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Solid or Suspension Fork?

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Wabatuckian

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I use my 29er to explore. No downhill racing or anything crazy. I carry a first aid kit, tools, and two water bottles as primary equipment.

Because I don't do anything radical, the stock cheapo fork has done just fine. However, it's getting wiggly.

I'm on the fence as to what to replace it with. I don't want an air fork. I've looked at them, but am concerned that a blown seal will leave me with an unrideable bike.

So, I'm looking at forks with coil springs (precious few unless I'm looking in the wrong place, and the reason I've stuck with the stock cheapo) and solid forks. This is my first front suspension bike and I kinda like it, but again, I don't do anything that strictly requires it.

What do you guys use?

Thanks!
 
#2 · (Edited)
What bike and what type of riding and what terrain are you exploring? Is it 99% gravel, and 1% single track, or the other way around? If a solid fork worked fine for you, you have your answer.

Also larger tires, wider rims etc. can improve things a bit, but we don't know what you have.

On single track with real obstacles, a good suspension fork can improve things a lot. You have to tell if a good suspension fork is in your budget, or just a cheap coil fork? If a cheap one, I'd tend more to solid.

You also add a lot of damper maintenance with a suspension fork, so you have to decide if it is worth for your riding.

I have a fatbike with carbon fork (for winter) and Mastodon for summer single track. I just recently added the Mastodon and before that used the CF fork for single track, which was OK. If I would mainly go exploring, I didn't need the mastodon. But for rocks and roots, it is great.
 
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#3 ·
I love riding a rigid fork, but it is a very deliberate choice. I enjoy the challenge, the simplicity and the fact that it makes me think about easier trails that I would otherwise just ride through as if they were paved. I am also riding SS, so again, a deliberate choice towards simplicity and challenge.

Even though I enjoy it, there are days were I walk out to my garage and simply don't have the energy or desire to get beat up, and I grab a FS bike.

Either option should work fine, but just understand exactly what you hope to get out of your rides, and how much you want to put into them. For most, I think a rigid fork will mean shorter, less frequent, rides if the terrain is rough...but maybe you are wired different.
 
#4 ·
Wabatuckian said:
concerned that a blown seal will leave me with an unrideable bike
Click to expand...
You're overthinking this.

Run a rigid fork and accept that you'll have to slow down in the chunky stuff but enjoy the zero maintenance, or check out the Suntour upgrade program and score a Raidon for $200 or whatever and enjoy the plusher ride through the chunder but accept the slightly increased maintenance that comes along with it.

Don't get a coil fork. First they still have seals to maintain so you gain nothing in terms of reliablity, and b) the cheap coil forks suck bawls.
 
#5 ·
I rode a rigid fork for years. Yes, you need to slow down a little on certain types of terrain.
I do have a suspension fork now specifically for riding the gnarlier trails at higher speeds. I've ridden all of the same trails rigid.
Do not buy a cheap fork over a rigid fork.
Because you are in the bikepacking forum, I will add that IF you had a suspension fork, it only works if it's tuned to the weight of you and your rig. A coil only does that for a particular weight. If you are adding any gear, or even rearranging it on your bike, the coil will need to be re-set-up. (n)

-F
 
#6 ·
Think about it in these terms: a bicycle, and all it's parts, are consumable items. A fork could last a lifetime. A fork seal may last a year under heavy use, and 10 years with little. A part's value isn't based on eternal life- it's based on function. I have a bikekpacker customer that does 100-300 miles every week, and he gets a year on some of his suspension components before a rebuild, but it's worth it for the comfort and traction it gives him. I usually replace about 4 chains a year on his various bicycles, and I know when he's in other areas he's having other shops replace chains as well. That's the cost of riding!

My point is- think about how many miles you want to do, and what you're willing to budget for maintenance. Fork seals are easy to replace, and a leaking one isn't going to leave you stranded.

I used to ride dirt bikes every other weekend, with about 50-100 miles each trip. Inevitably about once a year a seal would blow out while riding. Would you recommend putting solid forks on a motorcycle to avoid that issue?

Years ago I did thousands of miles of bikepacking style distance riding on my old Epic race bike. (gravel/dirt roads primarily) I had the Rockshox SID World Cup fork on it, and never once had an issue, even though it was one of the lightest and best performing forks of the era.
 
#8 ·
A failure of an air fork is an unlikely occurrence, even for a cheap one. They seem to have the air chambers down pretty well. The thing that mostly differentiates big dollar air forks from cheap ones is the functionality of the damping systems, and those tend not to fail, either.

As pointed out, cheap coil forks tend not to have available springs of differering constant, so you can't set it up for your weight. And, if you dramatically vary your weight, as between bikepacking or otherwise loading up, and riding your normal casual "kit," that's going to be even more of a problem.

And, cheap coil forks tend not to be as sturdily built, in terms of stanchion diameter and material, bushings, etc. as a higher quality air or coil fork, which is probably why yours is "wiggly" and probably why another cheap one would get "wiggly" sooner than later.
 
#10 ·
I want a suspension fork, most of my bikepacking trips are singletrack and I dont like numb hands.

I think your problem was having a cheap fork. You dont have to have the best but get somthing solid. Ive ridden my fork for 5000 miles with no issues. As long as you service it you should be good
 
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