fork travel

Suspension travel: Understanding fork length and how it affects your mountain bike

Forks come in varying lengths of suspension travel and stanchion sizes, this is what they mean for your riding

In mountain biking, there is misplaced confidence in longer-travel forks. With your front wheel having to steer and balance traction on those big trail features and steep descents, the logic is often that more suspension travel is better. But is this the case?

To better understand how the suspension travel of the best mountain bike forks influences your riding and what should be best for your trails, you need to understand the relationship between terrain absorption and trail feedback.

Modern mountain bike geometries are designed explicitly around suspension travel. For example, the best XC forks for cross-country mountain bikes are short-travel forks as the trails are relatively smooth and comprise lots of climbing. They need to be light and responsive while still providing a decent range of compression.

As you move through the various types of mountain bikes, fork travel requirements change. The weight, stanchion thickness, and travel all increase to meet the demands of each discipline – and longer forks aren’t superior in every application.

Cross-country: 100-120mm travel, 30-32mm stanchion diameter

Shorter travel forks are generally aimed at cross-country mountain biking , designed to balance performance, lightweight and just enough suspension travel to help smooth out bumpy singletrack.

Cross-country forks can work with narrower 30-32mm stanchions because the upper tubes aren’t exposed to much leverage. This helps to keep the overall fork weight down.

But why shouldn’t you fit a cross-country mountain bike , recommended for maximum fork travel of 120mm, with a 130mm fork? Isn’t that a great idea? Not really.

Any increase in fork travel will slacken the bike and shorten its reach. Slacker head angles boost confidence in steep descending terrain, but they make a mountain bike less agile at climbing technical singletrack as well as unbalancing the bike by moving the rider's weight backward. It will also raise the bottom bracket which will cause the bike to feel less planted and confident in corners.

For many years 100-120mm forks were designed either as ultralight racing components or cheap beginner bike suspension. That has changed with the popularity of downcountry and there are now 120mm forks that have much stiffer crowns.

Consider the terrain you are riding. A 100- to 120mm lightweight cross-country fork will be ideal if your trails are smooth and flowing. The shorter suspension travel gives a more responsive feel and you’ll enjoy greater trail feedback through the handlebar and grips.

Shorter suspension travel forks also bob less when climbing up steep trails in a standing position. Many short travel forks further support climbing with the addition of a lockout switch.

A trail mountain biker whips the bike over a jump

Trail: 120-150mm travel, 34mm stanchion diameter

The best trail mountain bike market is probably the most competitive category in mountain biking and these bikes are often ridden right up to their design capabilities.

Reasonably efficient climbers and confident descending bikes, the trail machine is a hybrid between cross-country and enduro. And as you would expect, it needs a fork with more travel and stiffness than those 100-120mm options.

There has been significant development with the Fox 34 in recent years. RockShox has reacted too with its latest Pike range, blending 35mm stanchions with low fork weight.

At 150mm of suspension travel, you are probably pushing the limits of what a 34mm stanchion can deal with, especially for aggressive trail riding. The sweet spot for suspension travel and stanchion size for trail bikes would be 130- to 140mm.

Yet again, it is a tale of less being more. If you use a 34mm stanchion fork at the upper reaches of its travel, there might be a higher risk of terrain-induced steering deflection due to flex. 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.

As fork travel increases with trail bikes, the latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex. 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.

An enduro racer rides a corner in a dusty forest during the Bluegrass EWS Finale Ligure 2020

Enduro: 150-180mm travel, 35-38mm stanchion diameter

The fork stiffness formula is simple: when adding more suspension travel increase stanchion size.

Single-crown fork design has had to go longer, with the best enduro mountain bikes now ripping down terrain once reserved for downhill rigs. RockShox and Fox introduced 38mm stanchion single-crown forks last year, especially for the riding demands of enduro mountain biking .

Having more travel is great but potentially useless if the fork internals can’t make the best use of it. That 180mm enduro fork is pointless if it blows through its travel or is entirely unresponsive to small-bump impacts.

With 150- to 180mm single-crown forks, you don’t need a lockout control for climbing, but you want to control the multiple channels of compression and rebound. Balancing the increased leverage effect and fork dive under braking in steep terrain is the crucial enabler with long-travel single-crown forks.

As a forks suspension travel lengthens, set-up becomes crucial. This is why you'll find 150- to 180mm enduro single-crown forks with intricate compression and rebound adjusters and dials. These allow riders to make the best of all that travel by configuring the damping circuits and rebound to work across all terrain.

A decade ago, the idea of a 180mm single-crown fork that could provide an adequate compression platform for pedaling uphill was unfathomable. But today’s big-hitting 38mm single-crown forks are hugely adaptable, giving riders all the precise cornering support and cushioning when landing those huge drops or landings.

A downhill racer rolls over a rock slab on the Fort William downhill world cup track

Downhill: 180-200mm travel, 40mm stanchion diameter

These are the largest forks you can buy with the most suspension travel and a dual-crown design to cushion the rider from the huge, repeated impacts when riding the most technically demanding descents possible.

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. There would be enormous flex issues if you were to produce a single-crown fork at 200mm of travel and ride it down very steep and technical terrain.

Downhill riders are less bothered by weight or climbing efficiency. This frees engineers to focus all their resources on making the stiffest structure containing sophisticated internals and valving.

The speeds that downhill bikes roll over highly technical terrain require exceptional torsional stiffness at the axle to prevent riders from being deflected off-line and crashing. That dual-crown structure increases the stiffness of these long-travel forks, although steering angle is reduced, at very low speeds.

Dual-crown forks are at the complete opposite spectrum of those short-travel,100-120mm forks, with nearly rigid lockout control. Downhill mountain biking is solely about descending, with huge dampers that react intuitively to terrain impacts and help maintain the front tire's contact with the ground when cornering and braking.

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Lance Branquinho is a Namibian-born journalist who graduated to mountain biking after injuries curtailed his trail running. He has a weakness for British steel hardtails, especially those which only run a single gear. As well as Bike Perfect , Lance has written for MBR.com , Off-Road.cc and Cycling News.

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How much suspension travel do I need on my mountain bike?

From cross-country to downhill, we take you through how much travel you can expect on the major types of mountain bike

Andy Lloyd / Our Media

Mountain bikes feature different amounts of suspension travel depending on the type of riding they're designed for.

Suspension travel describes the amount of movement a suspension fork or rear shock has. It is usually a measurement of how far the wheel axle moves in a vertical or near-vertical plane as the suspension compresses.

Depending on the discipline of riding the bike is designed for, the suspension travel can vary from 80 to 200mm. 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 means deciding on the right amount of travel for your needs can be difficult, but there are a few factors to keep in mind, including your riding style and the type of trails and terrain you'll be tackling.

Bike manufacturers design their mountain bikes around different travel lengths, tailored to specific terrains or riding disciplines, and categorise the bikes accordingly. As a result, looking at the different categories of mountain bikes, their intended application and travel length is a handy way to determine how much travel you need and what bike you should get.

In this guide, we’ll explain the different mountain bike categories and how much suspension travel they typically have.

Cross-country mountain bikes

Cyclist riding the Giant Anthem Advanced Pro 29 1 full suspension mountain bike

The best cross-country mountain bikes are designed to compete in high-level, fast races, where lightness and pedalling efficiency are often the keys to success.

Typically, cross-country bikes have featured 80 to 100mm of travel. Because cross-country race courses have become more extreme and technical, it is now common to see bikes designed around 120mm travel front and rear, such as Scott’s Spark RC .

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. This helps riders race up the kinds of inclines that characterise XC races .

The short-travel forks used on cross-country bikes also help to keep weight down because they utilise a lighter chassis and narrower stanchions, usually 30 to 32mm in diameter.

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.

The trade-off for this weight saving comes in the form of fork flex, which impacts the directness of steering inputs and the overall ability of the fork to perform in gnarlier terrain as friction levels build on the seals.

A short-travel fork will also run out of travel quicker compared to one with more travel. Although setup and damper performance will dictate a lot of factors in how proficiently it absorbs bumps, less travel means it won't absorb bigger bumps as well as a long-travel fork.

Hardtail mountain bikes are also well-represented in cross-country, because rigid frames allow for the highest pedalling efficiency. However, the traction and descending ability of full-suspension bikes make them desirable to many riders.

Downcountry mountain bikes

Downcountry bikes aim to balance a cross-country bike's efficiency with a trail bike's downhill capability.

‘Downcountry’ is a relatively new mountain bike discipline and isn’t that well defined as a result. But in terms of suspension, these bikes range from beefed up cross-country at 110mm of travel, to lightweight trail with around 130mm front and rear travel.

Having slightly more travel than an outright cross-country bike means downcountry bikes are more capable on descents. However, with shorter travel than trail bikes, they still offer greater pedalling efficiency than burlier bikes.

Downcountry bike frames can be made lighter than trail bikes because the demand on the frame is less. This means they require less material in their construction because they don’t require the same amount of strength as a trail or enduro bike needs.

Downcountry bikes usually feature stronger, stiffer forks, with thicker stanchions, usually 34mm in diameter. This gives higher levels of rigidity to the fork, making steering inputs more direct, although concessions are still made to weight savings.

Trail mountain bikes

Cyclist in red top riding the Canyon Spectral 125 CF 7 full suspension mountain bike

Trail bikes are one of the most popular types of mountain bike. They are designed to straddle the line between enduro bikes and cross-country bikes, providing a ride that’s fun but capable.

Confident on descents and fairly capable on climbs, trail bikes typically have between 120 and 160mm of suspension travel.

Trail bikes at the longer end of the suspension-travel spectrum cross the boundary into all-mountain. Typically, these bikes will feature beefier frame construction to deal with the added suspension travel.

The optimum amount of travel depends on what terrain or trails you like to ride, and where you’d like to progress with your riding. 140mm is ideal for even the toughest trail centres, with more travel being required for gnarlier ambitions.

Forks with mid-sized stanchions, either 34mm, 35mm or 36mm in diameter, are common on trail bikes. These shift the balance away from lightness toward rigid stability for better handling while descending. Less flexibility in the fork will mean more direct steering input, making the bike feel more planted through the rough stuff.

Enduro mountain bikes

YT Capra Mk III Core 2 enduro mountain bike-21

Enduro bikes are designed to meet the demands of enduro racing , which consists of multiple downhill stages that riders have to reach within a set time limit. As a result, enduro bikes have to perform well on technical descents while providing a decent pedalling platform to get you to the top of the trail in good time.

Travel for enduro bikes starts at 150mm and ranges up to 180mm. There is a 190mm-travel version of RockShox’s enduro-focused ZEB fork, but you’re more likely to see this attached to a freeride or bike park bike.

Enduro bikes require a burly frame construction in order to cope with the demands of downhill trails.

Head tubes have to be stronger to deal with the extra force coming from the long-travel fork, while the rear linkage has to be able to support the extra articulation.

This added frame construction makes the frame heavier, impacting efficiency when going uphill, but the pay-off is worth it when coming back down.

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.

Downhill mountain bikes

male cyclist riding orange full suspension mountain bike in woods

Downhill bikes are designed for, you guessed it, riding downhill. The discipline doesn’t require the bike to be pedalled on uphill or even flat terrain, enabling designers to focus solely on providing the best platform for descending steep and technical trails.

These bikes feature some of the longest suspension travel, ranging from 180 to 200mm, helping to protect riders from large, repeated impacts.

Frames have to be built to the highest strength levels to cope with the impacts you experience on downhill trails. Although downhill frames are heavier than those intended for other disciplines, it's less important to have light frames because you’re not pedalling them uphill.

Downhill forks feature the thickest stanchion, ranging from 35 to 40mm in diameter, because they deal with the most extreme terrain and require the greatest rigidity.

Weight isn’t a big issue for downhill bikes, so the added heft is worth the trade-off for the performance gains.

The forks on downhill bikes have a dual-crown design, meaning the fork mounts above and below the head tube, as opposed to single-crown forks, which mount only from below. This adds more torsional stiffness to the fork, helping to keep steering inputs direct through the toughest terrain and providing strength for big impacts.

Electric mountain bikes

Male cyclist in blue top riding the Nukeproof Megawatt 297 Factory full suspension eMTB

Electric mountain bikes are heavy, even compared to downhill bikes. The added weight a battery and motor bring means frames as well as components have to be engineered to cope with the extra weight – and contribute even more weight to the bike in the process.

Electric bikes can be categorised by the other disciplines featured in this article and will tend to feature the travel of that discipline.

The best electric mountain bikes will feature e-MTB specific forks and shocks, some with thicker stanchions for rigidity, and custom tunes that are suited to the heavier weight of the bike.

Because you’ll have a motor, there won’t be a trade-off in having a bike with more travel (and therefore weight), with the bike taking up the burden on the hills.

What about hardtail mountain bikes?

Male cyclist in black top riding a Radon Cragger 8.0 hardtail mountain bike over rough terrain

Hardtail mountain bikes have a suspension fork and a rigid rear end. They can be seen in a variety of disciplines, though are mainly represented in the cross-country and trail disciplines. They are also popular when it comes to budget mountain bikes because the simplicity of their design and less suspension means less cost.

As with other types of mountain bikes, fork travel is usually dependent on discipline. Cross-country hardtails typically have 100mm of travel, but more aggressive hardtails can have suspension travel of up to 150mm.

Some manufacturers will design frames with flex points in the rear triangle, allowing for vertical compliance in the frame. This improves comfort when sat in the saddle, and to a smaller extent rear-wheel traction while climbing.

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What Does TRAVEL Mean on a Mountain Bike: Is More Travel Better?

I love riding my mountain bike down steep hills and off of lifts but I have noticed that even after adjusting my current suspension I am bottoming out on relatively small drops. That is why I decided to upgrade my suspension to have more travel distance. In this guide I will explain what that means for various kinds of bikes and suspension set ups.

What is “Travel” on a Mountain Bike?

Travel is simply the maximum distance that either the front or rear suspension of the Mountain Bike can compress, when absorbing force, before bottoming out. The higher the travel the more force the suspension can comfortably absorb. The lower amount of travel the lower amount of force absorbed.

Types of Mountain Bike Suspension

There are three types of suspension setups that any Mountain Bike might have (I will get into the third later). For right now it is most likely that your bike will either have a “Hard-Tail” or “Full Suspension” setup.

The difference between a hard-tail and a full suspension mountain bike is that on a full suspension bike there is a rear shock absorber as opposed to just the front fork. A hard-tail, therefore, will not have rear suspension components and will simply have a “hard” rear frame.

The differences between hard-tail and full suspension…

Price: A full suspension mountain bike will be much more expensive than a hard-tail mountain bike.

Comfort / Downhill Capability: A full suspension mountain bike is going to be much more comfortable to ride and be able to handle much higher drops. Although, this does come at the cost of reduced ability to put power into the trail.

Weight: A full suspension is going to add the components to your mountain bike so by definition will be heavier than a hard-tail

Maintenance: Again, the more parts you add the more that can go wrong and the more that needs to be adjusted.

Given this distinction between hard-tail and full suspension mountain bikes the next two sections are going to be split between talking about front and rear suspension components.

Suspension is Fun to Talk About

Mountain Bike Travel – Read What is Travel on a MTB and is More Better?
What is Lockout on a Mountain Bike Fork – all about when to use it.
Selecting a MTB fork is confusing, let me help with – C hoosing a Mountain Bike Suspension Fork
Wheels and Hub widths – Why is this so confusing? Read – How to Adapt a MTB Wheel to a Boost Fork

Front Suspension and Travel Distance on an MTB

The front suspension, or forks, of any mountain bike is going to be split into a few components. The steerer tube which goes into the center of the crown which branches into two stanchions. These stanchions are what slide into the brace and slider which ends in two dropouts that attach to the wheel.

The main way that riders upgrade their front suspension is by increasing the travel of the stanchions. In essence, this is increasing the length of compression that the front suspension withstands. A shorter travel will be more responsive and allow you to put more power into the trail while a longer suspension is better for rough trails and high lifts.

Here is a chart of common travel distances on the front suspension of the mountain bike…

Another thing that is important to keep in mind is the diameter of the stanchion tubes. As the amount of travel increases so does the diameter of the stanchion to maintain durability and stability.

Here is a chart of the common stanchion tube diameters on the front suspension of the mountain bike…

As I mention before, many riders will upgrade their mountain bikes front suspension by increasing the amount of travel that the suspension is capable of. This is really only done in two scenarios as if it is done without thought then it could actually hamper performance.

When you have anything other than a downhill mountain bike and want to try to imitate one.
This one kind of ties in with the previous. But, travel distance is increased when a rider desires a more comfortable ride and intends to do mostly downhill riding with large drops. If there is a large amount of uphill riding then a long travel will only make it more difficult to ride the bike.

Something that is often mentioned on MTB suspension is a “Lockout” I explained what it is and when to use your lockout in another article on this website: What is a Lockout Fork and When to Use It

Rear Suspension and Travel Distance

Now this is where things can get really complicated. This is because there are around five main rear suspension designs that manufactures implement in mountain bikes. They are as follows…

Single Pivot: In this design the rear shock of the mountain bike is connected to a swingarm by the titular single pivot point located just above the chain rings. This is the simplest rear suspension design and therefore is often the cheapest to manufacture.

The downside of the design is that the compression is going to be consistent throughout the travel of the shock as opposed to some newer designs which increase the stiffness of the rear shock as it becomes more and more compressed to hopefully prevent bottoming out.

Linkage-Driven Single Pivot: In this design there is still a swingarm connected to a single pivot point. The difference is that there is some kind of linkage which allows the manufacturers to manipulate the compression curve which was previously constant throughout the travel.

Horst-Link / Four Bar: Put simply, the rear axle of the mountain bike is not directly connected to the mainframe of the bike. This will reduce pedal bob (the bob that comes from the rhythmic nature of pedaling) and will also allow the manufacturer to manipulate the compression arc (amount of force needed to compress throughout the travel of the shock.

Twin-Link / Virtual Pivot Point: This design implements a triangular design that connects to the mainframe by two pivoting links. This design performs very similar to the Horst-Link but is not patented so is often cheaper to manufacture.

High Pivot: This is the same as the single pivot with the exception that the pivot point is placed much higher on the frame. There is also the addition of an idler pully which routs the path of the chain above the pivot point as to eliminate what would otherwise result in extremely high levels of pedal bob.

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The rear shock and how it is sized.

The rear shock of the mountain bike is comprised of a single compression chamber as opposed to the front suspension which relies on two. The shock is placed horizontal (Often with a slight diagonal tilt) to the ground, again as opposed to the front suspension which is placed vertically to the ground.

Furthermore, the rear shock attaches to the frame of the bike by two eyelets which is actually how they (the shocks) are sized. Although, the same style shock is used no matter the design of your rear suspension.

Finding the Correct Eye-to-Eye Length of a Mountain Bike Rear Shock:

To find the eye-to-eye distance measure from the center of one pivot eyelet on the shock to the second one. This distance is the eye-to-eye length that you must use to find correctly sized rear shocks for your mountain bike.

Using shocks with incorrect eye-to-eye lengths can cause problems with the efficiency of the suspension and even can cause it to work against you. The travel on a rear shock is therefore more restricted although can vary slightly as the compression chamber can be of slightly different sized even if the overall length must be the same.

Just as with the front shock the longer the travel the better the shock will be at absorbing force, and the worse it will be for riding your mountain bike uphill (putting power to the trail).

MTB Tools I Love and Recommend

I own each of these tools and only recommend things I own and use.

Bike Hand Bike Repair Stand . Nice mountain bikes don’t have a kick stand so keeping your MTB safe but conveniently stored is essential. I keep my bike on my stand whenever I’m not riding it. This makes it easy to lube the chain, inflate the tires and adjust the derailleur. Highly recommended – Bike Hand Bike Repair Stand (👈 Link to Amazon to see what thousands of others have said)
A basic MTB toolbox for replacing a chain, adjusting brakes and dialing in the fit. Bike Hand has a 37-piece box that has most of the specialty bike tools to keep your MTB properly maintained. The Bike Hand brand is value packed for the avid rider. Check out the competitive prices with this link to Amazon 👉 Bike Hand 37 pcs Bike Repair Tool Kit
Get a good air pressure gauge, if you get just a tiny bit serious about MTBing you’re going to start playing with tire pressure. A couple psi can make your tires sticking or not. Get a good gauge, I highly recommend the Topeak Smartgauge D2 , it’s accurate, flexible and easy to use. An Amazon best seller, here’s a link 👉 Topeak Smartgauge D2
Carry a multitool with you on every ride. I’m serious, most of the time you can MacGyver something to get back to the trailhead if you have a multitool. I’ve got the Crank Brothers M19 , it’s worn, rubbed and abused – but it still works. Thousands sold on Amazon – check it out with this link 👉 Crank Brothers M19

How to Balance Your Suspension with a Full Suspension Mountain Bike

Balancing the amount of force that the front and rear suspensions on a full suspension mountain bike is crucial to getting the most out of said mountain bike. If one component is compressing slower or faster than the other then the comfort of the ride can be dramatically compromised. As can the overall effectiveness of the suspension system.

It is not essential that the front and rear suspensions have the exact same amount of travel although the closer they are the easier it will be to balance them. Balancing them involves adjusting the pressure inside of the chambers so that each shock, no matter the travel, bottoms out at the same time. A longer shock will need less pressure when paired with a shorter shock and vice versa.

Coil Shocks VS Air Shocks

There are two main kinds of suspension. Those which rely on springs to compress and those which rely on compressed air. The benefits of an air shock are that it is lightweight, easily tune-able, and naturally get stiffer near the point of bottoming out. The downsides are that they require more maintenance and are also not as responsive.

The reason why some rider chooses coil springs, even though they must be bought specific to the weight of the rider and are also heavier, is that they are extremely responsive. Additionally, coil springs don’t fade in stiffness when riding for long periods of time as some air coils will.

The Third Kind of Mountain Bike Suspension Setup (A Rigid Bike)

The third, and most uncommon, form of suspension on a mountain bike is… well… to not have one at all. On a rigid bike you will not find either a front or rear suspension system and rather just a solid frame comprising the entire mountain bike.

This kind of mountain bike setup is most widely used for fat tire bikes as with a fat tire bike it is absolutely necessary to be able to put a lot of power from the pedals into the trail. This is because of the friction accosted with a fat tire.

Rigid suspension systems on fat tire bikes are able to be implemented due to the natural suspension capabilities of having such a large tire. This larger tire works to absorb force and the low pressure you can ride at work to smooth out the ride as well.

Additionally, often time rider will upgrade their rigid style mountain bikes with increased cushion seats.

Some regular tire mountain bikes implement a rigid style suspension system although they are much less comfortable to ride and require a more experienced rider. These bikes can provide a great experience if you’re constantly going uphill and don’t plan to encounter any rough terrain.

David Humphries is the creator of DIY Mountain Bike. For me a relaxing day involves riding my mountain bike to decompress after a long day. When not on my bike I can be found wrenching on it or making YouTube videos at 👉 DIY Mountain Bike Read more about David HERE .

Looking for more How To MTB articles? Click -> HERE

Is 80mm Fork Travel Good? (Various Biking Scenarios Explained)

You’ll see plenty of variations when looking at suspension forks on different bikes. So, today let’s take a look at an 80mm travel fork to decide if it’s any good?

80mm fork travel is good for cross country riding where you’ll face different types of terrain like singletrack, forest paths, and smooth roads. However, if you’re looking at mountain biking and you’re anything above beginner level, then 80mm will make your ride uncomfortable .

Below we’ll cover fork travel in greater depth along with other related travel suspension fork topics so you can understand everything you need to be confident in your suspension fork’s travel.

Are 80mm Travel Forks Good?

If you’re just starting to understand bike components for the first time, then one area that can get real confusing real fast is fork travel.

As we talked about above, it depends on what you’re using it for. 80mm travel is good for relatively smooth terrain with just a few bumps or uneven elements here and there – such as a forest path. It will help soften the impact of these bumps and make your bike more balanced, and easy to ride.

It’ll be a more comfortable ride, too. Essentially, 80mm fork travel is good for smoothing out imperfections, but it’s not good for dealing with big impacts .

Anything that involves any sort of air time, or any route that’s particularly rough, bumpy, or uneven, will feel uncomfortable with just 80mm of travel. In fact, it could cause an injury if you’re using a fork with just 80mm of travel for a more complex route.

Fork travel refers to how much wiggle room the wheel has with the suspension before the suspension fork stops absorbing some of the impact of the road and/or jumps, etc. With 80mm, the suspension fork can ‘travel’ 80mm before it ‘bottoms out’ and you start feeling the impacts .

Forks With Greater Travel Explained

So, if 80mm travel is good for some things, what happens when you increase the travel amount on different forks? Considering you can easily find forks with 120-150mm of travel, that’s a pretty big difference, but what do they do?

The larger the travel, the more impact the bike can take before it ‘bottoms out’ and you feel the impact yourself through the rest of the bike. That’s great, right? Well, it is for downhill riding, because larger travel equals a smoother, more controlled descent.

You’ll be able to handle really rough terrain with greater travel; just be prepared for a difference in handling and speed as a result.

But everything has a downside. Here are some of the ways greater travel can negatively affect your bikes performance :

It’ll be heavier – because the fork is larger and so are the stanchions that stop the fork from flexing too much
It’ll be more sluggish – the bike is slacker, and it shortens the reach when the fork has greater travel, and that means a more sluggish bike that’s slower to respond to handling, making it a less agile bike overall
It’ll feel different – this is the most important thing of all, because if you’re used to your bike performing a certain way right now – then a bike with greater travel on the fork will feel drastically different, so you’ll need to get used to that again

Of course, those downsides shouldn’t stop you. If you head out on gnarly tracks in the mountains and need that extra cushion on descents to make your ride more comfortable, then a bike with greater fork travel is perfect.

You’ll be able to handle really rough terrain with greater travel; just be prepared for a difference in handling and speed as a result.

Can I Swap My 80mm Fork For One With Greater Travel?

With most bikes, swapping out an 80mm fork for a 100mm fork is doable , but adding a for with a longer travel isn’t practical or feasible in most cases. You’ll need to be prepared for the differences mentioned above, but also for some consequences.

When manufacturers design their bikes, they do so holistically. They make sure every part has its place, and it’s able to perform its duty for the intended use of the bike. Mountain bikes designed for advanced tracks will already have higher travel forks, and a stronger frame etc to boot.

So, if you need to upgrade your bike’s fork to one with greater travel, you can do so, but just be aware that the rest of your bike probably isn’t designed for it . That means any warranties will be void, and any problems with your bike’s performance or any damages will be completely on you.

Still, switching out a fork is much cheaper than buying a whole new bike , so if you want a fork with greater travel, switching them is possible and it’ll make your bike much more suitable to the more advanced, uneven tracks you want to try out.

Can You Use A Fork With 80mm Travel For Downhill Riding?

If you decide to give downhill riding a go, an 80mm fork will feel unsteady on the descent, uncomfortable, and outright dangerous .

Downhill bikes usually have fork travel of 160mm+ so they can handle the challenging terrain at high speeds, which makes 80mm forks mostly unsuitable, and dangerous for downhill riding. In fact, most bikes with such short fork travel are usually trekking hybrids, which don’t have the structural strength to be exposed to such forces.

Downhill bikes are full suspension bicycles, whereas bikes with only 80mm of fork travel usually only have a front suspension to dampen some road imperfections on mostly smooth forest or urban roads.

Do I Need A Fork At All If I Only Ride On Low-Quality Paved Roads?

Do you need a fork if you are simply riding on low-quality paved roads? No. Would it make things a lot smoother if you had one? Absolutely. The thing with an 80mm travel fork is that 80mm isn’t a lot of travel, but that doesn’t mean it’s useless.

It makes most journeys more comfortable, and with the condition of some of the paved roads these days, an 80mm travel fork will help cushion the impact of some of those imperfections and bumps in the road .

Of course, you could just opt to avoid forks with travel altogether, and although some low-quality paved roads are pretty rough, you wouldn’t exactly hurt yourself or feel overly uncomfortable on the road with a fork without travel.

Still, if you want a comfortable ride, even if you only use paved roads, a fork with a small amount of travel will definitely help.

Do All Forks Have Travel?

Not all forks have travel because not all bikes need that element of suspension . Road bikes, fitness bikes , fixies, dutch style bikes for example, aren’t likely to run into terrain that’s uneven enough to warrant a fork with travel, so they come without suspension forks.

Sam Benkoczy

Hi, I'm Sam. I own and maintain 6 e-bikes, 15 regular bikes (road bikes, folding bikes, hybrid bikes, city bikes among others). I learned about bikes from my local bike mechanic as well as from bike maintenance courses. I love being out there in the saddle, and using my bike as a practical means of transportation. You can also find me on my YouTube channel at youtube.com/bikecommuterhero Say hi to me at [email protected].

Complete Mountain Bike Suspension Guide: Explaining Basic Concepts and Adjustments

Image source: cannondale.com

Bike suspension is one of the most complicated topics in cycling. It would take a university degree to understand all the details of how suspension works, how the individual components interact, and how each adjustment impacts performance.

This article isn’t going to provide you with the level of detail. However, we will cover the basics of how mountain bike suspension works, the terminology used to describe the systems, the different types of rear suspension platforms, and a quick guide to setting up your fork and rear shock.

So if you know very little about mountain bike suspension but want to understand all the basics, you’re in the right place!

Overview of mtb suspension and terminology.

Mountain Bike Forks Explained
Rear Suspension Explained

Key Mountain Bike Suspension Concepts

Basic Mountain Bike Suspension Adjustments

Before diving into mountain bike suspension in more detail, it’s helpful to understand how suspension works and go over some important terminology.

How Does Mountain Bike Suspension Work?

Mountain bike suspension uses shocks that allow the wheels to move up and down a predetermined path. This movement absorbs bumps to help keep the tires in contact with the ground for better traction and control and reduces the impact on the rider, increasing comfort.

All MTB suspension has a spring (air or coil) and a damper . The spring provides resistance to the wheel’s movement when it hits an obstacle (compression) and the energy to move back down after compressing (rebound).

Fox Float X Factory air shock (left) and Fox DHX2 Trunnion coil rear shock (right).

The damper is a mechanism in the fork stanchion or shock body that regulates compression and rebound speeds. Modern mountain bike forks and shocks allow you to control each one independently.

Overall, suspension design balances the absorption of impacts, the effect of braking forces, and pedaling efficiency to create a system that best serves a bike’s intended use. This interplay is particularly relevant for full-suspension bikes .

Suspension Terminology

Bottom-out – Refers to the shock or fork reaching the limit of its travel. A fork should only bottom out occasionally. Regularly bottoming out means it’s set too soft; never bottoming out means it’s too firm.
Compression damping – Controls the rate of compression when the shock is under load. More damping gives the fork a firmer feel.
Lockout – This lever significantly reduces compression or stops it completely. Use it to improve pedaling efficiency for climbs or pavement.
Linear compression rate – Resistance to compression increases at a steady rate throughout the entire travel.
Progressive compression rate – Resistance to compression increases at a varied rate, with less resistance at the beginning of the stroke and more resistance at the end.
Preload – Pre-compressing the spring with a ring so that more force is required to begin compressing the suspension, making it stiffer. The equivalent of increasing air pressure in air suspension.
Rebound damping – This resistance controls how quickly the suspension returns to its original position after compression.
Sag – The distance the suspension moves into its travel under the rider’s weight while stationary.

Coil vs. Air Springs

Coil spring suspension is the older of the two designs. Steel coils have linear compression rates (see above) and are available with different resistance levels, typically matched to the frame size and the average rider weight in that height range. If your suspension is still too soft or firm after making the appropriate adjustments, you can replace your spring with a softer or firmer one.

An air spring is a pressurized air chamber. By changing the internal pressure using a shock pump, you can change the characteristics of the spring. Air springs have progressive compression rates, are lighter, and are more tunable than coils.

Guide to Mountain Bike Forks

There are two kinds of suspension mountain bikes: hardtails and full-suspension MTBs .

Mountain bike forks are highly variable and adjustable to suit different riding styles and riders. In contrast, hybrid forks offer minimal impact absorption with little-to-no adjustment capability.

Suspension Fork Parts and Terminology

This section will cover the most important fork-specific terminology and the individual components that make up the fork. Forks work in a telescopic motion , wherein the stanchions drop into the lowers when under load.

Image credit: TheProsCloset.com

Crown – Connects the two stanchions to each other and the steerer tube. Moreover, 200mm-travel forks on some of the best downhill bikes have a dual-crown design to increase stiffness for the extreme demands of this discipline.
Front travel – Front travel is the distance the wheel moves when the fork reaches full compression. Wheel travel and fork travel are equal.
Lowers – The outer tubes into which the stanchions slide. The lowers connect to the wheel via the axle.
Stanchions – These tubes connect to the headset via the steerer and consist of an air chamber or coil spring and damper mechanism.
Steerer – Connects the fork uppers to the frame’s headset.

Types of Fork Suspension

There are two types of fork currently on the market, the standard double-prong design shown in the diagram above and a single-prong used by Cannondale.

Cannondale’s proprietary ‘Lefty’ fork has a single left-sided stanchion. It provides the same basic functionality as a standard fork but weighs less.

Cannondale Scalpel with a Lefty Ocho fork.

Most MTB forks use air springs, thanks to their lighter weight and tunability. However, cheap beginner mountain bikes and some downhill mountain bikes still use coil springs or offer them as an alternative, like the Santa Cruz Nomad .

Mountain bike forks for adults’ bikes range from 100 to 200mm of travel. Forks with less than 100mm travel are typically only for hybrids or kids’ MTBs.

Cross-country: 100-120mm
Trail: 120-150mm
Enduro: 150-180mm
Downhill: 180-200mm

The amount of travel required is specific to the trails ridden and the riding style; more isn’t always better. Extra travel means more weight (in a fork of equal quality), lower efficiency, and more sluggish handling.

Another critical measurement in bike suspension fork design is stanchion diameter. When the fork experiences an impact, a small amount of lateral flex occurs in the stanchion; the thicker the stanchions, the less they flex. A fork designed to handle harder and faster hits needs wider, stiffer stanchions to ensure they don’t flex too much and cause damage.

Wider-diameter stanchions flex less , which is better for more extreme riding like the enduro or downhill. However, the trade-off for wider stanchions is extra weight, so weight-conscious disciplines, like XC, use narrow-stanchion forks.

Cross country and Trail: 30-32mm
Trail: 32-34mm
Enduro: 35-38mm
Downhill: 40mm

Guide to Mountain Bike R ear Suspension

A fork shock moves together with the front wheel because the fork shock directly connects to the front axle. In contrast, the rear shock indirectly links to the rear wheel, requiring one or more pivot points that allow the rear wheel to move along a variable yet predictable path as the shock compresses.

Interestingly, the first rear suspension MTBs actually used forks in the rear dropout, but this was an ineffective design and was quickly discontinued.

This section will mention several important suspension kinematics concepts, which we will explain in more detail in the following section. Now, let’s take a closer look at rear suspension and how it works.

Mountain Bike Shock Anatomy and Measurements

Several different components make up a MTB shock. So you can better understand how rear mountain bike suspension shocks work, we’ve labeled this Fox Float DPX2 air shock. Coil mountain bike shocks are primarily used on heavy-duty downhill mountain bikes as they don’t lose performance from heat buildup like air shocks.

Eye-to-eye – The total length of the shock, measured as the distance between the two eyelets (mounting points).
Stroke length – The distance the shock compresses under load.
Rear travel – The distance the wheel compresses when the shock is fully compressed.
Leverage ratio – How much the rear wheel compresses in relation to the shock. For example, a 2:1 leverage ratio means the wheel compresses 2mm for every 1mm of shock compression.
Linkage – The components in the frame’s rear that connect the rear MTB shock to the rear wheel.
Piggyback reservoir – This keeps the damper reservoir away from the main body to reduce the effect of heat buildup on the damper’s function, increasing performance.

Mountain Bike Rear Suspension Types and How They Work

Rear mountain bike suspension is a much more complex system than front suspension, as they rely on one or more pivots in the frame and linkages to connect the MTB rear shock and the rear wheel. The pivot(s) allows the rear triangle and linkages to articulate and simultaneously compress the rear wheel and rear shock, according to the leverage ratio.

Rear shocks typically sit within the frame’s main triangle, but the position within the main triangle changes in each system. One side of the shock mounts to a point in the main triangle, and the other side mounts to the rear triangle.

In general, rear mountain bike shocks perform the same task as the fork, absorbing impacts to improve comfort and help you maintain control and traction by keeping the rear tire in contact with the ground.

There are four broadly-used rear suspension configurations, each with its own subtle advantages and disadvantages. The average recreational mountain biker won’t notice much difference between rear mountain bike suspension types.

Single Pivot

The Santa Cruz Blur uses a simple single-pivot configuration.

In single-pivot rear suspension, the rear axle pivots in a constant arc around a single unmoving point. A continuous swingarm links the rear axle, the main triangle (on the top tube or downtube), and the shock.

This simple design reduces mechanical complexity and weight and makes the bike easier and cheaper to maintain. In addition, there is no patent on the design, so that any manufacturer can use it.

The downside of the single pivot system is the linear leverage ratio, meaning that the resistance to compression increases at the same rate, and you can’t modify the leverage curve.

Linkage-drive Single Pivot

The Commencal Meta TR uses a single pivot with the four linkages.

The closest design to the single pivot configuration is a linkage-driven version. This system also uses a solid swingarm connecting the main triangle to the rear axle and pivoting around a single point. However, instead of connecting directly, the swingarm uses linkages to connect to the shock.

Various iterations of this design exist, but the general function is the same. A solid swingarm connects the rear axle and a single pivot. This swingarm rotates around this pivot with a fixed instant center throughout the travel.

Using the linkages, engineers can control the leverage ratio curve , so you can have a progressive curve instead of being stuck with a linear one. For example, manufacturers could select a stroke progression that’s softer at the start, providing better small bump sensitivity. Alternatively, a firmer start to the stroke would increase pedaling efficiency.

The downside of this system is extra mechanical complexity, meaning more maintenance and expensive repairs. In addition, the fixed instant center means designers can’t modify anti-squat and anti-rise characteristics independently.

Four-bar (Horst-link)

The Canyon Spectral uses a Horst-link with a pivot on the chainstay at the axle.

Specialized first popularized the four-bar suspension platform, with several brands now using their own variation. The main characteristic of this design is the pivot point on the end of the chainstay just below the rear axle. Instead of connecting to the chainstay, the axle connects to the seat stay.

The rear axle has a modified path that rotates around an instant center that changes position as the MTB rear shock moves through its travel because it’s not directly connected to the main triangle. This design allows engineers to manipulate anti-squat and anti-rise characteristics at different stages of the travel.

In general, manufacturers that use four-bar systems optimize for low anti-rise, so the braking forces have minimal impact on the suspension. Alternatively, you can design Horst-link suspension to have high anti-squat at the beginning of the stroke and less at the end. Higher anti-squat means less pedal bob but more pedal kickback.

In addition to having control of anti-squat and anti-rise , Horst-link suspension gives designers control over the leverage ratio curve. The downside is that these systems typically have lower anti-squat, meaning they’re less efficient.

Twin-link

The Giant Trance X uses their proprietary Maestro twin-link suspension with co-rotating rocker links.

Twin-link systems usually use a fully rigid rear triangle that connects to the main triangle using two rocker links. Instead of being located beside the axle, the chainstay pivot is much closer to the main triangle. In the twin-link design, either the rear swingarm or one of the rocker links will drive the shock.

The twin-link design looks similar to a single pivot but performs similarly to the Horst-link with four pivot points, meaning the instant center can be designed to move throughout the travel. Again, an instant center that moves as the suspension compresses gives engineers control over the handling characteristics at different stages of the travel.

A critical differentiation between twin-link designs is the rotation of the rocker links. Some systems have counter-rotating links, like Santa Cruz’s Virtual Pivot Point (VPP) , while others, like DW-Link and Giant’s Maestro , use links that rotate in the same direction. Each configuration has specific characteristics which impact the system’s performance.

Twin-link suspension is highly tunable , like four-bar suspension, but the curves aren’t as predictable. Finally, a potential benefit is that the anti-squat and anti-rise are more consistent throughout the travel.

Alternative Designs

In addition to the four configurations described above, popular brands have their own proprietary iterations that attempt to improve performance. Let’s take a brief look at two of the most popular.

Firstly, you have Yeti’s Switch Infinity . This design uses a patented translating pivot that switches direction as the bike moves through its travel. This setup theoretically gives Yeti independent control over anti-squat and leverage ratio curves.

High pivot is another unique design that brands like Cannondale (Jekyll), Norco (Shore), and Devinci (Spartan) are using on select models. This distinct system uses an idler pulley to route the chain over the pivot point.

High pivot suspension has a more rearward axle path, improving impact absorption and increasing pedaling efficiency. However, there is more drivetrain drag, extra mechanical complexity and maintenance, and the geometry varies through the travel.

Understanding suspension kinematics concepts will help you understand how the different designs influence handling.

Bike designers must optimize how the system responds to braking forces, absorbs impacts, and influences pedaling efficiency.

Instant Center

The instant center is the point that the rear axle is rotating around at a given instant in the travel. For example, on a single-pivot rear suspension, the instant center is fixed at the pivot point, meaning the rear axle has a constant arc. Alternatively, manufacturers can create an instant center that floats (migrates) throughout the rear shock compression by using a combination of linkages.

To find the instant center at a given point, you draw a line through the pivot points of the top two linkages and another through the bottom and mark the point where the two lines intersect.

As the instant center moves, the anti-squat and anti-rise characteristics change. Designers can manipulate the path of the instant center to get their desired effects on performance at specific points in the travel.

Pedaling Efficiency

Pedaling efficiency refers to the percentage of energy that reaches the rear wheel from each pedal stroke. Generally, the more suspension a bike has, the less efficient it is to pedal. However, there are notable variances between suspension systems. The trade-off of higher efficiency is a less plush ride.

The most advanced suspension designs can maximize pedaling efficiency in the early part of the travel, where it’s most important, and let it digress throughout the travel.

What Is Pedal Bob?

‘Pedal bob’ is an oscillating motion that occurs when you push the pedals. To illustrate, you push the bottom bracket down, and your weight moves back as the bike accelerates, compressing and rebounding one or both shocks.

Unwanted compression and extension lead to wasted energy that the shock absorbs instead of transferring to the rear wheel. As a result, pedal bob is most impactful on climbs where pedaling efficiency is most notable to the rider.

What Is Anti-squat?

Anti-squat refers to how much the system resists the compression that occurs during pedal bob, creating a more efficient pedaling platform. Simply put, it’s how the suspension reacts when you accelerate.

The force that resists squatting (anti-squat) is called the chain-pull force. It comes from the tension in the chain that pulls the swingarm back down when the shock compresses and the rear wheel lifts. Increasing anti-squat reduces the sensitivity of your suspension, making for a harsher ride.

Manufacturers represent anti-squat in percentages. 100% would theoretically mean there is no pedal bob, as the squat and anti-squat forces cancel each other out. Less than 100% would amplify the squat forces, not counteract them, while greater than 100% would extend the suspension, which is actually necessary for some high-travel bikes to offset shifts in rider weight.

Because anti-squat depends on chain tension, the anti-squat percentage is different in each gear on the cassette or if you have multiple chainrings. In addition, factors like the rider’s center of gravity and where the shock is in its travel will contribute to the actual anti-squat in a given moment.

With so many variables to consider, giving a specific formula for the optimal anti-squat characteristics is impossible. It’s down to the manufacturer’s preference. Ideally, you want anti-squat to peak in the early to mid part of the travel and then drop off, which systems like Santa Cruz’s VPP achieve.

What Is Pedal Kickback?

Pedal kickback is the sudden backward movement of your pedals when the suspension compresses . When your mountain bike’s rear shock compresses under the force of an impact, your wheel and the attached cassette lift simultaneously. When the cassette lifts, it tugs on the chain, causing ‘chain growth’ and rotating the chainring backward.

The more anti-squat a bike has, the more pedal kickback it experiences in a proportional relationship. Manufacturers can reduce pedal kickback by using an idler pulley like in the high-pivot system.

You can decrease the anti-squat to minimize pedal kickback and increase the sensitivity of your bike mid-ride by shifting into harder gears (the smaller cogs on the cassette and the larger chainring if you have multiple). This technique is valuable when approaching rock gardens or rough descents.

Absorbing Impacts

Nobody would argue that suspension’s most important function is absorbing impacts. The last thing you want when riding on mountain trails is the energy from landings or big hits to repeatedly transfer from the rear wheel into your body.

cannondale scalpel full suspension mountain bike

One of the main purposes of mountain bike suspension is to absorb impacts and make the ride more stable and comfortable. | Image source: cannondale.com

For this article, we won’t cover the kinematics of impact absorption in detail. However, it’s worth noting that suspension designers try to optimize the wheel path and the wheel rate for the specific bike.

The wheel path is a set path that the axle follows when there is an impact on the rear wheel. The wheel rate correlates to the stiffness of the shock at different points in the travel. Wheel rate can be progressive (soft at the start, firm at the end), linear, or digressive (firm at the start, softer at the end).

Gravity-focused MTB disciplines favor progressive wheel rates to prevent harsh bottom-outs and increase small bump sensitivity.

Braking Efficiency: What Is Anti-rise?

Anti-rise is the effect of braking forces on the suspension or how much the suspension compresses or extends from braking. By manipulating this, manufacturers can create a stable or active response to braking forces.

When you brake, your weight shifts forward, putting more pressure on the front of the bike and less on the rear, making the rear extend. Anti-rise counteracts this extension, so the bike stays level under braking forces.

In theory, high anti-rise makes the suspension feel harsher; therefore, manufacturers try to keep a low anti-rise percentage. 0% anti-rise means the suspension stays active and plush. 100% anti-rise means it doesn’t extend or compress from braking, and the geometry remains the same.

No suspension system can be completely isolated from braking forces, and the right balance of anti-rise to anti-squat and the other suspension kinematics is down to the type of bike.

How to Set up and Adjust Mountain Bike Suspension

Take time to set up your suspension and adjust it regularly to ensure it performs how you need it to, and avoid damaging the components by bottoming out too frequently.

Adjustments

There are several possible adjustments you can make to suspension. Higher-end components have more adjustability and more precise controls.

Lockout – As mentioned, the lockout closes the damper to eliminate compression. Most bike suspension components, even hybrid forks, have a lockout lever, usually located on the top of the stanchion or on the shock body. However, premium MTBs may have a remote handlebar lever to control lockout. Use this adjustment when you ride on pavement or climb on smooth trails.
Air pressure – Instead of using a mechanical preload as you would on a coil fork, air suspension forks use a Schrader valve, like those on tires, to adjust the air pressure. These require a specific shock pump, don’t use your tire pump. The fork valve is typically located on top of the stanchion under a cap or at the bottom of the lowers. You can reference your manufacturer’s setup guide to find their pressure estimate based on weight and frame size, but use sag to find the precise measurement.
Preload – Adjust coil spring preload with the preload knob on top of the stanchion or the collar on the shock body. Increase the preload if your fork feels too soft, and decrease it if it’s too firm. The adjustment range is much lower for coil preload compared to air pressure. Big adjustments will require swapping out the coil.
Damping – Most modern shocks allow you to tune them with compression and rebound damping. Compression damping also breaks down into high-speed compression and low-speed compression. High-speed compression damping controls how the shock reacts under big hits and landings; low-speed controls how it reacts under slow inputs like shifting weight. Increasing low-compression damping holds the suspension higher up in the travel and reduces pedal bob.

Basic Mountain Bike Suspension Setup

A basic suspension setup can help you get onto the trails quickly after buying a new bike. The following instructions include the most important initial adjustments. However, most shocks and forks offer extra adjustments that can fine-tune your suspension even more.

Compression and rebound suspension adjustment on an air rear shock.

Begin by getting dressed in your typical riding gear and carry your backpack or hydration pack if you usually ride with one. Next, inflate your tires to the correct air pressure , and pack your shock pump (if you have air suspension).

Then, take your bike to an open space where you can ride around slowly without interfering with traffic, such as an empty parking lot. id=sag

Setting Sag

Recommendations for sag depend on the discipline and the manufacturer. You can choose higher or lower settings based on your riding style and preferences. For more conservative riding or inexperienced riders, aim for more sag. Fox recommends the following:

Rear shocks: 25-33%
Forks: 15-20%

The o-ring lets you fine-tune the sag setting by allowing you to measure the travel. | Image source: liv-cycling.com

Before beginning, ensure that the lockout setting is off and that your compression adjustments are in the most open position. To set the rear sag, move the thin rubber ring on the shock (O-ring) to the end of the shaft flush with the shock body (if your suspension doesn’t have an O-ring, use a rubber band or a zip tie).

Sit onto the saddle slowly, and allow your weight to press down with your feet off the ground.
Dismount and note the position of the ring. On Fox suspension, the shaft has marks to indicate sag. If yours doesn’t have any, you must measure the distance to the ring and calculate it as a percentage of the total travel (usually indicated on the shock or fork). If you have more than your desired sag, say 29% instead of 25%, you need to add air pressure using your pump. If you don’t have enough, bleed some air.
Unscrew the cap on the air valve and pump or bleed the air. Note the pressure before disconnecting the pump (in case you need to make more adjustments).
Push down on the saddle to pump the suspension a few times to balance the air pressure inside.
Measure the sag again by repeating step one and keep repeating the process until you hit your desired sag.

You can set up fork sag using the manufacturer’s air pressure chart or a similar process to the mountain bike rear shock.

Push the ring on the fork stanchion to the bottom.
Sit on the bike and start rolling. Then, slowly stand up and assume an attack position without bouncing the fork.
Allow the fork to settle under your weight.
Slowly bring your weight back to a seated position and gently stop the bike.
Repeat the same pumping or bleeding process as required to reach your targetted sag, and note the air pressure.
Retest the sag and repeat the process if necessary.

Setting Progression

Progression is set based on the force it takes to bottom out the suspension.

Use the O-rings to measure this by pushing the fork ring to the bottom of the stanchion and the shock ring flush with the shock body.
While rolling on flat terrain, stand up in an attack position and bounce on the fork as hard as possible without leaving the ground.
Repeat this single explosive bounce, but focus on the rear shock this time.
You should use between 80 and 90% of your fork travel and roughly 90% of the shock travel during this test, indicated by the rings.
If you use more travel than you want to, your suspension is probably too soft. Add a volume spacer or set a lower sag percentage to address this.
If you don’t use enough travel, you could remove a volume spacer or set a slightly higher sag.

Rebound controls how fast the shock returns after compression—an appropriate rebound setting balances sensitivity and traction. You can use the air pressure of your shock and fork to set the rebound. The manufacturer’s setup instructions should have a guide for selecting the rebound lever position based on shock pressure. Alternatively, follow these steps.

Start with the rear shock by turning the red rebound adjustment clockwise until it’s fully open.
Find a sidewalk nearby and ride off at around walking pace while sitting on the saddle, noting how the suspension feels when you drop off.
You want the suspension to compress, rebound slightly past the sag point, and compress again to reach the sag point.
Repeat the process to achieve this effect, turning the rebound lever counter-clockwise with one click each time and noting the effect.

Compression (blue), Lockout (black) and Rebound (red) adjustment knobs on a Fox 36 Float Factory Grip 2 fork.

The fork uses a slightly different process (this works for hardtail bikes).

Open the rebound on the fork fully by turning it fully clockwise.
Without mounting the bike, push down hard on the handlebars and release suddenly so the fork can bounce up.
Turn the rebound lever counter-clockwise one click and repeat this process until the wheel starts leaving the ground upon release.
Then, turn the lever clockwise one more time, so the rebound is set at the fastest speed possible before the tire starts to leave the ground on release.

Double-check Rebound Speed

For full-suspension bikes, you want to ensure both the fork and the shock return at the same speed. If you’re unsure, err on the side of caution and set it so the fork returns slightly faster than the MTB rear shock. If the shock rebounds faster, it will cause a bucking motion.

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About the Author

Jordan Grimes

Mountain Bike Suspension Setup: How To Set Sag, Compression & Rebound EP.1 [Video]

Words by: Liam Woods

Why is setting sag and getting baseline suspension settings important?

Getting the suspension setup on your mountain bike can seem like a daunting task. Never fear! We are here to help. In this article, we will be going through how to set sag, get your base settings for air pressure, compression, and rebound. Lastly, we throw in a few other tips and tricks to make suspension setup a breeze. First up, setting sag.

Left: Rear shock sag at 30%, Right: Fork Sag at 18%

Setting sag is your starting point in bike suspension setup. From your first time riding a suspension bike to a pro getting on a new bike, a new fork, or a new shock, everybody needs to perform this all-important ritual. Sag is how far into your bike’s suspension travel, front or rear, you sit when you just have your riding weight on the bike. Getting this first part right is key to having your bike perform as intended. If you have too much sag, you sit “into” the bike too much and you will use more travel than wanted, pedaling efficiency will be far less than optimal and overall you won’t have the highest performance your bike is capable of. You might pedal strike more on rocks, have a “dead” feeling while riding and upon a big hit, could even cause a little damage to your bike. If you have too little sag, you will be riding the bike too high, the bike won’t be cycling through its travel as much, the ride will be rough, you won’t have enough traction when you need it, and you can be hurting how the bike performs both uphill and downhill. It’s especially true when riding down steep terrain, if you have too little sag you might feel like the bike wants to push you over the front end, decreasing your confidence and not allowing you to ride as fast or smooth as you might be able to. These are the first reasons why sag is important. It also has a direct impact on your shock’s rebound settings and incorrect sag combined with incorrect rebound is a recipe for a frustrating ride.

Left: Fork with too much SAG, Right: Rear Shock with not enough SAG

Do you remember the order of operations in math from school? When it comes to suspension setup, I choose to set air pressure or suspension sag first, then go to rebound, and then finish with compression. This will get me to my base settings from which I will start to tune my bike. Why did I choose this order? Sag is first and should always be first, that’s just how it is, I don’t make the rules (but there definitely are rules that I won’t get into here). Second, rebound changes depending on how much air pressure you use or what your coil spring rate is. With more air pressure or a high spring rate, you then need to slow down your rebound to correct the air pressure or coil spring rate. Last, is compression which affects how your suspension shaft, or stroke, moves.

Once I get all these base settings I write them down in a notebook, typically a small pocket notebook (or just use your phone like everyone else on Earth). This is so you can see where you start, make a single or small change at a time, record that change, and then take notes on what you felt. You might make some changes that work for a trail or zone, but when you change trails or terrains, being able to revert to base settings and adjusting from there will almost always put you in a better position than guessing and checking from your previous settings.

Left - Right: Air Pressure, Rebound, Compression

Now let's get into the actual set up. We will help you every step of the way, allowing you to learn and also dial in your bike as we go! Get a shock pump, something to measure, like a ruler, some calipers, a tape measure with centimeters and possibly some hex keys for your compression dials, if your shock requires that.

Rear Shock Sag:

Now we are ready to start setting sag on your rear shock. It doesn’t really matter if you do your fork or your shock first, but I usually choose to do my rear shock first as it usually benefits from a higher percentage of sag. If it’s really off then it could slightly change your weight balance on your fork sag, but it’s not the biggest deal to do one or the other first. Depending on what brand of bike you have, there might be a setup guide to help you get close. There may also be a recommended percent sag based on your bike model. I’d say most are around 30% for the rear shock. Some could be closer to 25% and others could be more like 33%, but it really depends on the style of riding you’re doing. Either way, I would start by looking up your bike, model, and what the manufacturer recommends. Then you can also check out the shock manufacturer’s recommendations. Some have a suggested pressure, but be aware that based on your bike’s leverage ratio and suspension design, the starting number could be waaaaaay off, but it’s still a good idea to check. For example, if you have a Yeti, they have a great suspension setup guide that pretty much gets you within a few PSI of where you should be and rebound/compression adjustments that are a great place to start, but not all or most brands are like that.

So let’s say you have nothing. With the rear shock I would start with your body weight in pounds. Put that number into your rear shock and with the rear shock pump still attached, cycle the rear shock a few times into about 30-40% of the travel, if possible. It might require you to jump on the bike, especially if you are pumping up a shock from 0. I would actually start by cycling the shock every 50 psi if you are pumping up from 0. What this is doing is equalizing the positive and negative air chambers (coil shock folks need not pay attention here), and if you pump from 0 to 180 psi, that's a hard shock to press down. So once you have equalized the chambers, keep pumping up to your desired body weight number (be honest with yourself, nobody needs to know but it will greatly affect your setup) so we can take our first measurement. And always keep in mind what kind of riding gear you’ll have on. What you see on the scale in the morning is pretty much always less than you in your riding gear.

To make life easy, Fox suspension has a tune id, that will tell you the shock stroke length

To take your first measurement you want to stand next to something stable if you are by yourself, like a table, a wall, maybe a solid stool, etc. Get on the bike and give it a few bounces, then get into your position. This can be different for everyone. Some choose to be in a riding stance like going downhill, others sit down with the dropper up, or the dropper down. It really doesn’t matter much as long as you do it the same way every time. For myself, I choose to do it sitting down with the dropper down. I do this as I normally adjust sag by myself and I find this is easiest to reset the o-ring. After standing or sitting on the bike and bouncing it a few times, very carefully reach down and slide the o-ring down until it’s sitting against the shock seal. Then, very gently and without any bouncing (don’t let the shaft move!), put your feet on the ground and stand up.

Now you need to measure the distance of the o-ring on your shock stroke. To find your 30% or whatever number you are looking at, it might take a little math if you are doing this from scratch. Yeti’s setup will say you need (18mm) of shock stroke to get 30% sag, but most are not that clear. Again, it may help to look up your bike model since you can sometimes find the stroke length. If you have a Fox rear shock you can go to BIKE HELP on their website and type in your 4-digit tune code, which should give you the stroke length of your shock. For our example, we used a Yeti SB150 , which uses a 230x60mm shock, so for 30% sag I am looking at 18mm of shock stroke (Math: 60 x 0.3 = 18). Do that with your bike’s stroke length and get that number. Now with a ruler, tape measure, or what I like most, a pair of manual calipers, measure your sag. From here keep adding or removing the pressure to get to the desired sag number for your bike. Make sure when adding or removing air pressure to equalize the air chambers before removing the shock pump so you can tell what psi you are really at. That is pretty much it for setting sag on your rear shock.

Perfect 30% shock sag, 60mm shock stroke = 18mm for 30% sag

The process is basically the same for your fork sag but instead of 25-32%, you will be looking at about 15-20% sag. Keep in mind that you can always go more or less depending on preference. I choose to be near the middle in the 18-19% range for sag on my front fork. If you have a RockShox fork, it’s pretty easy as most have the measurement and percent number on the fork upper stanchion tubes. Almost every brand of fork has a pressure chart on the fork leg so you can easily check your weight on that chart and start from there.

Headtube angles and bike setup (like a low or tall riser bar) will change how much weight you actually have on your fork, as well as what sag percent you actually need. Remember though, this is just a starting point and things can always be adjusted. If for some reason you are starting from nothing, a good starting point for choosing psi is using whatever your body weight is in kilograms, which is about .6 of your body weight in pounds. Again, follow the sag process from above by being next to something stable, gently sitting down in the same position you did the rear shock in, moving the o-ring down, and then gently getting off the bike without moving the o-ring. Then using your fork travel (the SB150 has 170mm of fork travel) and your desired sag percentage and do some math (170 x .18 = 30mm). I’m looking for a hair over 30mm on a 170mm travel fork. Keep messing around, equalizing the positive and negative chambers each time you change pressure and repeat this process until you get to your desired measurement. Give the bike a couple of jumps and bounces, see how it feels (you should be close), and get ready to move onto rebound adjustments.

Check your forks reccomended air pressure chart for a solid starting point

Rebound can be your best friend or a feared enemy if not set up right. Many of those Friday fail clips you see are due to horribly set rebound, either being too fast or too slow and launching them off the bike upon landing. What does rebound do? Rebound controls how fast or slow your fork/shock returns to full extension from a compression. If you add more rebound, you are slowing down the forks return, closing off the rebound circuit and how fast oil can move through shim stacks or circuits. By removing or opening your rebound, you are allowing oil to move more freely and therefore speeding up how fast your fork returns from a compression. It’s easiest to think of the adjustment as rebound damping. When you add rebound, you are damping the circuit, and vice versa. You want your rebound to be set to your air pressure or spring weight. It's a little different for everyone as there will not only be different air pressures, but also preference. For example, Jeff and myself run similar air pressures on our bikes, but his rebound is always 1-3 clicks faster or more open (less damped) than mine. It’s not right or wrong, just how he likes his bikes to feel.

Fox Factory 38 & Float X2 has both HSC & LSR, Left: HSR/LSR on the Grip2, Middle: LSR on Float X2, Right: HSR on Float X2

Most forks and shocks have only a single rebound that controls both High Speed and Low Speed rebound adjustments, and it does them at the same time. But there are lots of forks and shocks out there that have individual HSR and LSR adjustments. So make sure to check what your fork and shock have. For our setup, we used an SB150 that does in fact have HSR and LSR on the fork and shock, so I will help guide you through a bit of set up on that.

HSR and LSR Explained

This is a very confusing topic for most and there is not enough information given to a customer who might buy a product with these adjustments. High Speed Rebound is for controlling hits and rebounds at a high rate, so like big jumps with a harsh landing, big dips or g-outs, and even some fast chunky rock gardens with lots of square edge hits. Think of a section of trail that might have some repetitive drops, or a 50 foot rock garden that has some wheel sized rocks or bigger. Having your suspension dive deep into the travel, to come out from that deep hit your HSR circuit will come into play. I think HSR is super important to adjust as this helps keep you controlled and from flying off the bike like those fail videos. I tend to go a touch slower or add more HSR when doing my first test setup if I am not sure where to start. Low Speed Rebound is the opposite, with slower speed hits or bumps like a smooth berm, rollers, minimal rock gardens or just bumpy sections of trail. This is the rebound you feel most often and what you might feel upon a first test in a parking lot or on some smooth trail.

LSR adjustment on the Fox Float X2

We are now ready to adjust. When adjusting your rebound, check your setup guide, be it your bike or suspension manufacturer’s recommendations, and see what they suggest for your spring rate settings (this goes for both coil and air). On almost all forks and shocks, the clicks are counted from fully closed, meaning you close out the adjustment fully clockwise until it stops, then count the number of clicks from there. If you are starting from scratch, I would start in the middle. So for example, if you have a total of 20 clicks of rebound adjustment, close out the rebound adjustment and count 10 clicks to get you in the middle. From there, give the fork or shock a few bounces. At first, give the shock some bounces without being on the bike. For the rear, push down quickly on your saddle and then let off the saddle with both hands, allowing the shock to return under its own power.

Now, this is a bit harder to explain in a blog, so double check the video above. When you let off the saddle you want the bike to return quickly, but not too fast. If the saddle stays in your hands when you let off or the saddle smacks your hands as you pull off it might be too fast. You want your suspension about as fast as possible without having the rear wheel jump off the ground or the saddle smack your hands every time. Now if the opposite is happening and you let off the saddle and it takes longer than you expect or like it took longer than it did to compress the suspension down, it might be too slow. Again, this is a personal preference, and riding styles or people might like it a different way. Jumpers normally like it a bit slower, and DH and Enduro racers might have it faster. But for myself, I like it right in the middle, for the suspension to return about the same speed as my quick push down was. Again, hard to explain here, so I would go watch the video on this.

Fox Grip2 damper rebound adjustments

Go out and try it, first in the parking lot or trailhead, with a couple of bounces and bunny hops. Try jumping off the curb, see if you sit into the bike too long and if it feels dead. From there, take out some rebound or speed it up. If it feels like a pogo stick and bouncing you around, I would slow it down. Take note of where your start and how you change it, what it felt like before and after the adjustment.

Compression:

Our last adjustment to make before you are ready to nail down your base settings is compression. Again, some shocks and forks might have zero compression adjustments and just a climb, pedal, or lockout switch. Whereas some might only have Low Speed Compression (LSC) and others might even have both High Speed and Low Speed Compression adjustments. So, first see what your shock has and again check out your bike or suspension brand’s recommendations on where you might want to start.

Left: Fox Float X2 HSC/LSC, Right: Fox Grip2 HSC/LSC

What is compression? Many people confuse compression with spring rate (which is either air pressure and air volume adjustments or coil spring rate), and while they do essentially change how hard it is to compress the shock, they are totally different and need to be adjusted differently. Part of the reason I do it last is you get sag first as that is the key place to start, then rebound so you’re not getting pitched off the bike, and finally compression to really dial in how your suspension moves.

Compression adjusts shaft speed, while air pressure or sag adjust how much you sit into the travel and how much weight it takes to compress the suspension. Shaft speed is not the same as the weight needed to move the suspension. Let’s try to keep that clear. You can have your fork at 100psi and it will take quite a bit of weight to move that and it will get progressively harder to compress as you move through the travel. But if you have your LSC and HSC closed out and put that same weight on the suspension with a slightly lighter air pressure, you will get more travel out of the fork for the same weight. It might take a few seconds for the shaft to move with your LSC cranked down, but it will in fact move.

LSC and HSC Explained

Low Speed Compression changes low speed shaft movements, similar to low speed rebound. It affects rollers, berms, and minimally rough trail sections, and High Speed Compression affects those high speed harder impacts. But unlike high speed rebound, high speed compression can happen anywhere within the suspension travel, at sag or above, and all the way to bottom out. Hits like big jumps, drops, square edge rocks, or anything sudden that moves the suspension shaft at a fast rate.

Left: LSC 3mm adjustment, Right: HSC 6mm adjustment

When adjusting your compression, you can start a few different ways. Your weight while wearing all of your riding gear might dictate how you start. For example, I am a light rider at 150lbs, and I normally start with compression wide open (fully clockwise) when starting to tune my suspension. The reason being is I find I don’t need a lot of HSC or LSC on most bikes in order to get where I need to be. Now if you are in the 180+ zone, I would start from the middle, as we did with rebound, then back out or add more depending on how that feels. If you have too much LSC, your suspension might feel a little grindy, like sand is in it, or is no longer as smooth, so back out a little. If you are moving the suspension super easily and think that a little more support on slow speed stuff could help, add LSC. One thing when adding LSC, if you have too much it can cause the bike to stand up in steep sections of trail, and that is not what you want, especially in the rear of your bike. You do want to squat and use your weight and weight transfer to make the bike more stable, not less stable. So keep that in mind: what might feel good on a not so steep or smooth section of trail might not be the best when things get really steep. HSC is a little easier to set up. If you have too much, you will not use all your travel and might feel like you are getting a harsh mid zone of travel and even if you are at or under recommended pressure you will not use all the travel. Too little HSC and you might dive into the travel a lot, bottom out easily, and feel like your suspension is soft even if you are at or above the recommended spring rate.

Again, write down where you start, and take notes before and after an adjustment so you can help dial in your base setting and how you got there.

Final Tips & Tricks:

If you made it to this point, then you should be close to getting your setup fully dialed in. Hopefully, you learned a few things and now know how to do this again when you get a new bike, get your suspension serviced, or a few months down the road you no longer feel extremely comfortable and you could use a reset. We’ll leave you with a few tips and tricks to look out for when setting up suspension. To start, when setting sag, do not engage your brakes. Holding your brakes could hinder the movement of the suspension travel. Write everything down, what the fork or shock air pressure recommendation was at, where you ended up getting your preferred sag if it’s different, and do the same with rebound and compression. Then after you set it and go test, take notes if you changed your settings. If you made your rebound slower, why did you do that and did it feel better? If you want more air pressure because it feels soft or you are using too much travel note that down. This way you can always refer back to your notes. Maybe you slowed the rebound down as you were riding a flow trail with jumps, but now are riding steep, chunky terrain and removed two clicks of rebound making it faster. Note that you did that for steep, chunky trails. This will become a very valuable book in months to come and can be an insight to your riding style and maybe why six months ago you felt faster or you made a change and it opened up a new confidence in your riding ability.

Make a chart, write your settings down, and try to stay consistent

The last few things are to always keep your suspension clean. Wipe down your suspension dust wipers after every ride. With a clean microfiber rag do a little flossing. If you haven’t serviced your suspension in a while, look into doing that. It will not only feel better but make your suspension last longer being clean and with fresh oil and seals.

The next suspension tech episode and article will focus on more advanced suspension setup, such as when and how to use air tokens, and better compression and rebound adjustments with bracketing while out on the trail.

This article was written / authored by Liam Woods. Liam has been in the bicycle industry for over 10 years as a racer, professional mechanic, service manager and as of late, media and content creator. Liam has ridden thousands of different bikes , ridden countless components , tested endless MTB apparel of all kinds and written reviews on it all. He's a key piece to the Worldwide Cyclery "All Things MTB" content creation puzzle. He also makes consistent appearances on the Worldwide Cyclery YouTube channel and Instagram .

Transcription

Ladies and gentlemen, if you are at all confused on how to set up the suspension on your mountain bike this video is for you. We basically took a master class and we watered it down to a roughly 15 minute 101. This is air suspension for mountain bikes how to set up everything: fork rear shock sag/pressure rebound and compression. This video is presented by Liam. He is our head mechanic at Worldwide Cyclery. He is an absolutely phenomenal mechanic and knows a ton about suspension setup. This stuff is complicated, it's a little dry sometimes but it is very, very valuable because having properly set up suspension can make or break how your bike handles and feels which then can make you have a lot more fun or a lot less fun when you're riding your mountain bike out on the trails. Take a look right here. This whole video is broken out into chapters that are time stamped which you can also see down in the video description. So if you just want to go to something like compression or rear shock or fork whatever it's all right there so you can click through to it. Enjoy

So when setting up your suspension, sag is the easiest starting point. When you get the sag, we need to measure how much you're sitting into the bike. The fork and shock have different percentage ratios, so on the fork we're looking around 15 to 20 percent of sag and on the rear shock it's going to be 25 to 30 percent of sag. Now setting the sag to that measurement is really important. If you have too much or too little, it's going to change how your bike rides. If you have too much meaning you're sitting into the bike too far, you'll be really squishy not really getting the full benefits of the bike. You’ll be bottoming out a lot on stuff you really shouldn't bottom out on and if you have not enough sag, meaning your suspension isn't going into the travel far enough, you'll be kind of harsh, you'll never be bottoming out if you're riding steep stuff, your rear shock won't be sitting into the bike, you'll be constantly kind of feeling like you're going over the bars and that won't create confidence. So getting the sag on both the front and rear and the balance is really important. So tools you will need is some type of measuring device. I have a ruler here, I have a pair of micrometer calipers here and a tape measure. Any of them work but make sure you're just kind of keeping it consistent and measuring with the same tool every time you set up sag. Alright, so we're going to start with the rear shock and once we get the rear shock sag we're going to look for 30 percent per Yeti’s manufacturer recommendations. We're looking for about 18 millimeters of stroke on this shock for sag, that's about 30 so also on the Yeti setup guide that puts me in about 152 psi for this rear shock and that's what we're going to go to to start out for our sag.

152 right there. Anytime you're adding or removing pressure from a front and rear shock you're going to want to equalize the positive and negative air chambers. By doing so you just push down the shock a little bit, and there's a transfer port and that'll help equalize both chambers. Alright,so we're going to measure our sag on a rear shock, you're going to want to find something solid to lean up against. If you're sitting on your own, if you have a buddy have him hold you up, but I'm on my own here so I'll be using this wall and uh yeah, we'll get on it. I actually need pedals on this bike. Adam, can you bring me pedals?

So you sit down, give the bike a couple bounces.

And then I’m gonna sit down and then you reset your o-ring, so push this o-ring all the way back against the shock seal and then you're going to want to gently get off without adding too much movement to the bike. Sitting for me I can just easily hop off and now I have my sag. Now I'm going to measure this sag. I have my micrometer set 18 millimeters which is the 30 for this rear shock, so we come in here and we're exactly at that 18 millimeters, so that's the perfect amount of sag per Yeti’s recommendations. Now we'll move on to setting the sag on the fork.

Same thing as the rear shock except we're going to be measuring it in a different millimeters because it has 170 mm of travel so per Fox's recommendations on the fork for about 15% of sag, we're going to be looking at 26 millimeters of sag or if we're looking at 20% of sag we're going to be looking at 34 millimeters of sag. I know that's confusing, I'll explain it in a little bit. So also per Fox’s recommendations and Yeti’s, I'm going to be looking right around 82 to 84 psi on this front fork and that should give me about that 20% sag number that I’m looking for on this bike. Alright so attach the shock pump and we're looking for 82, 84 psi.

So 82.5 but remember we need to equalize the positive and negative chambers on this, so give it a couple pushes, nice and slow. So we're 83 psi, just in between that 82 and 84 that Fox recommended, so we'll pop off the shock pump and give it a measure. Alright, so now that we have the pressure set we're going to be measuring sag the same way we did on the rear shock but on the fork. Now hop on the bike, get up against something stable.

Let off the brakes, there's a pro tip. Let off the brakes when you're setting sag, give it a couple bounces and sit down. Because I’m sitting the same every time, push down the o-ring and then gently, without pressure, jump off the bike and grab this guy.

Alright, so now we're looking for about 26 to 34%. I'm actually running it right around 28 millimeters on this guy and that's going to put me right around 18 or so on fork sag and I’m right at that on my 83 psi. So now we have sag set front rear, it's time to move on to rebound settings and why that's important.

Setting up rebound you can tell we have it too slow right here. It takes a long time to return. You want it pretty much as fast as possible without the rear wheel kind of bouncing off the ground, so if i open it up all the way, it's all the way closed right now, which is slow. If I go all the way open, which is going to be super fast, the rear wheel will probably bounce up and down.

So as you can tell, that's too fast, that'll buck you off chumps. So we're going to find the middle ground and for myself on the rear shock pressure that I have, the high speed rebound and a low speed rebound is going to be a little different and we'll find out what that number is once we get to them. Alright, so based on the Yeti website recommendations as well as the Fox recommendations for 152 rear psi that I’m on, my low speed rebound, which is this adjustment here on the X2, I want to be 14 clicks out from fully closed. So that's a little bit of a confusing topic on compression and rebound. So you're counting clicks from fully closed always. That's what I do and the same thing you just want to make sure you're consistent, so fully closed is clockwise like you're screwing the bolt all the way into the shock. So we're fully closed right here and we want to count out 14 clicks so that's one.

Alright, so 14 clicks out, that should be about my starting point for my low speed rebound and as you can tell that's a pretty good middle ground for this psi. So this particular float X2 shock actually has a high speed rebound and a low speed rebound adjustment. We will now be adjusting the high speed rebound adjustment right here. Most shocks will actually only have one rebound adjustment, so it'll be the same setup but you'll only be moving one of the red knobs and not two, but for the float X2 for the Yeti setup I want to be four clicks out from closed. So we're at fully closed right now, so I want to count out four clicks just like that and what high speed rebound does is it helps control kind of the end stroke rebound, so on big hits or harder jumps when you're kind of getting into the bike in the travel more it allows it to not return so fast and kind of keeps you controlled. Low speed handles the lower velocity hits while high speed rebound is the higher velocity hits. So low speed slow and normal stuff. High speed big hard hits, big heart G-outs and kind of, you know, something you might want to go on a slightly slower side so you don't get bucked out of control on a big landing.

So going to adjust the rebound on the fork, same thing as the rear shock except the fork rebound is going to be in the bottom of the fork and we're looking for the same thing. So based on Fox’s recommendations I want to be eight clicks out on my high speed rebound and nine clicks out on my low speed rebound and the Fox fork with a GRIP 2 damper does have that high speed, low speed. If you're using a GRIP damper or a Rockshox or any other brand you usually only have one rebound adjustment, so it'll be the same thing. They’ll be moving one knob instead of two knobs and they're actually labeled now. So if you have a first-gen GRIP 2, they might not be labeled but they are labeled down so our high speed rebound is this top, larger knob and our low speed is this bottom knob. So my high speed rebound I want to be eight clicks out from fully closed so i'm going to fully close down high speed so both knobs turn together. Don’t worry about that, we'll just move this high speed knob and the low will go with it so fully closed eight clicks out.

And there's eight. Same thing with the low speed, we'll close this all the way down see how they they move independently. Now two different circuits, so low speed’s all the way closed and we'll go nine out on this. Alright, so now I'm eight and nine and that should be a really good starting point as well. And again these are all starting points and we're just getting the basics down so go ahead and put your cap back on. So now that we've done the adjustment you can give it a quick test and just be mindful this is not a good test but you can just see, kind of, if you're close in the range so give it a couple compressions.

And from my first feeling of that on what they said, it's a touch fast but I would give that a first try at the baseline settings before you make any adjustments and then you can go into adjusting stuff and slowing it down and especially on this GRIP 2 damper. Only do one click at a time if you do happen to make any rebound or compression adjustment changes, but for now we're going to leave that as far as the basic setup goes and we'll move on to compression settings why it's important and how we're going to adjust them.

Alright, so jumping into compression. So compression is an adjustment that controls how fast your shaft speed moves. So while air pressure controls where you sit on the bike as well as your air ramp up, compression does shaft speed. So on this rear shock we have a Fox X2, we have a high speed compression and a low speed compression. Again, similar to rebound, your high speed compression is for bigger hits, square edge hits, rock gardens, really stuff that's kind of coming up on the trail fast where low speed is a little bit more like rollers, berms, kind of when you're sitting on the bike. So you have two adjustments and we're going to adjust both of them according to the Yeti settings on the Fox X2. So on your Float X2 rear shock you have a high speed adjustment and a low speed adjustment. Your high speed is going to be controlled and adjusted by the 6 mm Allen while your low speed is going to be inside of there and controlled by your 3 mm Allen. I know in my high speed compression adjustment I’m looking at five clicks out from fully closed. So I'm going to close down my 6 mm. Alright, so I’m fully closed there and I want to be five out. Alright so 5 out there on my high speed and I want to be 12 out on my low speed, so we'll close this all the way down and we'll back it out 12 clicks.

And there's 12. So that should be a pretty good starting base point on my rear shock for compression settings. Now let's go do compression settings on the fork.

Alright, so our fork compression settings are very similar and on the Fox GRIP 2 damper we have a high speed which is the blue knob and the low speed which is a black knob. Again, when you turn the high speed, the low speed also moves but when you turn the low speed the high speed does not, so we're going to come in and make my adjustment. I know if I'm already looking at the setup guide I want to be 7 out on my high speed and 12 out on my low speed, so I’m going to fully close down my high speed and back it out 7 clicks and on my low speed I want to do the same and then close it all the way down and back it out 12.

Alright, so now we did both our high speed and our low speed adjustment and now we're ready to give it a little test. We'll move on to kind of the final tips and tricks that we'll address with sag. So now you've gone through sag setup, rebound setup, and compression setup. Now you're ready to go give it a test ride and see if you're kind of close. It feels great, or you may be a little bit far away and you need to make some adjustments. The first thing you want to do is go to a trail near your home or you know where you normally ride and hit a section of trail that you know well and is easily repeatable and you can kind of do laps. It might have a little bit of turns, drops, rocks, jumps, whatever. Main thing is just to do it consistently every time with the same amount of effort. The next thing you want to do is bring a little notepad so every time you make an adjustment to the compression, the rebound, or bring a shock pump and change the psi, take a little note down. Make sure you know which way you're going and what adjustment you made. That way you know if it felt better or worse. You can always go back to the previous setting.

Some more tips you want to do is always keep your suspension clean after rides, so clean suspension is happy suspension. After every ride, you just kind of want to go through, grab a clean microfiber towel, and kind of wipe down the stanchions and the seals. By doing so, you'll keep everything moving kind of really smoothly. Keep the dust from getting too far in those seals and it'll actually help your suspension last longer. So anytime you kind of get lost on your suspension adjustment, you maybe turned too many dials one way or you can't get all your travel, just restart. Just go back to the beginning of this video, restart and kind of do it all over again. And I can't stress enough, make some notes. Always bring a notepad with you, keep one in your car, keep one in your riding pack. This is kind of your field notes and it's gonna be your helpful starting guide and six months from now if your suspension doesn't feel good or you get it serviced and they happen to change your settings, you have a reference on where you were and you don't have to fully restart. So let us know in the comments what you liked about this video, what we could include, and on the next video we'll be diving much deeper into bracketing, volume tokens, and kind of advanced suspension setup tips.

February 25, 2021

Bike Knowledge › Fox › How To › Suspension › Video ›

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Results have arrived, the mountain bike forks buyer's & quick reference guide.

How do you choose which mtb fork is right for your riding style and budget? This quick reference guide covers the differences in performance, travel, weight, and price for popular XC, trail, and enduro mountain bike forks like the Fox 34, Fox 36, Fox 38, Pike, Lyrik, Zeb and more. Find the best fork for your bike.

Written by: Bruce Lin

Published on: Jan 28, 2022

Posted in: Guides

When you first get your hands on a new mountain bike , do you squish the fork a few times? Yeah, we all do it. It’s like revving a car engine. Sometimes you just can’t help it. And like a car’s engine, the fork is often the focal point of the bike. It’s a big factor in a bike’s capabilities and attitude. Most experienced riders can look at a fork on any bike and deduce how it will perform.

Mountain biking wouldn’t be nearly as fun without the added traction, comfort, and control afforded by suspension forks (though there are some crazy rigid riders out there). If you’re interested in growing your knowledge as a mountain biker, it’s worth getting to know the different forks that are out there and what they’re designed to do.

This guide covers the most popular forks for each riding category, forks that you will find on bikes at The Pro’s Closet and out on the trail. This guide will make it easy for you to assess a a fork’s intended purpose and capabilities. If you want to upgrade your current fork or build a bike from the frame up, this guide is the perfect starting point.

Fork anatomy

XC race forks

XC/trail forks

Trail forks

All mountain/enduro forks
Enduro/downhill forks

-The listed travel specs are for current model year forks only. Older models may have different travel options. -For comparison purposes, the claimed weights are for top-of-the-line 29” models. -The retail prices are for current model year forks and will sometimes be presented as a range covering entry-level to top-of-the-line models.

Mountain bike fork anatomy

The above diagram identifies the basic components that make up a mountain bike fork. The main focus for this guide is the stanchions. The amount of travel can be thought of as the amount of exposed stanchion. Stanchion diameter also affects weight, stiffness, and performance.

The majority of modern mountain bike forks use air springs because they are lighter and easily adjustable. A few enduro- and downhill-focused fork models like the Cane Creek Helm, MRP Ribbon, and Marzocchi Bomber Z1 provide a coil spring option.

Entry-level forks generally use less expensive dampers that provide fewer adjustments for controlling compression and rebound damping. Higher-end forks use more advanced dampers that are more responsive in rough terrain and provide more tuning options to dial in your fork. Dampers are a biggest contributor to the price difference between entry-level and high-end forks.

In many cases, forks from the same brand will use the same damper options across different models, but use different chassis to tailor the performance. For example, the Fox 34, Fox 36, and Fox 38 are all available with Fox's entry-level Grip damper, mid-level Fit4 damper, or the high-end Grip2 damper. Damper performance will be equivalent across models, but weight and stiffness will differ based on stanchion diameter.

Who it’s for: XC racers, riders who primarily ride less technical cross-country terrain, and ultra-endurance riders.

Fox 32 Step-Cast

The Fox 32 is named for the fork’s 32mm stanchions. In 2016, Fox introduced the 32 Step-Cast. This new Step-Cast construction reduced weight with narrower lower fork legs and a notable “step” at the bottom of the lowers to reduce material. The standard non-Step-Cast Fox 32 is still available as an entry-level, budget alternative.

RockShox SID SL

The SID name has been in RockShox’s line-up since the early days of mountain biking and it has won countless cross-country races over the last two decades. It is currently RockShox’s lightest XC fork.

The SID has traditionally been offered in 100mm and 120mm versions, but for 2021 it has been split into two models — the SID SL and the SID. The SID SL is the pure XC fork. It has a new crown, steerer, stanchions, and chassis optimized for lighter weight and is only available with 100mm of travel.

Cannondale Lefty Ocho

The Lefty is a unique XC race fork made by Cannondale. It is inverted and single-sided, with the spring and damper housed in a single fork leg. The supposed advantage of the Lefty design is a substantial increase in stiffness over its competitors without much extra weight. Leftys are only found on a few Cannondale models, but they have a cult following.

The Lefty was updated in 2018 to the Lefty Ocho, the first Lefty to use a single crown instead of a dual crown. The Lefty Ocho also has the benefit of using a standard steerer tube, so it is compatible with any standard mountain bike frame, meaning you don’t need to ride a Cannondale if you want to ride a Lefty. You will need a new front wheel though.

Other forks in this category: Manitou Machete, RockShox Reba (a budget alternative to the RockShox SID), DT Swiss F232

Trail/XC MTB forks

Who it’s for: Riders looking for a beefed-up XC race bike or a lightweight version of a short-travel trail bike for technical races and all-around riding.

Fox 34 Step-Cast

The 34 Step-Cast is lighter than the standard Fox 34 to bridge the gap between pure cross-country and heavier trail forks. Thanks to 34mm stanchions, it’s stiffer than the Fox 32, and it has a notable “step” at the bottom of the lowers to reduce material and weight.

RockShox SID

As previously mentioned, the new 2021 SID is the more trail-focused of RockShox’s two XC forks. It uses a beefed-up chassis with 35mm stanchions but weighs about 300 grams less than a Pike. It is only available with 120mm of travel and was introduced as a direct competitor to the successful Fox 34 Step-Cast.

Who it’s for: Riders who want a versatile, mid-weight bike that can transition from cross-country rides to technical all-mountain rides with ease.

The Fox 34 is named for its 34mm stanchions and it sits between the Fox 32 and the Fox 36. Since the release of the lighter Fox 34 Step-Cast, it is not commonly found in the shorter 120mm travel configuration.

RockShox Pike

The Pike is RockShox’s most popular trail fork, sitting between the SID and the Lyrik. It uses 35mm stanchions for stiffness. As a result, it is a bit heavier but slightly stiffer than the smaller Fox 34.

Other forks in this category: Marzocchi Bomber Z2, Manitou Mattoc, Ohlins RFX 34, DVO Sapphire, RockShox Revelation (a budget alternative to the RockShox Pike)

All-mountain/enduro MTB forks

Who it’s for: Enduro racers and riders who frequently ride steep and gnarly terrain but still need to earn their turns.

The Fox 36 is named for its 36mm stanchions. It is extremely popular with enduro racers and trail riders who want to beef up mid-travel trail bikes. 2021 models feature air bleed valves to release pressure build-up in the air spring to keep the fork feeling supple and a floating axle to eliminate any alignment issues that might lead to binding as the fork compresses. With the release of the new Fox 38, the Fox 36 is no longer available with travel greater than 160mm.

RockShox Lyrik

Though the Lyrik uses 35mm stanchions like the Pike, the stanchion walls are thicker to provide greater stiffness for downhill performance comparable to the Fox 36. There is overlap in travel with the Zeb, so bike manufacturers and customers can choose between the two based on how they value stiffness or weight.

Cane Creek Helm

The Helm is a highly adjustable fork available with either an air spring or coil spring with internally adjustable travel. There is no budget version and it is only available with Cane Creek’s tunable damper that provides high- and low-speed compression and rebound damping adjustment.

DVO Diamond D1

DVO has become a popular alternative to established brands like Fox and RockShox. The Diamond has internally adjustable travel and uses a unique “Off the top” spring to control how supple the fork feels at the start of its travel, regardless of air pressure.

Other forks in this category: Marzocchi Bomber Z1 (air or coil), MRP Ribbon (air or coil), Ohlins RFX 36, DT Swiss F535, DVO Beryl (a budget alternative to the DVO Diamond), RockShox Yari (a budget alternative to the RockShox Lyrik)

Enduro/downhill MTB forks

This new generation of forks pushes enduro bikes to the extreme in terms of downhill performance. They still are built with a single crown (full downhill forks will use a dual crown for maximum stiffness) but stiffness is not a concern thanks to massive stanchions. Naturally, that makes these models heavier than all-mountain/enduro forks.

Who it’s for: Enduro racers and downhill bike park riders who ride the most challenging terrain and prioritize downhill performance above all else.

Available travel: 160mm, 170mm, 180mm Stanchion diameter: 38mm Claimed weight: 2,180g (29”) Retail price: $949-1,199

The Fox 38 is Fox's latest long-travel single crown fork for enduro riding. Along with thick 38mm stanchions, it also uses a new elliptical inner-shaped steerer tube to increase stiffness and a new chassis with a round arch. Like the new 36, the 38 features air bleed valves to release pressure build-up in the air spring and keep the fork feeling supple and a floating axle.

RockShox Zeb

The Zeb is RockShox's latest long-travel single crown fork for enduro applications. RockShox claims it’s 21% stiffer torsionally than the Lyrik — a very significant amount. Fore-aft stiffness, however, is only increased 2% to keep handlebar feedback low to maintain comfort. There is overlap in travel with the Zeb and Lyrik, so bike manufacturers and customers can choose between the two based on stiffness and weight preferences.

Other forks in this category: Manitou Mezzer, DVO Onyx SC-D1, Ohlins RFX 38

Additional reading:

The two most prominent fork manufacturers are Fox Racing Shox and RockShox. If you’d like to learn more about their fork offerings, check out our in-depth Fox vs. RockShox article. It covers technology, features, popularity, race results, and the hierarchy within their fork models.

Forks come in different offsets which will affect your bike’s handling. If you’d like to learn more about the mysteries of fork offset, check out our article: “ What is fork offset? ”

What forks did we miss? What’s your fork of choice? And what fork do you want to try on your next mountain bike? Let us know in the comments!

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Cool Features

Monstrous New Marzocchi Super Z Single-Crown Fork Goes to 190mm Travel!

P ushing the limits of what a single-crown mountain bike fork could (or should) do, the new Marzocchi Super Z is available with up to 190mm travel. It also gets the impressive new GRIP X damper from its Fox siblings, and made its unofficial debut at this year’s Red Bull Rampage. So, it’s got the goods…

Marzocchi says it’s basically a double-crown fork in a single-crown package. It has 38mm stanchions and fits on any modern mountain bike with rear travel that can keep up.

Thanks to an ultra-stiff crown and “M”-shaped arch on the lowers, it’s the strongest fork they’ve ever made. They say it’s also the most affordable premium fork on the market, coming in at just $999 ($1339CAD / €1289)

The GRIP X damper helps with that premium qualifier, delivering their new pressure balanced compression damping. Compared to what’s on the Fox forks it’s a bit simpler – there’s no indicator nub on the High Speed Compression dial. But it still has the “firm mode” for climbing, and it offers the most adjustment of any other Marzocchi fork.

It also gets the updated bushings (like the 2025 Fox forks), with oil bypass channels allowing seamless bushing surfaces for smoother travel. Bleeder ports on the back of the legs let you equalize pressure in the lowers when shuttling (or climbing) or descending across big swings in altitude.

Other key specs are:

150-190mm travel
External High/Low Speed Compression adjustments
External Low Speed Rebound adjustment
29″ and 27.5″ options
2.6” max tire size
2180g weight
200-230 brake rotor compatibility
Gloss black or red

Marzocchi.com

The post Monstrous New Marzocchi Super Z Single-Crown Fork Goes to 190mm Travel! appeared first on Bikerumor .

mountain biker doing a big jump at red bull rampage on new marzocchi super z fork

Off the Unbeaten Track Edward Adrian-Vallance's travel site

About Edward
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Overland Travel

View when driving from Yelisovo airport to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

The first myth I want to disprove is that getting to Kamchatka is extremely costly. It’s not. Going between February and April, a return flight from Moscow can be had for 11,000 roubles (US$380 / £220). Not bad for 18 hours total flying time. In summer the flights are more expensive but still, if you book them a few months in advance, can be got for 16,000 roubles return.

It’s true, many people will tell you that March and April are the worst months to visit because the snow is starting to melt and everything’s a bit sloshy and dirty in settlements. On the other hand, these are great months for the independent traveller! During winter zimniki (temporary winter roads made of compacted snow or simply frozen river surfaces) open up all over Kamchatka, granting access to communities that in summer are totally isolated. Hitch hiking is possible right from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to the very north of the peninsula. Alternatively, vehicles can be hired in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky from tour firms. Also in the winter or early spring months places can be reached that are away even from the zimniki, either by snowmobile or by the use of cross country skis. For example, Klyuchevskaya Sopka, Eurasia’s largest active volcano, can be accessed from the village of Klyuchi without the need even for a guide by a traveller with a pair of cross country skis. Bears do not wake up until mid-April so this is not a danger, but bears almost never attack anyone anyway.

The main disadvantages of winter travel in Kamchatka are that it is cold, there is no greenery and there are no bears, which some people come here especially to see.

The second myth I’d like to dispel is that travel around the peninsula requires hiring a helicopter. As mentioned above, in winter you can get almost anywhere by hitch hiking. I even hitched a lift with bear hunters on snowmobiles from their village to a reindeer herder encampment 100km away. In summer snowmobiles are replaced by horses, and transport is reduced from long distance ice-road journeys to irregular inter-settlement all-terrain vehicle trips. Hitch hiking is possible on these all-terrain vehicles though.

Throughout the year there are fairly expensive public helicopter flights to all settlements which are nevertheless much cheaper than hiring your own helicopter. There is also one permanent, year-round dirt road leading halfway up the peninsula. Some distance after the town of Milkovo, about 350km north of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky , it forks. The right fork leads to Klyuchi , site of Eurasia’s largest active volcano, and further to the port town of Ust-Kamchatsk. The left fork leads to the indigenous Even villages of Anavgay and Esso. Daily buses go from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Klyuchi , Anavgay and Esso, costing about 1000 roubles each way. In winter a zimnik passable by lorries heads north from Anavgay 36 hours to the otherwise isolated town of Palana. From Palana more zimniki head further north to yet more isolated settlements. From the peninsula’s very northernmost settlements there are even EXTREMELY irregular snowmobile and all-terrain vehicle connections with Magadan Oblast and Chukotka. Another zimnik, only passable by all-terrain vehicle, heads from Anavgay to the village of Ust-Khayryuzovo on Kamchatka’s west coast.

Kamchatka’s Indigenous
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

THE HARD CHARGING DO-IT-ALL TRAIL FORK

A trail fork not to be underestimated, the venerable 34 is more capable than ever before. With damping optimized for trail, the 34 excels at all-mountain descending while keeping the weight low.

SMOOTHER STIFFER MORE GRIP

Trail riders no longer need to choose between a descent-focused damper or a lightweight endurance damper. GRIP X exudes exemplary descent performance, refined for less weight, easier set up and an easy access firm mode for pedaling efficiency. Learn more about the new GRIP family »

LOWER LEG ARCH

The arch design is pairs perfectly with modern trail bikes, where head tube profiles have grown larger and fork offsets shorter. The 34’s arch juts forward to provide ample headtube clearance at full compression. Countless engineering hours created an organic lower leg shape that optimizes stiffness with the absolute minimal amount of material.

LOWER LEG BYPASS CHANNELS

As a fork compresses, air pressure increases which can impede the fork reaching its full travel. Our lower leg channels help alleviate this issue by dramatically increasing air volume within the lower legs and reducing unintended pressure ramping. Lower leg bath oil is also circulated to the upper reaches of the lower legs, continuously lubricating inner seals and bushings.

Choose your series:

PERFORMANCE-ELITE
PERFORMANCE

“Factory” says it all – feature-packed and designed to exceed the demands of our Factory-level riders. What we sell is what they race. Factory Series products feature slippery smooth, ultra-durable Genuine Kashima Coat.

SHINY ORANGE

SHINY BLACK

* Fork weights shown are at 165mm steerer length with star fangled nut and disc brake guide installed.

Use the FORK BUILDER below to see model configurations

Performance Elite forks retain the same adjustments, features, dampers, weight, and 7000 series aluminum upper tubes as Factory Series, but have black anodized stanchions instead of Genuine Kashima Coat.

MATTE BLACK

Use the FORK BUILDER below to see model configurations.

Performance Series forks retain the same black anodized 7000 series aluminum upper tubes as Performance Elite, except paired with a GRIP damper. Push-button bleeders are not included but can be purchased separately.

GRIP The GRIP damper tune is updated with pressure balancing to maximize damping performance while utilizing the spring-backed internal floating piston of our more advanced GRIP dampers.

Grip allows excess oil to purge through specially designed ports at the top of the damper to maintain consistent damping and increase durability..

FORK BUILDER

All 34 forks have adjustable air spring pressure and rebound adjust.

2025 34 OWNER'S GUIDE

The recommended settings in this tuning guide are designed to be a starting point, in order to get you out on your first ride in as few steps as possible.

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To best maintain the performance and durability of your product under normal use, FOX recommends that you have regular fork and shock maintenance performed according to the service intervals.

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Travel Forum
Independent Trave...

Independent Travel to Moscow and St. Petersburg

My wife and I have traveled independently to many European countries and, after reading many of the comments in this forum, feel like we may be able to do so in Moscow and St. Petersburg as well, although we feel somewhat less comfortable than the other countries where we have traveled in Europe.

My biggest question is how much we will miss by visiting the main sites without a tour guide. In the other European countries we have visited on our own we have been comfortable and satisfied with the level of knowledge we have gained by studying and visiting on our own, although we believe a tour guide or tour company in any country would normally be able to provide greater insight than visiting a site on our own, but about in Moscow and St. Petersburg?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Unless you speak at least some Russian and read the alphabet it would be difficult without a guide. Very few signs in English especially in Moscow. Also not too many people speak English there.

I visited St Petersburg last Autumn for a protracted period , and did not find it anymore daunting than any other European city . As Ilja says , learning the Cyrillic alphabet is a big plus . I also found that it was fairly easy to grasp . It will , among other things , enable you to read signs with relative ease . I would answer the main part or your question ( about tour guides ) thus - I am not enamored of tour guides or tours. While I only use a tour under duress ( A sites rules prohibiting an independent visit - ie Glasgow School of Art , Municipal House in Prague , etc ) . Doing your own preparation and homework is the best way , in my opinion . My wife and I ventured through St Petersburg with nary a concern ,and made two day trips outside of the central district ( one was twenty five miles away , and no English speakers in sight ) Figuring out the logistical details , did not present any difficulties . While I never use tours , I am an inveterate eavesdropper , have done so many times , and find , that on balance , the information that they impart is fairly elementary . If you want greater detail , they are unlikely to supply it . I also prefer to go at my own pace , not being rushed and being able to dwell on things that most other visitors barely give a passing glance . If you are interested , let me know . I would be happy to provide you with information that will enable you to travel independently

Thank you, Steven. I am encouraged by your comments and feel the same way you do about tour groups. We are very much willing to prepare in advance and learn the basics of the Cyrillic alphabet to help us have a better experience.

I would be very interested in learning more about your experience in Russia and receiving any additional information you can provide on independent travel there, starting perhaps with obtaining the visa.

I am not opposed to hiring a private or small group guide for a specific site or for a day trip outside St Petersburg and Moscow, but, like you said, I much prefer the freedom of staying at places as long or short as I want and seeing the sites that interest me most. For example, neither my wife nor I are big into shopping, yet most tour itineraries leave afternoon time for just that. Not interested!

Please provide whatever you may feel would be helpful for us.

Russ , I see you are quite near San Francisco - you can start by looking at the VISA procedure , it's fairly straightforward . Since there is a consulate in San Francisco - look here http://www.consulrussia.org/eng/visa-sub1.html

And here - http://ils-usa.com/main.php

Having always traveled independently, we thought we could do a better job than any tour. How misguided (pun intended) we were. Now that we have had the experience of having someone native to the area walk us around and explain things through a personal perspective we realize how much we missed. For St. Petersburg I highly recommend http://www.peterswalk.com/tours.html . This is not a traditional guided tour, but an opportunity to receive some orientation to the area as well as insight into the "Russian soul". I think if you did this upon arrival the rest of your time would be much more meaningful. We really liked the http://www.pushka-inn.com . The location is superb (just around the corner from the Hermitage square), the rooms lovely, the included breakfast at the restaurant next door ample and overall an excellent value. We used this company to get our visa: https://www.passportvisasexpress.com/site/san_francisco_customer_service Note that it costs about the same for a 3-year visa as a one-year, and you never know if you might want to return within that more extended window of time. It is not cheap, so factor that into your planning.

If you like traveling without a guide in other countries and find this satisfying, the same will be true in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Of course it's not either/or - you can certainly take a guided walk or boat tour, for instance.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of learning Cyrillic if you're going on your own. The book I used was Teach Yourself Beginner's Russian Script, which was great. It breaks down the alphabet into letters that are the same as English, letters that look the same but are pronounced differently, etc. It's out of print, but you can get used copies on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Yourself-Beginners-Russian-Script/dp/0071419861/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1459701143&sr=8-2&keywords=teach+yourself+russian+script

Russia is indeed a bit more "foreign" than say, Italy. However, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, I found enough English to be able to get by. Many restaurants had English menus and/or English speaking staff, for instance. This was most emphatically not true in Vladimir and Suzdal (two cities in the Golden Ring outside Moscow). I went with my sister, a Russian speaker, and if she hadn't been there, I would have been in big trouble. So, if you want to see places outside these two big cities, use a guided tour (even if just for that part). Also, Moscow and St. Petersburg are huge cities. Coming from New York, I wasn't intimidated, but those not used to a megacity may not be so cavalier (even I found them overwhelming at times, especially Moscow).

I found both Lonely Planet and Rough Guide to be helpful, and both to have various errors. Look at both, buy whichever one has a more recent edition, and then be prepared to have to discard some of the advice therein. Also, these places change more quickly than places in Western Europe. Be very careful of outdated advice. For instance, I was there in 2001 and 2010, so I won't give you any specifics on getting a visa - that changes constantly.

Just as a teaser, two things I saw and loved that I doubt would be included in any escorted tour are the Gorky House in Moscow (an Art Nouveau wonder) and the Sheremyetov Palace in St. Petersburg (it's now a museum of musical instruments, and the decor is amazing, particularly in the Etruscan Room).

Thanks for all the good advice. Any additional thoughts are welcomed.

One of history's seminal works pertaining to Russian history and culture and a MUST for anyone contemplating a visit or simply interested , is this fine work from 1980 - http://www.amazon.com/Land-Firebird-The-Beauty-Russia/dp/096441841X

This is about you and not about Petersburg. Do you like guided tours? We don't and didn't find that a guide added to our experience in China where we did hire private guides mostly for the logistics; it was easy to have someone drive us places. But once at a site, we didn't need the guide. I felt the same way about our 9 nights in Petersburg. We did hire a guide for the trip to the Catherine Palace again for the ease of logistics for us Olds. Here is our visit: https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2016/01/23/an-easy-trip-to-the-catherine-palace/ There are also snapshots of the Church on Spilled Blood in this photo journal. Having someone pick us up at the apartment and get us in without line ups and shepherd us through the palace steering clear of the tour groups was lovely. But we didn't need commentary because we can read and prepare.

You certainly don't need a guide for the Hermitage (we spent 4 days there), the Russian Museum, the Kazan Cathedral or Church on Spilled Blood or the Faberge Museum. We enjoyed a number of self guided walking tours including a couple from Rick Steves guidebooks. We took the canal cruise suggested by RS that had an English commentator. I would not take one without that as you will be totally clueless. The commentator was not all that good but at least we had some idea what we were seeing. So for people like us who like to do our own thing and can read a guidebook and don't particularly like to be led about, a tour is not needed. If you enjoy tour groups, then go for it. Petersburg is easy to negotiate. It helps if you can read the cyrillic alphabet and it is also useful to have the google translate ap on your phone. We found ourselves translating packages in grocery stores with it and the occasional museum sign or menu. I have one food I need to avoid and so it was handy to have the translator to talk with waiters (I could either show them the sentence, or play it for them or play it to myself and then repeat it to the waiter -- that all worked well)

Dear Russ, I cannot help you with Moscow, but about four years ago, my husband and I went to St Petersburg on our own. But, we did use a private guide for 4 half days. We both feel that our guide absolutely made our trip (we stayed 6 or 7 nights). We used a company owned by Tatyana Chiurikova, www.tour-stpetersburg.com I cannot say enough good things about her and our experience. I emailed her and we worked out a schedule/ sights that was tailored to our interests. She also offered some recommendations, which we took. The guide will meet you at your hotel. And frequently, at certain places, with the guide, we were able to skip the long entrance lines. We had an half day driving tour of the city (car, driver, & guide). You are taken to & go in places such as Peter & Paul Fortress, some of the cathedrals, etc. We had a half day with the guide at the Hermitage which ensured that we would see the major sights there. And, of course, you can stay after your guide leaves or return another day. Also, we had the guide for Peterhof (a must & go by boat) and Catherine's Palace. I hope that you will go to the website. As I said, our guide made our trip. I am positive that we would have missed quite a bit on our own everyday. And I'm sure we would have wasted a lot of time trying to get to various place.This was the best of both worlds, a guide where needed and plenty of time on our own. Whatever you do, I'm sure that you will love St Petersburg! Ashley

I am curious about the lines as we encountered no lines on our trip -- but it was in September. We got tickets for the Hermitage at machines and skipped those lines and our guide for the Catherine Palace which was our only guided experience (as noted before, chosen for the logistics of getting there) had arranged tickets and we didn't have a line, but then we also didn't see lines. We did not find lines at any other site.

Both Moscow and St Petersburg I've done on my own, that is together with the Dear Partner. I can't remember any problem getting where we wanted to go. The Metro systems are well signed, and with a little exercise and patience you can recognize the station names. With a good map and a good guide - we had the Rough Guides - that part of the logistics is solved. The language is a major problem, but the usual tricks of pointing, looking helpless, and making a joke of it all do wonders. I would hate to be led by a guide, but for others it is a comfortable thought.

We also did both cities on our own. I found the DK Eyewitness guide for Moscow has the best map. I used the one from our library (kept the book at home). Took the smaller RS book for St. Petersburg ( his book on northern cities). His map and restaurant ideas were all good. We also downloaded the Google maps in our Android Samsung tablets/phones for both cities and then could get directions to any place we typed in. The blue ball guided us everywhere. I'm sure we missed somethings by not having a guide, but we just enjoy walking around and getting a sense of a place. If you like art, The Hermitage is great. We went 3 times and still missed alot. In St. Peterburg we stayed at the 3 Mosta which we loved (quite and not far from the Church of Spilled Blood.) We also loved the Georgian food in both cities. There's a great Georgian restaurant near the 3 Mosta hotel. We're now in Belarus- very scenic. Enjoy your trip!!

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COMMENTS

Suspension travel: Understanding fork length and how it affects your
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. As fork travel increases with trail bikes, the latitude of responsiveness from your damper becomes more complex. You will see premium trail bike forks offering high- and low-speed compression ...
MTB Travel
In case you're new to riding, mountain bike suspension travel is a measurement of how much a wheel can move to absorb bumps. On the front, mountain bike travel comes from your suspension fork. At the rear, MTB travel is provided by some configuration of frame pivots that compress a rear shock. Going big is easier on my 150mm enduro bike.
How much suspension travel do I need on my mountain bike?
How much suspension travel do I need on my mountain bike? | BikeRadar.
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3. Place a zip tie around one of the stanchions of the fork, just above the dust seal. 4. Use a marker to mark the position of the zip tie on the stanchion. 5. Release the fork and let it extend fully. 6. Measure the distance between the mark on the stanchion and the dust seal. This distance is the fork travel.
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Travel is simply the maximum distance that either the front or rear suspension of the Mountain Bike can compress, when absorbing force, before bottoming out. The higher the travel the more force the suspension can comfortably absorb. The lower amount of travel the lower amount of force absorbed. Specialized FSR Suspension.
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Absolutely. The thing with an 80mm travel fork is that 80mm isn't a lot of travel, but that doesn't mean it's useless. It makes most journeys more comfortable, and with the condition of some of the paved roads these days, an 80mm travel fork will help cushion the impact of some of those imperfections and bumps in the road .
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Fork Travel: The travel of your suspension fork is an important part to consider as well. This is one of the first options you have to change and possibly get "more" out of your front end. Start with finding out what travel your current fork has. Once you know that (for this example let's use a 150mm travel fork).
Why I "Overfork" All My Mountain Bikes
More fork travel helps you maintain control and go faster in gnarly terrain; A longer fork slackens your head tube angle, increasing stability; A longer fork raises your stack height, putting you in a better position on steep terrain; As a general rule, every 10mm change in fork travel leads to a 0.5-degree change in head angle. So bumping up ...
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Moreover, 200mm-travel forks on some of the best downhill bikes have a dual-crown design to increase stiffness for the extreme demands of this discipline. Front travel - Front travel is the distance the wheel moves when the fork reaches full compression. Wheel travel and fork travel are equal. Lowers - The outer tubes into which the ...
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Then using your fork travel (the SB150 has 170mm of fork travel) and your desired sag percentage and do some math (170 x .18 = 30mm). I'm looking for a hair over 30mm on a 170mm travel fork. Keep messing around, equalizing the positive and negative chambers each time you change pressure and repeat this process until you get to your desired ...
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Optional FOX 36/38 Mud Guard with sturdy 4-point direct-mount attachment. Air Spring. FLOAT EVOL. Steerer. 1.5 Taper. Starting Weight. 1929g (36, 29, F-S, 160, Grip X, Kabolt X)*. * Fork weights shown are at 165mm steerer length with star fangled nut and disc brake guide installed. * Use the FORK BUILDER below to see model configurations.
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180 direct Post Mount, Up to 203 compatible. Air Spring. FLOAT EVOL. Steerer. 1.5 Taper. Starting Weight. 1686g (34, 29, F-S, 140, Grip X, Kabolt)*. * Fork weights shown are at 165mm steerer length with star fangled nut and disc brake guide installed. Use the FORK BUILDER below to see model configurations.
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