# Is 80mm of travel enough?



## RuthlessPastor (Aug 8, 2006)

Hello all.  I'm about 6'0" tall and weigh about 240. I should be down around 220 by summer. My bike is a GT I-Drive 3.0 and it's time to upgrade the fork. I'm looking at a 2005 Fox RLT that has 80mm of travel; it is an air shock. I ride almost exclusively XC. Will this fork do the trick? Is there any reason to spend more money for a 100mm fork?


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## Padre (Jan 6, 2004)

I've been riding 100mm exclusively for a few years. 
I retro'd an old bike with an 80mm fork. I rode it for 3 rides and came to the conclusion that 80mm isn't enough. I have to run too much air in it to allow it to be plush.

Upping the travel to 90mm made a noticable difference in plushness.

If your frame will accomodate, I'd suggest 100mm.


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## RuthlessPastor (Aug 8, 2006)

A Pastor should always take advice from a Padre, done. Thanks for the heads up.


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

What fork is on the bike now?
Generally, you should stick to a fork that is about the same length as the old one, unless you want to change the geometry and the way the bike handles.


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## GusTopher (May 5, 2005)

Perttime has it right. You need to replace it with the same length, otherwise you may screw up your geometry. The bike would handle significantly different if you lower/raised the front end. 

Of course, this is all opinion.


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## RuthlessPastor (Aug 8, 2006)

The fork on it now is a Rock Shox Judy. It came as OEM on the bike and I had the stiffest spring kit put in. As far as I'm concerned though, the front of the bike sits too low; I would welcome a change that brought the front end up some.


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## tenbsmith (Dec 31, 2004)

Going from 80mm to 100mm fork will change the geometry of the bike--this is a fact not an opinion. This change in geometry will effect handling, making the bike turn slower and more likely to wheelie on a climb, but also making it feel more stable going downhill. Whether or not you will like these changes is an opinion. A number of riders are happy with bikes that have longer, greater travel than OEM forks (e.g., 80mm to 100mm, or 100mm to 120mm). Some bikes are designed to have different length forks. I just bought a new fork, and decided to stay with my Tassajara's original geometry (a 100mm travel fork).


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## tenbsmith (Dec 31, 2004)

Going from 80mm to 100mm fork will change the geometry of the bike--this is a fact not an opinion. This change in geometry will effect handling, making the bike turn slower and more likely to wheelie on a climb, but also making it feel more stable going downhill. Whether or not you will like these changes is an opinion. A number of riders are happy with bikes that have longer, greater travel than OEM forks (e.g., 80mm to 100mm, or 100mm to 120mm). Some bikes are designed to have different length forks. I just bought a new fork, and decided to stay with my Tassajara's original geometry (a 100mm travel fork). At some point I'd like to buy a full suspension bike with more relaxed geometry, so I'd like to keep this one a nimble hard tail.


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## MillerSHO (Sep 28, 2006)

Going up one level isn't going to make that big of change people comn.

It's the upgrades 2 to 4 levels up that really make a big change.

So going from 80 to 100mm on your bike isn't going to change the handling but a good 100 fork will really help you out on the trails..


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## RuthlessPastor (Aug 8, 2006)

I've decided to go with a Marzocchi 100mm but have questions on which one. I've posted a thread in the forks forum; please contribute if you have an opinion. http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=260064


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

I am a little lighter than you and running a 2005 Marzocchi MX Comp Air (air springs only). It is very simple and it works. I would not call it particularly plush but it takes the sting out of the rocky trails.

Apparently Marzocchis tend to be a little taller, for the amount of travel, than many other makes.


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## norm (Feb 20, 2005)

RuthlessPastor said:


> I've decided to go with a Marzocchi 100mm but have questions on which one. I've posted a thread in the forks forum; please contribute if you have an opinion. http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=260064


i had a 100mm fork in place of a 80mm and hated it...the bike handled alot different. i ended up selling the 100mm fork and going back to a 80mm.


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