Depending on your skill, riding style, and terrain, there is likely an ideal amount of suspension travel. Other specs such as geometry, wheels, and tires matter too, but they are usually tailored to match a bike's suspension. Most modern mountain bikes will have somewhere between 100mm and 170mm of suspension travel.

Trail bikes are one of the most popular types of mountain bike. They are designed to straddle the line between enduro bikes and cross-country bikes, providing a ride that's fun but capable. Confident on descents and fairly capable on climbs, trail bikes typically have between 120 and 160mm of suspension travel.

For riders looking for maximum efficiency, an agile ride and a bike that translates rider input to the trail, less travel is the ticket. With 80-110 mm of travel the bike feels less like a magic carpet over roots and rocks.

“The best method for measuring frame travel may be to remove the shock and measure the vertical travel at the rear axle, with the suspension linkage at the full shock length, and at the shock bottom-out length (original eye-to-eye minus manufacturers specified shock stroke).