Newbie wants to get front suspension fork.

"TacomaBoy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

I want to get a suspension fork for my fiance's bike, but I don't want to spend a whole lot. I see
lots of em on ebay, but I am not sure what to look for. Soemthing entry level, but solid. Judy XC
ok? What measurements do I need to take to determine which forks to look at? How much should I
expect to spend? She mostly does road bikeing, but I am hoiping to get her to go off road some
with me. She has a 17" 97 CroMo Rockhopper with no suspension. I want somethign to smooth the ride
for her some, but be reliable and safe. Thanks yalls.

An air-sprung fork should be a good choice:
1. She does mostly road biking, and on the road might want the pressure set high to eliminate bob.
Some coil sprung forks work for this too--a few have lockout, and on others you might be able to
stiffen by increasing preload. But you might not (you may have that set high already).

2. Most coil-sprung forks come sprung for riders around 160-180lbs. If your fiance is lighter than
that, she might not get much suspension from the stock setup. You can change the coils (I've had
to change springs in several forks), but it's a lot simpler to adjust the air-pressure.

Quoted message said:

An air-sprung fork should be a good choice:
1. She does mostly road biking, and on the road might want the pressure

set high

Quoted message said:

to eliminate bob. Some coil sprung forks work for this too--a few have

lockout,

Quoted message said:

and on others you might be able to stiffen by increasing preload. But you

might

Quoted message said:

not (you may have that set high already).

2. Most coil-sprung forks come sprung for riders around 160-180lbs. If

your

Quoted message said:

fiance is lighter than that, she might not get much suspension from the

stock setup.

Quoted message said:

You can change the coils (I've had to change springs in several forks),

but it's

Quoted message said:

a lot simpler to adjust the air-pressure.

She weighs about 115 or 120... I have heard good things about air sprung shocks, and I'd like to get
my own (currently have a Manitou Magnum Coils Sprung), but aren't they quite costly?

TacomaBoy said:

I want to get a suspension fork for my fiance's bike, but I don't want to spend a whole lot.

There are some reasonably good forks these days for less than $150 (maybe less than $100). They
won't take a huge beating, but she probably won't give them one.

As far as measurements, the main thing is the diameter of the headtube (probably 1 1/8"😉, as well as
the length of the headtube, stem, and some slack if its a used fork (since they'll have already cut
the steerer tube).

Other things can make it a little pricey. If she doesn't have v-brakes, you'll have to replace that
when you change to a newer fork (more money); that means either buying one of those things to make a
v-brake work with an old lever, or replacing the brake lever (which might mean replacing the
shifter). If she has a threaded headset, you'll probably also have to replace the headset and stem.

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