MTB Fork Upgrade Guide | Is More Travel OK?

[@JasonFoxLCB]

I put a 130 Pike on my D7. Technically a 35mm, but feels lighter than the Recon than it replaced. Best upgrade I made overall.

[@bikesonline]

That Pike is perfectly permissible. The stanchion tidbit is just a "guideline." We have tested the Pike on the Siskiu D chassis as well, and it's a great choice!

[@komoonkh]

In some cases, you can go more than that. I put a 140mm forks on my Kona, which was 100mm originally and it feels amazing. Only disadvantage is that I need to lean forward more on very steep climbs, but it is still pretty ok.

[@komoonkh]

When I asked Kona what they think about upping my travel, if its ok, they sent me a smiley face, haha

[@bikesonline]

The part about their reply is pretty funny! haha! We created these guidelines in conjunction with our warranty department, and I'd think each company will have varying degrees of recommendation.

[@danielwebb9188]

Do you have a lava ? Is it better to upgrade fork on lava than buying a honzo ?

[@comrade2620]

I put a 180mm yari fork on xc bike which was 100mm originally, and ints feel good.

[@gpearce11]

A quick reminder for if your enduro bike IS compatible with dual crown forks (as this becoming increasingly common. The crown-to-axle measurement on DC forks is generally around 10mm less for a set travel than an SC fork, so if you're upgrading from a 170mm Zeb/38, a 190mm Boxxer/40 would have the same geometry as a 180mm Zeb/38.

[@bikesonline]

Great reminder!!

[@bantam700]

I just put a 160mm fox factory 36 on my 27.5 T8, it was on sale for 75% off. I was unsure about the extra 10mm but figured if I don't like the slacker geo I can just grab a shorter air spring and bring it back down. Now here's hoping for a chance to ride it sometime soon with this lousy weather we have right now...

[@bikesonline]

Sounds like you got a great deal! Enjoy!

[@phatzil84]

Just bought Nukeproof Mega 29 alloy enduro 2020 frame.. mayb will consider getting Rockshox Zebb fork. Thankss

[@bikesonline]

That would be awesome!

[@samoenandra]

What are the guidelines for rear shocks?

[@bikesonline]

Good question! We recommend keeping the shock dimensions the same.

[@theunboxer1677]

I have a 130mm on a giant fathom 1, would a 120mm or 140mm will work? What would be the best option?

[@bikesonline]

We would recommend sticking with the factory stroke or maybe increasing it by 10mm!

[@Countryboys-MTB]

Does rear travel matter in choosing a fork for example I have a Rocky Mountain altitude a30 red & grey it has 170mm front and 160mm rear can I still upgrade the fork to 190mm so the bike would be 190mm front and 160mm rear. Would the 30mm difference in travel between the front and rear be too much and would it impact the geometry?

[@bikesonline]

You’d probably be fine to go up 20mm in front on that one. It’s much less significant since the bike is already long travel. We advise you still ask the manufacturer to be sure!

[@Countryboys-MTB]

@ thanks bikes online your always a great help 👍🏻

[@vdubadct73]

I’ve got a 22 specialized fuse came with 130mm forks 46mm offset. I want to upgrade to airshocks. What’s my options?

[@bikesonline]

Rockshox Pike, Fox 34, SR Suntour Aion, Marzocchi Z2 - theres a few to look at!

[@vdubadct73]

@ thank you!

[@mjojrjr6231]

How about the fork offset? Increase travel with plus or minus offset of how many mm is acceptable?

[@bikesonline]

Keep the offset as close as possible to factory would be our advice.

[@mofu1053]

What do you think about going from a 140mm > 120mm and a 32mm stanchions > 34mm with a 70° headtube angle?

[@bikesonline]

I'd keep an eye out for how that impacts your BB height! You may have a lot of issues with pedal strikes.

[@herry-y6h]

I have read about the possibility of my head tube breaking if change my 100mm coil fork to a 140mm air fork. Is that a thing to consider? Thanks in advance

[@bikesonline]

Typically a bike with only 100mm travel is not setup to suddenly run 140. It would be worth checking with the warranty department of your bike manufacturer.

[@JoeIsCrazyWillman]

What about getting 10mm more for the rear too tho to match? I have both the 2022 D7SE and the 2022 T7, and wanna upgrade both. I have to have the rear overpressure the rear in order to not bottom out even on small to medium jumps and drops. I'm only 150lbs but have 220psi rear in order to not bottom. I still use 80-90% travel commonly at this PSI while having a 15-18% sag on both bikes.

[@bikesonline]

Good question! It's not advised to alter rear shock geometry. You could either have issues with the tire bottoming out on the frame or you could over extend the pivoting components. Neither of these scenarios would bode well for the bike. It's far better to manipulate the characteristics with air pressure, damping, and volume tokens. Cheers!

[@JoeIsCrazyWillman]

@@bikesonline after finding out I needed more pressure in the rear, much more than I should for my weight, my coach suggested 1-2 more tokens. My LBS went to service the shock and found it already had 3 in it from the factory, so adding more was impossible. So how do I keep the softness & correct sag of proper air pressure for my weight but also not bottom them out on everage to semi-agressive riding?

[@ryanparry_]

For my bike in particular you can get a cascade link which adds 8mm of travel to the rear

[@jureojstersek7722]

Hi, i have a 100mm travel xc bike and i wanna swap it with a 130mm fork but what will that, change and is it even possible?

[@bikesonline]

It's certainly possible, but it may be a bit stressful for the frame going up by 30% - it would be best to contact the manufacturer of your bike to make sure!

[@lucascollins118]

Is going 10mm over the max capability ok on the fork

[@bikesonline]

Can you explain what you mean by that a little more?

[@JamesM-T]

Is it ok to put a 160mm on my 170mm? How would the geometry change?

[@bikesonline]

a 10mm change shouldn't cause too much drama! They have some really good calculators on the internet that can tell you how your specific geo chart will change.

[@Fight-centerGG]

I have a older trek 6000. its white and blue with purple magnou forks stock. I want to upgrade my forks to something with more travel and that is beefier, because the trail in my area and rough and rugged. and I feel the stock forks on the trek 6000 just aren't cutting it. so can someone give me a few suggestions for a upgrade. and nothing too pricy, around 200.

[@bikesonline]

You might be able to find a Rockshox Recon or something like that to address your needs!

[@Alex_Ssnow]

if i have 80mm of travel on my hardtail could i upgrade to 100mm fork?

[@bikesonline]

That probably would be okay, but best to check with your manufacturer.

[@daanpaepen]

Can u also go from 120 mm to 140mm of travel?

[@bikesonline]

It would be best to check with the manufacturer of your frame!

[@RedBeardedRider]

So do you think it would be a good or bad idea to add the sr suntour durolux38 on the sisku T7 29er? I want just a little more travel. I feel the flex on the rockshox recon it came with and bottom out all over the place.

[@bikesonline]

The durolux 36 or 38 would be a good choice! Make sure that you don't go too crazy in terms of adding front travel, however. 140-150 on a 29er or 150-160 on the 27.5 version would be suitable.

[@azalizulkepli4729]

For xtrada 7, what fork is best?

[@bikesonline]

A popular option is the SR Suntour Epixon for compatibility and price point!

[@azalizulkepli4729]

​@@bikesonlineoriginal 120mm travel.. can change 100mm travel?

[@itsbigwolf6452]

This came in the right time😂 I was just checkin out some forks

[@bikesonline]

Glad we could help! Enjoy that bike!

[@Quindariousgoochguy]

My d7 is a 170 120

[@bikesonline]

That could certainly put your bike outside of consideration for warranty.

[@slxyrr7]

what should i get for talon 2

[@bikesonline]

SR Suntour Epixon perhaps?

[@damirculic9352]

120-130 millimetres of travel is plenty enough.

[@bikesonline]

You can indeed get a lot done with that!

[@randymoral4994]

What should i get for merida big nine 300?

[@bikesonline]

This would be a great question to ask Merida, since all brands approach this topic differently.