1991 Raleigh Chill & Suspension fork Installation?

"Mark W. Everly" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Hello Guys!

How about some advise for an old guy! I've got an '91 Chill that I'd like to add a suspension fork
too. The bike is mint (500 miles) so getting a new one just now ain't an option with the wife.
Bike shop says it isn't worth it (they might be right).

I would agree with them, sorry. A lot of elderly MTBs were not designed with suspension forks in
mind, and installing one can bring the height of the front end up so high that it makes for
rather slow ponderous handling. In any case, the rigid fork it already should be stiff and
maintainance free.

Kind of depends what you want to do with the bike. If you want to ride smooth trails and roads, then
suspension is a bit overkill anyway - maybe consider thicker grips and/or better gloves to remove
the sting. On the other hand, if you want to get more adventurous with it then save the pennies for
a newer MTB (competency has never been so cheap IME).

Quoted message said:

First, can I tell form the outside whether I need a 1" or 1 1/8" threadless headset? How hard is
it to do this once I get all the parts I need? Any and all advise appreciated. Don't hold back, I
can take it!

Thanks in advance!

At this age I would have thought that it would have a 1" headset, but to measure it you could use a
take the stem off it and measure across the steerer tube with a ruler (measuring the outside
diameter of the tube). Any competent bike mechanic should be able to tell you at a glance.

By the time you've managed to get hold of a 1" threadless suspension fork, new stem and headset,
you've thrown a lot of money at an old bike.

Andy Chequer

"Andy Chequer" <andy@(youdontwantthisbitinit)thisisasparagus.com> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Mark W. Everly" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello Guys!

How about some advise for an old guy! I've got an '91 Chill that I'd like to add a suspension
fork too. The bike is mint (500 miles) so getting a new one just now ain't an option with the
wife. Bike shop says it isn't worth it (they might be right).

I would agree with them, sorry. A lot of elderly MTBs were not designed

with

Quoted message said:

suspension forks in mind, and installing one can bring the height of the front end up so high that
it makes for rather slow ponderous handling. In any case, the rigid fork it already should be
stiff and maintainance free.

Kind of depends what you want to do with the bike. If you want to ride smooth trails and roads,
then suspension is a bit overkill anyway - maybe consider thicker grips and/or better gloves to
remove the sting. On the other hand, if you want to get more adventurous with it then save the
pennies for a newer MTB (competency has never been so cheap IME).

Quoted message said:

First, can I tell form the outside whether I need a 1" or 1 1/8" threadless headset? How hard is
it to do this once I get all the parts I need? Any and all advise appreciated. Don't hold back,
I can take it!

Thanks in advance!

At this age I would have thought that it would have a 1" headset, but to measure it you could use
a take the stem off it and measure across the steerer tube with a ruler (measuring the outside
diameter of the tube).

Any

Quoted message said:

competent bike mechanic should be able to tell you at a glance.

By the time you've managed to get hold of a 1" threadless suspension fork, new stem and headset,
you've thrown a lot of money at an old bike.

Andy Chequer

I agree with Andy. Spent a lot of $$ upgrading my wife's '95, rigid-fork Cannondale M400. But now
that she's retiring and has more time to ride, we've decided that it's way too heavy and are
investing a lot more $$$ in a new, light-weight hardtail. However, if you don't have any other
options and really want a suspension fork, you'll probably have to custom order one from a Marzocchi
dealer. Unlike RockShox, Manitou, etc., Marzocchi will equip some models with 1" steel steerer
tubes. 1" threadless headsets are easier to come by -- the Ritchey Logic, for example.

Bruce Pech