"Andy Chequer" <andy@(youdontwantthisbitinit)thisisasparagus.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Mark W. Everly" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
>
news:[email protected]...
> > Hello Guys!
> >
> > How about some advise for an old guy! I've got an '91 Chill that I'd like to add a suspension
> > fork too. The bike is mint (500 miles) so getting a new one just now ain't an option with the
> > wife. Bike shop says it isn't worth it (they might be right).
>
> I would agree with them, sorry. A lot of elderly MTBs were not designed
with
> suspension forks in mind, and installing one can bring the height of the front end up so high that
> it makes for rather slow ponderous handling. In any case, the rigid fork it already should be
> stiff and maintainance free.
>
> Kind of depends what you want to do with the bike. If you want to ride smooth trails and roads,
> then suspension is a bit overkill anyway - maybe consider thicker grips and/or better gloves to
> remove the sting. On the other hand, if you want to get more adventurous with it then save the
> pennies for a newer MTB (competency has never been so cheap IME).
>
> > First, can I tell form the outside whether I need a 1" or 1 1/8" threadless headset? How hard is
> > it to do this once I get all the parts I need? Any and all advise appreciated. Don't hold back,
> > I can take it!
> >
> > Thanks in advance!
>
> At this age I would have thought that it would have a 1" headset, but to measure it you could use
> a take the stem off it and measure across the steerer tube with a ruler (measuring the outside
> diameter of the tube).
Any
> competent bike mechanic should be able to tell you at a glance.
>
> By the time you've managed to get hold of a 1" threadless suspension fork, new stem and headset,
> you've thrown a lot of money at an old bike.
>
> Andy Chequer
I agree with Andy. Spent a lot of $$ upgrading my wife's '95, rigid-fork Cannondale M400. But now
that she's retiring and has more time to ride, we've decided that it's way too heavy and are
investing a lot more $$$ in a new, light-weight hardtail. However, if you don't have any other
options and really want a suspension fork, you'll probably have to custom order one from a Marzocchi
dealer. Unlike RockShox, Manitou, etc., Marzocchi will equip some models with 1" steel steerer
tubes. 1" threadless headsets are easier to come by -- the Ritchey Logic, for example.
Bruce Pech
