How Much Up Travel Should A Shock Have?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

Summary Notes: – 1/3 to 2/3 of the shock should be up travel. -Do not exceed 9′′ of droop. -14′′ shocks are most common, then 12’s, then 16’s.

How much travel should a rear shock have?

This is why the rear suspension on most cars with a solid axle should be using a shock with at least five inches of travel while the independent front suspension can use as little as three inches of shock travel.

How long of a shock do I need?

What is the travel of rear shock?

The travel is a function of the stroke length of the shock, and your frame . My bike runs a 230mm x 60mm rear shock stock from the factory. The 230mm is the distance between the eyelets on the shock, and the 60mm is the stroke length (how far the shaft travels between full extension and full compression.

How do you know when your shocks are traveling?

How do you increase droop travel?

Adding preload will increase droop travel (given enough damper stroke length) but lose bump travel and vice versa. Spring free length and rate will have to match the damper stroke available to get the optimal 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 .

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.

What do off road shocks do?

Technically speaking, shocks convert kinetic energy into thermal energy . Shock absorber are also referred to as “dampers” because they dampen the energy of the spring. By creating resistance to up and down motion, the dampers turn motion energy into heat, and then dissipate the heat to the atmosphere.

What happens if your shocks are too long?

If the extended length of the shock absorber is too short it will “top-out” and reduce the extended travel . “Topping out” is the term used when the piston inside the shock absorber collides with the cylinder head.

How is travel suspension measured?

Measure and record the distance between the shock mounts. Raise the wheel to ~4” above ride height (measured vertically), record the exact compression . Measure and record the distance between the shock mounts . The amount the shock moved between droop and bump divided by the amount you moved the wheel is your motion ...

How do you calculate wheel travel?

Since the circumference is equal to πx D, it is equal to: 3.14 x 3.125′′ = 9.81′′ . With the wheel turning 9.81′′ in one revolution, it would travel: 9.81′′ x 3.625 revolutions or 35.56′′ total.

How is Fox shock travel measured?

How do you measure the stroke length of a rear shock?

Stroke length refers to the total distance the shock can compress. You can measure the stroke length by subtracting the eye to eye length when the shock is fully compressed, from the eye to eye length when the shock is fully extended – you should get relatively close to the shock’s stroke length.

How do you calculate rear travel?

“The best method for measuring frame travel may be to remove the shock and measure the vertical travel at the rear axle, with the suspension linkage at the full shock length, and at the shock bottom-out length (original eye-to-eye minus manufacturers specified shock stroke).

Is stroke the same as travel?

Shocks don’t have travel–they have stroke, which is the distance the stanchion can move within the shock’s body. Think of travel as the axle’s range of motion. For the front wheel, travel is only a function of the fork’s stroke. That is to say, for forks, stroke and travel are the same thing .

How is rear wheel travel calculated?

Mount the bike on a bike stand(if you have one), remove the shock, cycle the rear arm and measure . Presto, there’s your travel.

What is bump travel in suspension?

Suspension travel is defined as the maximum vertical distance that the wheel can travel from the fully extended ‘Rebound’ condition to the fully compressed ‘Full Bump’ condition. ‘Bump Travel’ is defined as the distance traveled by the wheel center from Normal ride height to Full Bump condition .

How is suspension droop calculated?

Let’s say you’re running 24.5mm from the top of the axle, your subtracted number is 9.1mm. Finally, subtract your ride height . If you’re running 5mm of ride height, you actual droop is 4.1mm.

What is a droop setup?

Droop is the amount of down travel a suspension arm has . Droop can be set independently from front to back, but should be the same (normally) from side to side. Tuning with Droop. Typically, less Droop reduces body roll. Less in the rear will free up the rear a bit, giving more steering.

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 150 mm of travel enough for downhill?

Long-travel bikes usually have 150-170mm of rear travel to handle tough downhill trails . Front travel often matches rear travel but sometimes can be more. Trail and enduro bikes fall into this category. They absorb big hits and smooth out rough terrain.

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.

What does 120mm travel mean?

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.

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.

Ahmed Ali
Author
Ahmed Ali
Ahmed Ali is a financial analyst with over 15 years of experience in the finance industry. He has worked for major banks and investment firms, and has a wealth of knowledge on investing, real estate, and tax planning. Ahmed is also an advocate for financial literacy and education.