[67comet]

How can I tell w/out a good LBS which forks are what I'd like? Currently I ride a Diamondback Response Sport and it's forks leave a lot to be disired if you ask me. (No rebound? Just - boing back up).

I do jump, so I would like to keep a bit of travel (100mm min) but my gawed these do the rebound worse than any ex-girlfriend I've ever had.

I also have looked around and the price ranges so greatly I'm not sure what I should be looking for really. I want stiff stuff (I'm anywhere between 195 and 200# depending on the time of year). I enjoy the cushion of front suspension, just not the bounce.

Can I be helped for under $300?

Thanks,
Justin

 

[Call_me_Clyde]

Some thoughts

The first thing that comes to mind is possibly buying one of the Marzocchi Dirt Jum series forks, but my concern has more to do with the frame you're using for jumps. How much, how often, how big? Depending on your response, could be that you're bringing a knife to a gunfight.

Bob

 

[baraant]

before you upgrade

You seem to be in the same situation I was a few years ago. I had a Raleigh M80 and I wanted to start upgrading it, the forks really did suck. I soon found out that rather than spending the approximate $500 to really upgrade the thing I was just better off buying a new bike that had much better components to begin with. Glad I bought new and I ended up selling the Raleigh for $300 so it wasn't that bad. Good luck.

 

[Maida7]

The best deals are always on last years models of forks. I think you can get a Fox Vanilla for under 300.00. Also much of the Manitou Minute forks are on sale. I've got the Minute 1:00 for around 240.00. Those are considered high quality trail riding forks (5" of travel, light weight, resonably stiff). Either will have good rebound control but may not be stiff enuf for jumping or freeride. If you just want to jump look at something beefier (heavy) like the dirt jump fork previously mentioned. Are you gonna install this yourself?

 

[67comet]

The jumps I occasion are nothing like what I take on my BMX. They are what ever is laying around. I would say 75% of my time on the bike is commuting with the occasional small jump or goof off (wall ride on a wall that's maybe 15' high, and angled really steep so it's almost like a huge vert ramp as apposed to a wall).. I also have been pumping off a 6' tall grass ledge sor of thing .. It's a nice soft landing except for my springy forks always wig me out a little.

A frame upgrade is in the future none the less. I've got some other things non-bike related to purchase beforehand however. (Notebook comp, ram for my server, kids school etc etc) .. So the frame purchase will maybe be this fall/winter time frame... No pun intended there ..

I'll take a peek at the Marzocchi Dirt Jump sticks.

Thank you all,
Justin

 

[67comet]

Yes I'll be doing all the installs meself. I'm an experianced BMX biker and building with some time in a shop under my belt (It was years ago however so how current my skills are is yet to be deturmined).

I've jumped on Google to look at all the forks mentioned. I'll read some more forums threads too ..

Thanks much,
Justin