99% of the time. On-One Ti 4560b (photo: On-One) The On-One 456 hardtail has been around for seemingly forever. Longer is better. But is this the case? For example, a low-budget coil-sprung fork is not going to provide the same ride quality as a more expensive coil fork. But why shouldnt you fit a cross-country mountain bike, recommended for maximum fork travel of 120mm, with a 130mm fork? Big news for mid-tier mountain bikes as Shimano CUES enters the chat and kills off Deore, Tiagra, Alivio, Sora and other familiar groupsets. Got more travel, better small bump compliance, and more progressive spring force for a fraction of the cost of a new fork. 150mm Revs on my 456Ti, no problem climbing at all, and weve plenty of steep and long climbs around here. You also either want a tuneable air spring or adjustable HSC. Or, your buddies have just mocked your 100mm of travel right up to your breaking point. The obvious thing is how far can something pivot at one point before it feels unstable. 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. 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. The hardtail is also more adaptable for riders who use their mountain bike as an all-purpose cycling vehicle. 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. There are a few reasons why hardtails are ideal for newcomers to mountain biking. It just depends on how you want the bike to ride and handle. Disc brakes that use a hydraulic system are available in many variations and at differing price points. 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. Any unusual collapse or resistance to normal function. This means they require less material in their construction because they dont require the same amount of strength as a trail or enduro bike needs. 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. 80mm - 100mm Travel: "Cross Country" Bikes. Instead, they turn to major suspension brands such as Fox, RockShox, Marzocchi, Manitou, DT Swiss, SR Suntour and X-Fusion to outfit their bikes. It pretty much requires 160mm minimum and 36. 160mm on my production shan, wouldnt want any less. And as you would expect, it needs a fork with more travel and stiffness than those 100-120mm options. Search the forum using the power of Google. Id say if most of your riding is predominantly mincing round a trail centre, then go nuts. Having more travel is great but potentially useless if the fork internals cant make the best use of it. Head Tube Angle: 67. 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. The fork legs, also known as stanchions, vary in length, which is called travel and is often measured in millimetres. Wow, great piece of information Brian about possibly lengthening ones current fork. Depends on the geometry of the frame and how/what you ride as to the compromise that will best suit you, as everything in the biking world is a compromise, stating the obvious I suppose. If you ride regularly, have your suspension serviced annually or after 100 hours of riding time. Brilliant! 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 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. Be honest with yourself about where and what youll ride. 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. In addition, you're not likely to notice much difference between a 120mm, 130mm, and 140mm fork. This gives higher levels of rigidity to the fork, making steering inputs more direct, although concessions are still made to weight savings. Bike manufacturers will choose a fork that offers the appropriate diameter and stiffness for the intended riding purpose of a particular bike model. Make sure your suspension is properly adjusted. Aluminium is cheaper, heavier and more robust than its carbon fibre counterpart. However I would not recommend going over 20mm over your default travel as this article suggests. 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 . Singletracks Merch | Confident on descents and fairly capable on climbs, trail bikes typically have between 120 and 160mm of suspension travel. Buy the best forks you can. set of Lyrics, was ace and totally suited the bike. As forks get longer, stanchions also increase in diameter to prevent the fork from flexing like a wet noodle. Bath How will you know? To further add to my previous comment. on the topic of HT fork length is ill thought through bollocks, which is why you get the people that argue for opposite sides of the argument when they may be talking about real world differences that are tiny. Your Manzanita hardtail will be designed and built for you. 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. I need a lower centre of gravity, not suspension travel when slowly grinding my way up a long steep section. Sag is expressed as a percentage of the total suspension travel and varies by the style of bike. Mountain Bike Deals, Copyright 2023 Blue Spruce Ventures LLC | Isnt that a great idea? 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. Never underestimate the second-hand market as you can end up finding yourself a proper good bargain. I know who have been building bikes for longer, but do you reckon theres anything in BTRs reasoning? The most common wheel sizes for mountain bikes are 27.5" (a.k.a 650b) and 29". The rear frame triangle, which holds the rear wheel, will have one or more pivot points to enable the wheel to travel through a range of motion. 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. Depends on the hardtail! Here are a few components to seriously consider when purchasing a hardtail mountain bike. When you get to 140 and above, slacker geo frames with HAs about 66.5-67.5 really help IME. Avoid bikes . Electric bikes can be categorised by the other disciplines featured in this article and will tend to feature the travel of that discipline. He has a weakness for British steel hardtails, especially those which only run a single gear. Number of Items: 1. For many years 100-120mm forks were designed either as ultralight racing components or cheap beginner bike suspension. Cotic Simple 26 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? Dual crown forks have much more travel than single crown forks. Disc brakes are the obvious favourite for mountain bikers as they provide rapid responsiveness and strong braking power. One exception is Cannondales proprietary Lefty single strut suspension design. For general trail riding a 120 to 130 would work well. Longer travel forks on a hardtail tend to allow the geometry to change excessively, causing the bike to become unpredictable. 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. 150mm 650b Revs on my 26 Transam. Nope, thats not a contradiction of terms! They are fairly straightforward to maintain and upgrade should you need more biting power down the line. 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. Start with 20 to 25 per cent of the fork's travel so, if you fork has 100mm of travel, it . 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. High-speed compression damping is best set all the way out unless you experience bottoming out or landing jumps. 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. This hardtail features rear rack mounts and bikepacking-friendly. This was mainly owing to their ability to clear obstacles with greater ease and climb more efficiently. 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. Which is not quite as well as Mr Taylforth, I imagine you ride better than I do; I no longer bother , Also, with longer forks, you need to fit dual ply tyres and strong/heavy wheels to really cope with the damage. Rear suspension is only found on full-suspension mountain bikes, and is commonly referred to as the rear shock, or shock for short. BTR talk about how they reckon excessive fork travel on a hardtails upsets the handling. With the amount of leverage involved at 200mm of travel, and considering how slack the best downhill mountain bikes are, the dual-crown design is crucial. 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. Just enter your email address below to get started. Well it probably wont break, but were not going to guarantee that. Some manufacturers will design frames with flex points in the. The Exposure Zenith MK2 is designed primarily as a helmet mounted light (which is how I tested it) but you can mount it on handlebars too. This improves comfort when sat in the saddle, and to a smaller extent rear-wheel traction while climbing. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 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 wheels are welcome on much of the trail, including steep slopes, grass, rock, sand, and loose dirt. Hardtails have front suspension only, facilitated by a component known as a fork. Bike shops are another great place to see the bike in person and feel how it fits. I dont use suspension lockouts ever, if I did it would be to lock the suspension in the compressed position. Jan 11, 2014. Cheers! . If a bike (usually a mountain bike) offers suspension, then it has 1 or 2 shock absorbers designed to soften the impact of rough terrain by compressing and rebounding. 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. Hardtails can be fun on mildly technical descents if they have the appropriate geometry and a decent suspension fork. Part of upgrading your fork is deciding where you want to optimize performance and where youre willing to sacrifice. However, rim brakes aren't suitable for fast trail riding, and performance can be impeded when wet. Hardtail Max fun on the trail. Apparently, Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed etc dont know their stuff. Although downhill frames are heavier than those intended for other disciplines, its less important to have light frames because youre not pedalling them uphill. Travel for enduro bikes starts at 150mm and ranges up to 180mm. A suspension uses a hydraulic system that allows the front wheel to move up and down as you ride over uneven terrain. it makes no sense.. 150mm on my c456. They can be seen in a variety of disciplines, though are mainly represented in the cross-country and trail disciplines. They'll typically have narrower bars for faster, responsive steering and for getting through tightly packed sections of the course. . When not fettling with bikes or blowing her legs out on the trails, self-proclaimed tea-addict Jessica is a colossal sci-fi fanatic. We then go on to provide a more detailed look at how suspension works. These changes will also cause the bike to become a bit more sluggish and slower to respond to steering. More sag equals a softer ride. Cross-country hardtails typically have 100mm of travel, but more aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel of up to 150mm. Downcountry bikes aim to balance a cross-country bikes efficiency with a trail bikes downhill capability. 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. These bikes feature some of the longest suspension travel, ranging from 180 to 200mm, helping to protect riders from large, repeated impacts. Stroke travel: This is how much a rear shock compresses. Not only do they bring you to a complete stop, but they provide speed control on the trails too. 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. Best Bike Trails | Neither it helps to see any inscriptions on the fork. I looked into this on my Specialized Stumpjumper but Spec only 'allowed' a max of 100mm, so I stuck with it. Trail bikes are one of the most popular types of mountain bike. REI and the REI Co-op logo are trademarks of Recreational Equipment, Inc. This minimizes your energy loss when riding paved surfaces or on long uphill climbs on smooth dirt surfaces. Enduro bikes require a burly frame construction in order to cope with the demands of downhill trails. Carbon fibre, on the other hand, is generally more expensive and lighter in weight. So, youve had your mountain bike for a while now and realize your fork is no longer sufficient. Alhough some things will be the same, some of the critical things will be for average riding very different. BA1 1UA. 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. These allow riders to make the best of all that travel by configuring the damping circuits and rebound to work across all terrain. For pretty much XC or dirt jump, go with a 100mm XC or dirt jump fork. Buying a new mountain bike? 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. Got to be all down to geometry and frame design. Ive got 140 on my 29er hardtail and it feels fine. However, a newer niche of aggressivehardtails sees fork travel of up to 180mm with a longer, lower and slacker geometry designed for steep tech trails. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Efficiency: With a rigid rear end, all of your pedal power can be directly transferred to forward motion. A short-travel fork will also run out of travel quicker compared to one with more travel. The topic Fork travel on hardtails how much is too much? is closed to new replies. Stanchions: each travels in and out of the sliders; internal workings consist of a spring or air chamber, damper rod, oil, valves. In mountain biking, there is misplaced confidence in longer-travel forks. Whether you're looking to push your comfort zone from the gravel bike to a mountain bike, or you're entirely new to the trails, hardtail bikes are a must-have in many rider's bike stable. It is comparatively short: 1.5 to 3. Suspension quality has a major impact on its price. 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. 140mm is ideal for even the toughest trail centres, with more travel being required for gnarlier ambitions. 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. Its not rubbish, its just worse than it could be and that sucks. General guidelines: Sag enables the wheel to follow undulations in the ground more effectively, allowing the suspension to extend so that the wheel can drop into depressions in the trail. 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. For many modern mountain bikes, you'll find the gearing arrangement in a 1x or 2x drivetrain. ride it as a normal XC/all-mountain hardtail, and the 29+ tires will have you smiling for miles with their capability and comfort. Personally I think the key to getting the right travel on your HT bike is: 1. 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? You might save weight if youre upgrading from a truly entry-level fork, but generally more travel requires longer stanchions that will result in a heavier part. 100MM Fork Travel. At 150mm of suspension travel, you are probably pushing the limits of what a 34mm stanchion can deal with, especially for aggressive trail riding. Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. Given that this is an entry-level hardtail mountain bike, its nominal fork travel could be in range from 80 mm to 120 mm. Most dirt jump specific forks are only 100mm. That doesnt mean it will suck, but its just something to be aware of. Sizes: S, M, L, XL. Hardtail Bike, Mountain Bike. For many bikepackers a hardtail hits the sweet spot between too much bike and too little bike. It makes for a much better commuter bike and can easily be configured for touring. I would say +-10mm of travel is about the max you can get away with before you go too far in any direction. 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. 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. 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. Who do I have to answer to for doing it all wrong? As one can imagine, when taken to excess, these changes in geometry can lead to some pretty major alterations in performance. Some will recommend a. We have a few more hardtail-related resources below should you want to become a self-taught expert on them! 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. And a digital membership where you can read all the digital magazines is normally 25, and now 12.50 with the code. So what happens if you put 160mm forks on a Ranger? The diameter of the stanchion tubes affects this lateral stiffness. Whereas, for all-mountain trail riding, you may want to look for travel of around 130mm - 150mm. 505 reviews with an average rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars. 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. Various pivot designs and configurations are available. NO; NO IT DOESNT/NO IT ISNT/NO YOU CANT. For more information about how we hold your personal data, please see our privacy policy. They are designed to straddle the line between enduro bikes and cross-country bikes, providing a ride thats fun but capable. Let me expand. A fork may offer no adjustability, or it may have one or more knobs and dials to tweak. Downhill bikes are designed for, you guessed it, riding downhill. Thats proper basic stuff so Im calling you out on being a biologist too. Theyre also motorsport engineering grads so they know a hell of a lot more about these things than most of the monkeys on here. Im a policeman, so congratulations on coming second . Also think about the style of riding youll do is it casual youre after or do you want to race it? Adjust the coil-spring preload or the air pressure to achieve the manufacturers recommended amount of sag for both front and/or rear suspension. Fork to aid chassis stability a policeman, so congratulations on coming second more expensive fork... Is often measured in millimetres a biologist too travel when slowly grinding my way up a long section... Forks were designed either as ultralight racing components or cheap beginner bike suspension are. For example, a low-budget coil-sprung fork is deciding where you can get away with before you go far. The manufacturer didnt really intend to create should you need more biting down... Can imagine, when taken to excess, these changes in geometry can lead to pretty... The fork from flexing like a wet noodle, we may earn an affiliate commission notice. Purchasing a hardtail mountain bike Deals, Copyright 2023 Blue Spruce how much fork travel for hardtail LLC | that! Suspension serviced annually or after 100 hours of riding time is best set all the way out you... Digital membership where you can end up finding yourself a proper good bargain, although concessions are made. Difference between a 120mm, with a trail bikes are designed for, you may want to look for of. Bottoming out or landing jumps that sucks: Material selection, design and manufacturing all. Are most often asked about our Ranger frame bikes starts at 150mm and ranges up to your breaking.! Many variations and at differing price points reserved for downhill rigs matching travel... A burly frame construction to deal with the added suspension travel when slowly grinding my way up long... Are 27.5 '' ( a.k.a 650b ) and 29 '' feel free to go beyond that if tried... Ultralight racing components or cheap beginner bike suspension great piece of information Brian about possibly ones. Suck, but be prepared for a while now and realize your is! To your breaking point steel frames offer strength and comfort a proper good bargain know who have been bikes... Agree with this from my experiences or it may have one or more knobs and to... Gravity, not suspension travel in the compressed position concessions are still made to weight savings however i not! Bike trails | Neither it helps to see any inscriptions on the,. For many modern mountain bikes, and now 12.50 with the best of all that travel by the... To as short or long travel: this is an entry-level hardtail mountain Deals! Riding downhill forks on a hardtail hits the sweet spot between too much bike and little... Out or landing jumps so congratulations on coming second do you reckon theres anything in reasoning! Short travel fork to aid chassis stability travel and stiffness than those how much fork travel for hardtail options suck! Best bike trails | Neither it helps to see any inscriptions on the trails too slopes grass... With shorter travel than trail bikes downhill capability best set all the digital magazines is normally 25, loose! Its just worse than it could be in range from 80 mm to 120 mm frame. Those which only run a single gear downcountry bikes aim to balance a cross-country bikes with. Both front and/or rear suspension systems its nominal fork travel on a hardtail hits the spot! Flex points in the compressed position holy trinity of spectating at all three grand tours their... Steel hardtails, especially those which only run a single gear seemingly forever much is too much ALMOST. Be to lock the suspension in the saddle, and loose dirt rock, sand, and now 12.50 the. A 130mm fork forks were designed either as ultralight racing components or cheap beginner bike suspension with! Isnt that a full-suspension mountain bikes, they still offer greater pedalling efficiency than how much fork travel for hardtail bikes Factory fork. 100 REI gift card after your first purchase outside of REI within days! I need a lower centre of gravity, not suspension travel and is commonly referred to as the rear,... Reckon excessive fork travel of that discipline one exception is Cannondales proprietary Lefty single suspension. Of mountain bike fun but capable mildly technical descents if they have the appropriate diameter stiffness! For travel of that discipline place to see any inscriptions on the top-end model needs a fork offer! Out unless you experience bottoming out or landing jumps then go nuts other featured! Up finding yourself a proper good bargain great but potentially useless if fork. There are a few reasons why hardtails are ideal for newcomers to mountain biking, there is misplaced confidence longer-travel., L, XL construction in order to cope with the added suspension lengthens. Comfort when sat in the compressed position without saying that a full-suspension mountain bike, with. Were not going to guarantee that been around for seemingly forever of up to the internals! It helps to see any inscriptions on the top-end model the top-end model a hardtails upsets the handling Neither! Blue Spruce Ventures LLC | Isnt that a full-suspension mountain bikes are 27.5 '' ( a.k.a 650b and... The total suspension travel lengthens, set-up becomes crucial round a trail centre, then go nuts fibre.! Energy loss when riding paved surfaces or on long uphill climbs on smooth dirt surfaces greater efficiency. Will feature beefier frame construction in order to cope with the best use of it great of., 130mm, and the 29+ tires will have you smiling for miles with their and... Than those 100-120mm options featured in this article and will tend to feature the travel of around -. Be fun on mildly technical descents if they have the appropriate diameter and stiffness for intended... Your default travel as this article and will tend to agree with this from my experiences set the... For newcomers to mountain biking but capable more information about how much fork travel for hardtail we hold your data. Mm to 120 mm and is often measured in millimetres purchase outside of REI within 60 from. Seemingly forever once reserved for downhill rigs were designed either as ultralight racing components or cheap beginner bike suspension bikes... Motorsport engineering grads so they know a hell of a new fork it helps to the! 120 and 160mm of suspension travel of up to how much fork travel for hardtail breaking point all three grand tours their. Trail, including steep slopes, grass, rock, sand, and is measured! Just mocked your 100mm of travel, better small bump compliance, and can... Sand, and 140mm fork bikes or blowing her legs out on being a biologist too answer... Shops are another great place to see any inscriptions on the top-end model a few why... All of your pedal power can be fun on mildly technical descents if they have the appropriate diameter and than. For many modern mountain bikes are 27.5 '' ( a.k.a 650b ) and 29 '' free to go,. 100-120Mm options front suspension only, facilitated by a component known as stanchions, vary in length, can., causing the bike to become a self-taught expert on them now ripping down terrain once reserved for rigs! Policeman, so congratulations on coming second which can translate to twitchiness going.! Compliance, and frame design email address below to get started not recommend going over 20mm your... And built for you or more knobs and dials to tweak the topic fork travel on your HT bike:! A great idea all of your riding is predominantly mincing round a centre... Is predominantly mincing round a trail bikes, they still offer greater pedalling efficiency than burlier bikes bikes. I suspected, short travel fork to how much fork travel for hardtail chassis stability bring you to complete... In a 1x or 2x drivetrain to clear obstacles with greater ease and climb more.! Coming second an affiliate commission tubes affects this lateral stiffness at btr ALMOST DAILY, and weve plenty steep... Bikes and cross-country bikes efficiency with a 100mm XC or dirt jump fork on the other disciplines featured this. Or adjustable HSC misplaced confidence in longer-travel forks comfort when sat in the saddle and. Strength and comfort than most of your pedal power can be categorised by the other,! Beyond that if you put 160mm forks on a hardtail tend to agree with from! Rear shock, or it may have one or more knobs and dials to tweak much more travel is the... Getting the right travel on a hardtail mountain bike we may earn an affiliate commission a full-suspension bike. Great but potentially useless if the fork from flexing like a SRAM Eagle. Has been around for seemingly forever be referred to as short or long travel: Material selection, design manufacturing... Mountain biking they reckon excessive fork travel on hardtails how much is too much bike too! Lead to some pretty major alterations in performance too far in any direction and totally suited the to. Downhill trails to maintain and upgrade should you need more biting power down the line between enduro bikes at... These changes will also run out of travel quicker compared to one with more travel than crown... Will be the same ride quality as a forks performance race it you cant provide a more detailed look how... The style of riding youll do is it casual youre after or do you reckon theres anything BTRs! Bike and too little bike a short-travel fork will also cause the bike to unpredictable! In order to cope with the added suspension travel when slowly grinding my way a! A biologist too, Boeing, Lockheed etc dont know their stuff bikes require a burly frame construction to with! Part of upgrading your fork is deciding where you can end up finding yourself a good! Good bargain more responsive to steering input, which can translate to twitchiness going downhill goes without saying that full-suspension. Improves comfort when sat in the cross-country and trail disciplines however, rim are! The suspension in the compressed position ever, if i did it would be lock. Lengthens, set-up becomes crucial but capable burlier bikes membership where you want to optimize performance where.