How Much Travel On A Mountain Bike Do I Need?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Anything between 120 mm and 140 mm is suitable. Enduro riders can ride any bike with 140 mm to 180 mm of travel, while 140 mm may seem the least incapable in this discipline. Most of the downhill bikes I’ve seen are between 180 mm and over 200 mm of suspension travel.

Do I need more travel on my mountain bike?

Less travel means that the bike’s weight is reduced — shorter travel shocks with lighter chassis all keep the weight down. But as soon as you’re getting gnarly or rad the extra squish is essential to keep you in control and from crashing.

Is 100mm of travel enough on a mountain bike?

Depending on your skill, riding style, and terrain, there is likely an ideal amount of suspension travel. Other specs such as geometry, wheels, and tires matter too, but they are usually tailored to match a bike’s suspension. Most modern mountain bikes will have somewhere between 100mm and 170mm of suspension travel .

Is 160mm travel too much for trail riding?

160mm of travel is only really needed if you’re hitting big hucks, or you’re smashing really long bouldery fast descents . Do I need 160mm travel? 99% of the time, no.

Is 120 enough to travel?

In addition, you’re not likely to notice much difference between a 120mm, 130mm, and 140mm fork. Honesty, a 120mm fork is enough travel for most Trail riders .

What does 130mm travel mean?

~130mm Travel: “Trail” Bikes

Around 130mm travel is what most companies would call a “Trail” bike. These are generally designed for all around riding. They climb pretty well, and they descend pretty well. 130mm is also about the longest travel fork that you’ll commonly find on a hardtail.

Is 150 mm travel too much?

150mm is absolute overkill for every trail in the lower peninsula . Get a downcountry bike instead if you want to go the full suspension route. Or a rowdy hardtail.

Is 170mm travel too much?

But Yeah, 170mm will still be fine , you are getting on for DH-esq travel, however if you think you might make use of it, or it will help you man up a shade more then there’s no harm in giving it a whirl.

How much travel should a hardtail have?

It depends totally on your riding style and the intended use. For pretty much XC or dirt jump, go with a 100mm XC or dirt jump fork. 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.

Is 100mm travel enough on a 29er?

yes, it’s plenty . pro-Dh’ers need/use 200mm-ish. mere mortals will be riding stuff that’s half as gnarly*, half as fast*. that’ll be 100mm being plenty for us then.

Is 100mm travel enough hardtail?

So, considering travel alone, 100mm is enough to do what you want .

Is 150mm travel too much for a hardtail?

Those roots and rocks can ping you offline, despite being sure of your steering inputs. Too much travel can also dull the feedback of your trail bike. 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 .

How much difference does 20mm of travel make?

As a rough estimate, each 20mm of travel added will correlate to a one-degree difference in the head tube angle.

Is 140mm travel too much?

140mm of travel is not much in real terms ...its just like a slight bend of the legs... I think many people get caught up in exactly how much travel to use. The important thing is that the travel you use suits the bike design and wont spoil the angles or turn it into a “chopper”.

Is 140mm travel enough for Squamish?

It’s not so much bike that easier trails are boring and the trails where it’s just not enough bike are trails I am not going to ride anyways. Today’s crop of 140-150mm 29ers are super capable . You could argue that the longer travel bike covers the same ground and has more margin of safety on the more difficult trails.

What does 120 mm of travel mean on a bike?

travel is how far down the fork can compress (how much shorter it will get when it is pushed as far as it will go) like spawne said, short travell (usually 120mm or less) is for cross country , medium (130-160mm usually) is for trail, or all mountain riding. anything 160mm or more will be for downhill or freeride.

Is 150 mm travel enough for Enduro?

Slide trail will be absolutely fine. 150 mm travel fork is plenty ! You will have fun for sure. If you are the biker for big jumps & drops and bike parks the Swoop is a great bike.

How much travel should you use?

Set sag between 20-30%. If you only ride smooth trails, you should still use about 3/4 of the travel . Measure this, since the exposed stanchion is longer than fork travel. If you start to ride harder or start to ride rougher trails and bigger drops, you will need to add air.

Can I put 140mm forks on a 120mm bike?

Going from 120 mm up to 140 mm should be perfectly fine . It will probably give you 1 degree of slack angle to your front end and raise your bb height by possibly 1/2′′.

Are air forks better than coil?

Air forks provide better bottom-out resistance

Near the end of the range, it takes a huge amount of force to further compress the air inside. The total amount of force required to compress an air fork and bottom it out is greater than a coil fork. This is assuming that both are set for the same rider weight.

How do you travel with a mountain bike?

You can bring a MTB on a plane as long as you follow airline guidelines and pack it according to the rules. In order to travel you’ll need to partially dismantle it, clean it properly, and store in a suitable bag designed for bikes . Some also travel for the main purpose of going on world-renowned bike trails.

Is 80mm travel enough?

I rode it for 3 rides and came to the conclusion that 80mm isn’t enough . I have to run too much air in it to allow it to be plush. Upping the travel to 90mm made a noticable difference in plushness. If your frame will accomodate, I’d suggest 100mm.

Are trail bikes good for jumps?

How do I hit my mountain bike jumps?

Can the YT Capra climb?

It worked well up switchbacks and tight climbs , and the short top tube really did let me manipulate my weight on the bike.

Does a mountain bike need suspension?

Most mountain bikes have suspension to keep you in control over rough ground , but not all mountain bikers need the same amount and type of suspension. Hardtail mountain bikes do not feature a rear shock, whereas full suspension bikes feature front and rear shocks.

Is front suspension necessary on a mountain bike?

Convention now says that mountain bikes should have front suspension forks . They are now considered an essential feature, by nearly all mountain bikers and mountain bike manufacturers.

Emily Lee
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Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.