Riding a mountain bike with the right fork will give you the best riding experience. In order to find the right fork for your mountain bike, you need to know the right measurements. So, here are some important things you should consider when you’re looking for the right mountain bike fork:
- Headset Type
There are two different types of headsets: threaded and threadless headsets. Threaded headsets are cheaper and pretty much easy to service, however your ride will be bumpy. If you want a smooth, well-balanced ride, the threaded one will be a better option.
- Steer Tube Diameter
When it comes to choosing the steer tube diameter, you basically have two alternatives: 25.4mm or 28.6mm. Most threadless headsets come with 28.6mm steer tube diameter, but you should always make sure that the frame could fit the tread perfectly. You can do that by measuring the inner side of the head tube. If you prefer to use a 25.4mm thread, you need to make sure that you have a 34mm frame. When the headset is installed, do another measurement to make sure that the inner diameter is 28.6mm.
- Steer Tube Length
This is a very important thing that you should check when you’re choosing a bicycle fork. You need to be sure that the steer tube has enough length to extend above the headset. Don’t forget to see if it has enough room so that the stem could clamp perfectly. So it’s important that you get the right measurement for the length of your head tube, stem clamp and headset before you start looking for a new bike fork. After you get all the measurements, add with 3-4mm. This will give you an ideal minimum steer tube length for your mountain bike.
- Wheel and Brake Type
Some mountain bike forks are designed for specific types of bike, with certain wheel sizes and brake types. For example, a mountain bike with 26-inch wheels is meant for cantilever or v-brakes. So make sure that the bike fork can accommodate the size of your wheels and the type of brake that goes with the wheels.
- Axle-to-crown Length
This is the distance between the center of your axle and the top of your fork crown. The geometrical design of your bike is focused in this area. This is something that you cannot change, not even slightly, because it heavily affects your handling.
- Travel
If your mountain bike came with a suspension fork, you should correct the suspension to the default amount of travel when you bought it. Travel is the maximum vertical distance the bike fork can compress in order to absorb an impact. So that means, if your bike originally has a 80mm suspension fork, then the best fork for you is the 80mm one.
- Manufacturer
Finally, also consider the bike fork manufacturer. Make sure that you only purchase your bike fork from a trusted and reliable manufacturer that can provide guarantee for their products.
