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Kona P2 Fork - Extremely harsh... or am I imagining things?

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Dion

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Of course, riding a rigid fork is going to be harsh, but...

I've ridden other rigid steel forks, and even an aluminum fork, and my damn Kona p2 seems to be the most bone jarring rigid fork I've ever felt. More so than the aluminum fork.

One of the riders in our groups told me that the P2 is notoriously harsh, but I've seen other similar CroMo forks which have been touted as more compliant (similar straight leg design).

Is there a steel fork that would have the same design, but more compliant? I've heard that the Salsa forks are good, but skeptical that they would actually make a difference.

I will not ride a suspension fork.
 
#2 ·
I had a P2 many years ago an a steel 26er SS and I would agree it is a bit harsh riding. I've owned several rigid forks (MTB, CX, Road) and my "general" finding is that curved fork legs provide a smoother ride than strait leg forks (all other things being generally equal such as material, weight, rake).
 
#3 ·
Never ridden a P2, but my Monocog (non-flight) fork was pretty stiff. I've got a Cromoto Grande on my MCF and I feel it's a lot more compliant (and much lighter).

Your tire volume/pressure is going to play a bigger role, but you will probably notice a little difference.

EDIT: These are 29er forks. No experience with 26.
 
Discussion starter · #4 ·
p nut said:
Never ridden a P2, but my Monocog (non-flight) fork was pretty stiff. I've got a Cromoto Grande on my MCF and I feel it's a lot more compliant (and much lighter).

Your tire volume/pressure is going to play a bigger role, but you will probably notice a little difference.

EDIT: These are 29er forks. No experience with 26.
Click to expand...
22psi in a fat 2.4 Maxxis Ardent, tubeless. :madman:
 
#9 ·
I run a P2 on my 26er Explosif and find it quite plush, as far as rigid forks go. Certainly much plusher than the 1300g pig of a fork I had on there before. Perhaps there is a difference between the 26 and 29 version in terms of ride quality?

The 26er P2 I have weighs 1050g, which I thought was quite light a full steel fork. I also notice a fair amount of fore-aft flex under heavy braking.
 
#10 ·
I know there were various versions of 26" P2 forks - some built with better steel than others. Not sure if that holds true for the 29er versions.

p nut - check your PMs regarding your Cromoto Grande!
 
#11 ·
26" or 29"? I have last years 29" p2 and the niner carbon fork. I am 210lbs running 24-26lbs of air in a 2.4 racing ralph and find the p2 better than the niner. With the niner a hit directly in line with the fork legs hurts. It also acts like early suspension forks and when hit perpendicular to the legs will flex a lot then spring back feeling very unstable at low speeds. When I asked here about getting the carbon over the p2 most told me to save the money and get the fox fork if I wanted a softer ride. The next day I found a niner fork in my lbs so I got it. If I had no fork I would get the niner it is beautiful and lite but I don't think it rides better than the p2. A good carbon bar and accurate tire gauge did more for a good ride than the fork did. I ride ruff single track with all rocks and roots.

Edit: The unit has a very slack head angle that could be helping the p2 feel softer to me.
 
#12 ·
I'll let you know how things go for me this weekend. I am adding it to the front end of my 29er Karakoram 3.0 (hardtail aluminum frame) tonight. The planned ride is 20 miles of packed granite, rocky singletrack, rocky downhill and flowy flows.

Fingers crossed.

And for comparison, I have a 26er steel hardtail with an OEM rigid fork that is tolerable along the same trail.

R.
 
#13 ·
My p2 feels great! Rode it all summer and currently. Installing a suspension fork , buying cheapo ss BD bike and throwing ny p2 on there.

I had to put.my gears back on my my main bike.for.knee pain issues. I figure, if I buy a cheap BD bike I can have my rigid ss fix when my knees feel up to it.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
 
#15 ·
The nice Project 2's are the triple butted ones - they're both lighter and more compliant. They have CM TB stamped onto the steerer tube, near the crown race seat.
Any others will be plain gauge, meaning more weight and less compliance. I don't know if any of the disc versions of the P2 are triple-butted, but I suspect not....
Salsa Cromoto's are nice forks, in all lengths, and I reckon are superb value for not much money. Carbon forks may be lighter but they're not as comfortable as decent steel forks, in my limited experience of them (carbon, that is).
 
Discussion starter · #16 ·
Linoleum said:
I'll let you know how things go for me this weekend. I am adding it to the front end of my 29er Karakoram 3.0 (hardtail aluminum frame) tonight. The planned ride is 20 miles of packed granite, rocky singletrack, rocky downhill and flowy flows.

Fingers crossed.

And for comparison, I have a 26er steel hardtail with an OEM rigid fork that is tolerable along the same trail.

R.
Click to expand...
I will sometimes log 50-70 miles a week on my P2, and have been riding it since April 2010. My trails are hard packed and very, very rocky.

I compare this fork to:

Surly 1X1 (26")
Mosso Aluminum (26")
Nashbar Carbon (700C CX)
Trigon Carbon (26")
Generic eBay Steel (26")

All the carbon forks I've ridden have been very, very nice compared to steel. The Surly 1X1 was nearly identical feeling and, surprisingly the Mosso was pretty compliant, too. But my damn Kona P2 is the most harsh out of every fork I've ever owned - so I'm wondering if it is a design flaw.

My guess is that the Surly 1X1 with the curved legs gave way to the more compliant feeling. I am not sure if it would fit a 29 X 2.4 wheel/tire combo, or if there is something similar built for 29'ers.
 
#17 ·
Isn't there a dirt jump version of the P2 fork? Could it be possible that is the one you are using? I would imagine it to be stiffer than the regular one.
 
Discussion starter · #18 ·
This would be the 29'er specific one. Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. I'm going to continue to shop around. I've lived with it for 2 years, so it isn't critical. Just something I'd like to find a solution for.
 
#19 ·
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