Front travel settings!

Currently running a 140mm Pike RCT3 which has been fine but is a bit flexy and needs a service to get it back to fine.

Sat in the spares/stock rotation box is a 2019 factory 36 Grip2 so I’ve thrown that on, and it looks good, but 180mm travel is probably pushing the headtubes willingness to remain part of the frame, not to mention the (currently) excellent handling of the bike.

So the plan is to swap air shafts, obvs 140mm is the obvious choice, but I’m wondering if anyone has gone to 150 or 160 (hell, 170 or 180?!) and noted an improvement?

For those wondering what a 180/125mm bike looks like…

63.5 degree head angle 🤭

It looks wheelie good like that!

Mine’s a V4, but I felt the handling get significantly wandery going from 130 to 140. I’d have thought 150+ Would ruin the character of the bike. If you want 180mm, it’s not the right bike for you.

I halve no real concerns about the integrity of the headstock either way. If you like it like that, crack on, I say.

I had a V2 running 140mm as standard. Tried the front wheel from my 27.5+ which slackened it off and it was a floppy, unstable barely rideable mess. Would imagine a 150 fork would have the same effect.

I’ve had the mk1 (solo) mk2 and mk4 versions. The solo was one of my favourite bikes.

Had a 150 pike with a fast damper on it for a good while, but also tried a 140 pike along with a few other forks. I’ve always been a fan of the big forked’ trail bike, and the 150 worked really well. Just the right balance for the type of riding round this way.

Loved that bike.

If you want 180mm, it’s not the right bike for you.

I don’t really (the fork is off a bike that’s now sporting a dual crown fork) I’m probably going to go 140, but wondered if anyone had any luck with other options.

I did try a 150mm pike a few years ago, but the fork was always sitting very high in its travel, so felt crap, then when I fixed it I went to 140, so never really worked out if it was the 150 bit, or the knackered bit that payed the biggest part in the crapness.

Ran my V2 with a 150mm 36 grip 2 for 5 years. It worked fine.

Currently running my V2 with a 140 pike. Been an excellent ride for 4 years. Never felt the need for more travel.