Fork length and effect on ride

Ronocco111
Ronocco111 Posts: 70
edited August 2010 in MTB general
I currently have a 100mm of travel on my hardtail, and was wondering what would be so bad about having say 140mm. I just can't see it affecting the ride and handling that much. Please enlighten me.
92% of teenagers have turned to rap. If your one of the 8% that still listens to real music put this in your sig.

Comments

  • weescott
    weescott Posts: 453
    Roughly speaking the rule of thumb is for every 20mm of suspension travel added it equals your head angle being slackened off by 1 degree. It would have a massive change on the way your bike handles. Possibly void the warranty and possibly rip the head tube off and possibly kill you in your sleep.
  • Ronocco111
    Ronocco111 Posts: 70
    In what way would it change the handling, could it really rip off the head tube? :shock: that sounds a bit extreme
    92% of teenagers have turned to rap. If your one of the 8% that still listens to real music put this in your sig.
  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    what frame?
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • weescott
    weescott Posts: 453
    It would mean much slower handling. Harder to turn. Harder to climb as your weight would be further back meaning the front wheel is more likely to wander. Downhill would be improved though with the slacker head angle.

    Depending on the frame yes it could easily rip the head tube off.
  • Ronocco111
    Ronocco111 Posts: 70
    It's a mongoose tyax elite frame
    92% of teenagers have turned to rap. If your one of the 8% that still listens to real music put this in your sig.
  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    Ronocco111 wrote:
    It's a mongoose tyax elite frame

    designed around 100mm then.

    new bike if you want to go 140mm IMO.
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    weescott wrote:
    Roughly speaking the rule of thumb is for every 20mm of suspension travel added it equals your head angle being slackened off by 1 degree. It would have a massive change on the way your bike handles. Possibly void the warranty and possibly rip the head tube off and possibly kill you in your sleep.

    not quite right " for every inch of fork length change there is a degree of head angle change"

    so fitting a fork with a shorter Axle to Crown length but more travel will sharpen the steerering rather than slowing it down :wink:

    plus lots of other changes like slack seat angle change of center of gravity and BB height.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • weescott
    weescott Posts: 453
    HA would be slackend to around 69 degrees which isn't too bad. BB would be raised to around 12.5" which is ok too.

    If you do want a new fork then try and get one with a similar axel to crown height as the one you have now. A 120mm travel fork with a load of sag dialed in might work fine, but it would probably still voild your warranty.

    Nicklouse: 20mm is the figure I always hear bounced around. But hey, what's an inch between friends? :lol:
  • xtreem
    xtreem Posts: 2,965
    You should be fine with a 120mm fork on the Tyax if you don't trash the bike too much.
    A local guy uses on his Tyax and the frame is still in one piece.

    But still, you'll probably lose your warranty.

    Just in case you haven't seen, here's how frames fail:
    Putting 40mm over max allowed.
    Well, it was 10 years old, but it's been welded and going strong for now.
    NS Bikes Eccentric Alu custom - 2016
  • biff55
    biff55 Posts: 1,404
    get u-turn height adjustable forks.
    then you can run longer travel only when you need it :wink:

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