You might be thinking about getting an upgrade for your bike. And a new fork could be an awesome upgrade.
But you’re confused if your hardtail will suit a dual crown fork or not. And that’s why we are here.
So, hardtail with dual crown forks, is it any good?
Most hardtails aren’t designed to be used with dual crown forks. Dual crowns forks attach to both the top and bottom of the head tube. Due to the design of the hardtail, they will apply more pressure to the headtube. Resulting in damage. So it’s better not to pair a hardtail with dual crown forks.
Well, now you know the initial answer. But to fully understand the problem you can follow our article.
So let’s get right into it!
Difference Between Single Crown & Dual Crown Forks
When talking about the general architecture of a cycle, there are two main groups of forks.
They are single crown forks and dual crown forks. There is a main difference between single crown vs dual crown fork. This is that they attach to the headtube of the cycle.
Single crown forks attach only to the bottom of the headtube. Whereas double crown forks attach to both the top and bottom of the headtube.
This difference in attachment makes some significant changes in the bike geometry.
The double crown fork attaches to both the top and bottom. So it’s stiffer than a single crown fork.
Double Crown fork-
Source: singletracks
Thus hardtail mtb with dual crown forks is much harder to pedal. And much less smooth to maneuver. That’s why dual fork cycles are mostly limited to downhill bikes.
What Effects Will Attaching Dual Crown Forks Have?
Upgrading hardtail fork of the cycle could make you think of adding a dual fork. But if the benefits of dual crown fork are worth the effects. This has to be brought into consideration.
Attaching dual crown forks can have numerous effects on your bike. And knowing them is a must before you change your forks. Because a wrong decision can cause irreversible damage to your bike.
So let’s check out what effects it can have on your bike in the long run.
1. Variation Of Travel Distance
When you are buying a bike, it is designed to work best with the parts that it came with.
And fork travel is very important. As it directly relates to the pressure handled by the bike frame. A 180mm fork on a hardtail will have more travel than 160mm fork on a hardtail. And the increased travel will increase the pressure on the headtube.
So, if your bike is not designed to handle the extra travel of dual forks. It will certainly put more pressure on the headtube. Resulting in damaging it and breaking it.
Whether your bike has 120 mm or 100mm travel fork, it’s related to frame design. And changing that puts your bike at risk.
2. Stiffness & Pressure Handling
Dual crown forks are naturally stiffer than single crown forks. And that results in different kinds of force distribution.
When a single crown fork is stressed under pressure it will bend a little. And by bending, it takes some pressure off the headtube.
But dual crown forks, due to their stiffness, do not absorb that extra damage. So after prolonged use, you can see the headtube giving up. As it can not be sensed or identified earlier without opening the bike.
Load handling is the main job of forks. And due to their different design, dual fork and single form handle forces differently. The force distribution for each of them is different.
So the headtube was previously designed to withstand a significant amount of force. But the difference in forks can make them experience different loads and cause damage.
3. Voiding Warranty
A bike is manufactured after various testing and combination of gears. But using something different than the original intent can cause problems in the bike geometry.
Using dual forks can damage other parts as well. Because after equipping dual forks, the sort of usage is quite stressful for the bike.
So using a dual crown fork can damage the frame as well as other parts. That’s why dual forks instead of a single crown fork is a bad idea.
Pairing a hardtail not meant for using dual crown forks, will change bike geometry. Just like using a 150mm fork with a 130mm frame. That will make the bike slack 2-3 degrees.
If your bike frame can’t handle the change, that will cause discomfort.
There are hardtails that can easily handle a dual crown fork. But they aren’t very cheap.
Those hardtails are stronger and can absorb the extra pressure. Still, it isn’t a good practice because you could damage them and you won’t notice until it’s too bad.
Where Are Dual Crown Forks Used Then?
Dual crown forks might be bad for hardtails. But they have their own usage too.
Dual crown forks can be seen on every downhill bike. Because dual crown forks are suitable for longer travel. Especially on downhill tracks.
The benefits of dual crown forks are best seen in downhill bikes.
Dual crown forks have a longer travel distance. That gives it more distance with less amount of pedaling. Even though pedaling is hard with dual crown forks. But in a continuous journey, it takes less pedaling with a dual crown fork.
So, for mountain bikes, it might be awesome to use dual crown forks. But with a hardtail, the risk of damaging it with a dual crown fork is higher.
Whether it’s a downhill bike or a mountain bike for their benefits, it’s up to you. Choose accordingly and pair them with the right parts.
Ultimately, the best front fork for hardtail is a single crown fork. And dual crown forks for downhill bikes.
Nobody suggests using a dual crown fork with hardstail. Not many have even seen this!
FAQs
When Is Bleeding Necessary For Mountain Bikes?
Bleeding is necessary because opening the hydraulic system might let air in. Then you need to change any part of the brake. Like a hydraulic system for repairs, you might need to bleed your brakes. Because opening the hydraulic system might let air in. You can notice it if the brake feels spongy or mushy. Or if you aren’t getting enough feedback after pressing the brake.
What Is The Ideal Tire Size For Road Bikes?
Generally, the most common tire size for road bikes is 700mm and 23mm in width. You can find 23 to up to 30mm wide tires in road bikes. But for special purposes, you can see even bigger. For example, 45mm tires can be found which are intended to be used on gravel roads.
What Is the Lightest Bike Allowed In Competitive Races?
6.8 kg or 14.96 pounds is the lightest bike allowed in UCI races. Although there are lighter bikes that can be made today. But thinking of safety measures and the effect of air and gravity this limit is set.
Parting Words
That should open your eyes about using a hardtail with dual crown forks. This can work but if you love your bike, it isn’t worth the risk.
Pair the perfect components with your bike. That should give you a smooth experience every time.
