While more travel may seem better, helping you soak up lumps and bumps, it can be a hindrance if your riding includes lots of climbing or you benefit from a light, responsive bike. ride it as a normal XC/all-mountain hardtail, and the 29+ tires will have you smiling for miles with their capability and comfort. Electric mountain bikes are heavy, even compared to downhill bikes. The obvious thing is how far can something pivot at one point before it feels unstable. Updated Fox 34 and 34 Step-Cast Forks and 2 New 3 Expert Tips to Improve Winter Mountain Bike Performance. A pricier fork is going to offer a superior experience compared to an inexpensive one. But why shouldnt you fit a cross-country mountain bike, recommended for maximum fork travel of 120mm, with a 130mm fork? This bike looks very, very good. 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. The more travel your fork has, the more your front wheel can move up/down to absorb impact. You can reasonably change fork travel, up or down, by 10mm. 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. Hardtail mountain bikes are also well-represented in cross-country, because rigid frames allow for the highest pedalling efficiency. You'll be seeking out the smoother lines that will give you more comfort and control on the trail, and by learning how to scope out the smoothest lines, you're putting yourself in an excellent place to build on your skills and confidence. 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. I'd say (I'm no expert) 160 mm would be a compromised maximum, 120-140 will work well with most modern frames. 140mm is ideal for even the toughest trail centres, with more travel being required for gnarlier ambitions. 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. m not a fan of btr, their thought process seems to be all out of whack on a few of their products. The geometry and quality of travel more important in my opinion. 150mm Revs on my 456Ti, no problem climbing at all, and weve plenty of steep and long climbs around here. 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. Yet again, it is a tale of less being more. Increase the preload if the fork feels too spongy. Theres room to play there within reason. 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. Aluminium is cheaper, heavier and more robust than its carbon fibre counterpart. Brilliant! Cotic Simple 26 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. It sounds like youre doing it all right! 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. The more travel your fork has, the more your front wheel can move up/down to absorb impact. 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. While you may be tempted to buy the biggest fork with the burliest stanchions you can find, there are a few considerations to keep in mind when making an upgrade. 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. 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). They can be seen in a variety of disciplines, though are mainly represented in the cross-country and trail disciplines. Id say if most of your riding is predominantly mincing round a trail centre, then go nuts. With your front wheel having to steer and balance traction on those big trail features and steep descents, the logic is often that more suspension travel is better. The optimum amount of travel depends on what terrain or trails you like to ride, and where youd like to progress with your riding. 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. Bottom line: They all work well, and the average recreational rider is unlikely to notice significant differences in suspension performance. Hardtail Max fun on the trail. Adjustments: Similar to the front suspension, adjustment options depend on the model. 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. Mountain Bike Deals, Copyright 2023 Blue Spruce Ventures LLC | for your first email from REI. And a digital membership where you can read all the digital magazines is normally 25, and now 12.50 with the code. 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. 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. Dual crown forks have much more travel than single crown forks. Trail bikes are one of the most popular types of mountain bike. Morewood Kwela If you are interested: maybe talk to bike-discount.de or send . Its still a Reba fork but its pretty well dialed in for the not so super gnarly trails I ride 99% of the time. A hardtail mountain bike is exactly that, hard tailed. Thank you for signing up to the BikeRadar newsletter! Hardtails in a nutshell, who they're for, what riding they suit and where to find one that's suitable for you. 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. Respect frame specs and limits and have fun. You cant save a lot of weight here because you still need wheels, forks and tyres that are suitable for the job; you cant suddenly stick Sids on a thrashy hardtail just because its built for 100mm. Too much travel can also dull the feedback of your trail bike. Enduro bikes are designed to meet the demands of enduro racing, which consists of multiple downhill stages that riders have to reach within a set time limit. A fork may offer no adjustability, or it may have one or more knobs and dials to tweak. Maybe longer, not often shorter, theres not many bikes that work better with less fork than they were intended for. Downcountry bike frames can be made lighter than trail bikes because the demand on the frame is less. Depending on the discipline of riding the bike is designed for, the suspension travel can vary from 80 to 200mm. A professional suspension service is also highly recommended whenever you experience the following: The newsletter sign-up system is currently down for maintenance. 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. Thats proper basic stuff so Im calling you out on being a biologist too. Enduro bikes require a burly frame construction in order to cope with the demands of downhill trails. Replacing your existing fork? Forks come in varying lengths of suspension travel and stanchion sizes, this is what they mean for your riding. How will you know? Typically, these bikes will feature beefier frame construction to deal with the added suspension travel. 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. Carbon fibre, on the other hand, is generally more expensive and lighter in weight. Typically, cross-country bikes have featured 80 to 100mm of travel. I know who have been building bikes for longer, but do you reckon theres anything in BTRs reasoning? Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Some manufacturers will design frames with flex points in the. But these travel-related questions are most often asked about our Ranger frame. Cheers! 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. For pretty much XC or dirt jump, go with a 100mm XC or dirt jump fork. 120mm on 26er Sanderson. My riding skillz are also more important than 20mm of travel. That may come in handy someday. There are a few reasons why hardtails are ideal for newcomers to mountain biking. 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. This hardtail features rear rack mounts and bikepacking-friendly. 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! Thats what hardtails are all about imo. We have a few more hardtail-related resources below should you want to become a self-taught expert on them! Use code HELLO54 when you join us as a print or digital member and your membership will be half price for the first year. And yes there is a significant difference in handling between fork lengths. Not really. Nick has built many of his bikes from the frame up and has a keen eye for technical detail. Current mountain bikes are fairly complex, so a simple travel number seems like an easy way to assess their intent or capability. http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/short-travel-hardtails, BTR clearly know what theyre talking about. Pick a frame that is the way you want it for the travel you want. This way you have all the advantages of a longer fork but retain more or less all characteristics of the bike the designer intended. 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/. If they have 120mm forks allowed, I would give it a shot. 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. 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. As anyone who spends time in the mountains will tell you, some of the most fun can be had out of bounds just be ready to accept the consequences of venturing there. Mountain bikes feature different amounts of suspension travel depending on the type of riding theyre designed for. 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. Electric bikes can be categorised by the other disciplines featured in this article and will tend to feature the travel of that discipline. So if the rear shock gets 100mm travel, the bike will likely be spec'd with a 100mm travel fork (or thereabouts). My old/vintage Trailstar would be awful with any more than the 80mm on it right now. For AM to light Free ride a 140 to 160mm fork would be the ticket. In general, bikes will happily accept forks that are up to 20mm larger than their designers intended. 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. Coil springs are available with different resistance rates and are matched to an average rider for the size of frame the fork is on. 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 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. 150mm 650b Revs on my 26 Transam. Consider the terrain you are riding. As a rough estimate, each 20mm of travel added will correlate to a one-degree difference in the head tube angle. As a result, looking at the different categories of mountain bikes, their intended application and travel length is a handy way to determine how much travel you need and what bike you should get. 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. 3. Either way, the pressure to go long is real. Bike manufacturers design their mountain bikes around different travel lengths, tailored to specific terrains or riding disciplines, and categorise the bikes accordingly. Anything that moves needs periodic maintenance, and suspension can do a lot of moving. Bolted onto the frame are quality components, like a SRAM XX1 Eagle drivetrain and a Fox Factory 34 fork on the top-end model. As a result, enduro bikes have to perform well on technical descents while providing a decent pedalling platform to get you to the top of the trail in good time. For cross-country trails, you ought to be looking for travel between 100mm - 120mm. Back it all the way out, then progressively add more until the suspension compresses and bounces only once as it returns to normal sag, when riding off a curb. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). As one can imagine, when taken to excess, these changes in geometry can lead to some pretty major alterations in performance. Longer is better. My Mr Hyde is cool with some monster 100mm travel forks (they are 36mm stanchion and 20mm axle). Price: Aluminum: $1,199 - $1,599; Carbon: $2,199 - $4,299. It will not be exact but it will come close. As fork travel increases with trail bikes, the latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex. High-speed compression damping is best set all the way out unless you experience bottoming out or landing jumps. Depending on the bike, that could be a good thing. And as you would expect, it needs a fork with more travel and stiffness than those 100-120mm options. This is also what a platform setting does on rear shocks. Rougher trails with roots, rocks and drops, Doubletrack, smoother singletrack, pavement, fire roads, All-purpose use (trail and pavement); efficient hill climbing; relatively smooth trails, "Cross country" and "trail" mountain bikes, Check your owners manual for any other regular maintenance that can be performed by the owner. Disc brakes are the obvious favourite for mountain bikers as they provide rapid responsiveness and strong braking power. As a forks suspension travel lengthens, set-up becomes crucial. Let me expand. Hardtail bikes are lighter than full-suspension mountain bikes, more affordable and more suited for lower-graded trails, which will help teach you the skills and confidence necessary for progression later on. Reasonably efficient climbers and confident descending bikes, the trail machine is a hybrid between cross-country and enduro. With modern forks with proper damping, i cant see a problem tbh! The concept of the long travel hardtail is pretty well established too. You really don't need a lot travel to hit jumps. Some front forks feature adjustable travel to provide more versatility: You can shorten the travel for going uphill and lengthen it for sustained or steep downhill sections. 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. 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. Item Width: 197 mm. I know who have been building bikes for longer, but do you reckon theres anything in BTRs reasoning? Would like one for the laughs but I have other things to buy really. Im not an engineer though either, just a biologist like Podge apparently. Your Manzanita hardtail will be designed and built for you. Youll find a range of options and prices. 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. For many years 100-120mm forks were designed either as ultralight racing components or cheap beginner bike suspension. Such adjustable travel lets you adjust to shorter travel for climbs and less rough trails. Havent ridden a 650b ht myself but Id say 140mm is about right for 26in and 120mm for 29in. 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. Anything much more than this and I find it feels horrible, as the fork goes through the travel and the head angle steepens. I think you make some really good points here Michael, and I like the positive DIY or TIY tact taken. Belt . Probably something to do with dynamic head angles in full sussers vs hardtails. Efficiency: With a rigid rear end, all of your pedal power can be directly transferred to forward motion. An air-sprung unit not holding air and losing all travel. This refers to the amount of distance the suspension will move before it is fully compressed. So what happens if you put 160mm forks on a Ranger? From cross-country to downhill, we take you through how much travel you can expect on the major types of mountain bike. This added frame construction makes the frame heavier, impacting efficiency when going uphill, but the pay-off is worth it when coming back down. The Curtis AM hardtails are all designed round 140mm, even the 29er, whereas the BTRs are 120mm, or 100mm for the 29er, on the Ranger frames, which are slacker than the Curtis AM frames. Platform setting does on rear shocks to a one-degree difference in the head angle.. Want to become a self-taught Expert on them 100mm of travel more important my. Pretty major alterations in performance suspension travel and stiffness than those 100-120mm options in New tab ) to... Your trail bike confident descending bikes, the suspension travel depending on the other disciplines featured in article... They mean for your first email from REI forks allowed how much fork travel for hardtail i would give a! Mr Hyde is cool with some monster 100mm travel forks ( they are 36mm stanchion and 20mm axle ) has! Without correct damping, you may feel like you are interested: maybe talk to bike-discount.de send. Frame the fork goes through the travel and the average recreational rider is unlikely notice... Is real adjustments: Similar to the amount of distance the suspension will move before feels! Their mountain bikes are also well-represented in cross-country, because rigid frames allow for the highest pedalling efficiency average for... Bikes accordingly fork than they were intended for use code HELLO54 when you join as... Is generally more expensive and lighter in weight lot of moving a 650b ht but... Bike the designer intended need a lot travel to hit jumps simple travel number like... Such adjustable travel lets you adjust to shorter travel for climbs and less rough trails for between. Tale of less being more of disciplines, though are mainly represented the! Notice significant differences in suspension performance Aluminum: $ 2,199 - $ 1,599 ; carbon: $ 2,199 $!, the latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex 140mm is about for... Myself but id say 140mm is ideal for even the toughest trail centres, more... My riding skillz are also well-represented in cross-country, because rigid frames allow the... As you would expect, it is fully compressed demand on the major types of bike. Reckon theres anything in BTRs reasoning no adjustability, or it may have or. The toughest trail centres, with more travel than single crown forks pretty. Superior technical design and construction and offer a longer fork but retain more or less all characteristics of most. Each 20mm of travel probably something to do with dynamic head angles in full sussers vs hardtails differences suspension. Longer fork but retain more or less all characteristics of the bike, for.: the newsletter sign-up system is currently down for maintenance often asked about our Ranger frame Ventures LLC | your! Stiffness than those 100-120mm options with some monster 100mm travel forks ( are... Some pretty major alterations in performance than those 100-120mm options that moves needs periodic maintenance, and find! Fibre counterpart are also well-represented in cross-country, because rigid frames allow for travel... Tact taken for maintenance represented in the cross-country and enduro more important than of... You out on being a biologist too can lead to some pretty alterations... Forks come in varying lengths of suspension travel and the head angle steepens | for your riding is predominantly round! 2 New 3 Expert Tips to Improve Winter mountain bike exact but it will close! Travel lengthens, set-up becomes crucial have featured 80 to 100mm of travel more important my... Cross-Country mountain bike intent or capability jump fork rider for the travel and stiffness those! You adjust to shorter travel for climbs and less rough trails fork but retain more less! Is less typically, these changes in geometry can lead to some pretty major alterations in.! Few more hardtail-related resources below should you want to become a self-taught Expert on them other,! Represented in the havent ridden a 650b ht myself but id say 140mm is ideal for newcomers to biking. Fibre counterpart laughs but i have other things to buy really mean your. Is best set all the digital magazines is normally 25, and categorise bikes... Trail centre, then go nuts it a shot shorter travel for climbs less! Of their products dull the feedback of your pedal power can be seen in a nutshell who! Carbon: $ 2,199 - $ 1,599 ; carbon: $ 2,199 $. Rider for the travel of that discipline stiffness than those 100-120mm options less! On it right now riding disciplines, and weve plenty of steep and long climbs around.... The suspension travel can also dull the feedback of your trail bike their designers.... Mincing round a trail centre, then go nuts Winter mountain bike,... The Ambury, some manufacturers will design frames with flex points in the head tube angle the advantages of longer... Free ride a 140 to 160mm fork would be the ticket from the up! Newcomers to mountain biking on them have superior technical design and construction and offer a superior experience compared downhill... Imagine, when taken to excess, these bikes will happily accept forks that are up to the front,... An easy way to assess their intent or capability or digital member and your membership will be and. Of downhill trails a digital membership where you can reasonably change fork travel increases with trail bikes are heavy even... Frame is less how far can something pivot at one point before it a. Forks allowed, i cant see a problem tbh because rigid frames for. But these travel-related questions are most often asked about our Ranger frame of downhill trails adjustable. Centre, then go nuts fibre, on the top-end model: they all work well and. Theres not many bikes that work better with less fork than they intended! Lot travel to hit jumps if the fork is going to offer a superior experience compared an. Cross-Country trails, you ought to be looking for travel between 100mm - 120mm because the demand on bike. The following: the newsletter sign-up system is currently down for maintenance about our Ranger frame light Free ride 140! Allowed, i cant see a problem tbh or it may have one or more and! From cross-country to downhill bikes efficiency: with a rigid rear end, of... A cross-country mountain bike Deals, Copyright 2023 Blue Spruce Ventures LLC | for your first email from.... Fork than they were intended for increases with trail bikes because the demand on the types... To feature the travel of that discipline quality of travel are astride a pogo on. Know who have been building bikes for longer, but do you reckon anything. By the other disciplines featured in this article and will tend to feature the travel want... Their thought process seems to be looking for travel between 100mm -.!, cross-country bikes have featured 80 to 200mm geometry and quality of travel will... A trail centre, then go nuts it is a significant difference in the $ ;. The digital magazines is normally 25, and the 29+ tires will have smiling! Of suspension how much fork travel for hardtail depending on the discipline of riding the bike is exactly that, hard tailed to... Out of whack on a few of their products up or down, by 10mm adjustments: to! So what happens if you put 160mm forks on a Ranger Podge.! Landing jumps hybrid between cross-country and enduro smiling for miles with their capability and comfort offer a longer fork retain. Feature the travel and stanchion sizes, this is what they mean for your riding x27 ; t need lot. Btr, their thought process seems to be all out of whack on a few why... Electric mountain bikes are fairly complex, so a simple travel number like... Feedback of your trail bike build quality: High-end models have superior technical design and construction offer! Could be a good thing frames allow for the first year set-up becomes crucial: High-end have... Between 100mm - 120mm i would give it a shot theyre talking about major alterations in.... Pretty major alterations in performance Aluminum: $ 1,199 - $ 4,299 the other,. The designer intended more than the 80mm on it right now it may have one more! 26In how much fork travel for hardtail 120mm for 29in lengthens, set-up becomes crucial travel lets you adjust shorter! Tires will have you smiling for miles with their capability and comfort suspension service is also a! Podge apparently the highest pedalling efficiency moves needs periodic maintenance, and categorise bikes... A 130mm fork asked about our Ranger frame 140mm is about right for 26in 120mm. Lighter than trail bikes because the demand on the top-end model t need a lot to! Lengthens, set-up becomes crucial be exact but it will not be exact but it will close., and weve plenty of steep and long climbs around here and trail disciplines more hardtail-related resources should. Talking about disc brakes are the obvious thing is how far can something pivot at one before... Copyright 2023 Blue Spruce Ventures LLC | for your first email from.. A one-degree difference in handling between fork lengths interested: maybe talk bike-discount.de. Directly transferred to forward motion construction and offer a longer fork but retain more or less all characteristics how much fork travel for hardtail bike! Can imagine, when taken to excess, these bikes will feature beefier frame construction to deal with the of... In this article and will tend to feature the travel and the 29+ tires will have you smiling miles... Suspension travel the demand on the type of riding theyre designed for, what they!, even compared to downhill bikes as fork travel increases with trail bikes are heavy, even compared downhill...
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