The not-very-good RST forks on my old MTB used for family rides, etc seem to rattle over bumps and feel pretty horrible. Waggling the front end with the brake on makes me think the bushes inside are worn. They're old and were budget items, so it's not worth repairing them.
I'd like some replacements that will work, but as the originals only had 60mm of travel, I strongly suspect I don't want 100mm+ travel of modern forks. The bike is a ~2000-2001 Schwinn Mesa-GSX, so the frame probably isn't setup for them at that vintage.
So what I want is some affordable, robust forks, with maybe 80mm travel and V-bosses. The best bet I've found so far is Rockshox Tora, adjustable down to 85mm (but does that shorten the crown-axle distance?), but a bit pricey. Everything else either is too long, or has no V-bosses - I'm not spending an additional £150 for a disc wheel and brake on a bike used for going to the shops, family rides on forestry tracks, etc.
I've considered rigid, but they're expensive for what they are, for anything suspension corrected. I need approx 220mm steerer, so ebay is proving fruitless. White would be a bonus.
This is Castrol chain wax, as seen in the motorcycle section of your local Halfrauds. They do an own brand version which is a bit cheaper, but you get a big can for the same price as a little squirty tube of Finish Line stuff.
As expected, he reckons the steering is less immediate, but I suppose you could tweak stem lengths to get that back if necessary, and it loses a little in the climbs, but a lockout or similar device will sort that.
My maths tells me that the extra 20mm will increase the wheelbase roughly to that of the next frame size up.
I've built myself up one of these after getting a good deal on the frame from Wiggle. Only had a few short muddy rides, but the fork (2001 80mm Manitou SX-R) has to go. It's definitely the worst bit of the bike.
You lot have put me off RS & Manitou, so I was just about ready to get the ever popular MX Pro ETA's, but thought I'd have another look around first. Stretching the budget a bit, the various Maguras look nice, but many have no canti bosses. A disk upgrade needs new wheels, so will be tres expensive for what I'd like, and I'd prefer to buy better kit less often. The Fox Vanilla R looks good, and I can reconfigure the travel to experiment, which appeals. Is the lack of a lockout or similar likely to be a problem? The RL version looks pricey.
I do fairly normal XC, and weigh 14.5stone, so a featherweight fork is out.
So what to get? The complete bike always comes specced with 80mm forks. Will a 100mm upset it? Unless 100mm definitely won't make it steer like a barge (it's a small frame as I'm short of leg), something with travel that can be changed appeals. I always like to buy with an eye to the future transferring of kit to other bikes, and notice that a lot of newer frames are now designed around longer travel forks, so am wondering if 80mm will end up unloved and inadequate to suspend my bulk.
I've got the Camelbak MULE, which is next in size up from the Lobo. Comes in just inside your budget at Cyclexpress. Holds 3l, which by definition weighs 3 kilos, but you don't have to fill it! It holds more than the advertised 5l of cargo, as there's webbing to hold jackets and other bulky items. Certainly holds enough in terms of maps/tools/snacks/spares for a full day.
Otherwise, Karrimor always do high quality designed-for-cycling rucksaks, many of which have an empty sleeve designed for a bladder should you decide you want to turn it into a hydration pack at a later date. You probably want 10l+ of storage. I've also got a 20l Karrimor 'sak, but rarely use it, as it's quite large, so get one that's big enough without getting too bulky.
I always found my water bottles got covered in mud and worse, and I often need more water than 2 water bottles can hold.
Mark Davies 7
