[mylesofsmyles]

For the past week, since I purchased my frame, I have been on a hunt for a front suspension fork with a 1" threadless diameter steerer tube. I know, Marzocchi and RST make one...I don't want either! I was originally going to use a brand new set of Rock Shox SID Team, until I learned I needed a 1" steerer tube and Rock Shox makes no such thing anymore. My alternate solution, buy an older set of Rock Shox Judy and install the Englund Total Ait kit. Perfect, fine, now where do I find a set of Rock Shox Judy with a 1" threadless diameter steerer tube. Don't tell me eBay or I swear, I will pistol whip someone! In a week, I have found 1, which is now bid up over $100. A website http://www.bikepro.com/products/forks/rockshox/rockshox_jsl.html shows they sell the Rock Shox Judy in a 1" new, but there is no online order section, nor a phone number or email address to contact them. The mailing address is within 30 minutes of where I live, however according to "411" no such company exists in that city. What do I do?

Someone mentioned to me something about an older Rock Shox SID. Did Rock Shox make this fork in a 1" also? What is the difference between a Rock Shox SID and Judy w/ Total Air...which is better and lighter? I have a 15+/- year old Klein Rascal that I am ground-up rebuilding with all modern technology. I want what is the lightest and best performing.

Could someone please offer some guidance and help before I loose my mind...PLEASE!!!

 

[Bikinfoolferlife]

Bikepro has been out of business for quite a while, nice for researching details on older stuff. Can't help you with your quest otherwise; why not go really old school and maybe put a rigid fork on there? Can't understand why you expected there to be much choice in 1" forks let alone the old noodly one you want. Good luck, though.

 

[mylesofsmyles]

I hadn't done enough research when I bought the frame to know what I was up against. I have been a total whore for things Klein, and when I saw this deal I jumped. Within 2 hours of finding the post, I had the frame; it was a Klein hardtail, pre-Trek and my size...what could go wrong? To be quite honest, this has been my first attempt at completly building/re-building a bike; I have always done maintenence and upgrades, but never a full build. Bottom bracket options and head tube diameters are topics I have never considered.

I don't want to go as old-school as a rigid fork; I want a front shock. From my experience, I find the Judy a solid performer for the Marin County, CA trails I ride. With the addition of the Englund Total Air System, I should have at least as good a shock as a standard Judy, but lighter. I just need a fork!

 

[jeffj]

I have the 1" Judy XC with an Englund long travel kit, but not the air spring. Mine has Mountain Speed Springs.

Remember that many of the Judy forks were a 63mm fork in stock form unless you get the LT (long travel).

If you are doing this as a restoration and are using cantilever brakes, make sure the arch is the appropriate one.

The crown steerer is a bolt on, so I suppose once you found a 1" crown steerer, you could swap out a working set of lowers.

I don't think I would buy one with the plastic cartridges, because finding an aluminum cartridge would be difficult and the plastic ones are junk.

And since ebay is taboo, I suppose you don't want to now about all of the 1" crown steerers available there that could be used with some of their vintage forks that are probablt much better than the Judy, so I won't say anymore about those.

I have a friend's early 90's Klein in my garage that we will probably be converting into a lightweight SS XC racer. It still has one of the old 1" Mag forks. I'm not sure how we'll deal with it if the fork doesn't rehab well.

You might try posting in the retro section if you haven't already. Good luck with your project.

Here's mine:

 

[Guest]

I have a 15+/- year old Klein Rascal that I am ground-up rebuilding with all modern technology. I want what is the lightest and best performing.

Could someone please offer some guidance and help before I loose my mind...PLEASE!!!

Modern Tech??!?!??!?!?!?!?

A Rockshox sid is not new technology nor is an older judy. Go ahead and pistol whip me I dare you but your only option is going to be the Marz. The Marz is going to be leaps and bounds above any older Rockshox that you can find on the market.

 

[mylesofsmyles]

Let me put it this way...

The Rock Shox Judy is "modern technology," when considering it will be mated to a 15 year old frame. As far as I am concerned, and for my riding style, a Judy/Englund Total Air is about as good as a new SID-Team.

Above all that, the decision has been made to go with the Judy fork. I just can't find one anywhere in a 1" threadless steerer tube.

 

[mylesofsmyles]

Okay...I have calmed down. I won my eBay auction and got a brand new, uncut Rock Shox Judy TT shock in the 1" diameter threadless steerer tube. I paid more than top dollar for them, but whatever; I got them! Just a silly question though...does anyone make aftermarket crown steerers for Judy forks? I know some now have carbon fiber crown steerers. If such a piece is available for my shock, I would love to have it. As soon as I get the fork, I am going to take it apart, have it custom painted and install the Englund Total Air kit. While I am doing all this work, I would like to switch out the crown steerer for a carbon fiber one...if I can.

 

[Jefe74]

Carbon steerer on a Judy TT? Lipstick on a pig man....

Seriously, I had an old Klein. Done the Judy thing on another bike (had fun wiping up the ATF after the cartridge exploded in my face). And I still run a 1" fork on another old bike. An old zoke Z2 or Atom BOM is sooooo much better.

 

[lucifer]

Welcome to my world of frustration.

Problem is that 1" threadless was a hiccup in the history of mountain bikes. We should all be thanking marz profusely for continuing to do right by us sill old curmudgeons.
:thumbsup:

Here is the bottom line based on my own experience.
A sid is a better fork than anything that came before it.
A marz marathon is a much plusher and better handling fork than a sid, albeit at the price of a signifcant weight penalty.

You can count on any 1" threadless fork with a decent steerer tube to cost double what the equivalent year 1 and 1/8 costs simply based on supply and demand. There just aren't that many out there.

If money is no object and weight counts, then call up hippie tech and have them put a sid together for you. Just don't be surprised when it costs more than a new fox fork.

If you're cheap and don't care about weight buy an rst and ride on.

If you are somewhere in between have fun ebaying...

Hope this helps.:thumbsup: :madman:

 

[pvd]

throw away any frame using a 1" steerer. don't waste any time or money on this kind of junk.

 

[Jefe74]

throw away any frame using a 1" steerer. don't waste any time or money on this kind of junk.

My Bontrager Ti-Lite is offended....

However, if anyone does have some old 1" junk to throw out, take it on over to the Vintage board first.

 

[hollister]

junk! the hell with that

My Bontrager Ti-Lite is offended....

However, if anyone does have some old 1" junk to throw out, take it on over to the Vintage board first.

you have a ti-lite......have i seen the pics?

please do.

we have our own spot in the classified's too.

 

[Jefe74]

It is not that pretty

you have a ti-lite......have i seen the pics?

please do.

we have our own spot in the classified's too.

It aint that pretty, really. My bikes tend to have clean chains, and that's about it. It is built up with an old Z2 BAM, XT 8 speed, oringinal Mustang rear wheel (the front died between two rocks in Downieville) Race Face stem, Easton carbon risers. Some of the letters have fallen off, so it is now a "Bontra er Ti ium".

If you want to see a pretty Ti Lite frame, check out:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=257012

- J

 

[mylesofsmyles]

I should have my fork within the next few days, and am still looking for ways to upgrade it. I hear and understand what you are all saying; the Judy is old news, and it isn't a high end shock. That said, I am going to use the Judy one way or the other, but I would like it as lightweight as possible. My knowledge of the Judy like of products is nill, with the exception of the fact that my Judy TT is one of the lower-end, heavier editions. Is the weight in the casing or internals? I would venture a guess and say that the weight of the TT is somewhere between 4.5-5 lbs, no where lightweight! Assuming I would exchange the internals for Total Air, would that be enough to make it a 3 lb fork, or am I still missing some major piece? Take a high-end Judy, XC or whatever is the top model, and my TT, gut them both...am I left with the same chassis/case or are they different?

My TT, I don't think has a bolt-in crown, I think it is forged. This being the case, is a swap for lowers still an option?

 

[I-S]

Ok, bit late here, but Magura offer all their forks with a 1" steerer option under the customisation program, if you want something more modern. I would imagine that you could just get the crown and steerer from magura if you obtained a second-hand fork.

 

[jimmy]

hippie tech suspension

Dude, send your Judy to Hippie Tech and they can refurb it for you, tho it won't be cheap. They did a great job for my 1994 bonty race with 1997 t-less judy XC. Certainly not plush like a Fox, but fine anyway.

 

[stealthmarin]

I just emailed a few bike vendors and they told me that Marzocchi has stopped making the their 1" steerer fork, MX Comp, this year. Is this really the case? This would mean there are no more good 1" steerer forks out there brand new!

 

[mtnbiker72]

Steel steerer, steel uppers...and only 1 spring

You'll drop 1/2 pound at best...The Judy TT is a serious turd...bushing slop strait from the box

I would have gone Marzocchi on this one

BTW-They are extremely rare...but the original SID fork was made in a 1" threadless steerer made exclusively for Ritchey P-21 frames.

 

[I-S]

This would mean there are no more good 1" steerer forks out there brand new!

Except the Maguras...

 

[norcalruckus]

judy tt v judy

The newer judy tt's have a smaller diameter inside than older judys. You can buy speed springs to fit, but the spacers are too wide, so only the springs fit. You could try this depending on the size of your frame:

Buy a used one inch threaded bolt on steerer tube (ebay), and then buy a judy fork like this:

http://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?id=23705

Cut off the new steerer tube on the new judy, and bolt it onto the used 1 inch steerer, and you are in business with your new custom.