ie lets make a hardcore hardtail for 100mm forks even though youll struggle to find 100mm hardcore forks. How much travel you need will depend on the riding you do. For many years 100-120mm forks were designed either as ultralight racing components or cheap beginner bike suspension. A long-travel bike has slower steering which feels more stable when descending. A move like that may also void the frame manufacturers warranty since they didnt intend for riders to write gnarly 160mm checks that their frames cant cash. Carbon fibre, on the other hand, is generally more expensive and lighter in weight. A hardtail mountain bike is exactly that, hard tailed. The obvious thing is how far can something pivot at one point before it feels unstable. 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. Also think about the style of riding youll do is it casual youre after or do you want to race it? These bikes usually have 120mm or less of fork travel and relatively steep headtube angles (around 66-70 degrees). Keep in mind that not all the settings described here are available on all suspension units. They can be seen in a variety of disciplines, though are mainly represented in the cross-country and trail disciplines. 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. Who do I have to answer to for doing it all wrong? http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/short-travel-hardtails, BTR clearly know what theyre talking about. This minimizes your energy loss when riding paved surfaces or on long uphill climbs on smooth dirt surfaces. Play or knocking between the stanchions and the lower sliders. The sag is how much the suspension compresses under your weight. 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. Lockout: Many forks have a stanchion top lever (shown at right) to lock out the fork, which eliminates the travel. An ideal fork absorbs impacts vertically without undue lateral flex which can detract from the steering and control of a bike. As a rough estimate, each 20mm of travel added will correlate to a one-degree difference in the head tube angle. While the 27.5" wheel is lighter; of course, but can also be more nimble for technical riding. 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). My BFe was a bit wandery at 150 but is just about right at 130. Rear suspension is only found on full-suspension mountain bikes, and is commonly referred to as the rear shock, or shock for short. Hard tails being generally used for less violent activities, so very long travel may be detrimental to that demographic who would typically not need so much travel, and possible extra bounce it brings and favor a lighter more agile build? You've been subscribed to our newsletter. Then I added tokens and lowered the air pressure. An older mountain bike may have an 80mm fork, which is hard to find now. 140mm is ideal for even the toughest trail centres, with more travel being required for gnarlier ambitions. These shift the balance away from lightness toward rigid stability for better handling while descending. Cross-country hardtails typically have 100mm of travel, but more aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel of up to 150mm. 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. Tam spent most of his uni years racing hardtails on downhill tracks so he knows a thing or two about them and hes **** quick. 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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. 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! 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. Too much travel can also dull the feedback of your trail bike. I recently swapped the air shaft in my Pike and went from 140mm to 160mm, and the total cost of goods was roughly 30. The hardtail is also more adaptable for riders who use their mountain bike as an all-purpose cycling vehicle. It just depends on how you want the bike to ride and handle. That may come in handy someday. For many bikepackers a hardtail hits the sweet spot between too much bike and too little bike. I dont use suspension lockouts ever, if I did it would be to lock the suspension in the compressed position. Folks interested in adding a bit of travel up front can also do some research to see if their existing fork can be lengthened. Theres room to play there within reason. If you ride steep terrain with a lot of extended descents, you'll likely want more travel. We'll send you a few emails every week. Unlike the useless fully extended locked position they come with. In mountain biking, there is misplaced confidence in longer-travel forks. 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. He is currently riding a YT Capra on the trails and a Focus Izalco Max for the road. These bikes feature some of the longest suspension travel, ranging from 180 to 200mm, helping to protect riders from large, repeated impacts. Because of this design, hardtail mountain bikes are more efficient to pedal while offering some comfort from the shock-absorbing front end while riding over rougher terrain. Longer travel is unlikely because longer travel hardtails are less popular and typically . Jump Bikes Depends on the hardtail- give it forks as long as it wants. 505 reviews with an average rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars. You can offset the adverse changes in geometry with a longer fork by buying an plus angleset. For pretty much XC or dirt jump, go with a 100mm XC or dirt jump fork. Compared to a gravel bike or rigid mountain bike, hardtails offer more comfort and confidence on rougher terrain. IMBA Epics | You can afford some knocks, dinks and collisions without severely affecting the structural integrity of the frame. Its not rubbish, its just worse than it could be and that sucks. Spring system: This is either coil or air, as per the front suspension. Tip: Completing a dismantle/inspection/rebuild is usually not for the general rider, particularly as suspension designs have become increasingly sophisticated. With modern forks with proper damping, i cant see a problem tbh! Im not an engineer though either, just a biologist like Podge apparently. The speeds that downhill bikes roll over highly technical terrain require exceptional torsional stiffness at the axle to prevent riders from being deflected off-line and crashing. However, the traction and descending ability of full-suspension bikes make them desirable to many riders. All rights reserved. Any increase in fork travel will slacken the bike and shorten its reach. Upgrading the fork to more travel will change the geometry. Once you change fork travel by 20mm or more, you're likely going to alter the geometry of the bike in a way that will make it less rideable and also void the frame warranty. However, the strength of carbon fibre compensates for the brittleness. Stroke travel: This is how much a rear shock compresses. Either way, the pressure to go long is real. 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/. As fork travel increases with trail bikes, the latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex. This added frame construction makes the frame heavier, impacting efficiency when going uphill, but the pay-off is worth it when coming back down. 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). 160mm preferably. A narrow tube will flex more under the same force than a wider tube. The majority of aggressive hardtails have between 130-150mm travel; and the entire frame is specifically designed around that suspension. Cross-country forks can work with narrower 30-32mm stanchions because the upper tubes arent exposed to much leverage. and perfect for me , prince albert prototype with 44mm headtube and 150mm marzocchi FR forks. Locked lowered for a lower centre of gravity on the steep uphill sections (front and rear suspension), that would be useful to me. However, hardtail bikes aren't just for beginner mountain bikers. Excessive oil leak onto the stanchions around the top of the sliders. 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. Forks come in varying lengths of suspension travel and stanchion sizes, this is what they mean for your riding. 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