What's the correct fork travel for my bike?

We are often asked about changing the fork travel of their Santa Cruz. We do want our riders to season their rig to personal taste and preference, but within certain guidelines.

Please follow the recommendations below. Failure to do so can cause damage to the frame, void your frame warranty, or result in serious injury or death.

Adding 10mm from stock fork

Positive Effects

Increased Front Travel:

A longer fork provides additional suspension travel, which can enhance the bike's ability to absorb impacts and handle rough terrain more comfortably. This can be beneficial when riding aggressive trails or taking on technical descents.

Improved Bump Compliance:

With increased travel, the fork may offer better compliance over bumps and roots, allowing it to soak up minor irregularities more effectively. This can result in a smoother and more controlled ride, especially on rough or choppy trails.

Enhanced Stability:

A fork with longer travel can contribute to improved stability, especially at higher speeds and during descents. The extra travel and increased rake can help keep the front wheel planted, providing the rider with a greater sense of control and confidence on challenging terrain.

Negative Effects:

Altered Geometry:

Installing a fork that is longer than spec can alter the bike's geometry in a negative way. This may result in changes to the head angle, bottom bracket height, and overall handling characteristics of the bike. Depending on the degree of change, it could affect how the bike climbs, descends, and corners.

Impaired Climbing Performance:

A longer fork can slacken the head angle and raise the front end of the bike, potentially compromising its climbing performance. The altered geometry may make it more difficult to maintain traction and stability when ascending steep inclines, particularly on technical climbs.

Potential Handling Issues:

The altered geometry resulting from a longer fork may lead to changes in the bike's handling characteristics. It could affect how the bike responds to rider input, potentially making it feel less responsive or less agile, particularly in tight, winding terrain.

Removing 10mm from stock fork

Installing a shorter fork alters the bike's geometry by steepening the head angle and lowering the front end. This increases weight on the front end, resulting in seemingly-sharper handling. 

However, because this also lowers the bottom bracket height, it can lead to increased pedal strikes and potential injury. For this reason, we do not recommend installing a fork with less travel than the bike came with. One exception would be a model that was designed around different fork lengths such as the Blur 4 (120 or 100 mm). In this case, one might consider also shortening the rear shock travel accordingly for the sake of balancing both ends. 

Have fun safely experimenting and enjoy those trails!