Short Travel 29ers

Terminology

A.) Reach: the distance between the center of the head tube (where the handlebars sit) and an invisible line that runs up from the center of the bottom bracket. Short travel bikes are getting longer and longer reach, meaning to keep up with steeper head tube angles (read on), the longer reach allows the rider to have more control over the front end of the bike. For a medium-sized frame, expect to see between 440mm and 470mm for reach.

B.) Rear Center (Chainstay Length): The distance between the rear axle and the bottom bracket. The shorter the measurement means the rider will be positioned closer to the back axle and this allows for easier manuals, greater control over the back tire, and overall, the bike will have a more responsive feel. The longer the chainstay length, the greater stability you will have at speed and over rougher terrain.

C.) Front Center: The distance between the front axle and the bottom bracket. As head tubes get slacker the front center distance is getting longer. A longer measurement again will mean more control at speed on downhills but potentially sluggish responsiveness on uphills and flats. A shorter front center will provide more agile steering and greater control on uphills but may feel sketchy when at speed on downhills.

D.) Wheelbase: Measure from the front center to the rear center of each wheel, and you get the measurement for the wheelbase. This is the distance between the front axle and rear axle. A larger wheelbase will provide stability on the downhills while a shorter wheelbase will be more maneuverable and give slightly better control over the front wheel. Both serve different purposes and each rider will likely prefer a different measurement depending on his or her discipline.

E.) Bottom Bracket Height: This is the measurement of the distance between the bottom bracket and the ground. A lower bottom bracket height will offer more control and a more stable feeling on the downhills, however the trade-off is the potential of bouncing your bottom bracket or pedals off of uneven roots and rocks.

F.) Head Tube Angle: This is the angle of the head tube from a flat plane (the ground). Head tube angles often absorb the most impact on the handling and stability of the mountain bike. You will hear the angles referred to as “slack” if they are a low angle or steep as they get higher. Cross country bikes and trail bikes have steeper head tube angles that allow riders to have greater control over the bike while climbing, whereas enduro and downhill mountain bikes have very slack head tube angles to give the most control while descending at high speeds.

G.) Seat Tube Angle: This is the angle that the seat tube stands up from horizontal. This angle determines the rider’s seated position over the back wheel and the amount of control that they will have over the front wheel. A steeper seat tube angle has traditionally been best for bikes that want to climb and keep the rider in a neutral position so they can power hard into the pedals. A steeper seat tube angle also offers the rider the option to have more weight over the front wheels and, in turn, greater control and traction over the front end.

H.) Trail: The distance between the bikes front wheel contact patch with the ground and the steering axis. Greater tire size will provide more trail as well as smaller fork offsets. The more trail, the greater amount of tire will be in contact with the ground and that equals more traction and control.

Fork Offset: The distance between the front axle and the steering axis. Essentially, where the front fork comes down from the head tube is your steering axis, and the small amount of metal that connects the front fork to the axle is the offset. Traditionally, mountain bikes have gone with a 51mm offset for 29” wheels. However, there is a small push towards bringing in smaller offsets, like 44mm, which provide greater trail and more traction.

Travel: This is how far moving parts move on a mountain bike. Mainly referring to the suspension (rear and front). When reading about mountain bikes, specifically a “120 mm travel bike,” the travel they are mentioning is in the rear shock. Frames are built with a level of suspension in mind and are not often switched for different levels of travel, so that is why the travel often only means the rear suspension. Front travel in the forks is easier to switch around, depending on the rider’s preference and terrain, so those numbers will change more frequently.

Bikes with smaller travel (short travel) are better for climbing as the suspension won’t take away too much of your pedaling power as you move uphill, whereas the larger suspension is better for a more controlled and comfortable descent down choppy terrain. Most suspension systems are lockable, meaning you can reduce the amount of travel on the fly, and this helps with climbs. 

Best Short Travel Mountain Bikes of 2021

Other Mountain Bikes

Norco Optic

Evil the Following

Yeti SB 115

Trek Fuel EX

Orbea Occam

Trek Top Fuel

Banshee Phantom

Specialized Stumpjumper ST

Alchemy Arktos ST

Ibis Ripley

Best Short Travel Bike of 2021

You’ll be able to ride to your limits with confidence on the new Ibis Ripley. It is upgraded and ready to help you set some new PR’s on your backyard trails. Still super fast on the climbs, the new geo has added some forgiveness but keeps all the wheels on the ground during a steep climb and may have you trying climbs you used to ignore. A longer wheelbase has added a sense of security for your descents. Whereas the old Ripley would have gotten squirrely, the new version minds its manners and handles the cornering efficiently. It was easy to choose the Ibis Ripley as our Best Short Travel Bike of 2021.

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Santa Cruz Tallboy

Best Downhill Short Travel Bike of 2021

Built to be a charger on the downhill, the Tallboy does not disappoint. With a Trail frame but an Enduro mindset, this bike seems like it can do it all. Sure, it does not climb as well as the Ripley or the Fuel, but you will never hit a corner as fast on those bikes as you will on the Tallboy. With three styles of frame material and a huge variety of build options, the Tallboy is a great option for riders who may spend more time in the tailgate of their buddy’s truck than pedaling to the top of the mountain. It will do the climbs, but the downs are where the real fun is at, so we named the Tallboy the Best Downhill Short Travel Bike of 2021.

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Marin Rift Zone

Best Budget Short Travel Bike of 2021

Marin nailed it with their new Rift Zone. The new modern geometry that they have given this bike is excellent. It is the definition of “long, low, and slack,” and it is a blast to ride. The price of getting on some carbon framed bikes with well thought out components is great to see. This will offer a lot of people the chance to get out and explore their local trails. Marin even beefed up the front brakes so the bike can offer a bit more assistance when the geometry gets you in some tricky spots. For the price and the fun ride, the Marin Rift Zone is our Best Budget Short Travel Bike of 2021.

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Other Mountain Bikes

Revel Ranger

A new short travel bike offered by Revel, the Ranger, is a mean (can be green) downhill riding machine. The climbing ability with this bike is solid, but the geometry could be a bit more climb-friendly and could have a slightly steeper seat tube angle. As for downhills, this thing rips. The Canfield Brothers Formula that was applied to the rear suspension is super impressive and makes for a surprisingly smooth ride with lots of traction. For being Revel’s first go at a short travel bike, they have done a lot of things right.

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Norco Optic

If you are looking to spend some serious time in the saddle, this Optic is built for those days. It may not climb super fast, but it is comfortable and puts the rider in a good position for climbing to keep things moving. The downhills are a blast because the bike has a ton of traction and demolishes small bumps for breakfast. The modern geo on the Optic frame puts you in a super stable position for the downhills, providing so much confidence it’s crazy. There is an Optic build out for every price bracket. Norco also offers the Optic in a fit for both genders, one of the few companies to do so.

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Evil the Following

Evil has produced a really fun bike. With really modern geo to help with the climbing without compromising the downhill fun, it feels like the Following can do anything. The DELTA link rear suspension gives the bike a bottomless feeling which is impressive with only 120mm of travel. The frame geo offers so much control over the bike it almost disappears beneath you which is always a cool feeling. Be careful, the confidence you gain may land you in some trouble when the trail gets too chundery.

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Yeti SB 115

The Yeti SB115 is a slightly longer travel ride than the SB100, but that is about the only difference. Yeti did not upgrade the geometry of the bike, which leaves us wondering if it could have been better with a more modern set up. The SB115 is also a fair bit heavier than the SB100 and just seems to be like an awkward pre-teen unsure of where it belongs. The rear linkage did get an upgrade from the SB100 and is now bulletproof, which is a great feeling when you take the bike into the chop. Yeti makes good bikes; unfortunately, this one just seems to miss the mark.

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Trek Fuel EX

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Orbea Occam

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Trek Top Fuel

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Banshee Phantom

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Specialized Stumpjumper ST

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Alchemy Arktos ST

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