Proper fork length for a bike with 5.5 inches of rear shock
5 min read
Asked by: Victoria Hills
How do I know what size forks to buy?
Wheel sizes
If you have 27.5/650B or 29in wheels then you need the corresponding size fork. Tip: if you have 26in wheels you can use 26in size forks (obviously) but you can also get away with running a 27.5/650B fork without messing up your bike’s handling significantly.
How much of my fork travel should I be using?
Registered. You fork should come very close to bottoming out on the biggest hit you ever take of any ride you do. 1mm close to bottom is perfect.
How does fork length affect reach?
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.
How do I know what size rear shock I need?
Quote from video: We can see the two measurements we need to take the first is the eye to eye distance. And the second is the stroke length which is detection of the shark.
How do I know what size fork will fit my bike?
Take your existing front wheel out and measure the current axle diameter to work out further narrow down what fork your bike can accommodate.
How do you measure fork length?
Fish regulated by fork length are measured from the tip of the jaw or tip of the snout with closed mouth to the center of the fork in the tail.
Is more fork travel better?
The more travel a fork has, the bigger, heavier and stiffer the fork will be, so the chassis will be designed to reflect these demands too. The payoff for having a burlier fork chassis that’s more capable on the descents is that it will feel big and cumbersome on the climbs.
Can I put a 150mm fork on a 140mm bike?
You’ll be fine either way. It’s only when you go up or down more than 25mm in travel that you really have to worry: You’re likely to end up negatively effecting your geometry and risking damage to the frame.
Is 130mm fork enough?
Is 130 mm Travel Enough for Trail Riding? In regards to trail riding, a 130 mm travel MTB is going to be a good choice for the majority of people. This is going to be a very good all-around bike that will not feel too sluggish on the flat portions of your ride and will offer decent climbing capabilities.
Does a longer fork increase wheelbase?
That site verifies the numbers that I posted… a 10mm increase in fork length results in an increase in wheelbase of about 3.5mm if you have a 70° head tube angle, and 4.3mm if you have a 65° HTA.
How does fork length affect head angle?
Geometry changes
As the fork gets longer, it raises handlebars up and slackens the head tube angle. As a rough estimate, each 20mm of travel added will correlate to a one-degree difference in the head tube angle.
What does increasing fork offset do?
Increasing fork offset reduces trail. Larger wheels increase trail. With a larger wheel (e.g., a 29” wheel) the axle is higher off the ground compared to a smaller wheel. If you draw a line through the steering axis to the ground, it intersects the ground farther forward of the axle, increasing trail.
How are front bike forks measured?
The length of the fork is usually measured parallel to the steerer tube from the bottom of the lower bearing race to the center of the front wheel axle. A 1996 survey of 13 700c road forks found a maximum length of 374.7 mm and a minimum of 363.5 mm.
Can you put a 130mm fork on a 100mm bike?
at 130mm you’ll probably be fine, I wouldn’t put anything bigger on there. The kona frames are pretty strong, I used to run a 130mm fork on my 100mm jump bike for AM and a lottle more FR riding, I was fine.
Can you put 140mm forks on a 120mm bike?
Going from 120 mm up to 140 mm should be perfectly fine.
Do all forks fit all bikes?
Not all suspension forks will fit your bike, so you it’s important that you know how to choose one that is compatible with your bike’s frame and your existing front wheel.
How do you pick a fork?
Quote from video: The width is available in two sizes either the standard hundred mil or what's known as boost which is 110 Millwood. So to measure the distance. Between the dropouts.
How do I know what size my headset is?
Threaded headset sizes are designated by the outer diameter of the steering column. This can seem confusing, because the head cups do not measure the named standard. The threaded standards are 1 inch, 1-1/8 inch, and 1-1/4 inch headsets.
Can I put a 29er fork on a 26 bike?
It would work, but there would be no benefit to it at all. It would probably just mess up the bikes geometry and add weight. You would only get more travel if the fork you put on has more travel than the one its replacing.
Is it OK to use 29er fork on a 27.5 bike?
Condensed Answer: A 29″ fork can be installed on a 27.5″ bike, but it will have a notable effect on the bike’s geometry. The new fork will slacken the head tube and seat tube angle. Consequently, the handling of the bicycle will change in a manner that the rider may not like.
Can I use 27.5 fork on a 26 frame?
Condensed answer: A 26-inch wheel can be easily installed on a 27.5 fork if both are disc brake ready. If the fork uses rim brakes, however, the braze-ons would be a bit higher, and the calipers won’t catch the rim.