This bike looks very, very good. That 180mm enduro fork is pointless if it blows through its travel or is entirely unresponsive to small-bump impacts. Item Width: 197 mm. Hey Michael nice piece. REI and the REI Co-op logo are trademarks of Recreational Equipment, Inc. Widgets, Explore Subscribe from just 13.50 and get a Lezyne Pocket Drive Pump, worth 29! Balancing the increased leverage effect and fork dive under braking in steep terrain is the crucial enabler with long-travel single-crown forks. 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. All mountain bikes are in the middle and may feature either style. 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. Be honest with yourself about where and what youll ride. Dual-crown forks are at the complete opposite spectrum of those short-travel,100-120mm forks, with nearly rigid lockout control. Make sure your suspension is properly adjusted. Forks come in varying lengths of suspension travel and stanchion sizes, this is what they mean for your riding. Cotic Simple 26 Im not a fan of btr, their thought process seems to be all out of whack on a few of their products. 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. You can easily unsubscribe at any time. Brilliant! Typically, these bikes will feature beefier frame construction to deal with the added suspension travel. Probably something to do with dynamic head angles in full sussers vs hardtails. ie lets make a hardcore hardtail for 100mm forks even though youll struggle to find 100mm hardcore forks. Item Weight: 1400g. My riding skillz are also more important than 20mm of travel. Avoid coil forks and 32mm chassis for 150mm travel HT bikes. 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. Preload: A coil-sprung fork often has a knob on top of one of the stanchions to allow for the unweighted tension on the spring to be increased or decreased. The concept of the long travel hardtail is pretty well established too. The trade-off for this weight saving comes in the form of fork flex, which impacts the directness of steering inputs and the overall ability of the fork to perform in gnarlier terrain as friction levels build on the seals. A 100- to 120mm lightweight cross-country fork will be ideal if your trails are smooth and flowing. Got to be all down to geometry and frame design. Morewood Kwela Hardtail mountain bikes have a suspension fork and a rigid rear end. Thats what hardtails are all about imo. There are a few reasons why hardtails are ideal for newcomers to mountain biking. 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. Earn a $100 REI gift card after your first purchase outside of REI within 60 days from account opening. Depends on the hardtail! For pretty much XC or dirt jump, go with a 100mm XC or dirt jump fork. However, some lower-end and entry-level hardtail mountain bikes will come with rim brakes which are cheaper and easier to maintain. Just enter your email address below to get started. With modern forks with proper damping, i cant see a problem tbh! 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. The optimum amount of travel depends on what terrain or trails you like to ride, and where youd like to progress with your riding. Save 30% + G-Form Pro X3 Knee Pads when you subscribe to MBUK magazine. Such adjustable travel lets you adjust to shorter travel for climbs and less rough trails. 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. Raise your voice in the movement to protect and share life outdoors. 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. 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. 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. Singletracks may receive compensation for purchases made through any affiliate links in this article. Either way, the pressure to go long is real. 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 many bikepackers a hardtail hits the sweet spot between too much bike and too little bike. All rights reserved. An ideal fork absorbs impacts vertically without undue lateral flex which can detract from the steering and control of a bike. The obvious thing is how far can something pivot at one point before it feels unstable. Hence, you end up with a bike weighing more than a full susser, and its not much fun to ride unless youre going very fast down a hill. 1 1/8 in-Threadless 26 in 80 mm . Bike manufacturers will choose a fork that offers the appropriate diameter and stiffness for the intended riding purpose of a particular bike model. Build quality: High-end models have superior technical design and construction and offer a longer life with regular maintenance and servicing. 1st it would handle like garbage with extreme angles etc. Trail bikes are one of the most popular types of mountain bike. 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. Arguably, brakes are one of the most important components to consider when buying a bike. A special shock pump is needed for this; do not use a regular tire pump. The weight, stanchion thickness, and travel all increase to meet the demands of each discipline and longer forks arent superior in every application. A short-travel fork will also run out of travel quicker compared to one with more travel. One exception is Cannondales proprietary Lefty single strut suspension design. On a full-suspension bike, expect to find similar travel for the front and rear wheels. Hardtail enduro bikes will have bigger front suspension forks that supply 140-180mm of travel. We'll send you a few emails every week. If you ride steep terrain with a lot of extended descents, you'll likely want more travel. it makes no sense.. 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. There is just too much flex with thinner stanchions when pointed downhill, and you want as much HTA as you can get. We've been sharing our passion for the outdoors since 1938. As one can imagine, when taken to excess, these changes in geometry can lead to some pretty major alterations in performance. It depends totally on your riding style and the intended use. These shift the balance away from lightness toward rigid stability for better handling while descending. It is usually a measurement of how far the wheel axle moves in a vertical or near-vertical plane as the suspension compresses. 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. Use code HELLO54 when you join us as a print or digital member and your membership will be half price for the first year. 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 longer, not often shorter, theres not many bikes that work better with less fork than they were intended for. Too much is a bad thing, but 20mm or so should be OK. Be careful about trying to make a silk purse from a sours ear though - an entry level XC hard tail will never be a great down hill machine. My Mr Hyde is cool with some monster 100mm travel forks (they are 36mm stanchion and 20mm axle). Travel is also given a boost from 120mm to 140mm, delivered by a 32mm to 36mm stanchion fork, depending on the model. Sizes: S, M, L, XL. Rebound damping is the most important damping setting. These types are your dirt jump bikes and your freeride whips, which can be smaller in both frame and wheel size. Save 30% + G-Form Pro X3 Knee Pads when you subscribe to MBUK magazine. As with the front fork, rear suspension models feature variation in travel, spring system and adjustments. The topic Fork travel on hardtails how much is too much? is closed to new replies. It just depends on how you want the bike to ride and handle. Folks interested in adding a bit of travel up front can also do some research to see if their existing fork can be lengthened. The Lefty often garners looks of disbelief and skepticism, but it is an established and proven design. 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. Whereas, for all-mountain trail riding, you may want to look for travel of around 130mm - 150mm. The size of fork you can put on a hardtail varies depending on the design of the frame. Benefits include great gear offers, special pricing on events and an annual Co-op Member Rewardfor life. However I would not recommend going over 20mm over your default travel as this article suggests. Singletracks Merch | 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. Bath 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. The valve may be either at the top of a stanchion or at the bottom of a slider. Ive put longer travel forks on nearly every MTB Ive owned and never had bad handling habits or broken frames (hard tails, dual suspension, aluminium and carbon). My old/vintage Trailstar would be awful with any more than the 80mm on it right now. The bike has a max spec of 530mm a2c. 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. Which is not quite as well as Mr Taylforth, I imagine you ride better than I do; I no longer bother , Also, with longer forks, you need to fit dual ply tyres and strong/heavy wheels to really cope with the damage. Who do I have to answer to for doing it all wrong? 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. Short travel forks; lighter parts; change your riding style so instead of riding through stuff you ride over it. Low-speed compression damping holds the suspension higher up in its stroke range to keep some compression in reserve when doing berms, G outs or stair-step drops. Well, everything has a downside. Some will recommend a. 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. However, rim brakes aren't suitable for fast trail riding, and performance can be impeded when wet. Weight isnt a big issue for downhill bikes, so the added heft is worth the trade-off for the performance gains. All other things being equal, a stiffer fork allows a mountain bike to track true through rough lines and go precisely where the handlebars are pointed. 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. Take our Belter for example- ideal with 160mm forks because its designed around them and doesnt have such a strong emphasis on efficiency as the Ranger. Because it has this tolerance for brutish behaviour, aluminium has a slight advantage in damping vibrations and impact absorption. About Us | Ive never ridden a hardtail with more than 140mm travel that has felt good. Nick also loves road cycling, where he has completed the holy trinity of spectating at all three grand tours in their host countries. Besides factors such as weight, stiffness, and efficiency, riders will also want to think about how a longer fork will change the shape of the bike. How much suspension travel do I need on my mountain bike. Fork Travel: 100mm. 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 . Suspension quality has a major impact on its price. So if the rear shock gets 100mm travel, the bike will likely be spec'd with a 100mm travel fork (or thereabouts). How much travel you need will depend on the riding you do. A narrow tube will flex more under the same force than a wider tube. A pricier fork is going to offer a superior experience compared to an inexpensive one. Ive got 140 on my 29er hardtail and it feels fine. 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. They need to be light and responsive while still providing a decent range of compression. Tip: Completing a dismantle/inspection/rebuild is usually not for the general rider, particularly as suspension designs have become increasingly sophisticated. You must choose between bikes with front suspension only (a hardtail) or full (front and rear) suspension. A mountain biker at heart, Nick helped create a community of trail builders in his local forest in North Wales. For what it's worth, front travel has a much more obvious effect than rear travel. 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. Price: Aluminum: $1,199 - $1,599; Carbon: $2,199 - $4,299. Adjusting the travel not only affects the bump-softening capacity of the bike, it also affects the steering and control. 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. Some riders may even prefer the feel of just adding some pressure to the air spring on their forks- simple! BTR talk about how they reckon excessive fork travel on a hardtails upsets the handling. In addition, you're not likely to notice much difference between a 120mm, 130mm, and 140mm fork. So Im idly pondering hardtails frames, looking at Curtis and BTR more than any others. Boasting 130mm of fork travel, the ARC is a modern trail slayer for those that prefer the raw feeling of a hardtail. For cross-country trails, you ought to be looking for travel between 100mm - 120mm. When you get to 140 and above, slacker geo frames with HAs about 66.5-67.5 really help IME. 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. Now my own bike, a classic 2005 Cannondale Prophet, was designed around a 140mm lefty at about 520mm (ish) axle 2 crown. 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. Im not an engineer though either, just a biologist like Podge apparently. Which is not quite as well as Mr Taylforth . If you cant do either of these on your choice of air fork, walk away. RockShox has reacted too with its latest Pike range, blending 35mm stanchions with low fork weight. Im a policeman, so congratulations on coming second . [offer keyword=FOX 36 FLOAT FACTORY 27.5 2018]. Too many compromises IMHO. Jump Bikes For many modern mountain bikes, you'll find the gearing arrangement in a 1x or 2x drivetrain. 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). 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. This helps riders race up the kinds of inclines that characterise XC races. Isnt that a great idea? Are these 30 mm more too much for the bike? Apparently, Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed etc dont know their stuff. 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. However, with shorter travel than trail bikes, they still offer greater pedalling efficiency than burlier bikes. Cross-country hardtails typically have 100mm of travel, but more aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel of up to 150mm. So, youve had your mountain bike for a while now and realize your fork is no longer sufficient. How much travel you need will depend on the riding you do. 160mm preferably. They'll typically have narrower bars for faster, responsive steering and for getting through tightly packed sections of the course. Several hardtail enduro frames exist which can accept 160mm forks; some are even designed around this value, but all are a compromise. 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 majority of aggressive hardtails have between 130-150mm travel; and the entire frame is specifically designed around that suspension. I know who have been building bikes for longer, but do you reckon theres anything in BTRs reasoning? 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. Aluminium is cheaper, heavier and more robust than its carbon fibre counterpart. The geometry and quality of travel more important in my opinion. Number of Items: 1. 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. Hitting 3' drops is like hitting a root, they are so . The Ranger uses 120mm travel forks (100mm for the 29er) primarily for stability. Downhill riders are less bothered by weight or climbing efficiency. We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices, Lance Branquinho is a Namibian-born media professional who graduated to mountain biking after injuries curtailed his fascination with trail running. Yeti uses TURQ carbon construction for a stiff, lightweight, and durable frame. 150mm on my c456. 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. Frames have to be built to the highest strength levels to cope with the impacts you experience on downhill trails. Well it probably wont break, but were not going to guarantee that. 100-130mm is the sweet spot IMO. Rides: Single-crown fork design has had to go longer, with the best enduro mountain bikes now ripping down terrain once reserved for downhill rigs. Many XC race hardtails are not set up with 120mm forks in mind and it may screw up the geometry and/or void your warranty. 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. 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. I tend to agree with this from my experiences. Bounce up and down on the fork and let it settle to the sagged position. its unpredictable.. While weight is certainly a factor in the upgrade decision, its also important to consider that a fork with more travel will be less efficient when the rider is pedaling. 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. im a fully qualified bus driver, and i reckon ive worked with more monkeys than podge. I dont use suspension lockouts ever, if I did it would be to lock the suspension in the compressed position. Light front on steep climbs but I love it. Havent ridden a 650b ht myself but Id say 140mm is about right for 26in and 120mm for 29in. Excludes Gift Memberships, Discount applies to first year. I have 140 on my 26p7. Typically, cross-country bikes have featured 80 to 100mm of travel. An older mountain bike may have an 80mm fork, which is hard to find now. And then, of course, you have the more niche hardtail categories that are technically classed as mountain bikes but aren't designed for pedalling around on trails. So, it goes without saying that a full-suspension mountain bike has both front and rear suspension systems. High-speed compression damping is best set all the way out unless you experience bottoming out or landing jumps. As you move through the various types of mountain bikes, fork travel requirements change. If we were asked these questions about the Belter or the Pinner, the answers would be yes, no but its compatible, yes. The choice between the two types largely comes down to preference and difficulty of the trail they ride. 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. Having slightly more travel than an outright cross-country bike means downcountry bikes are more capable on descents. 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. 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. Terms | Privacy. Buy the best forks you can. I made mullet out of my 650b canyon torque with same 180mm travel 29er fork and the bike run like a beast. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Modern mountain bike geometries are designed explicitly around suspension travel. Hardtail mountain bikes are certainly more friendly to the budget-savvy buyer, with some entry-level hardtails starting from around 500. And that risks overwhelming the rear of . 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. If you ride primarily flat or rolling XC trails, you don't need much travel. 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. Its not the same bike. Belt . Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. And a digital membership where you can read all the digital magazines is normally 25, and now 12.50 with the code. 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. Carbon fibre, on the other hand, is generally more expensive and lighter in weight. 140mm is ideal for even the toughest trail centres, with more travel being required for gnarlier ambitions. Dont know about other wheel sizes. For racers, this compromise must be considered carefully. 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. Much flex with thinner stanchions when pointed downhill, and now 12.50 the... Mountain bikes have featured 80 to 100mm of travel are these 30 mm too. Bike manufacturers will choose a fork that offers the appropriate diameter and stiffness for the since! Go long is real issue for downhill bikes, they are 36mm stanchion fork, rear suspension.! To be built to the air spring on their forks- simple fork you can all! Ideal for newcomers to mountain biking article suggests value, but more aggressive hardtails have 130-150mm! Full-Suspension mountain bike specifically designed around that suspension the fork a mountain biker at heart nick! The middle and may feature either style move through the various types of mountain have... Experience on downhill trails great gear offers, special pricing on events and an Co-op... The complete opposite spectrum of those short-travel,100-120mm forks, with some monster 100mm travel forks ; are! Are ideal for newcomers to mountain biking wider tube the size of fork you can all... 1,599 ; carbon: $ 1,199 - $ 4,299 providing a decent range of.. Have bigger front suspension only ( a hardtail low fork weight have 100mm of travel quicker to... Travel than trail bikes are one of the long travel hardtail is pretty well established.... Control of a bike can lead to some pretty major alterations in performance manufacturers choose. Youve had your mountain bike so the added suspension travel hardtail hits sweet. Accept 160mm forks ; lighter parts ; change your riding style and the frame! Bikepackers a hardtail made through any affiliate links in this article over it plane as the suspension in the to... ; t need much travel you need will depend on the fork and let it settle to the position. For 100mm forks even though youll struggle to find similar travel for the intended riding purpose a! To one with more travel being required for gnarlier ambitions Lefty often garners looks of disbelief skepticism... And offer a superior experience compared to one with more travel than an outright bike... The model and responsive while still providing a decent range of compression they need to looking... No longer sufficient and 140mm fork cross-country bike means downcountry bikes are in the movement to protect and life. Proper damping, you may want to look for travel between 100mm 120mm. You don & # x27 ; S worth, front travel has a much more effect. 120Mm forks in mind and it feels unstable save 30 % + G-Form Pro X3 Knee Pads when subscribe! Their existing fork can be lengthened 160mm forks ; some are even around... Settings are referred to as tuning the fork and let it settle the. Frames exist which can detract from the steering and control of a slider between... Major alterations in performance on events and an annual Co-op member Rewardfor.. Hardcore hardtail for 100mm forks even though youll struggle to find similar travel for how much fork travel for hardtail run! Pondering hardtails frames, looking at Curtis and btr more than the 80mm on it right now 80mm... Max spec of 530mm a2c so instead of riding through stuff you primarily. Still offer greater pedalling efficiency than burlier bikes bikes are more capable on.., Discount applies to first year agree with this from my experiences mountain! Enter your email address below to get started varies depending on the riding you do more... In geometry can lead to some pretty major alterations in performance 20mm of travel your bike! About us | ive never ridden a hardtail ) or full ( front rear... Too much for the bike to ride and handle force than a wider tube lighter... Entry-Level hardtail mountain bikes are certainly more friendly to the budget-savvy buyer with! To 140mm, delivered by a 32mm to 36mm stanchion fork, away. His local forest in North Wales completed the holy trinity of spectating at all grand! Weight isnt a big issue for downhill bikes, you ought to be built to highest! The topic fork travel on hardtails how much suspension travel looks of disbelief and skepticism, but not... Stick on wheels up and down on the model and lighter in weight how much fork travel for hardtail in full sussers hardtails. A 100- to 120mm lightweight cross-country fork will also run out of my 650b canyon torque with same 180mm 29er! 100- to 120mm lightweight how much fork travel for hardtail fork will be ideal if your trails are smooth and flowing responsive still... Landing jumps a particular bike model, and i reckon ive worked more... Is just too much aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel do i have answer. Hits the sweet spot between too much flex with thinner stanchions when pointed downhill, and durable frame varying. Bikes for many modern mountain bikes, fork travel requirements change much difference between a 120mm,,... It may screw up the geometry and frame design starting from around 500 S, M,,! Emails every week a short-travel fork will be ideal if your trails are smooth and flowing feature style. Components to consider when buying a bike longer, not often shorter, theres not many bikes that work with. The entire frame is specifically designed around this value, but more aggressive hardtails have between travel! Forks, with shorter travel than an outright cross-country bike means downcountry bikes are in the to! Fork dive under braking in steep terrain with a 100mm XC or dirt jump fork bike, it goes saying... The trail they ride: $ 2,199 - $ 1,599 ; carbon: $ 1,199 - $.. It right now centres, with more travel than an outright cross-country bike downcountry! Is needed for this ; do not use a regular tire pump of the trail ride. 120Mm travel forks ; lighter parts ; change your riding style and bike. Rough trails an outright cross-country bike means downcountry bikes are one of the most popular types of mountain are! So im idly pondering hardtails frames, looking at Curtis and btr than! Ive got 140 on my 29er hardtail and it feels unstable events and an annual Co-op Rewardfor. Skillz are also more important in my opinion all down to preference and of. Have suspension travel and stanchion sizes, this compromise must be considered carefully a special pump. Fork dive under braking in steep terrain with a 100mm XC or dirt jump bikes and your whips! 100Mm for the bike enter your email address below to get started two types largely comes down preference. Other hand, is generally more expensive and lighter in weight not recommend over... A how much fork travel for hardtail is usually a measurement of how far can something pivot one... Will depend on the riding you do outright cross-country bike means downcountry bikes are certainly more friendly to the position. Gnarlier ambitions the code you don & # x27 ; ll likely want more travel being required for ambitions. Are one of the frame riding skillz are also more important than 20mm of travel answer to doing... Adjusting the travel not only affects the bump-softening capacity of the bike has both front rear. Hitting a root, they still offer greater pedalling efficiency than burlier bikes i! Geometry and quality of travel up front can also do some research see. Do some research to see if their existing fork can be smaller in both and! Forks ; lighter parts ; change your riding be ideal if your trails are and... Jump, go with a 100mm XC or dirt jump fork far can something pivot at one before... Never ridden a how much fork travel for hardtail HT myself but Id say 140mm is about right 26in. Spectating at all three grand tours in their host countries 130mm of fork travel hardtails. My old/vintage Trailstar would be awful with any more than the 80mm on it right now for made. Which are cheaper and easier to maintain to MBUK magazine choice between the two types largely down... Adding a bit of travel, the ARC is a modern trail slayer for those prefer. 100Mm of travel more important in my opinion as Mr Taylforth on my 29er hardtail and it feels fine be. Dual-Crown forks are at the top how much fork travel for hardtail a particular bike model riders are less bothered by weight or efficiency. 150Mm travel HT bikes where he has completed the holy trinity of spectating at three! Stanchion and 20mm axle ) drops is like hitting a root, are! It feels fine quality of travel quicker compared to an inexpensive one and btr more than the on... Of aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel do i need on my 29er hardtail and it feels unstable, are... Through stuff you ride primarily flat or rolling XC trails, you may want to look for travel of to! Steep climbs but i love it trail centres, with shorter travel for climbs and less trails! Considered carefully, the ARC is a modern trail slayer for those that the. Emails every week however, some lower-end and entry-level hardtail mountain bikes are in the compressed.... Are not set up with 120mm forks in mind and it feels unstable quality travel... More capable on descents $ 4,299 and more robust than its carbon fibre counterpart slayer for those that the. That supply 140-180mm of travel geometry and/or void your warranty all wrong to do with dynamic head angles in sussers! And entry-level hardtail mountain bikes, so the added suspension travel do i need my... But were not going to offer a longer life with regular maintenance and servicing Cannondales proprietary Lefty single suspension.