Backwards forks

[Rhythm Thief]

This was donated to Enviroability earlier this week. It's obviously been built with the forks fitted backwards and must handle like a cow on skates. How many kids are put off riding by being given something set up like this, I wonder? It's a shame because these are pretty good kids' bikes when set up properly.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Riding on a cycle path I came on a family walking but with a young boy who'd just fallen off: bike on ground. I stopped 'to help' and looked at the bike. Its fork was back-to-front so the handling would have been a nightmare but father couldn't reasonably know (looked newish).
I told him and suggested that the bike not be ridden till sorted.
I hope the young lad wasn't put off.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

All fixed now! Actually needed very little work other than rotating the forks. It'll make someone happy!

 

[wafter]

Great work

I vaguely recall years ago happening upon a kid riding a bike in a similar state.. IIRC after he appeared a bit perplexed / suspicious of my attempts to understand what was wrong I told him just to get his parents to take it to a bike shop and ask them to sort the forks out.

 

[biggs682]

Look how many you see on marketplace or Flea bay for sale with forks the wrong way

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/336266107167?_skw=bike&itmmeta=01K9ZN34YJH09RT7MNTNX0V7H5&hash=item4e4b05991f:g:Ad8AAeSw71lpB5P4&itmprp=enc:AQAKAAAAwFkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1eCD+RZumFAHEbjlnRaIpU2272scPCQmwYSBMeLCOO8nlmnhOhsWiL9BQUiUiY3aVYtU+nWrQJzKfNksk0FNm2BOIt4MbyYtui2zkaH150QiDTE/ff7uiKtPW6pKBcx58AZk2wDetGQOph0eey3Ov4L0oZ3J6rfJaztORgLoq68BHl7b/owJcSaFpoLBXdmLT+qjyRF/c78sjjfUuJmf3iftJrDOx1212PU9qK41sJ86w==|tkp:Bk9SR8DPjPXPZg&keyword=bike&sacat=177831&relatedSearch=true&LH_ItemCondition=3000|7000|10

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/33624692...atedSearch=true&LH_ItemCondition=3000|7000|10

 

[figbat]

I was staying on a campsite a couple of years ago and the family next to me had a kids bike with a backwards fork. I was going to offer to fix it (I had tools with me as I had my bike too) but I don’t think it would have been well-received. I contemplated fixing it on the quiet but thought better not.

 

[Rusty Nails]

I used to have a Marin MTB with the Pace RC36 suspension forks with the brakes on the rear.

I had quite a few people tell me my forks had been fitted backwards, and I'm not sure they believed my explanation.

 

[88robb]

This was donated to Enviroability earlier this week. It's obviously been built with the forks fitted backwards and must handle like a cow on skates. How many kids are put off riding by being given something set up like this, I wonder? It's a shame because these are pretty good kids' bikes when set up properly.

Yep, that's a classic and dangerous mistake. The forks are definitely on backwards.
It makes the steering twitchy and unstable, which is why it feels so awful to ride. It's a real shame it can put kids off cycling.

Good on you for spotting it and fixing it. Just loosen the stem, turn the forks around so the curve points forward, and re-tighten everything. It'll handle perfectly then.

 

[sevenfourate]

I scour eBay regularly (For complete BMX bike bargains primarily). The amount of BMX bikes with forks on backwards is quite incredible…..

Either the ability of the average Halfords Trainee has gone (Further 🙄) downhill; or ‘Dad’ putting the kids bike together after a Beer or three on a Sunday afternoon isn’t working.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Look how many you see on marketplace or Flea bay for sale with forks the wrong way

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/336266107167?_skw=bike&itmmeta=01K9ZN34YJH09RT7MNTNX0V7H5&hash=item4e4b05991f:g:Ad8AAeSw71lpB5P4&itmprp=enc:AQAKAAAAwFkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1eCD+RZumFAHEbjlnRaIpU2272scPCQmwYSBMeLCOO8nlmnhOhsWiL9BQUiUiY3aVYtU+nWrQJzKfNksk0FNm2BOIt4MbyYtui2zkaH150QiDTE/ff7uiKtPW6pKBcx58AZk2wDetGQOph0eey3Ov4L0oZ3J6rfJaztORgLoq68BHl7b/owJcSaFpoLBXdmLT+qjyRF/c78sjjfUuJmf3iftJrDOx1212PU9qK41sJ86w==|tkp:Bk9SR8DPjPXPZg&keyword=bike&sacat=177831&relatedSearch=true&LH_ItemCondition=3000|7000|10

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/336246926321?_skw=bike&itmmeta=01K9ZNBWDHP7TDMMHP02CQFR1V&hash=item4e49e0ebf1:g:YdkAAeSw9Xho-UUd&itmprp=enc:AQAKAAAA4FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1cmUEiBs2G8azCcOrnLG8Wk7I7cXiFyqUQZeNtyPTi8BMw+7zdZOFU9ELqdIogvNCJD/bcaEF0ETrFzbCbczmMONPEJfuNjpUlN9a9eFhWZlGWgSUldtlenvXL50p+78sBDmi9UZ/DQUa4POhWFRx01GRak2yOrvBDnu6yFZuepDqO93Pu6RL5VaiqzV8AlbPsLqFpjFJclggnXKj1X3bOuZzx+/KGiibrVGlgeFPm2vzk09IdsRQL5/oFDWFPW+1v2+Jir/Oy6CKc9YJZpH1LG|tkp:Bk9SR_7Gr_XPZg&keyword=bike&sacat=177831&relatedSearch=true&LH_ItemCondition=3000|7000|10

It was a standing joke when I was on the 'Cycloshite' Facebook group. We used to call it the Halfords mod. 😂

 

[biggs682]

And another one

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17ZyXJkuZT/

 

[midlife]

Used to see bikes racing round tracks behind mopeds with reversed forks BITD. Stayer reins a bell.

 

[oldandslow]

It was a standing joke when I was on the 'Cycloshite' Facebook group. We used to call it the Halfords mod. 😂

A good few years ago now, our neighbours came home with a new kids' bike that obviously had backwards forks. I pointed it out and fixed them. A few years later, there was another in the next size, same problem. Pretty sure one was Halfords, not sure about the other.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

One of these came up yesterday in the local bartering page, a kid's Mb.
I left a (nice) comment saying to take it to a bike shop for a quick fix before riding it, don't know if they acted on it.

 

[figbat]

It was a standing joke when I was on the 'Cycloshite' Facebook group. We used to call it the Halfords mod. 😂

I’m still a member of that group - I went to school with the founder.