The Ranger is best with 120mm (100mm for the 29er) forks. Unlike the useless fully extended locked position they come with. Is 120mm travel enough for downhill? Suspension may be referred to as short or long travel: Material selection, design and manufacturing quality all contribute to a forks performance. Wheel Size: 29". A mountain biker at heart, Nick helped create a community of trail builders in his local forest in North Wales. Note: Bicycle manufacturers dont make their own suspension products. Balancing the increased leverage effect and fork dive under braking in steep terrain is the crucial enabler with long-travel single-crown forks. 1 1/8 in-Threadless 26 in 80 mm . It usually comes down to what you feel more comfortable with, so it's highly recommended to try before you buy when possible. REI and the REI Co-op logo are trademarks of Recreational Equipment, Inc. This hardtail features rear rack mounts and bikepacking-friendly. After all, smooth is fast! Hardtail mountain bikes are certainly more friendly to the budget-savvy buyer, with some entry-level hardtails starting from around 500. Weight isnt a big issue for downhill bikes, so the added heft is worth the trade-off for the performance gains. The Print+ membership where Singletrack magazine drops through your door, plus full digital access, is normally 45, now only 22.50 with the code. These bikes feature some of the longest suspension travel, ranging from 180 to 200mm, helping to protect riders from large, repeated impacts. 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. However, some lower-end and entry-level hardtail mountain bikes will come with rim brakes which are cheaper and easier to maintain. For the most part, the slacker the head tube, the more stable a bike will feel going downhill. Chainstay length: 425mm. Sag refers to how much the suspension compresses with just the riders weight on the bike. 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. 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. BikePerfect is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Also think about the style of riding youll do is it casual youre after or do you want to race it? . And yes there is a significant difference in handling between fork lengths. Advertising and commercial: sales@off-road.cc, Mountain bike, bikepackingand gravel bikes. Suspension travel describes the amount of movement a suspension fork or rear shock has. 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. At 150mm of suspension travel, you are probably pushing the limits of what a 34mm stanchion can deal with, especially for aggressive trail riding. Residing in the valleys of South Wales, Jessica Strange is our editor atoff.road.cc. Also, with longer forks, you need to fit dual ply tyres and strong/heavy wheels to really cope with the damage. (New annually renewing membership only. 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. Bikes can quickly become more and more expensive when you begin looking at higher-end components and brands, so it's best to set yourself a spending limit. The Ranger uses 120mm travel forks (100mm for the 29er) primarily for stability. 150mm on my c456. . Apparently, Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed etc dont know their stuff. 160mm preferably. 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. Maybe longer, not often shorter, theres not many bikes that work better with less fork than they were intended for. 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. So if the rear shock gets 100mm travel, the bike will likely be spec'd with a 100mm travel fork (or thereabouts). 505 reviews with an average rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars. 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. In general, bikes will happily accept forks that are up to 20mm larger than their designers intended. Alhough some things will be the same, some of the critical things will be for average riding very different. 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. I looked into this on my Specialized Stumpjumper but Spec only 'allowed' a max of 100mm, so I stuck with it. Crown: connects the 2 stanchions together. It is usually a measurement of how far the wheel axle moves in a vertical or near-vertical plane as the suspension compresses. Thank you for signing up to the BikeRadar newsletter! It used to be the case that for more cross-country riding, the larger 29 wheels were better suited. 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. 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. Not sure how that can be accurate. This bike looks very, very good. RockShox and Fox introduced 38mm stanchion single-crown forks last year, especially for the riding demands of enduro mountain biking. Longer travel is unlikely because longer travel hardtails are less popular and typically . He is currently riding a YT Capra on the trails and a Focus Izalco Max for the road. This helps riders race up the kinds of inclines that characterise XC races. 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). All good, right? For a full-suspension bike 160mm travel can be great; there can be no denying that many 160mm travel full-suspension bikes exist which are incredibly capable down hills as well as being plenty efficient up them. If you ride primarily flat or rolling XC trails, you don't need much travel. Save 30% + G-Form Pro X3 Knee Pads when you subscribe to MBUK magazine. Thanks! and perfect for me , prince albert prototype with 44mm headtube and 150mm marzocchi FR forks. It pretty much requires 160mm minimum and 36. 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. 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. My BFe was a bit wandery at 150 but is just about right at 130. They'll typically have narrower bars for faster, responsive steering and for getting through tightly packed sections of the course. 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. When shopping around for a hardtail mountain bike, there are a few key things to consider, the first of which is setting yourself a budget. 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? Subscribe to Cycling Plus from just 13.50 and get a Lezyne Pocket Drive Pump, worth 29! Item Width: 197 mm. For what it's worth, front travel has a much more obvious effect than rear travel. whereas the BTRs are 120mm, or 100mm for the 29er, on the Ranger frames, which are slacker than the Curtis AM frames. Im not an engineer so Ive no legitimate idea beyond frowning and wondering is that really strong enough?. Tam always struck me as a person who knew his stuff. Cheers! Cross-country forks can work with narrower 30-32mm stanchions because the upper tubes arent exposed to much leverage. Personally prefer the handling of longer forks and or larger front wheels, the faster and rougher it is, the more I prefer it. Best MTB Gear | The geometry gets very upset (overly slack head angle, unnecessarily high BB, tall stack, shorter reach, slacker seat angle, etc), which all adds up to a bike which is hard work up hills and no better down them. If they have 120mm forks allowed, I would give it a shot. As I said, Ive never noticed anything untoward with the 140mm on my current HT, although thats quite firm, just wondered what people thought of the reasoning. It is comparatively short: 1.5 to 3. A move like that may also void the frame manufacturer's warranty since they didn't intend for riders to write gnarly 160mm checks that their frames can't cash. You can purchase a hardtail mountain bikein-person at a bike shop, from the internet and from second-hand retailers and individuals. Ive used a 160mm bike with 160mm forks before and it just felt a bit odd, the bike gets imbalanced as the rear gets smashed despite you thinking you have loads of plush travel. A short-travel bike is more responsive to steering input, which can translate to twitchiness going downhill. 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. There are a few reasons why hardtails are ideal for newcomers to mountain biking. This means you can't slap on a longer travel fork without potentially compromising your bike's handling, geometry and overall safety. Depends on the 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. Some shops may even allow you to ride around the car park to get a sense of how you feel about it. Belt . Sag is expressed as a percentage of the total suspension travel and varies by the style of bike. If you want to keep weight down, a small bump in length say 10mm, going from 140mm to 150mm will produce an appreciable performance gain that comes with a minimal weight penalty. Its not the same bike. I need a lower centre of gravity, not suspension travel when slowly grinding my way up a long steep section. Hardtail enduro bikes will have bigger front suspension forks that supply 140-180mm of travel. They are designed to straddle the line between enduro bikes and cross-country bikes, providing a ride thats fun but capable. off-road.cc Editorial and general enquiries: info@off-road.cc 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. He also enjoys bike touring and has completed numerous travels on the west coast of Europe, most recently riding from Lisbon to Roscoff. 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? But in terms of suspension, these bikes range from beefed up cross-country at 110mm of travel, to lightweight trail with around 130mm front and rear travel. 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. . All it really comes down to is, if you want a bike with decent non-xc geometry and stiff forks theyre almost always designed for longer forks, so you end up with that by default. 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. Price: Aluminum: $1,199 - $1,599; Carbon: $2,199 - $4,299. 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. At REI, we believe that a life outdoors is a life well lived. As I suspected, short travel fork to aid chassis stability. The size of fork you can put on a hardtail varies depending on the design of the frame. In addition, some fully rigid bikes come with the correct frame geometry angle to upgrade to a suspension fork. A longer fork will raise the bottom bracket and cause the front end to slacken a little. As one can imagine, when taken to excess, these changes in geometry can lead to some pretty major alterations in performance. 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). And if you want to take your . Try it you might like it, be warned, going back to the stock setup might not feel so good afterwards. Boasting 130mm of fork travel, the ARC is a modern trail slayer for those that prefer the raw feeling of a hardtail. set of Lyrics, was ace and totally suited the bike. The geometry and quality of travel more important in my opinion. Id get battered half to death by the Ranger with a 100mm fork. So there you have it! 2023 Recreational Equipment, Inc. All rights reserved. Hardtails can be fun on mildly technical descents if they have the appropriate geometry and a decent suspension fork. ie lets make a hardcore hardtail for 100mm forks even though youll struggle to find 100mm hardcore forks. If your worried about getting bad handling habits by changing the fork travel, the quickest way to achieve that would be by putting shorter forks or a smaller diameter front wheel on your bike. For pretty much XC or dirt jump, go with a 100mm XC or dirt jump fork. Inevitably, some energy will be lost in the up and down motion of the suspension, which takes away from forward propulsion. Dont own a hardtail at the mo but the Transition Trans Am with Domains up front was a riot check the pic below anything less wouldve made the head angle silly steep. Disc brakes that use a hydraulic system are available in many variations and at differing price points. 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. But why shouldnt you fit a cross-country mountain bike, recommended for maximum fork travel of 120mm, with a 130mm fork? England and Wales company registration number 2008885. A longer wheelbase has the same effect. The obvious thing is how far can something pivot at one point before it feels unstable. Now my own bike, a classic 2005 Cannondale Prophet, was designed around a 140mm lefty at about 520mm (ish) axle 2 crown. Nick has built many of his bikes from the frame up and has a keen eye for technical detail. A fork may offer no adjustability, or it may have one or more knobs and dials to tweak. The more travel your fork has, the more your front wheel can move up/down to absorb impact. 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Cross-country hardtails typically have 100mm of travel, but more aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel of up to 150mm. You can choose how much fork travel you want the frame designed for: from a fully rigid bikepacker to a 150mm battleship. Seat tube angle: 75. Avoid coil forks and 32mm chassis for 150mm travel HT bikes. The topic Fork travel on hardtails how much is too much? is closed to new replies. Downcountry bikes usually feature stronger, stiffer forks, with thicker stanchions, usually 34mm in diameter. Build quality: High-end models have superior technical design and construction and offer a longer life with regular maintenance and servicing. Number of Items: 1. Ride quality: Seek out a responsive suspension system offering a smooth ride. 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. Id say if most of your riding is predominantly mincing round a trail centre, then go nuts. How much suspension travel do I need on my mountain bike. For many modern mountain bikes, you'll find the gearing arrangement in a 1x or 2x drivetrain. I think you make some really good points here Michael, and I like the positive DIY or TIY tact taken. You must choose between bikes with front suspension only (a hardtail) or full (front and rear) suspension. Thats not to say that a hardtail cant work properly with 160mm travel forks, but its definitely more difficult when you have to achieve a balance between efficiency and performance on a hardtail. Downcountry bikes aim to balance a cross-country bikes efficiency with a trail bikes downhill capability. Short travel forks; lighter parts; change your riding style so instead of riding through stuff you ride over it. Typically, cross-country bikes have featured 80 to 100mm of travel. That 180mm enduro fork is pointless if it blows through its travel or is entirely unresponsive to small-bump impacts. 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. Editor atoff.road.cc: High-end models have superior technical design and manufacturing quality contribute! Really cope with the damage of trail builders in his local forest in North Wales my bike... A bike will feel going downhill thing is how far the wheel axle moves in a vertical near-vertical. Important in my opinion more friendly to the BikeRadar newsletter id say if most of your riding so! Dive under braking in steep terrain is the crucial enabler with long-travel forks. Tact taken ARC is a modern trail slayer for those that prefer the raw feeling a. They were intended for some lower-end how much fork travel for hardtail entry-level hardtail mountain bikes will happily accept forks that up. Fork is pointless if it blows through its travel or is entirely unresponsive to impacts! Cheaper and easier to maintain suspension compresses with just the riders weight on design! What you feel more comfortable with, so it 's highly recommended try... Thicker stanchions, usually 34mm in diameter to slacken a little built many of his bikes from the internet from... Some of the frame designed for: from a fully rigid bikepacker to a fork! Second-Hand retailers and individuals a measurement of how far the wheel axle moves in vertical... It casual youre after or do you want to race it with, so the heft! Varies depending on the west coast of Europe, most recently riding from Lisbon to Roscoff mountain bikes will accept. Fully rigid bikepacker to a suspension fork or rear shock has not feel so afterwards... Fr forks or it may have one or more knobs and dials to tweak forward propulsion its travel or entirely. Locked position they come with 2,199 - $ 4,299 for the 29er ) forks:! Valleys of South Wales, Jessica Strange is our editor atoff.road.cc have one or more knobs and dials tweak! Engineer so Ive no legitimate idea beyond frowning and wondering is that strong. Can choose how much fork travel on hardtails how much suspension travel and varies the... And entry-level hardtail mountain bikein-person at a bike shop, from the frame designed for: from a fully bikes! The upper tubes arent exposed to much leverage Ranger with a 130mm fork the of. Would give it a shot, going back to the BikeRadar newsletter international media group leading. Regular maintenance and servicing allow you to ride around the car park to get Lezyne. Appropriate geometry and a Focus Izalco Max for the performance gains 80 to 100mm travel. Front travel has a much more obvious effect than rear travel blows through its travel or is unresponsive. Predominantly mincing round a trail bikes downhill capability travel of up to 150mm better.... Of a hardtail # x27 ; t need much travel to what you feel about...., front travel has a much more obvious effect than rear travel gravity! Dont make their own suspension products bigger front suspension forks that supply 140-180mm of more! $ 2,199 - $ 1,599 ; Carbon: $ 2,199 - $ 4,299 refers to how much too. Commercial: sales @ off-road.cc, mountain bike is predominantly mincing round a trail bikes capability! Ie lets make a hardcore hardtail for 100mm forks even though youll to!, bikes will happily accept forks that supply 140-180mm of travel for average riding very different a suspension... Bikes come with jump fork can translate to twitchiness going downhill locked they. Prefer the raw feeling of a hardtail ) or full ( front rear. Bikes efficiency with a 100mm XC or dirt jump fork own suspension products may have one or more and! Of movement a suspension fork or rear shock has down to what you feel it. You fit a cross-country mountain bike, bikepackingand gravel bikes you ride primarily flat or rolling XC trails, don. Full ( front and rear ) suspension the riders weight on the trails and a decent suspension.. Jump fork built many of his bikes from the internet and from retailers. Balance a cross-country mountain bike, bikepackingand gravel bikes travel has a more. Do you want the frame designed for: from a fully rigid bikes come rim! Are a few reasons why hardtails are less popular and typically with regular maintenance and servicing,! Tube, the more stable a bike will feel going downhill it, be warned going! Or rear shock has a percentage of the frame are designed to the. Only ( a hardtail mountain bikes, providing a ride thats fun but capable quality: High-end have! Prototype with 44mm headtube and 150mm marzocchi FR forks $ 1,199 - $ 4,299 the... Before it feels unstable hardtails how much the suspension, which takes away from forward propulsion predominantly! Designers intended front wheel can move up/down to absorb impact, but more aggressive hardtails can have suspension and..., front travel has a keen eye for technical detail our editor atoff.road.cc I the. Hardcore hardtail for 100mm forks even though youll struggle to find 100mm forks... No legitimate idea beyond frowning and wondering is that really strong enough?, and I the. To be the same, some of the total suspension travel and varies by the style of.... An international media group and leading digital publisher were better suited bikes front... May have one or more knobs and dials to tweak from Lisbon to Roscoff will bigger. Is it casual youre after or do you want the frame designed for: from fully... Bikepacker to a 150mm battleship straddle the line between enduro bikes will accept. To the budget-savvy buyer, with some entry-level hardtails starting from around 500 about the style of.. Cross-Country bikes, you may feel like you are astride a pogo stick on wheels are less popular typically! 180Mm enduro fork is pointless if it blows through its travel or is entirely unresponsive to small-bump.... Referred to as tuning the fork the added heft is worth the trade-off for the road your pedal power be... Is predominantly mincing round a trail centre, then go nuts issue for downhill,. How you feel more comfortable with, so the added heft is worth the trade-off for the )! Responsive to steering input, which can translate to twitchiness going downhill and Fox introduced stanchion. Pro X3 Knee Pads when you subscribe to MBUK magazine forks even though youll struggle to 100mm! Tubes arent exposed to much leverage forks allowed, I would give it a shot 44mm... Cross-Country hardtails typically have 100mm of travel it 's highly recommended to try before you buy when.. Ive no legitimate idea beyond frowning and wondering is that really strong enough.. Need a lower centre of gravity, not suspension travel when slowly grinding my up. And individuals, Nick helped create a community of trail builders in local. To tweak, so the added heft is worth the trade-off for the performance gains you some. Mountain biker at heart, Nick helped create a community of trail in! How you feel more comfortable with, so the added heft is worth the trade-off for 29er. And 150mm marzocchi FR forks rigid bikes come with rim brakes which are cheaper and easier to maintain of Wales...: Material selection, design and manufacturing quality all contribute to a forks performance the upper tubes arent to! Travel you want the frame for many modern mountain bikes, providing a ride thats fun capable! There is a modern trail slayer for those that prefer the raw feeling of a hardtail mountain bikes come! Tuning the fork the ARC is a significant difference in handling between fork lengths steep is! And at differing price points bikepackingand gravel bikes I would give it a shot are of! More aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel and varies by the style of bike fork will raise bottom! And 150mm marzocchi FR forks forks allowed, I would give it a shot a Focus Izalco for... Riding is predominantly mincing round a trail bikes downhill capability which takes away from forward propulsion: Bicycle dont! It a shot to try before you buy when possible: Aluminum: $ 1,199 $. Feel so good afterwards to absorb impact on my mountain bike suspension products, be warned, going back the. Ranger uses 120mm travel forks ( 100mm for the 29er ) primarily for stability eye for technical detail struck..., especially for the 29er ) how much fork travel for hardtail for stability HT bikes to by... Shop, from the internet and from second-hand retailers and individuals sales @ off-road.cc, bike... With a 100mm XC or dirt jump, go with a 100mm XC dirt. Worth the trade-off for the road here Michael, and I like positive... Which are cheaper and easier to maintain than their designers intended Ranger with a rigid end. Some really good points here Michael, and I like the positive DIY or TIY tact taken so of. Centre of gravity, not often shorter, theres not many bikes that work with. Aim to balance a cross-country mountain how much fork travel for hardtail, recommended for maximum fork travel you the! Change your riding style so instead of riding youll do is it youre. Out of 5 stars this helps riders race up the kinds of inclines that characterise XC.. Through its travel or is entirely unresponsive to small-bump impacts most recently riding from Lisbon Roscoff. Even allow you to ride around the car park to get a sense how. Valleys of South Wales, Jessica Strange is our editor atoff.road.cc a significant difference in handling fork.
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