Forks for hardtail...

Adam said:

I'm going to be getting a new hardtail

What frame you getting?

--
Matt

Fear of a flat planet

"Adam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi All,

I'm going to be getting a new hardtail soon after I get
back from the Southern Hemisphere, and I'm starting to
spec it up. I'm looking for some pretty solid forks
because, as evidenced by past posts about trashed wheels,
I'm a clumsy clydesdale. My first instinct is to stick
with Marzocchi and this has made me look at the Z1 FR,
Dirt Jumpers and even the Shiver SC.

Can anyone comment on these forks or make any other
suggestions? Obviously, it's nigh on impossible to test
ride forks on the frame I want to get (no shop I know is
going to be good enough to trim a steerer tube for a test
ride) and the hardtails available for test don't seem to
have the forks that I'm after.

Lastly (or seperately), can anyone comment on long travel
(> 100mm) forks on hardtails? There are a couple of
hardtail frames out there that I've looked at that are
specifically set up for long travel forks. Also, I read
Pete Fagerlin's comments on the Maverick fork, and it
sounds excellent - I'm not sure that all that travel
wouldn't be too much for a cross-country hardtail, though.

Cheers - Adam...

Doing hard time:

nsmb.comhard time 12 02.phpOpen ↗

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Adam) said:

Hi All,

I'm going to be getting a new hardtail soon after I get
back from the Southern Hemisphere, and I'm starting to
spec it up. I'm looking for some pretty solid forks
because, as evidenced by past posts about trashed wheels,
I'm a clumsy clydesdale. My first instinct is to stick
with Marzocchi and this has made me look at the Z1 FR,
Dirt Jumpers and even the Shiver SC.

Can anyone comment on these forks or make any other
suggestions? Obviously, it's nigh on impossible to test
ride forks on the frame I want to get (no shop I know is
going to be good enough to trim a steerer tube for a test
ride) and the hardtails available for test don't seem to
have the forks that I'm after.

Lastly (or seperately), can anyone comment on long travel
(> 100mm) forks on hardtails? There are a couple of
hardtail frames out there that I've looked at that are
specifically set up for long travel forks. Also, I read
Pete Fagerlin's comments on the Maverick fork, and it
sounds excellent - I'm not sure that all that travel
wouldn't be too much for a cross-country hardtail, though.

I think the basic problem, even more than geometry issues
(which seems to be what you're talking about with your
"specifically set up..."😉, is that if you put a 6" travel
fork on an XC hartdail, you will be in a situation where the
fork will make the bike heavy and pogo on the frame's
natural terrain of ascents and fast singletrack/fire road
terrain, and if you exploit the fork travel by attempting
big drops, you're likely to break the XC frame.

There are also intermediate hardtails out there, such as the
Norco Charger: relatively tough frame with an EXR Pro
Marzocchi. That's a 5" travel fork, and the idea is that the
bike is designed for more than just XC courses, but big hits
are probably a bad idea.

I ride this kind of stuff all the time: I climb my hardtail
up to the top of my favourite mountain, put on my leg and
arm armor, and descend on a trail mostly populated by
freeriding dudes on big-hit bikes. But since I'm using a
steel XC hardtail with a '97 vintage Z.2, I dodge the really
big drops and take the easier lines through the stunts and
obstacles (I also haven't tried the long, narrow skinny with
the high price for failure yet).

Horses for courses, burly bikes for Clydesdales, and light
stuff for wimpy roadies like me,
--
Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden]
sfu.cawiredcolaOpen ↗ President, Fabrizio
Mazzoleni Fan Club

"Ryan Cousineau" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think the basic problem, even more than geometry issues
(which seems to be what you're talking about with your
"specifically set up..."😉, is that if you put a 6" travel
fork on an XC hartdail, you will be in a situation where
the fork will make the bike heavy

Expand your horizons...there are 6" forks that weigh
3.5 pounds.

It sounds like the OP is a prime candiadate for something
like a Cove Stiffee FR and a 5-6" fork.

Matthew Paterson <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Adam said:

I'm going to be getting a new hardtail

What frame you getting?

My prime candidate is the On-one Inbred, but the geometry is
set up for a 100mm (max) fork and it seems to be hard to
find a fork that will cope with my weight that is less that
around 125mm. Also thinking of looking at the Dialled Bikes
offerings - these are hardtails set up for longer travel (up
to 150mm) forks.

Cheers - Adam...

Ryan Cousineau <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

In article
<[email hidden]>,

-8<- snip original ->8-

Quoted message said:

I think the basic problem, even more than geometry issues
(which seems to be what you're talking about with your
"specifically set up..."😉, is that if you put a 6" travel
fork on an XC hartdail, you will be in a situation where
the fork will make the bike heavy and pogo on the frame's
natural terrain of ascents and fast singletrack/fire road
terrain, and if you exploit the fork travel by attempting
big drops, you're likely to break the XC frame.

I was thinking of the Dialled Bikes offerings, "and
specifically set up" referred both to the geometry
(corrected for up to 150mm) and the fact that the headtube
area has been strengthened to cope with the leverage offered
by putting a long-travel fork on. I'm not too bothered about
the weight of a long-travel setup, but I am worried about
changes in steering geometry and, toa certain extent,
pogoing - although, I guess those are considerations that
are independant of whether or not the frame is hardtail.

Quoted message said:

There are also intermediate hardtails out there, such as
the Norco Charger: relatively tough frame with an EXR Pro
Marzocchi. That's a 5" travel fork, and the idea is that
the bike is designed for more than just XC courses, but
big hits are probably a bad idea.

I ride this kind of stuff all the time: I climb my
hardtail up to the top of my favourite mountain, put on my
leg and arm armor, and descend on a trail mostly populated
by freeriding dudes on big-hit bikes. But since I'm using
a steel XC hardtail with a '97 vintage Z.2, I dodge the
really big drops and take the easier lines through the
stunts and obstacles (I also haven't tried the long,
narrow skinny with the high price for failure yet).

Horses for courses, burly bikes for Clydesdales, and light
stuff for wimpy roadies like me,

Exactly, and that's why I'm looking at forks like the Z1.
I'm definitely a pie-eater, me.

"p e t e f a g e r l i n" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Ryan Cousineau" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:rcousine-
[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think the basic problem, even more than geometry
issues (which seems to be what you're talking about with
your "specifically set up..."😉, is that if you put a 6"
travel fork on an XC hartdail, you will be in a
situation where the fork will make the bike heavy

Expand your horizons...there are 6" forks that weigh
3.5 pounds.

It sounds like the OP is a prime candiadate for something
like a Cove Stiffee FR and a 5-6" fork.

Hi Pete,

It was your post about the Maverick that made me think along
the lines of getting a long-travel fork and a suitable
frame, rather than trying to find a shorter travel fork to
suit me and the frame I was thinking of. In particular, my
latest fork is a Marzocchi MX Pro Coil - stunningly smooth
and capable bump-eating, but very flexy - and I was hoping
to find something much stiffer.

Will the Maverick stand up to a Clydesdale? I mostly ride
cross-country (I don't 'huck', I don't think - I'm still not
entirely sure what 'hucking' is), but I am heavy and
occasionally inelegant to the point of clumsy. Rock gardens,
steep chutes and switch-back laden singletrack (plus the
occasional berm) is more my thing than dropping off garages.

Cheers - Adam...

On 8 Mar 2004 01:04:04 -0800, [email hidden] (Adam)
blathered:

Quoted message said:

Ryan Cousineau <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<rcousine-
[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

In article
<[email hidden]>,

-8<- snip original ->8-

Quoted message said:

I think the basic problem, even more than geometry issues
(which seems to be what you're talking about with your
"specifically set up..."😉, is that if you put a 6" travel
fork on an XC hartdail, you will be in a situation where
the fork will make the bike heavy and pogo on the frame's
natural terrain of ascents and fast singletrack/fire road
terrain, and if you exploit the fork travel by attempting
big drops, you're likely to break the XC frame.

I was thinking of the Dialled Bikes offerings, "and
specifically set up" referred both to the geometry
(corrected for up to 150mm) and the fact that the headtube
area has been strengthened to cope with the leverage
offered by putting a long-travel fork on. I'm not too
bothered about the weight of a long-travel setup, but I am
worried about changes in steering geometry and, toa certain
extent, pogoing

Personally i prefer the look of the Cotic Soul -

cotic.co.ukcotic.co.ukOpen ↗
singletrackworld.comarticle.phpOpen ↗ --Open ↗
www.bikemagic.com/review/reviewproduct/mps/RPN/15575/v/1/sp-
/328671336660364775254

...and whatever 5" frame you fancy (I like the Maguras I've
been riding since April last year). You can't really
consider forks of that length independant of whatever frame
you intend putting them on. I personally think 6" is too
much for a hardtail - but then, a few years ago, people
thought 3" was pushing it, so it's your call.

Pete

"Adam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Matthew Paterson <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Adam said:

I'm going to be getting a new hardtail

What frame you getting?

My prime candidate is the On-one Inbred, but the geometry
is set up for a 100mm (max) fork

I have a similar bike to the inbred, steve-steve-Open ↗
t.fotopic.net/p3186525.html

it was set up originally with rigid forks but I'm now
running a Shiver SC (100mm version) which is superb. Its a
little on the heavy side but worth it for the bomb-proofness
and security of the 20mm axle. As a nod to weight saving I
swopped the re-inforced steel steerer for a reinforced
aluminium one, which brought the weight down by 200g to just
over 5lbs.

Quoted message said:

and it seems to be hard to find a fork that will cope with
my weight that is less that around 125mm. Also thinking of
looking at the Dialled Bikes offerings - these are
hardtails set up for longer travel (up to 150mm) forks.

Dialled bikes 'morning glory' is very nice indeed, if I
needed another bike...

Steve.

"spademan o---[\) *" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Adam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Matthew Paterson <[email hidden]> wrote in
message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 07 Mar 2004 10:46:02 -0800, Adam wrote:

> I'm going to be getting a new hardtail

What frame you getting?

My prime candidate is the On-one Inbred, but the
geometry is set up for a 100mm (max) fork

I have a similar bike to the inbred, steve-steve-Open ↗
t.fotopic.net/p3186525.html

it was set up originally with rigid forks but I'm now
running a Shiver SC (100mm version) which is superb. Its a
little on the heavy side but worth it for the bomb-
proofness and security of the 20mm axle. As a nod to
weight saving I swopped the re-inforced steel steerer for
a reinforced aluminium one, which brought the weight down
by 200g to just over 5lbs.

That's interesting, because that's one of the combinations
I'd thought of. It is heavy, but I'd figured the strength
would make it worth while. What does the Shiver ride like?
How stiff (torsionally) is it?

Was the steerer swap much of a pain?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and it seems to be hard to find a fork that will cope
with my weight that is less that around 125mm. Also
thinking of looking at the Dialled Bikes offerings -
these are hardtails set up for longer travel (up to
150mm) forks.

Dialled bikes 'morning glory' is very nice indeed, if I
needed another bike...

As an alternative to the setup above, I was thinking of the
Morning Glory mated to a Z1 FR. It's about the same weight
of fork, and it should be about as strong.

Pete Fagerlin's review has got me interested in the
Maverick, now, though...

Cheers - Adam...

Pete Jones <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

On 8 Mar 2004 01:04:04 -0800, [email hidden]
(Adam) blathered:

Quoted message said:

Ryan Cousineau <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<rcousine-
[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

In article
<[email hidden]>,

-8<- snip original ->8-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I think the basic problem, even more than geometry
issues (which seems to be what you're talking about
with your "specifically set up..."😉, is that if you put
a 6" travel fork on an XC hartdail, you will be in a
situation where the fork will make the bike heavy and
pogo on the frame's natural terrain of ascents and fast
singletrack/fire road terrain, and if you exploit the
fork travel by attempting big drops, you're likely to
break the XC frame.

I was thinking of the Dialled Bikes offerings, "and
specifically set up" referred both to the geometry
(corrected for up to 150mm) and the fact that the
headtube area has been strengthened to cope with the
leverage offered by putting a long-travel fork on. I'm
not too bothered about the weight of a long-travel setup,
but I am worried about changes in steering geometry and,
toa certain extent, pogoing

Personally i prefer the look of the Cotic Soul -

cotic.co.ukcotic.co.ukOpen ↗
singletrackworld.comarticle.phpOpen ↗ http:-
//www.bikemagic.com/review/reviewproduct/mps/RPN/15575/v/-
1/sp/328671336660364775254

Damn. That's another one to consider. I'm probably going to
get a Ti frame, but I'm looking at steel too (including
possibly a Chas Roberts semi-custom).

Quoted message said:

...and whatever 5" frame you fancy (I like the Maguras
I've been riding since April last year). You can't really
consider forks of that length independant of whatever
frame you intend putting them on.

Agreed. As I said to Steve above, I'm considering two main
contenders at the moment: On-One Inbred (geared Ti) with
Shiver SC or Dialled Bikes Morning Glory with Z1 FR. I

Quoted message said:

personally think 6" is too much for a hardtail - but then,
a few years ago, people thought 3" was pushing it, so it's
your call.

That's one of things I was hoping for more comments on. Why
is 6" too much for a hardtail?

As it happens, I agree because I fear that the geometry
changes would be too much under compression and that the
bike would pogo on steps (such as the Ewok Village at
Glentress) and the like. These are issues specific to long
travel forks, though, rather than hardtails. I'd like to add
that I've never ridden any fork longer than my current MX
Pro (105mm), so this view isn't based on any kind of
experience...

Cheers - Adam.

"Adam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"spademan o---[\) *" <[email hidden]>
wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"Adam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Matthew Paterson <[email hidden]> wrote in
message

news:<[email hidden]-
k>...

Quoted message said:

> On Sun, 07 Mar 2004 10:46:02 -0800, Adam wrote:
>
> > I'm going to be getting a new hardtail
>
> What frame you getting?

My prime candidate is the On-one Inbred, but the
geometry is set up for a 100mm (max) fork

I have a similar bike to the inbred, steve-steve-Open ↗
t.fotopic.net/p3186525.html

it was set up originally with rigid forks but I'm now
running a Shiver

SC

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

(100mm version) which is superb. Its a little on the
heavy side but

worth it

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for the bomb-proofness and security of the 20mm axle. As
a nod to weight saving I swopped the re-inforced steel
steerer for a reinforced

aluminium

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

one, which brought the weight down by 200g to just
over 5lbs.

That's interesting, because that's one of the combinations
I'd thought of. It is heavy, but I'd figured the strength
would make it worth while. What does the Shiver ride like?
How stiff (torsionally) is it?

Only had two shortish (< 2 hour) rides so far, but I've been
impressed. Immense mud clearance etc due to the inverted
design and Marzocchi suspension action - you know its good.
Stock springs are quite soft, if you're heavy you may need
to swap them. Torsionally I've not not noticed any problem,
this years 100mm version is supposedly better than last
years longer 120mm version.

Quoted message said:

Was the steerer swap much of a pain?

I sent it off to windwave, took about a week, cost
about 50 quid.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Dialled bikes 'morning glory' is very nice indeed, if I
needed another bike...

As an alternative to the setup above, I was thinking of
the Morning Glory mated to a Z1 FR. It's about the same
weight of fork, and it should be about as strong.

I'd go for the morning glory/Z1 option.

Quoted message said:

Pete Fagerlin's review has got me interested in the
Maverick, now, though...

Well its your money...

Steve.

"Adam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

It was your post about the Maverick that made me think
along the lines of getting a long-travel fork and a
suitable frame, rather than trying to find a shorter
travel fork to suit me and the frame I was thinking of. In
particular, my latest fork is a Marzocchi MX Pro Coil -
stunningly smooth and capable bump-eating, but very flexy
- and I was hoping to find something much stiffer.

Will the Maverick stand up to a Clydesdale? I mostly ride
cross-country (I don't 'huck', I don't think - I'm still
not entirely sure what 'hucking' is), but I am heavy and
occasionally inelegant to the point of clumsy. Rock
gardens, steep chutes and switch-back laden singletrack
(plus the occasional berm) is more my thing than dropping
off garages.

Can someone explain to me how 5" of front travel helps on a
no rear travel hardtail?

Greg

"Adam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Pete Jones <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

On 8 Mar 2004 01:04:04 -0800, [email hidden]
(Adam) blathered:

Quoted message said:

Ryan Cousineau <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> In article
> <[email hidden]>,

-8<- snip original ->8-

Quoted message said:

>
> I think the basic problem, even more than geometry
> issues (which

seems

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> to be what you're talking about with your
> "specifically set up..."😉,

is

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> that if you put a 6" travel fork on an XC hartdail,
> you will be in a situation where the fork will make
> the bike heavy and pogo on the frame's natural
> terrain of ascents and fast singletrack/fire road
> terrain, and if you exploit the fork travel by
> attempting big drops, you're likely to break the XC
> frame.

I was thinking of the Dialled Bikes offerings, "and
specifically set up" referred both to the geometry
(corrected for up to 150mm) and the fact that the
headtube area has been strengthened to cope with the
leverage offered by putting a long-travel fork on. I'm
not too bothered about the weight of a long-travel
setup, but I am worried about changes in steering
geometry and, toa certain extent, pogoing

Personally i prefer the look of the Cotic Soul -

cotic.co.ukcotic.co.ukOpen ↗
singletrackworld.comarticle.phpOpen ↗

bikemagic.com15575Open ↗
/v/1/sp/328671336 660364775254

Quoted message said:

Damn. That's another one to consider. I'm probably going
to get a Ti frame, but I'm looking at steel too (including
possibly a Chas Roberts semi-custom).

Quoted message said:

...and whatever 5" frame you fancy (I like the Maguras
I've been riding since April last year). You can't
really consider forks of that length independant of
whatever frame you intend putting them on.

Agreed. As I said to Steve above, I'm considering two main
contenders at the moment: On-One Inbred (geared Ti) with
Shiver SC or Dialled Bikes Morning Glory with Z1 FR. I

Quoted message said:

personally think 6" is too much for a hardtail - but
then, a few years ago, people thought 3" was pushing it,
so it's your call.

That's one of things I was hoping for more comments on.
Why is 6" too much for a hardtail?

Because the rear only has the travel of your rear tire to
try to match the front.

Greg

I built my last bike around my choice of fork, which was a
Marzocchi 150 FR ETA. This moved me to a freeride style
frame because the forks are so much higher. I know your
aiming for a hardtail and I recall articles some years ago
saying there is definitely a benefit to lots of travel on
hard tails.

What I don't understand is why the dirt jumper? It's like
you want a the lightest frame but the heaviest fork? Maybe,
it's a mud issue? Anyway my full suspension pogo's like
crazy, but luckily it has lock outs. The Marzocchi Freeride
style forks have ETA's on them that in essence shorten the
fork an inch to an inch and a half and stiffen them so
pogoing is solved. The knob is actually reasonably easy to
use while riding (and I don't mean on the fly racing from a
short steep downhill to a fast transition uphill).

Ryan Cousineau said:

In article
<[email hidden]>,

(Adam) said:

Hi All,

I'm going to be getting a new hardtail soon after I get
back from the Southern Hemisphere, and I'm starting to
spec it up. I'm looking for some pretty solid forks
because, as evidenced by past posts about trashed wheels,
I'm a clumsy clydesdale. My first instinct is to stick
with Marzocchi and this has made me look at the Z1 FR,
Dirt Jumpers and even the Shiver SC.

Can anyone comment on these forks or make any other
suggestions? Obviously, it's nigh on impossible to test
ride forks on the frame I want to get (no shop I know is
going to be good enough to trim a steerer tube for a test
ride) and the hardtails available for test don't seem to
have the forks that I'm after.

Lastly (or seperately), can anyone comment on long travel
(> 100mm) forks on hardtails? There are a couple of
hardtail frames out there that I've looked at that are
specifically set up for long travel forks. Also, I read
Pete Fagerlin's comments on the Maverick fork, and it
sounds excellent - I'm not sure that all that travel
wouldn't be too much for a cross-country hardtail,
though.

I think the basic problem, even more than geometry issues
(which seems to be what you're talking about with your
"specifically set up..."😉, is that if you put a 6" travel
fork on an XC hartdail, you will be in a situation where
the fork will make the bike heavy and pogo on the frame's
natural terrain of ascents and fast singletrack/fire road
terrain, and if you exploit the fork travel by attempting
big drops, you're likely to break the XC frame.

There are also intermediate hardtails out there, such as
the Norco Charger: relatively tough frame with an EXR Pro
Marzocchi. That's a 5" travel fork, and the idea is that
the bike is designed for more than just XC courses, but big
hits are probably a bad idea.

I ride this kind of stuff all the time: I climb my hardtail
up to the top of my favourite mountain, put on my leg and
arm armor, and descend on a trail mostly populated by
freeriding dudes on big-hit bikes. But since I'm using a
steel XC hardtail with a '97 vintage Z.2, I dodge the
really big drops and take the easier lines through the
stunts and obstacles (I also haven't tried the long, narrow
skinny with the high price for failure yet).

Horses for courses, burly bikes for Clydesdales, and light
stuff for wimpy roadies like me,

"G.T." <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<bD13c.7371

Quoted message said:

Because the rear only has the travel of your rear tire to
try to match the front.

Greg

When the rear wheel hits a bump, assuming your body is
fairly central, the bike will pivot around the BB and
compress the fork. Therefore adding front suspension also
aids the rear.

Does that sound plausible?

g

gazzer said:

"G.T." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<bD13c.7371

Quoted message said:

Because the rear only has the travel of your rear tire to
try to match the front.

Greg

When the rear wheel hits a bump, assuming your body is
fairly central, the bike will pivot around the BB and
compress the fork. Therefore adding front suspension also
aids the rear.

Does that sound plausible?

Well, while the bike is pivoting around the BB and
compressing the fork your seat is still getting pounded
up your ass.

Greg

gazzer said:

"G.T." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<bD13c.7371

Quoted message said:

Because the rear only has the travel of your rear tire to
try to match the front.

Greg

When the rear wheel hits a bump, assuming your body is
fairly central, the bike will pivot around the BB and
compress the fork. Therefore adding front suspension also
aids the rear.

Does that sound plausible?

Sure -- tell that to the LifeFlight medic when they get your
stretcher in the chopper 🙂

Bill "prescription for endo-itis" S.

In article <[email hidden]>,
"p e t e f a g e r l i n" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Ryan Cousineau" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:rcousine-
[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think the basic problem, even more than geometry
issues (which seems to be what you're talking about with
your "specifically set up..."😉, is that if you put a 6"
travel fork on an XC hartdail, you will be in a
situation where the fork will make the bike heavy

Expand your horizons...there are 6" forks that weigh
3.5 pounds.

Touché. But my other points do stand: a 6" fork is likely to
be a bad match for an XC frame, as the intended use of a 6"
fork will not match that of an XC frame. I don't know the
fork you are thinking of (it's your Maverick, right?), but I
suspect it's no match for an XC or stable-platform fork
going up, and the bike will break if you ride down 6"-worthy
obstacles.

Quoted message said:

It sounds like the OP is a prime candiadate for something
like a Cove Stiffee FR and a 5-6" fork.

That would be a good combo. The Stiffee is not an XC
frame, though.

I should say that such a beast won't necessarily be that
much heavier than a pure XC hardtail. It would certainly be
lighter than pedal much better than any full-suspension
freeride bike, excepting maybe some of the new stable-
platform stuff.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden]
sfu.cawiredcolaOpen ↗ President, Fabrizio
Mazzoleni Fan Club