cracked fork

John Santos said:

My beater's RST fork has a small crack along the top of the crown. I
use it for commuting. Should I even bother repairing it? (I was
thinking of just buying a lighter rigid fork since I only use it on
the road) Or, if I don't subject the bike to too much abuse, could I
just leave the fork as is? (probably not a good idea)

Thanks,
John

You're correct on all points, except it's a lot more dangerous than you
might think. A lighter rigid fork would be great, and it would be much less
likely to crack.

If you have already cracked the fork, you HAVE subjected the bike to too
much abuse (for the manufacturer's specs). Don't ride the bike any further.

Think of it this way... if the stanchion with the spring(s) gets loose and
the crown fails, it's possible that it could shoot out and hit you in the
chest, neck, or face, rendering you... dead at worst 😉

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Replace it or eles.

I MTB 2004