Best value suspension fork for ATb

in message <[email protected]>, David Wood
('[email protected]') wrote:

> I have a 2002 Marin Palisades Trail which came with Manitou fork-it's not
> that good with very little travel
> Could anyone recommend a good replacement (more travel/better quality)-
> also are there different sizes or would any type fit?

There are a lot of good rigid forks which you will find are much lighter
and, unless you are regularly cycling on very uneven surfaces, make your
cycling more enjoyable. A mountain bike type suspension fork which is
worth buying will cost from about £300 upwards (e.g. Marzocchi XC 500) The
key things to look for are air sprung - elastomer does not perform very
well and steel is too heavy - and lockout, ideally remote lockout, so that
you can lock the suspension for use on roads.

Suspension forks for use on road - at least, ones that are any good - cost
substantially more and are very hard to find.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; ... exposing the violence incoherent in the system...

On 2007-04-09, Simon Brooke <[email protected]> wrote:
> in message <[email protected]>, David Wood
> ('[email protected]') wrote:
>
>> I have a 2002 Marin Palisades Trail which came with Manitou fork-it's not
>> that good with very little travel
>> Could anyone recommend a good replacement (more travel/better quality)-
>> also are there different sizes or would any type fit?
>
> There are a lot of good rigid forks which you will find are much lighter
> and, unless you are regularly cycling on very uneven surfaces, make your
> cycling more enjoyable. A mountain bike type suspension fork which is
> worth buying will cost from about £300 upwards (e.g. Marzocchi XC 500) The
> key things to look for are air sprung - elastomer does not perform very
> well and steel is too heavy - and lockout, ideally remote lockout, so that
> you can lock the suspension for use on roads.
>
> Suspension forks for use on road - at least, ones that are any good - cost
> substantially more and are very hard to find.
>

Seconded that good rigid forks are a sound way to go unless
you're regularly feeling unpleasantly shaken.

When looking at replacement forks, it's worth checking the
distance between the axle and the crown race on the existing forks.
Fitting new forks significantly longer than the existing ones can really
change the feel of the steering, slowing it down.

Lockout is a luxury extra- it's nice to have in some situations
but in practice I rarley use it- despite having handy bar switches to
lock/ unlock. It only seems to be really useful when climbing out of the
saddle on smooth surfaces to stop bobbing.

£300 is also rather more than you have to spend for decent
suspension. Marzocci MX Pro (this year's incarnation of the MX Comp) is
a wonderfully performing fork that is probably little heavier or even
lighter than ones the OP is looking to replace for around £150.

Similarly, the 2006 Reba Team is around for £260 and 2007 Recon
351 for around £230. Both are decently light, can be locked out, perform
well and are proving reliable.

Yes, suspension is a case of two from good/ light/ cheap but the
price at which all three qualities are reasonably balanced has dropped a
lot in the last couple of years.
--
Tim.

[email protected]

Tim Izod proclaimed to uk.rec.cycling ...

>> There are a lot of good rigid forks which you will find are much lighter
>> and, unless you are regularly cycling on very uneven surfaces, make your
>> cycling more enjoyable.

They have to be suspension corrected geometry forks, normal rigid forks are
all wrong for the geom of a sus frame.

>> A mountain bike type suspension fork which is
>> worth buying will cost from about £300 upwards (e.g. Marzocchi XC 500)
>> The key things to look for are air sprung - elastomer does not perform
>> very well and steel is too heavy - and lockout, ideally remote lockout,
>> so that you can lock the suspension for use on roads.

I tend to disagree with those statements i think. My girlfriends front forks
are 'zocchi air forks and perform admirably (for her offroad use) and were
<200 IIRC. Air sprung tend to have more stiction, even expensive air
sprung. Elastomer - yup, avoid at all costs. I am a fan of coil/oil -
buttery smooth and seem to have less seal problems. Heavier, yes, but thats
bearly noticable for road use. Lockout I've had and never used really - it
seems to make little to no difference on a hardtail - once sagged my
coil-oils dont move more than +-5mm unless im stood up stomping, which isnt
very efficient anyway.

>>
>> Suspension forks for use on road - at least, ones that are any good -
>> cost substantially more and are very hard to find.

Cant imagine why you'd want them on-road?

> Seconded that good rigid forks are a sound way to go unless
> you're regularly feeling unpleasantly shaken.

Probably so, so long as they are geometry matched to the frame - or it will
feel like youre riding a chopper or a tethered bee.