forks

Quoted message said:

I'm thinking about buying front shocks.

the thing is: I don't own a super bike ... an 8 year old GT Timberline,
basically $400. I like it fine ... I just like to ride. What fork would
you recommend for this bike? It should be something good, though not
necessarily "professional."

also should I use an online store?

tnx.

You may have a hard time getting a fork that fits, so definitely work
with a (non-online) ship to be sure you're getting the right steerer
tube size.
One thing to consider is today's $400 bikes usually come with a
suspension fork. If you got one of those bikes you could sell your old
one to get back some ($30 or $75 if you are lucky) of your money.

Good luck.

Matt

Quoted message said:

I'm thinking about buying front shocks.

the thing is: I don't own a super bike ... an 8 year old GT
Timberline, basically $400. I like it fine ... I just like to ride.
What fork would you recommend for this bike? It should be something
good, though not necessarily "professional."

also should I use an online store?

If you really "need" front suspension (want is much more accurate; nothing
wrong with that), then I say buy a whole new entry-level hardtail. Your
current bike wasn't designed for a suspension fork, and a decent one will
cost WAY to much in relation to the bike's overall value.

Sell the GT or keep it as a back-up/errand bike.

Go forth and shop... BS

[email hidden said:

"]I'm thinking about buying front shocks.

the thing is: I don't own a super bike ... an 8 year old GT Timberline,
basically $400. I like it fine ... I just like to ride. What fork would
you recommend for this bike? It should be something good, though not
necessarily "professional."

also should I use an online store?

tnx.

if it did not come with a suspension fork, the frame will probably not be suspension adjusted, so I would not reccomend a fork longer than 80mm travel as it lifts the front end up and affects the steering.

Quoted message said:

the thing is: I don't own a super bike ... an 8 year old GT Timberline,
basically $400. I like it fine ... I just like to ride. What fork would
you recommend for this bike? It should be something good, though not
necessarily "professional."

What sort of brakes does it have? If it has cantilever brakes, new forks
won't have hangers for them, and you'll end up having to replace the front
brake...which typically means replacing the front brake lever (or putting
in an adapter if you trust those)...and replacing the front brake lever
typically means replacing the shifter...it gets very expensive, and isn't
really worth it for a low/mid-range frame. But if you have v-brakes,
you're OK.

Also, some older bikes had threaded headsets. Replacing the fork meant
replacing the headset & stem, bumping up the price quite a bit.

As far as the whole "suspension adjusted" bit goes, just stay away from
long travel forks. A LOT of bikes didn't come with suspension forks in the
90s; we just added them on and everything worked. We used to put Judy XC
forks on those - 80mm of travel - and geometry wasn't an issue. You can
still get those for cheap (~$100). Its not going to be the most
bulletproof fork out there, but it would be crazy to spend a ton of money
on a bike that old.

My bikes are 1994 and a 1999 models. I ride them every couple of days.
I've had to replace a lot of worn-out components over the years, but
they're like old friends to me.

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