Currently riding a spesh stumpjumper HT about 8 years old. I’m looking for a new bike (FS). Just looking for any ideas on ideal amount of travel that would suit the most types of riding. To clarify: live in Northumberland so mainly local XC ‘slogging’ and even carrying!!; several forays to the lakes and scotland and a limited number of visits to trail centres – mainly glentress/innerleithen. I want to expand my riding CV as it were – but not up for DH or extreme Alps etc just yet!. I’m 5’9 and 17st – working on the fitness (coughs)!!! Have been looking at Ghost AMR; Lapierre =Zesty 314; Stumpy Elite FSR; Canyon – XC or AM? Cheers!

General opinion seems to have settled on approx 120mm of travel both ends being about the ideal for “general riding”… 140mm if you favour the downs a bit more, 160+ if you’re happy just to winch your way up for big fun on the way down, 100mm or less if you’re more of an XC racer.

Though of course it’s all down to personal preference. Buy the bike that you like, and get on with, not just cos someone else has recommended it to you. I used to ride bikes with longer than ideal travel for the use they were usually subjected to, but that said, these days I ride a hardtail with a 120mm fork for most things and it’s perfect…

Thanks mboy. Yeh I wasn’t looking for which bike I should get just some general ideas on travel and how this helps/detracts from the ride. Out of interest would a stumpy HT take a 120mm fork? I’ve got 100mm at the moment and have doen since breaking the scarab it came with.

If it’s 8 years old, I think 100mm is really the max it was designed for. That’s not to say you couldn’t do it, but it might not handle that well, if you get me…

thats what i thought! cheers