Dipping a Toe Into Suspension Forks

[MacB]

So, totally clueless, have had a go on a few but it's a lot of dosh to shell out on a short test. These are for a 29er and I found this last night which seems like a good deal:-

http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k1027/a57698/reba-rl-29-dual-air-100-9mm-white-silver.html

I've bought from them before and had excellent service so not worried on that front. My front wheel is a 9mm QR and this is the right steerer tube as well, plus the colour scheme will work

Clearly I can't opt for any of the tapered steerer options but it is a Hope front wheel so the hub can be converted to different axle types. Though my tests have included through axles and QR ones and I couldn't tell the difference. But then I'm not exactly a rider that pushes the performance boundaries of a bike...unless you count it's ability to support a fat bastard.

I can afford to spend more but I'm finding the concept of £300 on forks scary enough. My online research also seems to indicate the Rebas are pretty reliable with good customer support. I have also considered Manitous.

What think the CC jury?

 

[Alun]

I have Manitou R7 forks on a Focus which I have had for about 5 years, so they won't be the latest model, but they do what they say on the tin and have been reliable. I also weigh more than I should, but I just pump then up a bit more. I would definately go for a handlebar mounted "poplock" to lock/unlock the forks on the fly, without falling off.

 

[VamP]

What you going to fit them to Mac?

I have 120mm Rebas with QR, I love them. Main use is for XC with a bit of extra muscle thrown in... not 29er tho.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

26" Reba Race 100mm here with QR (held shut with a zip tie). Next off road bike will have a Maxle though to stiffen the front when caning it with my amount of mass.

I'd take a long hard look at Fox if buying a pair of forks simply because the folk that service and do warranty repairs on them (Mojo Suspension) in the UK knock Fishers into a cocked hat on the customer service front.

 

[MacB]

steel hardtail designed with 80-100mm forks in mind...I always get confused over what is XC/Trail/AM etc and would probably describe my style of riding as XC Lite, or Hardcore Pootling might be nearer the mark. It's a general bike, if I ever lose my sanity and think downhill or jumps/drops are a good idea then I'd probably buy a bike for that purpose. I don't plan any trips to the Alps etc but can ride to Swinley Forest easily from home or Surrey Hills is a bit further. Most of my riding has been even more local around the military land/ranges and I do have an ambition to get the train up to London and do the London/Brighton offroad.

I have been using a fully rigid Karate Monkey, with Salsa Cromoto forks but the bike's been purloined by one of my sons. I got another, via the classifieds on here, and that was purloined by another son. So I have a new steel frame coming for me, am trying out a relatively new(and thus bargainlicious) framebuilder. I had swapped out the Cromoto forks for the KM ones and planned on using the Salsas on the new frame. To be honest fully rigid is probably fine for my riding ambitions but I do find it a bit too rough on occasions. I have an elbow issue that's required two lots of surgery now and has kept me off bikes for long periods. I think that trying to persevere without front suspension is chancing my arm too much(literally).

I kind of figured that the Reba forks would be beyond my current needs/abilities and probably beyond any level I'll ever reach. I've got to order some bits from Germany anyway and somehow I 'accidentally' slipped into the suspension forks section while I was on the site!!!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

btw MacB Gravity Dropper Descender seatpost. Worth every single penny. Especially when they are selling them at CRC.

 

[MacB]

26" Reba Race 100mm here with QR (held shut with a zip tie). Next off road bike will have a Maxle though to stiffen the front when caning it with my amount of mass.

I'd take a long hard look at Fox if buying a pair of forks simply because the folk that service and do warranty repairs on them (Mojo Suspension) in the UK knock Fishers into a cocked hat on the customer service front.

Cheers Greg, but the Fox ones do seem rather pricey and my post above is a pretty accurate assessment of my abilities and ambitions for offroad.

Do you think I need to go 15mm through axle to be on the safe side? I can get the Hope converters for the ProII hub easily enough.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I kind of figured that the Reba forks would be beyond my current needs/abilities and probably beyond any level I'll ever reach. I've got to order some bits from Germany anyway and somehow I 'accidentally' slipped into the suspension forks section while I was on the site!!!

but you can waste hours experimenting with all the settings on the rebas! if it weren't for your elbow I'd say a nice steel rigid singlespeed would be right up your street!!

 

[MacB]

btw MacB Gravity Dropper Descender seatpost. Worth every single penny. Especially when they are selling them at CRC.

damn your eyes Mr Collins, here's me psyching myself up to lash out £300 on forks and you're trying to double that for some Fox ones then add £130(a very nice price by the way) for a Gravity Dropper....especially as I have a shiny new unopened Thomson Elite for the new bike.

I do have the Traildrop post on my list of future thingies to try, is the Gravity Dropper version a lot better? Is it worth getting a handlebar remote?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Cheers Greg, but the Fox ones do seem rather pricey and my post above is a pretty accurate assessment of my abilities and ambitions for offroad.

Do you think I need to go 15mm through axle to be on the safe side? I can get the Hope converters for the ProII hub easily enough.

QR will be fine for your (current) abilities and ambitions. I've only recently realised what's going on at my front end as my riding has become a little more... ahem... agressive of late. For nigh on 20 years a QR has done me fine and I've raced, ridden Alps etc.m, etc.. I blame a minor mid-life crisis, an excess of testoserone, a desire to carpe diem before I'm too old and a silly habit of riding with people half my age for the need to change.

At the risk of teaching grandma etc., get hold of a copy of this and watch your abilities and ambitions soar into maxle land.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

damn your eyes Mr Collins, here's me psyching myself up to lash out £300 on forks and you're trying to double that for some Fox ones then add £130(a very nice price by the way) for a Gravity Dropper....especially as I have a shiny new unopened Thomson Elite for the new bike.

I do have the Traildrop post on my list of future thingies to try, is the Gravity Dropper version a lot better? Is it worth getting a handlebar remote?

I am horrified at how much forks cost off the shelf. Horrified. Much better to buy a bike with the forks/steerer you want and sell the rest once you've had the forks off.

Stick with the Thomson rigid. You only need a dropper when you reach the point where dropping the post to tackle the gnarly starts to piss you off - in my case too much tarmac riding now makes my knees protest if I ride mtb with a compromise seatpost height so rigid had to go. Now I've the same saddle height on road as mtb until the land drops away.

 

[MacB]

I am horrified at how much forks cost off the shelf. Horrified. Much better to buy a bike with the forks/steerer you want and sell the rest once you've had the forks off.

Stick with the Thomson rigid. You only need a dropper when you reach the point where dropping the post to tackle the gnarly starts to piss you off - in my case too much tarmac riding now makes my knees protest if I ride mtb with a compromise seatpost height so rigid had to go. Now I've the same saddle height on road as mtb until the land drops away.

Aha, yep I've got a QR SP clamp lined up to go with the Thomson, a Hope one but will change for a Cromag if it proves less than adequate to my bulk(which will hopefully begin to diminish rapidly again now I can actually ride). You're right I would be looking rigid only if I didn't have elbow concerns as I know my riding really doesn't warrant any suspension at all.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Aha, yep I've got a QR SP clamp lined up to go with the Thomson, a Hope one but will change for a Cromag if it proves less than adequate to my bulk(which will hopefully begin to diminish rapidly again now I can actually ride). You're right I would be looking rigid only if I didn't have elbow concerns as I know my riding really doesn't warrant any suspension at all.

Hope (non-QR) one copes admirably with my excess of poundage.

 

[User482]

QR will be fine for your (current) abilities and ambitions. I've only recently realised what's going on at my front end as my riding has become a little more... ahem... agressive of late. For nigh on 20 years a QR has done me fine and I've raced, ridden Alps etc.m, etc.. I blame a minor mid-life crisis, an excess of testoserone, a desire to carpe diem before I'm too old and a silly habit of riding with people half my age for the need to change.

At the risk of teaching grandma etc., get hold of a copy of this and watch your abilities and ambitions soar into maxle land.

Some people have problems with QRs coming loose on suspension fork/ disc brake combos, so it's not just about increased stiffness.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Some people have problems with QRs coming loose on suspension fork/ disc brake combos, so it's not just about increased stiffness.

very true, it can happen to the best of us, hence

26" Reba Race 100mm here with QR (held shut with a zip tie). Next off road bike will have a Maxle though to stiffen the front when caning it with my amount of mass.