[snuffy]

To make it short, I am an ex-expert class racer and am getting back into it after 5 years away from it. Yes, I'm a road geek haha. I am building a high end steel hardtail (starting with a unridden Chris Chance '92 frame ). It is being built with XTR everything, blah, blah, blah. What is the absolute best racing fork nowadays? When I got out of the sport, I think the blue Rock Shok SID was the rage. I broke two of them lol. Lightweight is critical, but I am going to train hard so my 36 y/o butt can qualify for the expert class again, so it has to be strong and perform well.

 

[Cary]

Pick up one of the Manitou Skareb forks from Jenson for $209. They have them in 80mm which should work for the geometry of your frame. You might want a newer frame though that is designed around a supension fork and offers disc brake mounts!!!!

 

[snuffy]

Pick up one of the Manitou Skareb forks from Jenson for $209. They have them in 80mm which should work for the geometry of your frame. You might want a newer frame though that is designed around a supension fork and offers disc brake mounts!!!!

Thanks, I'll check that fork out. The frame is designed for a suspension fork. This was on of his last frames made in MA before the Serotta deal. Guess I'm too old school for disc brakes lol, XTR V brakes are all I need. Even after searching all the reviews, and my limited experience with discs, I know of none than will not have problems squealing and/or setting up easily. Not to mention the weight. V's with red Ritchie pads are the ultimate brake for me, wet, dry and even stopping from a 60+ mph decent.

 

[TheSherpa]

even stopping from a 60+ mph decent.

Damn you hit 60 mph on your mountain bike?

-TS

 

[snuffy]

Damn you hit 60 mph on your mountain bike?

-TS

Okay, please don't tell me this is a kiddie board. Rolleyes? 60mph is too weak for you? Guess I'm a wimp with 17 years in the military and 3 wars experience as an airborne infantryman. And many, many thousands of miles on road and mountain bikes. Maybe someday I'll be as cool as you, junior. Shouldn't you be doing your homework boy?

 

[Raymo853]

Two things about your Chris Chance frame that may keep you a roadie for a bit longer.

First I bet the headtube is the old standard, 1" JIS. There are basically no forks made for this standard anymore. There are cheapo Jetts and until last year there were Mazi forks, but not anymore. You can get a special steerer tube put into some forks, but it will be expensive, maybe not safe and will void any warranty.

Second that frame was designed a much shorter fork, at the most a 63mm travel fork. And that would have been a true 63mm fork, not like the 63mm forks around today that stand as high as 80 mm travel fork.

I suggest you make the Chance a rigid SS or commuter. Then get steel IF frame.
http://www.ifbikes.com/ IF was started by some old Chance folks.

 

[TheSherpa]

Okay, please don't tell me this is a kiddie board. Rolleyes? 60mph is too weak for you? Guess I'm a wimp with 17 years in the military and 3 wars experience as an airborne infantryman. And many, many thousands of miles on road and mountain bikes. Maybe someday I'll be as cool as you, junior. Shouldn't you be doing your homework boy?

Wow you need to go to Pinkbike. I guarantee it you never hit 60 on your mountain bike.

-TS

 

[danK]

Okay, please don't tell me this is a kiddie board. Rolleyes? 60mph is too weak for you? Guess I'm a wimp with 17 years in the military and 3 wars experience as an airborne infantryman. And many, many thousands of miles on road and mountain bikes. Maybe someday I'll be as cool as you, junior. Shouldn't you be doing your homework boy?

Sixty? I can't even hit 60 on my road bike, and that's going down some steep mountains in Tahoe. I've had a mtb speedo say I did... You know what, never mind.

Like someone else said, I think you may have issues with that 1" headtube. If you get a 1 1/8 ht, the Fox F80X or RLT80 are awesome forks, but they cost $$$. If price is a concern, get the aforementioned Skareb SPV.

 

[Treybiker]

Everybodys right, you'll have trouble getting things to work on that frame. The head tube alone will hose your chances for getting a decent fork (though I just sold my ol Rockshox Mag 21 on eBay for $60 ). Not to mention the rear spacing on the rear dropouts is going to be 130mm designed for 7-speed vs. 135mm for 8 & 9 speed. However, that is a real cool frame and I think it could be a sweet SS. I took my old 91' (and very ridden) Serotta T'max and single speeded it out.

 

[markom]

Pace rigid carbon fork?

https://www.pacecycles.com/product.asp?catID=2&subcat=433
This has similar height to 63mm forks... Some Pace suspension forks are available with 1" steerer too.

Fashion police may not like these combinations though

 

[danK]

Everybodys right, you'll have trouble getting things to work on that frame. The head tube alone will hose your chances for getting a decent fork (though I just sold my ol Rockshox Mag 21 on eBay for $60 ). Not to mention the rear spacing on the rear dropouts is going to be 130mm designed for 7-speed vs. 135mm for 8 & 9 speed. However, that is a real cool frame and I think it could be a sweet SS. I took my old 91' (and very ridden) Serotta T'max and single speeded it out.

I had a T-Max from around that era. My favorite climbing hardtail ever! Or maybe it climbed so well cuz I was a pathetically skinny 135 pound college student (at 5'10"!!!).

 

[Gambrills]

60MPH on a mountain bike?

60MPH? That's easy. I think you guys should be ashamed of yourselves for doubting him.

60mph is 80 feet/second. As you can see here:

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/traj.html

If you were riding a bike and you fell off a cliff, you would reach 60mph in only 120 feet of free fall. Hardly a surprising feat for an airborne ranger.

I think you all owe someone an apology.

So, mr. ranger, you can buy this fork with a 1" steer tube:

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product.aspx?i=FK700A00

And refit it with air springs and it will be like 3.5 pounds, if you're willing to wrench it some. If you check the mtbr reviews for this fork there are some people who have done the air refit.

Good luck!

 

[jennasdad]

Gambrills, would the bike be going 60mph in 120 feet and which would hit first, bike or rider?

 

[Cary]

Okay, please don't tell me this is a kiddie board. Rolleyes? 60mph is too weak for you? Guess I'm a wimp with 17 years in the military and 3 wars experience as an airborne infantryman. And many, many thousands of miles on road and mountain bikes. Maybe someday I'll be as cool as you, junior. Shouldn't you be doing your homework boy?

For somebody that is new to this board, you might consider being a bit less of a prick. Given that 60mph is virtually impossible on a roadbike with steep grades (there is this little thing called air resistance) your claim of 60mph hits the bul*s*it meter pretty high.

Also, what does you being a grunt in the airborne for 17 years have to do with mountain biking? It is kind of funny, but I have know quite a few Green Berets and Airborne veterans over the years, and the toughest ones never brag or go out of their way to tell people their background. Sounds like you have some issues with insecurity.

 

[Jm.]

i hit 40mph on trails pretty regularly. 60mph on a road bike is not out of the question.

 

[damion]

It IS doable.

i hit 40mph on trails pretty regularly. 60mph on a road bike is not out of the question.

But 60 is hard to get to. Wind resistance and all that. I have come close. (57 on a calibrated cpu, and a car behind doing 55 that I was pulling away from slowly.) 60 on a road bike with canti's is a death wish imo.

 

[beria]

speed freak?

Hi there,
On some mountain roads near my home I hit 56mph (which is around 91kM/h) a couple of times on my road bike, with a gradient of around 13% and a fairly straigt road this wasn´t that difficult. So 60mph is not out of question. For those who remember Djamolidin Apdujaparov "The Tashkent Terror" feared for his sprinting style at the Tour De France in the early 90´s, his high speed, down a alpine mountain road at the Tour, was measured at 75mph!
And for the fork: Marzocchi still sells a number of 1 inch steerer tube forks.
beria

 

[Gambrills]

That depends

Gambrills, would the bike be going 60mph in 120 feet and which would hit first, bike or rider?

Can we assume a spherical rider?

 

[forkboy]

Okay, please don't tell me this is a kiddie board. Rolleyes? 60mph is too weak for you? Guess I'm a wimp with 17 years in the military and 3 wars experience as an airborne infantryman. And many, many thousands of miles on road and mountain bikes. Maybe someday I'll be as cool as you, junior. Shouldn't you be doing your homework boy?

Maybe all your time overseas you got MPH and KPH confused.

And maybe you are a little bit paranoid with people trying to shoot you for the last 17 years.