carbon-fibre rigid forks to replace suspension forks?

[XmisterIS]

Hi all,

I ride an '06 Giant XTC Composite (hardtail with sus forks). I bought it because my interest is in cross-country (I.e. I don't hammer the absolute crap out of it, but it does take a fair battering!).

The bike came with a pair of Manitou Splice Super forks, which I have never really liked - the lockout is not great, and now I think they probably need servicing, which will cost me quite a lot of dollar!

So, I am thinking about switching to carbon-fibre rigid forks because CF is very lightweight and it is very comfortable to ride - both my bikes have full CF frames, and I like the "give" in the frame that takes the sting out of lumps and bumps.

The forks I'm thinking of getting are these: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=22903 I lke the look of them, they would match my frame (naked carbon) and they are stupidly light.

But, I have two concerns:

1) Do you think they are so light that I would loose the "planted" feeling that you get from a loaded-up front end? (i.e. perhaps the front would start bouncing all over the place off tree roots and the like).

2) Would they be able to take a solid off-road battering without snapping?

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Rigid forks are rigid. There is no vertical compliance at all. There is some lateral compliance but although this will mitigate high peak shock loads it will be at the expense of handling. Any 'comfort' afforded by rigid forks is 99.9 percent due to tyre choice and pressures.

Carbon forks on road bikes have some ability to dissipate road buzz, but again the tyres, tyre pressures and handlebar tape are the greatest influencers on comfort 'feel'.

Some people enjoy riding rigid forked bikes cross country but the experience is essentially the same whatever the material they're made of, or even fully locked out suspension ones. Don't kid yourself that getting rigid forks made of carbon fibre is some 'win all' situation; the simplicity of rigid ones coupled with the compliance of suspension. They're not; the choice is rigid or suspension. The material solely dictates overall weight, steering accuracy, cost, and fashion.

Of course carbon is strong enough and bash resistant enough. My Pace carbon forks have been through the wars for years without a mark.

 

[XmisterIS]

Thanks for your reply ... my other option is to go for something with a handlebar lockout I think ... I hate having the lockout on the top of the forks!

 

[RedBike]

No experiance of the forks in question but I've seen plenty of riders using carbon forks on some very narly off-road sections; and if the forks were slowing them down it wasn't showing!

If you're going to start jumping / large drop offs the CF forks are clearly the wrong way to go but for a light-weight cross fork they seem ideal. Whatever time you loose slowing up a bit on the downs you'll probably more than make back up on the next climb.

 

[bonk man]

I have a Cannondale that came with rigid forks and a flex stem, it was really quick up the hills...... much less weight and no wallowing about. However with the sus forks it is faster down hill and feels safer at speed.

I would say though that it is worth a go if you can afford it, a different sort of riding experience..

I also ride a cross bike and do some pretty gnarly stuff off road and at night and it feels as mad as it might sound.... great fun. I am doing the Rough Ride on the cross bike.... I expect to be flying past the mountain bike lot on the up hill and getting shoved off the track on the down hill bits

 

[Jack9216]

No experiance of the forks in question but I've seen plenty of riders using carbon forks on some very narly off-road sections; and if the forks were slowing them down it wasn't showing!

If you're going to start jumping / large drop offs the CF forks are clearly the wrong way to go but for a light-weight cross fork they seem ideal. Whatever time you loose slowing up a bit on the downs you'll probably more than make back up on the next climb.

I disagree with this, I have always jumped with suspension forks untill recently I switched to rigid forks, and I have found it a lot easier as you don't lose power while pedalling or when you hit the bottom of the jump. They also help you to learn to use you're body more when landing or going over bumps so if you do start to ride with suspension again you won't need to rely on it as much.

The only advantage of suspension I have found while jumping is that as it decompresses on the lip of the jump it boosts you further into the air, but with the correct technique you can learn to do without this.

However, if you are new to jumping I would reccomend starting with suspension untill you get used to jumping and absorbing the landings through you're arms and legs.

 

[Globalti]

I rode a full rigid for years before the geometry of a new frame forced me reluctantly to buy some second-hand SIDs. I was perfectly happy with rigid forks and even rode the Mary Towneley Loop, a notoriously tough ride, with rigid.

The bike industry has managed to convince everybody though that they need suspension forks. Oh well.

 

[lukesdad]

I rode a full rigid for years before the geometry of a new frame forced me reluctantly to buy some second-hand SIDs. I was perfectly happy with rigid forks and even rode the Mary Towneley Loop, a notoriously tough ride, with rigid.

The bike industry has managed to convince everybody though that they need suspension forks. Oh well.

Spot on The fastest way from A to B cross country is with carbon rigid forks on a hardtail. I race with them (pace).
Who wants all that weight on the front Let alone the back .Same goes for disc brakes.

Dont get brain washed.

......and before anybody asks.......The riders on telly and in the glossys use em cos they re PAID TO !!!!!

 

[Globalti]

I'm seriously thinking of Ebaying the Rebas I have on my hardtail and going back to rigid forks; they ruin a very good lightweight hardtail. They are unreliable (keep leaking oil despite having been back to Rockshox) and they weigh a ton. For me MTBing is about a comfortable, lightweight and above all reliable bike for long days out in mountains, something you can shoulder and carry easily and doesn't rely on compressed air to keep it riding. On the other hand disc brakes are an excellent invention for MTBs, don't know how we ever managed without them!

 

[Pottsy]

Slightly off the original topic then, but what would you guys recommend as a short-list for a hardtail, carbon forked XC MTB machine? Cost not really relevent, just interested to see what's out there and what's considered good.

I'm a bit out of the loop with the MTB scene in recent years.

Thanks.

 

[Globalti]

Take out a subscription to Singletrack magazine.

 

[dmb101]

I have a set of these on my one-one, they are great. As already has been said there is no compression, but the florks do flex a little giving more comfort than you would expect