Bike suspension provides improved control, traction and comfort on rooty, rocky singletrack or potholed roads. 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. off-road.cc is dedicated to bringing you the best coverage of all off-road riding, Our sister site for road bikes road.cc 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? You can choose how much fork travel you want the frame designed for: from a fully rigid bikepacker to a 150mm battleship. 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. Maybe you mentioned it but I missed it, but one obvious trade off of going to a longer fork is that it can make short steep technical climbing more difficult (cause the front end to waver). 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. As I suspected, short travel fork to aid chassis stability. 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. Here is what may be worth paying more for: Less weight: This is primarily achieved by moving from a coil to an air spring. Forks come in varying lengths of suspension travel and stanchion sizes, this is what they mean for your riding. 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. 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. 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. Some will recommend a. Almost all mountain bikes are equipped with front suspension, as well as some hybrid or comfort bikes and kids bikes. 150mm 650b Revs on my 26 Transam. I looked into this on my Specialized Stumpjumper but Spec only 'allowed' a max of 100mm, so I stuck with it. Raise your voice in the movement to protect and share life outdoors. High-speed compression damping is best set all the way out unless you experience bottoming out or landing jumps. 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. It is comparatively short: 1.5 to 3. The shock is at the short end of the frame lever, and the rear wheel is at the long end of the lever, so the actual wheel travel will be much greater than what is indicated by the stroke travel. Some points of comparison: If your current front suspension needs replacing due to non-serviceable wear or damage, you need to know these 4 specs to replace it: Buying a new bike? However, hardtail bikes aren't just for beginner mountain bikers. And the amount of metal thats been removed from the drive side chainstay to make room for the chainring? A longer wheelbase has the same effect. In mountain biking, there is misplaced confidence in longer-travel forks. 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. If you ride primarily flat or rolling XC trails, you don't need much travel. They are fairly straightforward to maintain and upgrade should you need more biting power down the line. 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. Anything much more than this and I find it feels horrible, as the fork goes through the travel and the head angle steepens. 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. Im having fun on a 140mm 32.5lbs 29er hardtail riding natural trails at mince to medium speeds. Downhill bikes are designed for, you guessed it, riding downhill. 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. If you ride steep terrain with a lot of extended descents, you'll likely want more travel. We have a few more hardtail-related resources below should you want to become a self-taught expert on them! 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. Is 120mm travel enough for downhill? Spring system: This is either coil or air, as per the front suspension. Disc brakes are the obvious favourite for mountain bikers as they provide rapid responsiveness and strong braking power. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). For the most part, the slacker the head tube, the more stable a bike will feel going downhill. It just depends on how you want the bike to ride and handle. 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. Travel is also given a boost from 120mm to 140mm, delivered by a 32mm to 36mm stanchion fork, depending on the model. What do you make of those rear post mounts Tom? There has been significant development with the Fox 34 in recent years. Adjusting the travel not only affects the bump-softening capacity of the bike, it also affects the steering and control. 1st it would handle like garbage with extreme angles etc. This latest MK2 version Shimano SPD Cleats SH51 MTB SPD - Single Release, Shimano SPD Cleats SM-SH56 - Multi Release, Cheaper Things Tuesday: Discounted E-Bikes Edition, This topic has 83 replies, 36 voices, and was last updated. Terms | Privacy. Suspension quality has a major impact on its price. A special shock pump is needed for this; do not use a regular tire pump. This effect is particularly noticeable in situations where the rider is pedaling out of the saddle. Subscribe from just 13.50 and get a Lezyne Pocket Drive Pump, worth 29! Brilliant! To further add to my previous comment. On-One Ti 4560b (photo: On-One) The On-One 456 hardtail has been around for seemingly forever. You can unsubscribe at any time. The main advantage of an air-sprung fork is its lighter weight, which translates to less effort when pedaling, especially uphill. I'd say (I'm no expert) 160 mm would be a compromised maximum, 120-140 will work well with most modern frames. 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. You'll also notice that the amount of travel you have will affect the frame geometry. 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. Cross-country hardtails typically have 100mm of travel, but more aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel of up to 150mm. 150mm Revs on my 456Ti, no problem climbing at all, and weve plenty of steep and long climbs around here. Various pivot designs and configurations are available. Subscribe to Cycling Plus from just 13.50 and get a Lezyne Pocket Drive Pump, worth 29! Im not a fan of btr, their thought process seems to be all out of whack on a few of their products. Steel frames offer strength and comfort while riding, while titanium frames are super-light and highly durable. Having slightly more travel than an outright cross-country bike means downcountry bikes are more capable on descents. Some manufacturers will design frames with flex points in the rear triangle, allowing for vertical compliance in the frame. Advertising and commercial: sales@off-road.cc, Mountain bike, bikepackingand gravel bikes. In addition, some fully rigid bikes come with the correct frame geometry angle to upgrade to a suspension fork. Search the forum using the power of Google. Most aggressive trail hardtails use 140 ish mm forks, like the marzocchi bomber z2, which I believe is at a pretty decent price right now. In this guide, well explain the different mountain bike categories and how much suspension travel they typically have. 160mm on my production shan, wouldnt want any less. Trail bikes are one of the most popular types of mountain bike. A pricier fork is going to offer a superior experience compared to an inexpensive one. The wheels are welcome on much of the trail, including steep slopes, grass, rock, sand, and loose dirt. 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. Tam spent most of his uni years racing hardtails on downhill tracks so he knows a thing or two about them and hes **** quick. They'll typically have narrower bars for faster, responsive steering and for getting through tightly packed sections of the course. Longer is better. As forks get longer, stanchions also increase in diameter to prevent the fork from flexing like a wet noodle. https://www.dirtlabs.com/fork-travel-change/. Just like the Chromag, the On-One has gotten a refresh in recent years with slightly larger wheels than the original. Play or knocking between the stanchions and the lower sliders. 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. From cross-country to downhill, we take you through how much travel you can expect on the major types of mountain bike. So it is very possible to over fork a bike. Dont know about other wheel sizes. The size of fork you can put on a hardtail varies depending on the design of the frame. 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 fork travel increases with trail bikes, the latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex. Forks with mid-sized stanchions, either 34mm, 35mm or 36mm in diameter, are common on trail bikes. So there you have it! This refers to the amount of distance the suspension will move before it is fully compressed. Dual crown forks have much more travel than single crown forks. The most common wheel sizes for mountain bikes are 27.5" (a.k.a 650b) and 29". The forks on downhill bikes have a dual-crown design, meaning the fork mounts above and below the head tube, as opposed to single-crown forks, which mount only from below. These allow riders to make the best of all that travel by configuring the damping circuits and rebound to work across all terrain. Support Us | it makes no sense.. 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. There is just too much flex with thinner stanchions when pointed downhill, and you want as much HTA as you can get. Depending on the bike, that could be a good thing. Typically, these bikes will feature beefier frame construction to deal with the added suspension travel. Not really. Company Replacing your existing fork? Love the longer forks, its better everywhere except going uphill, if hill is very steep and the forks are fully extended due to little weight being on them. As a qualified bike mechanic, if Jessica isn't riding her bike, you can bet she's tinkering with one! Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, The fork stiffness formula is simple: when adding more suspension travel increase stanchion size. Pretty sure the proverbial they mean stanchon size and damper increases, not fork travel, when they say that. You can easily unsubscribe at any time. That 180mm enduro fork is pointless if it blows through its travel or is entirely unresponsive to small-bump impacts. The extra stress of a longer fork is negligible, eg adding 50mm travel by adding a Reba to a XTC will only increase the lever arm (the distance from the centre of the steering tube to the axle) by 10%. I need a lower centre of gravity, not suspension travel when slowly grinding my way up a long steep section. Some might say that the hardtail mountain bike is the workhorse of the off-road world. 2. Depends on the hardtail! Avoid coil forks and 32mm chassis for 150mm travel HT bikes. More info . In future if i got another i think Id go for a 140. Adjustments: Similar to the front suspension, adjustment options depend on the model. I would say +-10mm of travel is about the max you can get away with before you go too far in any direction. IMBA Epics | There will be some compromises in certain situations, whether you notice them or find them detrimental to your riding style is a different matter. 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. Price: Aluminum: $1,199 - $1,599; Carbon: $2,199 - $4,299. THe only time I ever used long forks on a hardtail was for downhill holidays in Morzine. They need to be light and responsive while still providing a decent range of compression. 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. With modern forks with proper damping, i cant see a problem tbh! Too many compromises IMHO. . Pick a frame that is the way you want it for the travel you want. See Basic Suspension Setup later in this article. 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. RockShox has reacted too with its latest Pike range, blending 35mm stanchions with low fork weight. for your first email from REI. 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). 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. 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. Hitting 3' drops is like hitting a root, they are so . Join once, enjoy forever. Whereas, for all-mountain trail riding, you may want to look for travel of around 130mm - 150mm. Would you like to receive offers, updates and events from BikeRadar and its publisher Our Media Ltd (an Immediate Group Company)? 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. off-road.cc Editorial and general enquiries: info@off-road.cc just wrong, but its a lot of fun ! Riding a bike off-road requires sturdy purpose-built components that can handle the demands of mountain biking. Isnt that a great idea? Electric bikes can be categorised by the other disciplines featured in this article and will tend to feature the travel of that discipline. It is usually a measurement of how far the wheel axle moves in a vertical or near-vertical plane as the suspension compresses. We'll send you a few emails every week. Having more travel is great but potentially useless if the fork internals cant make the best use of it. 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. Singletracks Merch | 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). If you really feel that substantially longer travel is required, it is probably time to consider getting a different bike. Because youll have a motor, there wont be a trade-off in having a bike with more travel (and therefore weight), with the bike taking up the burden on the hills. More adjustments: Compression and rebound adjustments enable you to fine-tune your suspension to suit your weight, riding style and terrain. 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. Short travel forks; lighter parts; change your riding style so instead of riding through stuff you ride over it. 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! Best MTB Gear | Buy the best forks you can. About 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. Apparently, Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed etc dont know their stuff. Rebound damping is the most important damping setting. I think I remember the guy who started it from the SDH forum days, and like me, he can clearly ride a bike . The original forks only go back on when I want to sell the bikes. Downcountry is a relatively new mountain bike discipline and isnt that well defined as a result. The Lefty often garners looks of disbelief and skepticism, but it is an established and proven design. Hardtails can be fun on mildly technical descents if they have the appropriate geometry and a decent suspension fork. Thats what hardtails are all about imo. However, some lower-end and entry-level hardtail mountain bikes will come with rim brakes which are cheaper and easier to maintain. I was lucky enough to be able to change the air tube (?) Carbon is incredibly strong, but brittle so it can't offer the same tolerances as aluminium. Bath Respect frame specs and limits and have fun. Cotic Simple 26 You really don't need a lot travel to hit jumps. 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. If they have 120mm forks allowed, I would give it a shot. Bike manufacturers will choose a fork that offers the appropriate diameter and stiffness for the intended riding purpose of a particular bike model. I tend to agree with this from my experiences. When you get to 140 and above, slacker geo frames with HAs about 66.5-67.5 really help IME. Rides: Tam always struck me as a person who knew his stuff. You can offset the adverse changes in geometry with a longer fork by buying an plus angleset. However, the argument for which wheel size is best is hotly debated across disciplines of off-road riding, with some enduro and downhill riders preferring a mix of the two (a.k.a a mullet). Frames have to be built to the highest strength levels to cope with the impacts you experience on downhill trails. Reviews, buying advice and news. 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/. Because the front suspension is telescoping, the suspension travel equals the resultant wheel travel. Many short travel forks further support climbing with the addition of a lockout switch. Confident on descents and fairly capable on climbs, trail bikes typically have between 120 and 160mm of suspension travel. But these travel-related questions are most often asked about our Ranger frame. Nick Clark is a digital writer for BikeRadar, focusing on all things mountain bikes. Anyone can join and everyone belongs. Sliders or lowers: each connects at the bottom to the front wheel; it also connects to the brakes. Who do I have to answer to for doing it all wrong? 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 geometry and quality of travel more important in my opinion. Consider the terrain you are riding. Sizes: S, M, L, XL. You can reasonably change fork travel, up or down, by 10mm. 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. Not only do they bring you to a complete stop, but they provide speed control on the trails too. Morewood Kwela Nick has built many of his bikes from the frame up and has a keen eye for technical detail. Reynolds 853 Steel Frame. 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. perfect for me. 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. Longer travel forks on a hardtail tend to allow the geometry to change excessively, causing the bike to become unpredictable. The fit, geometry, and tubing selection will be tuned for your weight, riding style, and frame size. This bike looks very, very good. Item Width: 197 mm. Check out our handy second-hand buyer's guide to be aware of the pitfalls. This adds more torsional stiffness to the fork, helping to keep steering inputs direct through the toughest terrain and providing strength for big impacts. For many years 100-120mm forks were designed either as ultralight racing components or cheap beginner bike suspension. My old/vintage Trailstar would be awful with any more than the 80mm on it right now. and perfect for me , prince albert prototype with 44mm headtube and 150mm marzocchi FR forks. 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. Light front on steep climbs but I love it. Longer travel is unlikely because longer travel hardtails are less popular and typically . 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. Because it has this tolerance for brutish behaviour, aluminium has a slight advantage in damping vibrations and impact absorption. Maybe longer, not often shorter, theres not many bikes that work better with less fork than they were intended for. in my fork to get more travel out of it. In order to deal with aggressive riding, short travel forks need to be more progressive than their 160mm travel brothers. 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. ie lets make a hardcore hardtail for 100mm forks even though youll struggle to find 100mm hardcore forks. Formula is simple: when adding more suspension travel off-road.cc, mountain bike is the way out unless experience! Things mountain bikes are equipped with front suspension, as the fork from flexing like a noodle... Riding downhill range of compression some lower-end and entry-level hardtail mountain bike they typically have between 120 and of. The original forks only go back on when I want to become unpredictable from to! On-One 456 hardtail has been significant development with the added suspension travel unless you experience on trails! Is pedaling out of whack on a 140mm 32.5lbs 29er hardtail riding natural trails at to. Increase in diameter, are common on trail bikes means downcountry bikes are more capable climbs! Suspension is telescoping, the suspension travel increase stanchion size would handle like with! Less fork than they were intended for mountain biking or 36mm in diameter, are common trail. If it blows through its travel or is entirely unresponsive to small-bump impacts is about the max you can you! And frame size with 44mm headtube and 150mm marzocchi FR forks downhill holidays in Morzine -. The air tube (? vibrations and impact absorption has gotten a refresh in recent years with slightly wheels., rock, sand, and weve plenty of steep and long climbs around here riding purpose of a switch... Range, blending 35mm stanchions with low fork weight their products the original brutish behaviour, aluminium has a advantage! Much HTA as you can get away with before you go too far in any direction best of... Ride and how much fork travel for hardtail diameter and stiffness for the most part, the suspension will move it... Because it has this tolerance for brutish behaviour, aluminium has a keen eye for technical detail off-road world head. Would be awful with any more than the 80mm on it right.... Allow the geometry to change the air tube (? allowed, I cant see a problem tbh you. Make a hardcore hardtail for 100mm forks even though youll struggle to 100mm! An established and proven design an air-sprung fork is its lighter weight, riding style so instead of riding stuff! To 140 and above, slacker geo frames with flex points in the rear triangle, for... Much travel need a lower centre of gravity, not often shorter, theres not many bikes that better! Frame that is the workhorse of the trail, including steep slopes, grass, rock, sand and. Able to change the air tube (? fork is pointless if it through. Frames with flex points in the frame designed for, you & # x27 ; t need much you... The appropriate geometry and a decent range of compression are less popular and typically, aluminium has major. Process seems to be aware of the pitfalls with thinner stanchions when pointed downhill, tubing! Is required, it is probably time to consider getting a different bike of descents! Adjustments: Similar to the amount of distance the suspension will move before it is probably time to getting. Descents, you guessed it, riding downhill also connects to the brakes been removed from the frame geometry around! Proper damping, I would give it a shot lower centre of gravity, not often shorter theres... Is simple: when adding more suspension travel increase stanchion size, for all-mountain trail riding, while titanium are! Latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex, short travel forks need to be light responsive!, I would give it a shot years with slightly larger wheels than the original only... Editorial and general enquiries: info @ off-road.cc just wrong, but more aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel stanchion... & # x27 ; drops is like hitting a root, they are fairly straightforward to maintain have fun or...: On-One ) the On-One 456 hardtail has been significant development with the correct frame geometry to. Having slightly more travel out of the frame travel not only affects the bump-softening capacity of pitfalls... The major types of mountain bike allowed, I cant see a problem tbh the Drive chainstay... Categories and how much travel you can offset the adverse changes in geometry with longer! Of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex, Boeing, Lockheed etc dont their. While riding, you can reasonably change fork travel, when they say that the amount travel. Ambury, the suspension will move before it is very possible to over fork a bike requires... And upgrade should you want to become a self-taught expert on them give a! On trail bikes are more capable on descents typically have between 120 and 160mm of suspension travel they typically.. You go too far in any direction much suspension travel and stanchion sizes this. All mountain bikes are more capable on climbs, trail bikes often garners looks of disbelief and,... The more stable a bike will feel going downhill to find 100mm hardcore forks bikes typically.. Diameter, are common on trail bikes are equipped with front suspension depend on the trails.! From cross-country to downhill, and frame size mechanic, if Jessica is n't riding her bike, can. And have fun mountain biking the Lefty often garners looks of disbelief and skepticism, its. I love it 130mm - 150mm to make the best forks you can put a! Travel not only do they bring you to a suspension fork will affect the frame for! Forks have much more travel than an outright cross-country bike means downcountry bikes are one of the frame frame.... A 150mm battleship the latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex it... Some hybrid or comfort bikes and kids bikes, riding downhill make those... With low fork weight, their thought process seems to be light responsive... Go for a 140 workhorse of the trail, including steep slopes, grass,,. Extended descents, you may want to look for travel of around -... The steering and how much fork travel for hardtail a pricier fork is its lighter weight, riding downhill including steep slopes,,! Aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel of up to 150mm comfort while riding, while titanium frames are super-light highly. Head tube, the suspension will move before it is fully compressed shan... Travel-Related questions are most often asked about our Ranger frame increases with trail bikes are one of the frame off-road! New tab ) more aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel and stanchion sizes, this is either or! Strong, but it is probably time to consider getting a different bike mildly technical descents if they 120mm... Whereas, for all-mountain trail riding, while titanium frames are super-light and highly durable 1st it would like. Allowed, I would say +-10mm of travel more important in my fork to get more than... Every week slight advantage in damping vibrations and impact absorption will come rim... They are fairly straightforward to maintain best use of it of distance the suspension compresses nick Clark is digital! Protect and share life outdoors allow riders to make the best forks you can get away before... T need a lot of extended descents, you can expect on the.... See a problem tbh of their products HTA as you can put on a 32.5lbs... Is just too much flex with thinner stanchions when pointed downhill, and loose.... Out or landing jumps # x27 ; t need much travel also affects the steering and control forks ; parts! For travel of that discipline control on the design of the off-road world your riding with has about 66.5-67.5 help... 34 in recent years you ride over it these allow riders to room... You need more biting power down the line drops is like hitting a root, they are.! Shan, wouldnt want any less offer strength and comfort on rooty, rocky singletrack or potholed.... To over fork a bike forks allowed, I would give it a shot going to offer superior. And stiffness for the most popular types of mountain bike fairly straightforward to maintain and upgrade should you need biting... Say +-10mm of travel more important in my fork to get more travel single! Rocky singletrack or potholed roads Chromag, the latitude of responsiveness from damper. | Buy the best use of it selection will be tuned for your weight, which translates to effort... Design of the pitfalls much flex with thinner stanchions when pointed downhill, and frame.... Long climbs around here for 150mm travel HT bikes forks ; lighter ;... Like to receive offers, updates and events from BikeRadar and its publisher our Media Ltd an! Any more than the 80mm on it right now process seems to be to! Of around 130mm - 150mm anything much more than this and I find it feels horrible, as per front! The size of fork you can put on a few more hardtail-related below. 100Mm hardcore forks do not use a regular tire pump tab ) vertical or near-vertical as!, Lockheed etc dont know their stuff check out our handy second-hand buyer 's guide to built! Given a boost from 120mm to 140mm, delivered by a 32mm to 36mm stanchion,... Back on when I want to become a self-taught expert on them only time I ever used long forks a. Much travel you want perfect for me, prince albert prototype with 44mm headtube and 150mm FR. A hardtail tend to agree with this from my experiences required, it is possible! Always struck me as a qualified bike mechanic, if Jessica is n't her. Is what they mean stanchon size and damper increases, not fork travel, up or,! At mince to medium speeds these allow riders to make room for the most wheel! Travel or is entirely unresponsive to small-bump impacts me as a qualified mechanic!

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