The shock allows the rear wheel to soak up impacts, helping to keep the tire in contact with the ground, increasing rider control and decreasing rider fatigue. Comparing prices is a pretty reliable guide. This improves comfort when sat in the saddle, and to a smaller extent rear-wheel traction while climbing. Weight isnt a big issue for downhill bikes, so the added heft is worth the trade-off for the performance gains. It just depends on how you want the bike to ride and handle. How much travel you need will depend on the riding you do. 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! Single-crown fork design has had to go longer, with the best enduro mountain bikes now ripping down terrain once reserved for downhill rigs. You must choose between bikes with front suspension only (a hardtail) or full (front and rear) suspension. Dont know about other wheel sizes. Be honest with yourself about where and what youll ride. 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. Jan 11, 2014. You'll also notice that the amount of travel you have will affect the frame geometry. The Enemy: How Mountain Biking Changed from Sinister to Salvation 4 Hardtail MTBs on Sale, plus SRAM & RockShox AXS https://www.dirtlabs.com/fork-travel-change/. 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. Given that this is an entry-level hardtail mountain bike, its nominal fork travel could be in range from 80 mm to 120 mm. I got a Trel Fuel Ex 9.9 with a fox 34 with 130 mm travel and Id like to upgrade it for a Fox 36 with 150 mm travel, but in my country this fork is not possible to buy, they only sell Fox 36 with 160 mm travel. There is a 190mm-travel version of RockShoxs enduro-focused ZEB fork, but youre more likely to see this attached to a freeride or bike park bike. 2. Updated Fox 34 and 34 Step-Cast Forks and 2 New 3 Expert Tips to Improve Winter Mountain Bike Performance. My riding skillz are also more important than 20mm of travel. Any unusual collapse or resistance to normal function. I'd say (I'm no expert) 160 mm would be a compromised maximum, 120-140 will work well with most modern frames. 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? Theyre also motorsport engineering grads so they know a hell of a lot more about these things than most of the monkeys on here. 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. The Roscoe 8 2023 - Best Hardtail Mountain Bike Under $2000. Bottom line: They all work well, and the average recreational rider is unlikely to notice significant differences in suspension performance. 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. Cross-country hardtails typically have 100mm of travel, but more aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel of up to 150mm. He has a weakness for British steel hardtails, especially those which only run a single gear. Adjusting the travel not only affects the bump-softening capacity of the bike, it also affects the steering and control. 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 bikes usually have 120mm or less of fork travel and relatively steep headtube angles (around 66-70 degrees). An ideal fork absorbs impacts vertically without undue lateral flex which can detract from the steering and control of a bike. Dual-crown forks are at the complete opposite spectrum of those short-travel,100-120mm forks, with nearly rigid lockout control. Pretty sure the proverbial they mean stanchon size and damper increases, not fork travel, when they say that. Beyond that it could cause issues. The sweet spot for suspension travel and stanchion size for trail bikes would be 130- to 140mm. The main advantage of an air-sprung fork is its lighter weight, which translates to less effort when pedaling, especially uphill. While the 27.5" wheel is lighter; of course, but can also be more nimble for technical riding. Raise your voice in the movement to protect and share life outdoors. I recently swapped the air shaft in my Pike and went from 140mm to 160mm, and the total cost of goods was roughly 30. Ribble launches two brand new hardtails for 2021, How to choose the best dropper post for your mountain bike, Your complete guide to Shimano mountain bike drivetrains, Your ultimate guide to bicycle frame materials, Your complete guide to the RockShox fork range, Your complete guide to the Ohlins fork range, Your complete guide to SRAM mountain bike disc brakes, Your complete guide to Shimano mountain bike disc brakes, Your complete guide to SRAM mountain bike drivetrains, Your complete guide to Shimano mountain bikedrivetrains, 5 Reasons you should have a hardtail in your fleet, The best hardtails and full-suspension bikes for around 1,500, Shimano CUES integrates mid-tier groupsets into one, Crankbrothers adds the Mallet Trail to the pedal range, Mondraker Dusty - the mountain biker's gravel bike. 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. All material Farrelly Atkinson (F-At) Limited, Unit 7b Green Park Station BA1 1JB. When not fettling with bikes or blowing her legs out on the trails, self-proclaimed tea-addict Jessica is a colossal sci-fi fanatic. But is this the case? Bounce up and down on the fork and let it settle to the sagged position. 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. Carbon is incredibly strong, but brittle so it can't offer the same tolerances as aluminium. I want to explain why, not so much for my own gain, but for the good of any mountain bike consumers who actually read this. If they have 120mm forks allowed, I would give it a shot. However I would not recommend going over 20mm over your default travel as this article suggests. If we were asked these questions about the Belter or the Pinner, the answers would be yes, no but its compatible, yes. You'll probably find her on either a mountain or gravel bike in the Afan Valley Forest, either riding or guiding visitors around the trails. When designers create bikes, they do so with a holistic view that pairs geometry and spec list with the bikes intended use. Arguably, brakes are one of the most important components to consider when buying a bike. A narrow tube will flex more under the same force than a wider tube. It sounds like youre doing it all right! 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. BA1 1UA. He is currently riding a YT Capra on the trails and a Focus Izalco Max for the road. Less flexibility in the fork will mean more direct steering input, making the bike feel more planted through the rough stuff. As you move through the various types of mountain bikes, fork travel requirements change. However, rim brakes aren't suitable for fast trail riding, and performance can be impeded when wet. Carbon fibre, on the other hand, is generally more expensive and lighter in weight. Rides: Crown: connects the 2 stanchions together. The discipline doesnt require the bike to be pedalled on uphill or even flat terrain, enabling designers to focus solely on providing the best platform for descending steep and technical trails. ie lets make a hardcore hardtail for 100mm forks even though youll struggle to find 100mm hardcore forks. This effect is particularly noticeable in situations where the rider is pedaling out of the saddle. 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. How much suspension travel do I need on my mountain bike. The geometry and quality of travel more important in my opinion. Light front on steep climbs but I love it. That may come in handy someday. 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. . 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. As a qualified bike mechanic, if Jessica isn't riding her bike, you can bet she's tinkering with one! We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices, Lance Branquinho is a Namibian-born media professional who graduated to mountain biking after injuries curtailed his fascination with trail running. What do you make of those rear post mounts Tom? Too many compromises IMHO. Id get battered half to death by the Ranger with a 100mm fork. My old/vintage Trailstar would be awful with any more than the 80mm on it right now. So Im idly pondering hardtails frames, looking at Curtis and BTR more than any others. 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. Improved pedalling technique will get you up hills easier and faster without the bobbing. To further add to my previous comment. https://www.dirtlabs.com/fork-travel-change/. The fork stiffness formula is simple: when adding more suspension travel increase stanchion size. Mountain Bike Deals, Copyright 2023 Blue Spruce Ventures LLC | As with other types of mountain bikes, fork travel is usually dependent on discipline. Each has its pros and cons on how it affects a bikes ride quality. 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. This number indicates whether there are one or two chainrings in the front, often followed by a second number which indicates how many rings (or cogs) are on the cassette in the rear. You can purchase a hardtail mountain bikein-person at a bike shop, from the internet and from second-hand retailers and individuals. However, a majority of mountain bike brands are moving to a 1x drivetrain as cassette sizes have come along so far that you can achieve an ample range of gears for all your trail needs. Company For many years 100-120mm forks were designed either as ultralight racing components or cheap beginner bike suspension. Trail bikes are one of the most popular types of mountain bike. Advertising and commercial: sales@off-road.cc, Mountain bike, bikepackingand gravel bikes. Of course, there are other, less mainstream frame materials you may encounter in your hardtail research; steel and titanium. Depending on the discipline of riding the bike is designed for, the suspension travel can vary from 80 to 200mm. The Print+ membership where Singletrack magazine drops through your door, plus full digital access, is normally 45, now only 22.50 with the code. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). 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. Frames have to be built to the highest strength levels to cope with the impacts you experience on downhill trails. 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. 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. Anyone can join and everyone belongs. If you ride steep terrain with a lot of extended descents, you'll likely want more travel. Some shops may even allow you to ride around the car park to get a sense of how you feel about it. 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. 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. When you get to 140 and above, slacker geo frames with HAs about 66.5-67.5 really help IME. Balancing the increased leverage effect and fork dive under braking in steep terrain is the crucial enabler with long-travel single-crown forks. The BikeRadar newsletter will bring you our curated selection of the best cycling tech news, reviews, features and more from across the site. 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. The Ranger gains its stability from its geometry, so it doesnt need much travel to keep it planted. These shift the balance away from lightness toward rigid stability for better handling while descending. Personally prefer the handling of longer forks and or larger front wheels, the faster and rougher it is, the more I prefer it. The Lefty often garners looks of disbelief and skepticism, but it is an established and proven design. My BFe was a bit wandery at 150 but is just about right at 130. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, More info . ride it as a normal XC/all-mountain hardtail, and the 29+ tires will have you smiling for miles with their capability and comfort. 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. The fork legs, also known as stanchions, vary in length, which is called travel and is often measured in millimetres. That has changed with the popularity of downcountry and there are now 120mm forks that have much stiffer crowns. Downcountry bikes aim to balance a cross-country bikes efficiency with a trail bikes downhill capability. Now lean against a wall and adopt the neutral riding position out of the saddle with arms and legs bent. 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. And as you would expect, it needs a fork with more travel and stiffness than those 100-120mm options. Using less suspension travel than other mountain bikes means cross-country bikes can be built with a lighter frame construction because less reinforcement is needed to deal with the lower frame articulation. 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 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. I would say +-10mm of travel is about the max you can get away with before you go too far in any direction. Electric mountain bikes are heavy, even compared to downhill bikes. Travel for enduro bikes starts at 150mm and ranges up to 180mm. 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. Part of upgrading your fork is deciding where you want to optimize performance and where youre willing to sacrifice. The most common wheel sizes for mountain bikes are 27.5" (a.k.a 650b) and 29". Enter your email for the top stories in mountain biking, plus product picks and deals delivered to your inbox each week. You can unsubscribe at any time. Apparently, Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed etc dont know their stuff. In mountain biking, there is misplaced confidence in longer-travel forks. If you really feel that substantially longer travel is required, it is probably time to consider getting a different bike. Part Type: . Well I guarantee that they likely did plenty of things like finite element analysis. 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. Im a graduate zoo keeper, I know a hell of a lot more about monkeys than you. Spring system: This is either coil or air, as per the front suspension. 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. 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. 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? The optimum amount of travel depends on what terrain or trails you like to ride, and where youd like to progress with your riding. 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. Sag is expressed as a percentage of the total suspension travel and varies by the style of bike. Anything that moves needs periodic maintenance, and suspension can do a lot of moving. Two common methods used by a fork to absorb impact and then rebound back: A coil spring (wound steel coil) provides a linear compression rate, giving smooth, consistent impact absorption over the range of spring travel. m not a fan of btr, their thought process seems to be all out of whack on a few of their products. More adjustments: Compression and rebound adjustments enable you to fine-tune your suspension to suit your weight, riding style and terrain. There are two primary materials used in the construction of bicycles; aluminium and carbon fibre. Sizes: S, M, L, XL. Cotic Simple 26 The topic Fork travel on hardtails how much is too much? is closed to new replies. The bike has a max spec of 530mm a2c. Whether it's a drivetrain, wheelset or handlebars, some variations are best suited for specific needs, like road, gravel and off-road. Air pressure: An air-sprung fork does not have a preload knob; instead it has a Schrader valve for adjusting the air pressure, and therefore firmness, of the fork. We've been sharing our passion for the outdoors since 1938. NO; NO IT DOESNT/NO IT ISNT/NO YOU CANT. They are designed to straddle the line between enduro bikes and cross-country bikes, providing a ride thats fun but capable. Ive got 140 on my 29er hardtail and it feels fine. For racers, this compromise must be considered carefully. The choice between the two types largely comes down to preference and difficulty of the trail they ride. Best MTB Gear | Chainstay length: 425mm. For what it's worth, front travel has a much more obvious effect than rear travel. Theres room to play there within reason. Thank you for signing up to the BikeRadar newsletter! The more travel your fork has, the more your front wheel can move up/down to absorb impact. Yet again, it is a tale of less being more. Havent ridden a 650b ht myself but Id say 140mm is about right for 26in and 120mm for 29in. Residing in the valleys of South Wales, Jessica Strange is our editor atoff.road.cc. A special shock pump is needed for this; do not use a regular tire pump. This gives higher levels of rigidity to the fork, making steering inputs more direct, although concessions are still made to weight savings. 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. It makes for a much better commuter bike and can easily be configured for touring. Wheel Size: 29". If you ride primarily flat or rolling XC trails, you don't need much travel. 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