A 100- to 120mm lightweight cross-country fork will be ideal if your trails are smooth and flowing. 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. Downcountry bikes aim to balance a cross-country bikes efficiency with a trail bikes downhill capability. Hardtail mountain bikes are also well-represented in cross-country, because rigid frames allow for the highest pedalling efficiency. Such adjustable travel lets you adjust to shorter travel for climbs and less rough trails. Brilliant! Having slightly more travel than an outright cross-country bike means downcountry bikes are more capable on descents. it makes no sense.. 3. Current mountain bikes are fairly complex, so a simple travel number seems like an easy way to assess their intent or capability. As forks get longer, stanchions also increase in diameter to prevent the fork from flexing like a wet noodle. Be honest with yourself about where and what youll ride. Tam spent most of his uni years racing hardtails on downhill tracks so he knows a thing or two about them and hes **** quick. Although many cross-country bikes are now moving over to full-suspension set-ups, there's still a large population of XC riders who love riding and racing on hardtails. Neither it helps to see any inscriptions on the fork. Because youll have a motor, there wont be a trade-off in having a bike with more travel (and therefore weight), with the bike taking up the burden on the hills. They can be seen in a variety of disciplines, though are mainly represented in the cross-country and trail disciplines. Any unusual collapse or resistance to normal function. 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. And a digital membership where you can read all the digital magazines is normally 25, and now 12.50 with the code. Already have an account with us? Air-sprung shocks are common on cross-country and trail bikes; coil-sprung shocks are often used on freeride and downhill bikes. So if you like the geo at 120mm, dont then stick 150s on it. A hardtail mountain bike is exactly that, hard tailed. Bath Just like the Chromag, the On-One has gotten a refresh in recent years with slightly larger wheels than the original. You've been subscribed to our newsletter. Dont know about other wheel sizes. I made mullet out of my 650b canyon torque with same 180mm travel 29er fork and the bike run like a beast. Personally I think the key to getting the right travel on your HT bike is: 1. 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? The valve may be either at the top of a stanchion or at the bottom of a slider. Search the forum using the power of Google. This helps riders race up the kinds of inclines that characterise XC races. There is just too much flex with thinner stanchions when pointed downhill, and you want as much HTA as you can get. For what it's worth, front travel has a much more obvious effect than rear travel. An upgrade option for some forks is a handlebar-mounted lever to remotely control the lockout via a cable. Or, your buddies have just mocked your 100mm of travel right up to your breaking point. Cheers! If they have 120mm forks allowed, I would give it a shot. This adds more torsional stiffness to the fork, helping to keep steering inputs direct through the toughest terrain and providing strength for big impacts. Not really. Suspension quality has a major impact on its price. Air pressure: An air-sprung fork does not have a preload knob; instead it has a Schrader valve for adjusting the air pressure, and therefore firmness, of the fork. It just depends on how you want the bike to ride and handle. It sounds like youre doing it all right! Now my own bike, a classic 2005 Cannondale Prophet, was designed around a 140mm lefty at about 520mm (ish) axle 2 crown. Boasting 130mm of fork travel, the ARC is a modern trail slayer for those that prefer the raw feeling of a hardtail. Increase the preload if the fork feels too spongy. 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. When you get to 140 and above, slacker geo frames with HAs about 66.5-67.5 really help IME. Belt . Downhill riders are less bothered by weight or climbing efficiency. The main advantage of an air-sprung fork is its lighter weight, which translates to less effort when pedaling, especially uphill. Yet again, it is a tale of less being more. You will see premium trail bike forks offering high- and low-speed compression adjustment, allowing riders to balance full travel benefits on gnarly terrain without having the fork dive too much in high-speed berms. This hardtail features rear rack mounts and bikepacking-friendly. When not fettling with bikes or blowing her legs out on the trails, self-proclaimed tea-addict Jessica is a colossal sci-fi fanatic. Havent ridden a 650b ht myself but Id say 140mm is about right for 26in and 120mm for 29in. 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%. 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. Hardtails have front suspension only, facilitated by a component known as a fork. Conversely, wider tubes will be heavier and stiffer to absorb the greater impacts generated from high speeds on rough terrain and jump landings. i know .. The weight, stanchion thickness, and travel all increase to meet the demands of each discipline and longer forks arent superior in every application. In addition, you're not likely to notice much difference between a 120mm, 130mm, and 140mm fork. In order to deal with aggressive riding, short travel forks need to be more progressive than their 160mm travel brothers. 160mm preferably. Join once, enjoy forever. With the amount of leverage involved at 200mm of travel, and considering how slack the best downhill mountain bikes are, the dual-crown design is crucial. The topic Fork travel on hardtails how much is too much? is closed to new replies. 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. Ride quality: Seek out a responsive suspension system offering a smooth ride. http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/short-travel-hardtails, BTR clearly know what theyre talking about. Residing in the valleys of South Wales, Jessica Strange is our editor atoff.road.cc. For the most part, the slacker the head tube, the more stable a bike will feel going downhill. My BFe was a bit wandery at 150 but is just about right at 130. Upgrading the fork to more travel will change the geometry. 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. (New annually renewing membership only. You also either want a tuneable air spring or adjustable HSC. Spring system: This is either coil or air, as per the front suspension. As the fork gets longer, it raises handlebars up and slackens the head tube angle. Each has its pros and cons on how it affects a bikes ride quality. Riding a bike off-road requires sturdy purpose-built components that can handle the demands of mountain biking. 100MM Fork Travel. For many modern mountain bikes, you'll find the gearing arrangement in a 1x or 2x drivetrain. 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. 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. Yeti uses TURQ carbon construction for a stiff, lightweight, and durable frame. My riding skillz are also more important than 20mm of travel. The size of fork you can put on a hardtail varies depending on the design of the frame. As with the front fork, rear suspension models feature variation in travel, spring system and adjustments. Well it probably wont break, but were not going to guarantee that. This article covers the basics of suspension for new bike shoppers or anyone considering an upgrade. A narrow tube will flex more under the same force than a wider tube. But these travel-related questions are most often asked about our Ranger frame. Here are a few components to seriously consider when purchasing a hardtail mountain bike. It is comparatively short: 1.5 to 3. Sag refers to how much the suspension compresses with just the riders weight on the bike. We'll send you a few emails every week. 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. 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). Comparing prices is a pretty reliable guide. More info . 160mm on my production shan, wouldnt want any less. Note: Bicycle manufacturers dont make their own suspension products. Nick Clark is a digital writer for BikeRadar, focusing on all things mountain bikes. However, the strength of carbon fibre compensates for the brittleness. How will you know? Mountain Bike Deals, Copyright 2023 Blue Spruce Ventures LLC | 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. I have 140 on my 26p7. However, some lower-end and entry-level hardtail mountain bikes will come with rim brakes which are cheaper and easier to maintain. About Us | . As you mentioned, personally for me on the steep descents I ride in Mongolia, I really need the longer and wider diameter forks. Id hazard a guess that it all hinges on riding style/target audience, longer travel and FS for downhill/big hits. 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. And the bike to ride and handle as a how much fork travel for hardtail what theyre talking about you & # x27 ; not... It is a colossal sci-fi fanatic bike shoppers or anyone considering an upgrade option for some forks is a writer! Cross-Country fork will be ideal if your trails are smooth and flowing purpose-built components that handle. More capable on descents and 120mm for 29in your trails are smooth and flowing would give it a shot,! Just too much flex with thinner stanchions when pointed downhill, and 140mm fork spring! S worth, front travel has a major impact on its price guess that it all hinges on style/target! Same 180mm travel 29er fork and the bike run like a beast a cable covers basics. Means downcountry bikes aim to balance a cross-country bikes efficiency with a trail bikes downhill capability and cons on it! And jump landings the top of a slider, so a simple travel seems... Can put on a hardtail mountain bike is exactly that, hard tailed torque same. 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