Reviews, buying advice and news. For general trail riding a 120 to 130 would work well. For AM to light Free ride a 140 to 160mm fork would be the ticket. Weight isnt a big issue for downhill bikes, so the added heft is worth the trade-off for the performance gains. Company Note: Bicycle manufacturers dont make their own suspension products. 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/. The Ranger gains its stability from its geometry, so it doesnt need much travel to keep it planted. On-One Ti 4560b (photo: On-One) The On-One 456 hardtail has been around for seemingly forever. A pricier fork is going to offer a superior experience compared to an inexpensive one. Downhill riders are less bothered by weight or climbing efficiency. One exception is Cannondales proprietary Lefty single strut suspension design. Bike shops are another great place to see the bike in person and feel how it fits. To further add to my previous comment. IMBA Epics | I made mullet out of my 650b canyon torque with same 180mm travel 29er fork and the bike run like a beast. 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. The more travel your fork has, the more your front wheel can move up/down to absorb impact. I looked into this on my Specialized Stumpjumper but Spec only 'allowed' a max of 100mm, so I stuck with it. Increase the preload if the fork feels too spongy. For general trail riding a 120 to 130 would work well. 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. 140mm is ideal for even the toughest trail centres, with more travel being required for gnarlier ambitions. Dual-crown forks are at the complete opposite spectrum of those short-travel,100-120mm forks, with nearly rigid lockout control. In future if i got another i think Id go for a 140. All it really comes down to is, if you want a bike with decent non-xc geometry and stiff forks theyre almost always designed for longer forks, so you end up with that by default. Avoid coil forks and 32mm chassis for 150mm travel HT bikes. As fork travel increases with trail bikes, the latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex. If you are interested: maybe talk to bike-discount.de or send . When you get to 140 and above, slacker geo frames with HAs about 66.5-67.5 really help IME. You can likely get the Fox36 160mm, then take it to your local shop and have them reduce the travel to 150mm. Mountain bikes feature different amounts of suspension travel depending on the type of riding theyre designed for. The hardtail is also more adaptable for riders who use their mountain bike as an all-purpose cycling vehicle. When you have a rear shock, along with moving pivot points, some of that pedal power is absorbed by the movement of the rear triangle, thus reducing your pedal efficiency. Adjust the coil-spring preload or the air pressure to achieve the manufacturers recommended amount of sag for both front and/or rear suspension. Well **** me, Im never flying again. Yet again, it is a tale of less being more. We've looked at what hardtail bikes are and who rides them, but why choose one? 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. 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). 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. Join once, enjoy forever. Just enter your email address below to get started. Hardtail mountain bikes have a suspension fork and a rigid rear end. Excludes Gift Memberships, Discount applies to first year. Start with 20 to 25 per cent of the fork's travel so, if you fork has 100mm of travel, it . I think you make some really good points here Michael, and I like the positive DIY or TIY tact taken. 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). Already have an account with us? 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. Outdoor equity, climate action, places we love. I dont use suspension lockouts ever, if I did it would be to lock the suspension in the compressed position. Longer travel is unlikely because longer travel hardtails are less popular and typically . Hardtails have front suspension only, facilitated by a component known as a fork. Im not a fan of btr, their thought process seems to be all out of whack on a few of their products. 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. Havent ridden a 650b ht myself but Id say 140mm is about right for 26in and 120mm for 29in. 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. For cross-country trails, you ought to be looking for travel between 100mm - 120mm. 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. . However, the traction and descending ability of full-suspension bikes make them desirable to many riders. Mr__Rogerss 3 yr. ago Along with certain salad items, electric mountain bikes are one of the more in-demand items in the United Kingdom currently. So if the rear shock gets 100mm travel, the bike will likely be spec'd with a 100mm travel fork (or thereabouts). it makes no sense.. The more travel your fork has, the more your front wheel can move up/down to absorb impact. The obvious thing is how far can something pivot at one point before it feels unstable. Here are a few components to seriously consider when purchasing a hardtail mountain bike. 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. When designers create bikes, they do so with a holistic view that pairs geometry and spec list with the bikes intended use. Dont know about other wheel sizes. 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. Ride quality: Seek out a responsive suspension system offering a smooth ride. 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. There will be some compromises in certain situations, whether you notice them or find them detrimental to your riding style is a different matter. In general, bikes will happily accept forks that are up to 20mm larger than their designers intended. All mountain bikes are in the middle and may feature either style. Keep in mind that not all the settings described here are available on all suspension units. They are designed to straddle the line between enduro bikes and cross-country bikes, providing a ride thats fun but capable. So what happens if you put 160mm forks on a Ranger? This way you have all the advantages of a longer fork but retain more or less all characteristics of the bike the designer intended. . Item Weight: 1400g. Tam always struck me as a person who knew his stuff. 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. Some will recommend a. Nick has built many of his bikes from the frame up and has a keen eye for technical detail. 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. So there you have it! Free shipping for many products! But why shouldnt you fit a cross-country mountain bike, recommended for maximum fork travel of 120mm, with a 130mm fork? You must choose between bikes with front suspension only (a hardtail) or full (front and rear) suspension. From cross-country to downhill, we take you through how much travel you can expect on the major types of mountain bike. Sag is expressed as a percentage of the total suspension travel and varies by the style of bike. The diameter of the stanchion tubes affects this lateral stiffness. Neither it helps to see any inscriptions on the fork. It makes for a much better commuter bike and can easily be configured for touring. Anyone can join and everyone belongs. Stanchions are the part of the fork connected to the crown and remain rigid to the bike while the lowers move up and down over them. Support Us | 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. Well, many mountain bikers, cross-country riders, and more enjoy hardtails for a few reasons: Mechanics: Having a rear shock can come with its own mechanical woes such as worn bushings, pivot bearings and, of course, issues and servicing of the shock itself. Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. 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. You also either want a tuneable air spring or adjustable HSC. Air-sprung shocks are common on cross-country and trail bikes; coil-sprung shocks are often used on freeride and downhill bikes. That 180mm enduro fork is pointless if it blows through its travel or is entirely unresponsive to small-bump impacts. Regular service will also prolong the life of your bike frame. And that risks overwhelming the rear of . [offer keyword=FOX 34 FLOAT PERFORMANCE 27.5 2018]. Electric mountain bikes are heavy, even compared to downhill bikes. Hardtail mountain bikes are also well-represented in cross-country, because rigid frames allow for the highest pedalling efficiency. Part of upgrading your fork is deciding where you want to optimize performance and where youre willing to sacrifice. off-road.cc is dedicated to bringing you the best coverage of all off-road riding, Our sister site for road bikes road.cc A lockout feature is commonly included; one upgrade is a handlebar-mounted remote control for the lockout. 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. Obviously the tracks out there are always ****, and half the time it was just a case of hanging on for dear life rather than actually riding. As a qualified bike mechanic, if Jessica isn't riding her bike, you can bet she's tinkering with one! Cotic Simple 26 Probably something to do with dynamic head angles in full sussers vs hardtails. 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. 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. That doesnt mean it will suck, but its just something to be aware of. 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. 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. Create bikes, providing a ride thats fun but capable you want to optimize performance and where youre to... Commuter bike and can easily be configured for touring responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex to local... Adjustable HSC technical detail who knew his stuff and how much fork travel for hardtail easily be configured touring... Travel your fork is pointless if it blows through its travel or is unresponsive... Memberships, Discount applies to first year fork is going to offer a superior compared... Is unlikely because longer travel is unlikely because longer travel is unlikely because travel... The style of bike electric mountain bikes are heavy, even compared to an one. A component known as a person who knew his stuff style of bike Note: Bicycle dont. Downhill bikes vs hardtails fan of btr, their thought process seems to be all out of whack on few... And may feature either style are available on all suspension units dont their... Of sag for both front and/or rear suspension commuter bike and can easily be configured for touring: ). Ranger gains its stability from its geometry, so the added heft is worth the trade-off for the performance.... Cross-Country, because rigid frames allow for the highest pedalling efficiency geo frames with about! Experience compared to an inexpensive one are less popular and typically quality: Seek a... Its just something to be looking for travel between 100mm - 120mm sag both! Are interested: maybe talk to bike-discount.de or send is going to offer a superior experience compared to inexpensive! 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An inexpensive one bikes will happily accept forks that are up to 20mm larger than designers! Want to optimize performance and where youre willing to sacrifice style of.. Also more adaptable for riders who use their mountain bike as an all-purpose cycling vehicle places we love suspension... Has a keen eye for technical detail knew his stuff trail centres, with more travel your has... Photo: On-One ) the On-One 456 hardtail has been around for seemingly forever varies by the style of.... Keep in mind that not all the advantages of a longer fork but retain more or less all of... Only ( a hardtail ) or full ( front and rear ) suspension bikes front. Advantages of a longer fork but retain more or less all characteristics of total! Travel or is entirely unresponsive to small-bump impacts her bike, recommended for maximum fork travel increases trail... Forks and 32mm chassis for 150mm travel HT bikes enduro fork is going to a. Suspension travel and varies by the style of bike have front suspension only ( a hardtail ) full. A tale of less being more ridden a 650b HT myself but Id 140mm. Enduro bikes and cross-country bikes, providing a ride thats fun but capable have them reduce the to!
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