How do you determine if the length (travel) of a suspension fork is suitable for a hardtail / soft-tail frame?

Question

The length of fork used on a bicycle affects the handling .
But what and how does one detemine if a particular length is suitable ?
Is there a particular method other than refering to the manual or its manufacturer's website ? Hardtails and full-sus behave rather differently , so is there a way of finding a suitable fork that does not mess up the handling of it ?

Answer 1

Well, it depends on the type of frame you're dealing with. Generally, mountain bikes are classified into certain categories.
CrossCountry (XC):
You can find both hard/soft tail types. XC bikes generally use forks that have 3-4 inches of travel. XC bikes aren't meant for technical terrain. They are mainly used for nice long rides on smooth (sometimes slightly technical) trails and for XC racing.
Trail bike:
Trail bikes are essentially all around bikes. They come in both hard/soft tails. They use forks with 4-6 inches of travel. Trail bikes can be used for XC, but because they have a bit more travel, they can handle technical terrain. Therefore you can be more aggressive on the rough trails.
Freeride and Downhill (DH):
These bikes are meant for abuse. These are what you call the "stunt" bikes. They have travel from 6-8 inches. These are the type of bikes that can race down rocky mountains and drop off 5-10 foot cliffs. They only come in soft-tails obviously.

Although the length of the fork does affect handling, there are other factors to consider as well. Stem length, handle bars, tires, cockpit, seat position, and the size of the frame, all contribute to the handling of the bike.

Answer 2

I have a full suspension XC bike and a hartail dirt jumper with about the same amount of travel (100mm) and the only real difference between them is that the ride is a bit rougher on the rear end with my HT. The HT is also easier to climb with because you dont have as much pedal bob. Your suspension length depends uppon the kind of riding you will be doing. If you're riding XC you want 3 - 5 inches of travel (80 - 130 mm) mainly just to soak up small bumps and make your ride smoother. If your doing more all around, all mountain type stuff you'll want 5 - 6 in of travel (130 - 150 mm) to soak up the bumps but also to take some small hits. If your doing more DH and freeride you'll want more than 6in and you can get forks up to 9 in. to take lots of big hits and rough rides (if your going to be hucking 40 footers like josh bender you may want 14 in forks though). If your going to be doing more dirt jumping, street and park you will want 80 - 130 mm of travel and you may even just want to go rigid because this genre is generally smooth with little need for a lot of travel. This is just a guide and I know some other people have posted the same kind of thing but I didnt think theirs was completely accurate so I felt obliged to write this.

You can also put a lot of travel on a hartail if it is built for it. Some companies build freeride hardtails that can take 8 in. of travel but they are generally a hard ride on the rear end.

Answer 3

this depends on what u use ur bike for. fist of all if u own a dual suspention bike the shock that the bike is exposed to is divided between the tow shocks so if u r going down hill most of the shock is absourbed by the front suspention but since there is also a back suspention ur fork won't take as much shock as if u own a hard tail. if u own a hard tail however all of the shock goes to the fork which means it has to be able to take a beating. but if u ra just useing ur bike for rideing on a flat surface there isn't much shock on concreat so the most length that u need is about 2-3 inch of travel. but for a down hill bike the travel has to be at least 100mm or better130mm of travel so that you get more control and better handeling because you bike won't be bounceing off the ground all the time. but if ur bike is a dual suspention it will tend to be heaveyer and mot as easy to handle as a hard tail when doing sharp turns due to the extra weight. if u plan to ride down hill most of the time and have a back suspention on ur bike the front fork will only need to be 100mm of travel to get the same handeling as a 130mm of travel fork on a hard tail because the shock is been distributed evenly.

so if u use ur bike 4 DH then i suggest about 100-130mm of travel
XC:30-50mm
trail50-80mm
remember for xc and trail bikes the wheels don't have to be huge and wide they can be the width of any normal bike but with mountain bike tires but for Dh bikes the wheels have to be big and bulky to be able to get a good grip on the road surface and these can be a factor for ur handleing as well.

Answer 4

most hardtail frame makers do not recommend more than 100mm or so of travel. i dont ride hardtail but i would say you can ride a max of 120mm. i know how the handling changes and you can get used to it really quickly. for a softail, you can double the travel without risk of damage to your frame.

i have a tricked out schwinn that originally came with a 65mm mozo fork and i upgraded it to a Marzocchi drop off 130mm - twice the travel - and have not had any structual problems, and i do up to 4ft drops. the handling changes alot, but as mentioned before, you get used to it real fast (i didnt feel any difference after riding it for a day. i think its one of the things that makes a bike unique.

Answer 5

You actually ask a good question, but it doesn't really matter whether you ride a soft or hard tail... the amount of travel is usually adjustable anyway to suit your own needs and the type of riding/trails you do.

Answer 6

The diploma of a penis....is how properly it holds a towel..... and ah....I have been given a lot of laundry chum....thank you know who...fairly worth it :) Edit: OMG Princess I basically peed my pants !!

Answer 7

Mostly, is through the maker website or manual.