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Recommend Front Forks for a Mountain Bike?


jkrispies

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I'm at a new jobsite that's close to home, so I'm planning to start riding my bike to work. The plan right now is to take an easy ride in (so I don't get sweaty) and then take a long route home as a form of regular exercise. The long route will be a mixture of city streets and rides through dirt fields and sandy washes/streambeds with some minor jumps, etc. I don't expect to be doing any "extreme" riding, but I do want equipment that will last.

My parents were able to pick up for me a used Giant Iguana from a widow for a fair price. I haven't seen it yet, but the only "iffy" feature from what they describe is that it still has solid front forks. Can anybody recommend some replacement suspension forks that wouldn't be too expensive but will also stand up for the long run? I've done a little research and the Tenneco 33 TST2 seems well rated ( http://www.marzocchi.com/Template/detailSP...IDOggetto=56470 ) but at close to $300, the price is giving me a knot in my stomach! Any advice?

Thanks,

J

Edited by jkrispies
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I'm at a new jobsite that's close to home, so I'm planning to start riding my bike to work. The plan right now is to take an easy ride in (so I don't get sweaty) and then take a long route home as a form of regular exercise. The long route will be a mixture of city streets and rides through dirt fields and sandy washes/streambeds with some minor jumps, etc. I don't expect to be doing any "extreme" riding, but I do want equipment that will last.

My parents were able to pick up for me a used Giant Iguana from a widow for a fair price. I haven't seen it yet, but the only "iffy" feature from what they describe is that it still has solid front forks. Can anybody recommend some replacement suspension forks that wouldn't be too expensive but will also stand up for the long run? I've done a little research and the Tenneco 33 TST2 seems well rated ( http://www.marzocchi.com/Template/detailSP...IDOggetto=56470 ) but at close to $300, the price is giving me a knot in my stomach! Any advice?

Thanks,

J

You will probably get better info on MTBforum.com but I believe that the Giant I guannas of more recent vintage come stock with suspension fork.

Your best bet is to ride that bike as is and set aside the $$$ for a newer bike in the future. You do not need suspension to ride off road and in the long run you will be a better rider.

If you feel that you have to get a new front fork, make sure that it will work with your frame. Older rigid frames used 1inch stems and not 1.25 inch. The geometry is also different.

( I did the opposite on my Trek6700 after trashing the suspension fork. Bought a suspension adjusted rigid. It climbs better now but I have to work on my technique more on down hills)

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If you feel that you have to get a new front fork, make sure that it will work with your frame. Older rigid frames used 1inch stems and not 1.25 inch. The geometry is also different.

+1

Also try the used forum on

www.mtbr.com

Save money on the fork and invest in a decent skid lid. I still ride one of my fully rigid bikes for kicks...always fun to rip with all the dulley guys on a rigid hard tail...they usually don't realize how much lighter my rig is than their big rig....

Watch out for those sandy bottoms - weight back and float the front end.

Good luck an +1 to you for riding to work!

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Thanks for the quick replies, guys! I definitely planned to ride it for a bit before investing in the forks-- no need to fix what ain't broken if I don't mind it too much. I guess I just figured that the bikes I have ridden over the past few years have had suspension so I'd end up missing it.

Any suggestions on a good "skid lid"?

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The fine folks at Rudy Project are big shooting sponsors...I haven't had the chance/need to buy one yet. Go with the one that fits your head. Giro fits my head better than Bell but any of the three would be a good choice.

"If you have a $10 head buy a $10 helmet" - old Bell ad - still sticks with me.

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I own a bike shop and have been in the buisness for twenty years now. In my profesional opinion don't put a suspension fork on that bike. The increase in height of the front end will negatively impact the steering of the bike and depending on the size of the steering tube a fork may not be readily available to fit the frame. You may also have problems if the brake system is a cantilever style and not the current v-brake style. Save your money for a new bike. If you really want to put a fork on it PM me and I will try to help you through the process. I may need a pic of the bike to make life simple.

Mule

Visit My Website

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I own a bike shop and have been in the buisness for twenty years now. In my profesional opinion don't put a suspension fork on that bike. The increase in height of the front end will negatively impact the steering of the bike and depending on the size of the steering tube a fork may not be readily available to fit the frame. You may also have problems if the brake system is a cantilever style and not the current v-brake style. Save your money for a new bike. If you really want to put a fork on it PM me and I will try to help you through the process. I may need a pic of the bike to make life simple.

Mule

Visit My Website

Let me put a few miles on the bike, and I'll definitely contact you if I feel the need to proceed with a fork upgrade. Hey, anybody whose screen name is "SingleStacker45" is gonna get my business! :roflol::cheers::roflol:

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I was wondering how the forks would impact the steering geometry. Back when dinosaurs ruled the earth and I raced motocross the works bikes started coming out with long travel rear suspension. Well, at least long travel compared to the 3.5" most of us had. Everyone with a hacksaw and a welder cobbled up their own long travel suspension. We quickly found out that while the rear end felt much better we had transformed already quick-turning race bikes into vicious, tank-slapping rodeo rides.

I would be really cautious about changing something that dramatically. JMHO

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  • 1 month later...
I'm at a new jobsite that's close to home, so I'm planning to start riding my bike to work. The plan right now is to take an easy ride in (so I don't get sweaty) and then take a long route home as a form of regular exercise. The long route will be a mixture of city streets and rides through dirt fields and sandy washes/streambeds with some minor jumps, etc. I don't expect to be doing any "extreme" riding, but I do want equipment that will last.

My parents were able to pick up for me a used Giant Iguana from a widow for a fair price. I haven't seen it yet, but the only "iffy" feature from what they describe is that it still has solid front forks. Can anybody recommend some replacement suspension forks that wouldn't be too expensive but will also stand up for the long run? I've done a little research and the Tenneco 33 TST2 seems well rated ( http://www.marzocchi.com/Template/detailSP...IDOggetto=56470 ) but at close to $300, the price is giving me a knot in my stomach! Any advice?

Thanks,

J

+1 on riding it the way it is. Then upgrade to a better bike that fits your needs & interests if you keep riding it. I started with a yard sale Trek for $30 and years later bought a Klein on sale after going over the handle bars several times on single track trails. Now after not riding it for a year, I wish I had the $ to spend on a 1911! Ha... <_<

Edited by bball97
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  • 9 years later...

You might fall in love with the way it is. I have had at least 20 bikes in the last 30 yrs. I used to race road and mtb and so some of them were custom/top end. In one way or another, they were all great bikes. My current favorite is a circa '80's beater steel Schwinn mtb with a rigid fork I bought for $50. I stripped all the junk parts off and replaced them with stuff from the parts box. Short of serous mtb trails, it goes anywhere I want to go.

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