Current mountain bikes are fairly complex, so a simple travel number seems like an easy way to assess their intent or capability. Or, your buddies have just mocked your 100mm of travel right up to your breaking point. It will also raise the bottom bracket which will cause the bike to feel less planted and confident in corners. Brilliant! on the topic of HT fork length is ill thought through bollocks, which is why you get the people that argue for opposite sides of the argument when they may be talking about real world differences that are tiny. 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. Just based on what Ive found I can get the rear wheel over at speed without smashing it up. Heres how it works. off-road.cc is dedicated to bringing you the best coverage of all off-road riding, Our sister site for road bikes road.cc Short travel forks; lighter parts; change your riding style so instead of riding through stuff you ride over it. They were hard on bikes as well. The Roscoe 8 will perform like a champ. The bike has a max spec of 530mm a2c. A suspension uses a hydraulic system that allows the front wheel to move up and down as you ride over uneven terrain. If you ride regularly, have your suspension serviced annually or after 100 hours of riding time. 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 that moves needs periodic maintenance, and suspension can do a lot of moving. 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. Downhill riders are less bothered by weight or climbing efficiency. 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. Is 150mm travel too much for a hardtail? Lockout: Many forks have a stanchion top lever (shown at right) to lock out the fork, which eliminates the travel. Forks with mid-sized stanchions, either 34mm, 35mm or 36mm in diameter, are common on trail bikes. Regular service will also prolong the life of your bike frame. The Ranger gains its stability from its geometry, so it doesnt need much travel to keep it planted. 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! Locked lowered for a lower centre of gravity on the steep uphill sections (front and rear suspension), that would be useful to me. They are also popular when it comes to budget mountain bikes because the simplicity of their design and less suspension means less cost. The terrain you ride on really determines how much travel you need. This gives higher levels of rigidity to the fork, making steering inputs more direct, although concessions are still made to weight savings. Number of Items: 1. Just like the Chromag, the On-One has gotten a refresh in recent years with slightly larger wheels than the original. Frames have to be built to the highest strength levels to cope with the impacts you experience on downhill trails. 2. 140mm is ideal for even the toughest trail centres, with more travel being required for gnarlier ambitions. im a fully qualified bus driver, and i reckon ive worked with more monkeys than podge. 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%. Line Choice: It's argued that because your bike doesn't have a plush rear end to soak up impacts, you need to consider your line choices more carefully. 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. With modern forks with proper damping, i cant see a problem tbh! All mountain bikes are in the middle and may feature either style. Hardtails can be fun on mildly technical descents if they have the appropriate geometry and a decent suspension fork. 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. You'll also notice that the amount of travel you have will affect the frame geometry. Be sure to read this entire article to stay safe and avoid any surprises. While the 27.5" wheel is lighter; of course, but can also be more nimble for technical riding. I recently swapped the air shaft in my Pike and went from 140mm to 160mm, and the total cost of goods was roughly 30. Efficiency: With a rigid rear end, all of your pedal power can be directly transferred to forward motion. This bike looks very, very good. Part of upgrading your fork is deciding where you want to optimize performance and where youre willing to sacrifice. 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. These changes will also cause the bike to become a bit more sluggish and slower to respond to steering. As with other types of mountain bikes, fork travel is usually dependent on discipline. Ride quality: Seek out a responsive suspension system offering a smooth ride. BikePerfect is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Conversely, wider tubes will be heavier and stiffer to absorb the greater impacts generated from high speeds on rough terrain and jump landings. Downcountry bike frames can be made lighter than trail bikes because the demand on the frame is less. Made out of the best tubing on the planet for making steel bicycles, Reynolds 853, the Tweedy (Brady Tweedy pro-model) is ready for lift-off. 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. Increase the preload if the fork feels too spongy. Well, everything has a downside. 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? Anyone can join and everyone belongs. 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. Avoid coil forks and 32mm chassis for 150mm travel HT bikes. You can easily unsubscribe at any time. When not fettling with bikes or blowing her legs out on the trails, self-proclaimed tea-addict Jessica is a colossal sci-fi fanatic. Item Weight: 1400g. So Im idly pondering hardtails frames, looking at Curtis and BTR more than any others. Reasonably efficient climbers and confident descending bikes, the trail machine is a hybrid between cross-country and enduro. Because the front suspension is telescoping, the suspension travel equals the resultant wheel travel. These allow riders to make the best of all that travel by configuring the damping circuits and rebound to work across all terrain. We've looked at what hardtail bikes are and who rides them, but why choose one? Compared to a gravel bike or rigid mountain bike, hardtails offer more comfort and confidence on rougher terrain. 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. Youll find a range of options and prices. I am frustrated by these questions, but Im not bitter or angry about them- theyre valid in todays mountain bike industry. 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. Now my own bike, a classic 2005 Cannondale Prophet, was designed around a 140mm lefty at about 520mm (ish) axle 2 crown. Of course, there are other, less mainstream frame materials you may encounter in your hardtail research; steel and titanium. Bikes are being given more and more suspension travel as materials, manufacturing and spring/damping technologies improve, and little BTR is standing firm against the tide. http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/short-travel-hardtails, BTR clearly know what theyre talking about. Boasting 130mm of fork travel, the ARC is a modern trail slayer for those that prefer the raw feeling of a hardtail. 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. 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. However, some lower-end and entry-level hardtail mountain bikes will come with rim brakes which are cheaper and easier to maintain. Shorter suspension travel forks also bob less when climbing up steep trails in a standing position. After all, smooth is fast! 1st it would handle like garbage with extreme angles etc. Most full suspension bikes come with roughly matching suspension travel in the front and rear. 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. On-One Ti 4560b (photo: On-One) The On-One 456 hardtail has been around for seemingly forever. Consider the terrain you are riding. There will be some compromises in certain situations, whether you notice them or find them detrimental to your riding style is a different matter. 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. Bike suspension provides improved control, traction and comfort on rooty, rocky singletrack or potholed roads. 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. But these travel-related questions are most often asked about our Ranger frame. 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. Along with certain salad items, electric mountain bikes are one of the more in-demand items in the United Kingdom currently. 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. 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. Mountain Bike Deals, Copyright 2023 Blue Spruce Ventures LLC | Try it you might like it, be warned, going back to the stock setup might not feel so good afterwards. off-road.cc Editorial and general enquiries: info@off-road.cc The best cross-country mountain bikes are designed to compete in high-level, fast races, where lightness and pedalling efficiency are often the keys to success. To further add to my previous comment. Dual-crown forks are at the complete opposite spectrum of those short-travel,100-120mm forks, with nearly rigid lockout control. But todays big-hitting 38mm single-crown forks are hugely adaptable, giving riders all the precise cornering support and cushioning when landing those huge drops or landings. Most places, like worldwide cyclery, recommend you don't exceed the frame's original travel by more than 20mm, so a 140mm fork could potentially be perfect for you. For racers, this compromise must be considered carefully. 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. A narrow tube will flex more under the same force than a wider tube. You can choose how much fork travel you want the frame designed for: from a fully rigid bikepacker to a 150mm battleship. Now lean against a wall and adopt the neutral riding position out of the saddle with arms and legs bent. 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). it makes no sense.. Enduro bikes require a burly frame construction in order to cope with the demands of downhill trails. 150mm on my c456. 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. Sliders or lowers: each connects at the bottom to the front wheel; it also connects to the brakes. How much travel you need will depend on the riding you do. Company Buy the best forks you can. Any unusual collapse or resistance to normal function. Hardtail mountain bikes are also well-represented in cross-country, because rigid frames allow for the highest pedalling efficiency. 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. Similarly, the wheelbase of the bike will increase, and the bottom bracket will be raised slightly. Earn a $100 REI gift card after your first purchase outside of REI within 60 days from account opening. If you ride steep terrain with a lot of extended descents, you'll likely want more travel. Excludes Gift Memberships, Discount applies to first year. Dual crown forks have much more travel than single crown forks. 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. Downcountry is a relatively new mountain bike discipline and isnt that well defined as a result. The geometry and quality of travel more important in my opinion. I think the issue with getting consensus on this topic is that almost everything you read online from mags etc. Several hardtail enduro frames exist which can accept 160mm forks; some are even designed around this value, but all are a compromise. Depending on the discipline of riding the bike is designed for, the suspension travel can vary from 80 to 200mm. It makes for a much better commuter bike and can easily be configured for touring. You've been subscribed to our newsletter. I need a lower centre of gravity, not suspension travel when slowly grinding my way up a long steep section. Some manufacturers will design frames with flex points in the. An ideal fork absorbs impacts vertically without undue lateral flex which can detract from the steering and control of a bike. There are two primary materials used in the construction of bicycles; aluminium and carbon fibre. An upgrade option for some forks is a handlebar-mounted lever to remotely control the lockout via a cable. On a full-suspension bike, expect to find similar travel for the front and rear wheels. All rights reserved. This adds more torsional stiffness to the fork, helping to keep steering inputs direct through the toughest terrain and providing strength for big impacts. I wouldnt demean apes by associating them with STW. [offer keyword=FOX 36 FLOAT FACTORY 27.5 2018]. You really don't need a lot travel to hit jumps. Build quality: High-end models have superior technical design and construction and offer a longer life with regular maintenance and servicing. Well I guarantee that they likely did plenty of things like finite element analysis. It used to be the case that for more cross-country riding, the larger 29 wheels were better suited. Check out our handy second-hand buyer's guide to be aware of the pitfalls. RockShox has reacted too with its latest Pike range, blending 35mm stanchions with low fork weight. Here is a link that should help sort this out. Nick has built many of his bikes from the frame up and has a keen eye for technical detail. Ive got 140mm on my 650b hardtail and never noticed anything untoward. 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. This added frame construction makes the frame heavier, impacting efficiency when going uphill, but the pay-off is worth it when coming back down. These 120mm (or 100mm) forks also keep the bike responsive, efficient and nimble. Longer is better. That has changed with the popularity of downcountry and there are now 120mm forks that have much stiffer crowns. Hardtail Bike, Mountain Bike. ie lets make a hardcore hardtail for 100mm forks even though youll struggle to find 100mm hardcore forks. Of course with the ones I keep looking at you can have custom sizing and geometry, so its not quite as easy as fit what its designed for. 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. 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. Suspension may be referred to as short or long travel: Material selection, design and manufacturing quality all contribute to a forks performance. Fork travel on hardtails how much is too much? Sizes: S, M, L, XL. Rides: If you cant do either of these on your choice of air fork, walk away. You just need to set up the forks the right way. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Spring system: This is either coil or air, as per the front suspension. When designers create bikes, they do so with a holistic view that pairs geometry and spec list with the bikes intended use. 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. Longer travel forks on a hardtail tend to allow the geometry to change excessively, causing the bike to become unpredictable. Support Us | Not only do they bring you to a complete stop, but they provide speed control on the trails too. Be honest with yourself about where and what youll ride. If it looks that concern you, you will also want to know that the Roscoe 8's sports dynamic and luxurious details and finishes that . Updated Fox 34 and 34 Step-Cast Forks and 2 New 3 Expert Tips to Improve Winter Mountain Bike Performance. That 180mm enduro fork is pointless if it blows through its travel or is entirely unresponsive to small-bump impacts. Inevitably, some energy will be lost in the up and down motion of the suspension, which takes away from forward propulsion. Seat tube angle: 75. If he knew stuff hed not need to do fea & you just called a load of apes, monkeys. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Alhough some things will be the same, some of the critical things will be for average riding very different. 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. This was mainly owing to their ability to clear obstacles with greater ease and climb more efficiently. This is generally as simple as installing a couple of extra bottomless tokens in your Pike, or adding some suspension fluid to the positive air chamber on forks without a transfer port, or changing to a firmer spring on a coil fork. It depends totally on your riding style and the intended use. Any increase in fork travel will slacken the bike and shorten its reach. They can be seen in a variety of disciplines, though are mainly represented in the cross-country and trail disciplines. The original forks only go back on when I want to sell the bikes. And yes there is a significant difference in handling between fork lengths. How much suspension travel do I need on my mountain bike. 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. 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. Cross-country hardtails typically have 100mm of travel, but more aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel of up to 150mm. 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. For example, the best XC forks for cross-country mountain bikes are short-travel forks as the trails are relatively smooth and comprise lots of climbing. How much travel you need will depend on the riding you do. Hardtail enduro bikes will have bigger front suspension forks that supply 140-180mm of travel. Well **** me, Im never flying again. 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 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. These bikes usually have 120mm or less of fork travel and relatively steep headtube angles (around 66-70 degrees). The weight, stanchion thickness, and travel all increase to meet the demands of each discipline and longer forks arent superior in every application. Forks come in varying lengths of suspension travel and stanchion sizes, this is what they mean for your riding. its unpredictable.. Morewood Kwela Then I added tokens and lowered the air pressure. 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. You also either want a tuneable air spring or adjustable HSC. Terms | Privacy. 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. Im a graduate zoo keeper, I know a hell of a lot more about monkeys than you. The fork stiffness formula is simple: when adding more suspension travel increase stanchion size. Here are a few components to seriously consider when purchasing a hardtail mountain bike. So if you like the geo at 120mm, dont then stick 150s on it. Instead we can use shorter travel forks to bring life back to the ride, resulting in a bike which is both stable and nimble. All material Farrelly Atkinson (F-At) Limited, Unit 7b Green Park Station BA1 1JB. Whether it's a drivetrain, wheelset or handlebars, some variations are best suited for specific needs, like road, gravel and off-road. A professional suspension service is also highly recommended whenever you experience the following: The newsletter sign-up system is currently down for maintenance. Youve probably reached this conclusion in one of two ways. Weight and value: Without a rear shock, pivoting rear triangle, additional bolts and fittings, a hardtail bike is generally a lot lighter in weight and in price. 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. Jump Bikes Chainstay length: 425mm. Hey Michael nice piece. You must choose between bikes with front suspension only (a hardtail) or full (front and rear) suspension. An air-sprung unit not holding air and losing all 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. 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. 80mm - 100mm Travel: "Cross Country" Bikes. Tip: Completing a dismantle/inspection/rebuild is usually not for the general rider, particularly as suspension designs have become increasingly sophisticated. Downhill bikes are designed for, you guessed it, riding downhill. Probably something to do with dynamic head angles in full sussers vs hardtails. My riding skillz are also more important than 20mm of travel. Pick a frame that is the way you want it for the travel you want. Hardtails have front suspension only, facilitated by a component known as a fork. At REI, we believe that a life outdoors is a life well lived. 160mm on my production shan, wouldnt want any less. Also, with longer forks, you need to fit dual ply tyres and strong/heavy wheels to really cope with the damage. Many short travel forks further support climbing with the addition of a lockout switch. I know who have been building bikes for longer, but do you reckon theres anything in BTRs reasoning? These types are your dirt jump bikes and your freeride whips, which can be smaller in both frame and wheel size. For many years 100-120mm forks were designed either as ultralight racing components or cheap beginner bike suspension. Shorter travel forks are generally aimed at cross-country mountain biking, designed to balance performance, lightweight and just enough suspension travel to help smooth out bumpy singletrack. DOES THAT TAKE 160MM FORKS? IS THAT 160MM TRAVEL? CAN I FIT 160MM FORKS? THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT WE HEAR/READ AT BTR ALMOST DAILY, AND YOU KNOW WHAT? Which is not quite as well as Mr Taylforth . And a digital membership where you can read all the digital magazines is normally 25, and now 12.50 with the code. This effect is particularly noticeable in situations where the rider is pedaling out of the saddle. Each has its pros and cons on how it affects a bikes ride quality. 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. 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! 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. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). perfect for me. 100-130mm is the sweet spot IMO. Id get battered half to death by the Ranger with a 100mm fork. Excessive oil leak onto the stanchions around the top of the sliders. Electric bikes can be categorised by the other disciplines featured in this article and will tend to feature the travel of that discipline. The Ranger is best with 120mm (100mm for the 29er) forks. This means you can't slap on a longer travel fork without potentially compromising your bike's handling, geometry and overall safety. A hardtail mountain bike is exactly that, hard tailed. As you move through the various types of mountain bikes, fork travel requirements change. Forks within this travel range prioritise rigidity over weight savings, with thicker stanchions of 36mm to 38mm, providing direct steering inputs and a solid feel as you ride over gnarly terrain. 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. You can purchase a hardtail mountain bikein-person at a bike shop, from the internet and from second-hand retailers and individuals. So, youve had your mountain bike for a while now and realize your fork is no longer sufficient. 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. Anything much more than this and I find it feels horrible, as the fork goes through the travel and the head angle steepens. For cross-country trails, you ought to be looking for travel between 100mm - 120mm. 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 need to be light and responsive while still providing a decent range of compression. 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. Coil springs are available with different resistance rates and are matched to an average rider for the size of frame the fork is on. However, with shorter travel than trail bikes, they still offer greater pedalling efficiency than burlier bikes. That dual-crown structure increases the stiffness of these long-travel forks, although steering angle is reduced, at very low speeds. 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). Disc brakes are the obvious favourite for mountain bikers as they provide rapid responsiveness and strong braking power. Hardtails in a nutshell, who they're for, what riding they suit and where to find one that's suitable for you. And as you would expect, it needs a fork with more travel and stiffness than those 100-120mm options. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

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