However I would not recommend going over 20mm over your default travel as this article suggests. Hardtail Bike, Mountain Bike. NO; NO IT DOESNT/NO IT ISNT/NO YOU CANT. This adds more torsional stiffness to the fork, helping to keep steering inputs direct through the toughest terrain and providing strength for big impacts. That has changed with the popularity of downcountry and there are now 120mm forks that have much stiffer crowns. Stanchions: each travels in and out of the sliders; internal workings consist of a spring or air chamber, damper rod, oil, valves. 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. Adjusting the travel not only affects the bump-softening capacity of the bike, it also affects the steering and control. Other bikes aimed at enduro riding are most often given ~160mm travel nowadays, so we get asked if the Ranger fits in the same mold. Either way, the pressure to go long is real. 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. Subscribe from just 13.50 and get a Lezyne Pocket Drive Pump, worth 29! 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. Various pivot designs and configurations are available. Carbon is incredibly strong, but brittle so it can't offer the same tolerances as aluminium. Make sure your suspension is properly adjusted. Hardtails can be fun on mildly technical descents if they have the appropriate geometry and a decent suspension fork. Consider the terrain you are riding. They are designed to straddle the line between enduro bikes and cross-country bikes, providing a ride thats fun but capable. He has a weakness for British steel hardtails, especially those which only run a single gear. Price: Aluminum: $1,199 - $1,599; Carbon: $2,199 - $4,299. Got to be all down to geometry and frame design. 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. If we were asked these questions about the Belter or the Pinner, the answers would be yes, no but its compatible, yes. 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. You can afford some knocks, dinks and collisions without severely affecting the structural integrity of the frame. Buy the best forks you can. This was mainly owing to their ability to clear obstacles with greater ease and climb more efficiently. 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. Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. Using less suspension travel than other mountain bikes means cross-country bikes can be built with a lighter frame construction because less reinforcement is needed to deal with the lower frame articulation. Thats proper basic stuff so Im calling you out on being a biologist too. For many bikepackers a hardtail hits the sweet spot between too much bike and too little bike. Chainstay length: 425mm. Brilliant! Yeti uses TURQ carbon construction for a stiff, lightweight, and durable frame. High-speed compression damping is best set all the way out unless you experience bottoming out or landing jumps. Join once, enjoy forever. For what it's worth, front travel has a much more obvious effect than rear travel. 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. 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. He is currently riding a YT Capra on the trails and a Focus Izalco Max for the road. Buying a new mountain bike? REI and the REI Co-op logo are trademarks of Recreational Equipment, Inc. The Curtis AM hardtails are all designed round 140mm, even the 29er, whereas the BTRs are 120mm, or 100mm for the 29er, on the Ranger frames, which are slacker than the Curtis AM frames. You can offset the adverse changes in geometry with a longer fork by buying an plus angleset. Trail bikes at the longer end of the suspension-travel spectrum cross the boundary into all-mountain. It will not be exact but it will come close. You can find hardtails with everything from 80mm to 200mm forks on them. Free shipping for many products! That 180mm enduro fork is pointless if it blows through its travel or is entirely unresponsive to small-bump impacts. 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. 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. 1 1/8 in-Threadless 26 in 80 mm . It just depends on how you want the bike to ride and handle. So there you have it! Search the forum using the power of Google. Several hardtail enduro frames exist which can accept 160mm forks; some are even designed around this value, but all are a compromise. 160mm on my production shan, wouldnt want any less. So Im idly pondering hardtails frames, looking at Curtis and BTR more than any others. Best MTB Gear | However, a majority of mountain bike brands are moving to a 1x drivetrain as cassette sizes have come along so far that you can achieve an ample range of gears for all your trail needs. Hardtails aren't great in very steep terrain, despite some hardcore hardtails running forks up to 170mm long. We then go on to provide a more detailed look at how suspension works. ie lets make a hardcore hardtail for 100mm forks even though youll struggle to find 100mm hardcore forks. Hardtail bikes are lighter than full-suspension mountain bikes, more affordable and more suited for lower-graded trails, which will help teach you the skills and confidence necessary for progression later on. Typically, these bikes will feature beefier frame construction to deal with the added suspension travel. 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. Hardtails in a nutshell, who they're for, what riding they suit and where to find one that's suitable for you. That of course affects the steep climbing, but it is what it is if you want to get the most out of the long amazing downhills. 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. How much suspension travel do I need on my mountain bike. I know who have been building bikes for longer, but do you reckon theres anything in BTRs reasoning? Downhill riders are less bothered by weight or climbing efficiency. In addition, you're not likely to notice much difference between a 120mm, 130mm, and 140mm fork. Is 150mm travel too much for a hardtail? In this guide, well explain the different mountain bike categories and how much suspension travel they typically have. I dont use suspension lockouts ever, if I did it would be to lock the suspension in the compressed position. Seat tube angle: 75. Apparently, Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed etc dont know their stuff. 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However, rim brakes aren't suitable for fast trail riding, and performance can be impeded when wet. Adjust the coil-spring preload or the air pressure to achieve the manufacturers recommended amount of sag for both front and/or rear suspension. For general trail riding a 120 to 130 would work well. 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! Neither it helps to see any inscriptions on the fork. The main advantage of an air-sprung fork is its lighter weight, which translates to less effort when pedaling, especially uphill. 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/. Depends on the hardtail! 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. Whereas, for all-mountain trail riding, you may want to look for travel of around 130mm - 150mm. Improved pedalling technique will get you up hills easier and faster without the bobbing. 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 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. And if you want to take your . That said it went uphill more easily than my old 130mm equipped Cove Stiffees. Although downhill frames are heavier than those intended for other disciplines, its less important to have light frames because youre not pedalling them uphill. Wheel Size: 29". 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. In addition, some fully rigid bikes come with the correct frame geometry angle to upgrade to a suspension fork. Although most (70%) of my riding only needs probaby 4 or 4.5" of travel, having that extra inch or two just makes the ride that much smoother. 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. This is also what a platform setting does on rear shocks. Bikes can quickly become more and more expensive when you begin looking at higher-end components and brands, so it's best to set yourself a spending limit. This is why you'll find 150- to 180mm enduro single-crown forks with intricate compression and rebound adjusters and dials. i know .. 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. Subscribe to Cycling Plus from just 13.50 and get a Lezyne Pocket Drive Pump, worth 29! For many years 100-120mm forks were designed either as ultralight racing components or cheap beginner bike suspension. Just like the Chromag, the On-One has gotten a refresh in recent years with slightly larger wheels than the original. Almost all mountain bikes are equipped with front suspension, as well as some hybrid or comfort bikes and kids bikes. Enter your email for the top stories in mountain biking, plus product picks and deals delivered to your inbox each week. A fork may offer no adjustability, or it may have one or more knobs and dials to tweak. In future if i got another i think Id go for a 140. Mountain Bike Deals, Copyright 2023 Blue Spruce Ventures LLC | Residing in the valleys of South Wales, Jessica Strange is our editor atoff.road.cc. The choice between the two types largely comes down to preference and difficulty of the trail they ride. So it ca n't how much fork travel for hardtail the same tolerances as aluminium it ISNT/NO you CANT uses... Depends on how you want the bike, it also affects the steering and control Cove.. 1,599 ; carbon: $ 1,199 - $ 1,599 ; carbon: $ 1,199 - 4,299... Or more knobs and dials find hardtails with everything from 80mm to 200mm forks them! As some hybrid or comfort bikes and kids bikes and 140mm fork adverse changes in geometry with a longer by! 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