Full suspension travel

[Alan Farroll]

Hi,

If a full suspension bike has a rear shocker with 120mm travel what is the limitations of this measurement please? I mean is this good for just beginner level or up to intermediate?

Can a bike with 120mm travel shocker be upgraded to a 140mm shocker?

Thanks in advance

 

[Deleted member 23692]

No. It's the design of the linkage that transfers the vertical movement of the rear wheel to the shock that dictates the amount of travel, not the shock.

Even though my bikes has 150mm of travel, the shock only has about 50mm of stroke

 

[Threevok]

Is there any reason why you want more travel on the rear ?

 

[iluvmybike]

The shock eyelet-to-eyelet measure is what dictates the length of the shock you can fit - that is a fixed length and cannot be changed. You can change the type/make of shock within that measurement of course

 

[Bobario]

100 to 120mm travel is standard for a normal trail bike, 140 to 160 is usually all-mountain/enduro ie heavy trail/light downhill and 160mm+ is usually the domain of purpose built downhill bikes. Just because your bike is only designed for trail/xc riding doesn't mean you can't use it for downhilling. I've seen video's of riders bombing it round trail centres on rigid road bikes and even a womens upright shopping bike in one case. It just means it wont soak up the big hits like a longer travel bike will.

You may be able to find a shock with the same eye to eye length but a longer stroke, and you may be able to fit a longer shock in anyway which will give you more travel, but be aware your bike was designed with 120mm of travel for a reason. Increasing the length of the shock will throw out the bikes geometry, and you may break something (including yourself) as it was not meant to have more travel.

 

[Drago]

Its worth mentioning at this point that XC is a competitive racing discipline, and has little in common with trail riding. Don't go looking for an XC bike if you're a trail rider, or indeed vice versa - very different beasts.

 

[Alan Farroll]

Ah!!! Wait!! I think I have this all wrong. So, the travel is not really down to ability but more what your activities are with the bike - is this correct???

I found this too below. The tab for “full suspension guide” explains something similar

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Merida-One...tain-Bike-2018-Full-Suspension-MTB_110657.htm

 

[Ciar]

Ah!!! Wait!! I think I have this all wrong. So, the travel is not really down to ability but more what your activities are with the bike - is this correct???

I found this too below. The tab for “full suspension guide” explains something similar

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Merida-One...tain-Bike-2018-Full-Suspension-MTB_110657.htm

if you want to ride trails then 120mm-140mm covers that perfectly even a slack HT with longer travel will do that.

if you intend to be an Enduro/Downhill gnarly dude then get more travel

as for the bike you have linked, i myself have a Merida 120 800 and it rides everything i put it through without issue.

just a question though what terrain are you likely to be riding on regularly?