[JP Nuts]

(control excitement)
I am building up my new Spot from my old TNT version. I am seeking input regarding front fork & wheel selection. I am riding a Fox 140 float w/ Chris King hub for QR laced to a Swiss-DT R4.2d rim. I weigh 150#s, conservative 60 yo, balding male. I ride all mountain in my aggressive manner. To date my front end has worked.I do not know if it is holding me back or it is just right.
I will be buying a Rock Shox revelation w/ 150 travel. I can choose the QR or Maxle. If I choose the QR I can use my existing wheel and bike carrier. The maxle requires a new wheel & bike carrier.
My questions are which choice is better? Will my new SPot take 30 years away to back to my more adventerous days therefore needing the stiffer set up? If I continue to ride "my way" will I need or benefit from a larger axle and stiffer wheel?
Oh, how was your ride today?
Thanks for your comments

 

[miles e]

My ride was great, thanks.

With a DW Spot you absolutely need a TA fork to do the frame justice. A Fox QR15 fork would allow you to use your King hub if you bought a new axle (~$80), or if you definitely want the Rock Shox than you'd have to buy a new hub/wheel (probably out ~$150 if you resell your old hub/wheel).

If you're switching your parts over you could always just put the old fork on until you could spring for the new TA fork and accompanying axle/hub/wheel; I just would not buy a new fork w/o TA under any circumstances.

 

[moosehead]

JP, you are nuts if you don't drop the 9mm QR.

Since you worked hard enough to retire, treat yourself to the new axle and fork.

+1 to converting your CK hub to the QR15 and go with either the 2010 Fox Float or Talas.

 

[JTBAZ]

I would definitely go with RS Revelation, I have had the Fox Float and the Fox TALAS and the revelation is better than both. I would definitely go with the 20mm T/A.

 

[louiffe]

I had a Talas 32 RLC QR and moved to a Revelation 426 T/A. The cornering and overall handling has changed impressively and that's an upgrade I wouldnt pass on if I were you...

 

[6thElement]

Having read your passion thread I'm envious of your journey. I'm not sure what bike rack you've got but a TA fork doesn't necessarily mean you'll need a new one, something like a fork-up adapter may work for you?

http://www.hurricanecomponents.com/forkups.php

 

[JP Nuts]

6TH,
Thanks for info on fork ups that will work for me. My problem is what to do w/ the wheel? Now I use a Yakima wheel fork for my QR.
What solutions have riders worked out to carry a front wheel w/ a TA? No room inside to carry.

 

[aenema]

Anybody have any measurements of the new 5spot with a 160 fork on it? Head angle and BB height are what I am really curious about. Trying to find a light, slack trail bike I can really be excited about and this seems like a viable frame. Have read people are putting the bigger forks on and riding like they were on the older RFX's. I will do a forum search also but thought it was in line with this thread so asked here also.

 

[12snap]

Spin the non-drive side crankarm to the 6 o'clock position. Set the wheel on the non-drive side pedal. Wrap a small bungee cord around the rim/tire and the crank arm at the bottom. Wrap another small bungee cord around the rim/tire and either the top tube, seat tube or both at the top. Cheap, effective and you get more room on the rack to put an extra bike tray so another riding buddy can come along.

6TH,
Thanks for info on fork ups that will work for me. My problem is what to do w/ the wheel? Now I use a Yakima wheel fork for my QR.
What solutions have riders worked out to carry a front wheel w/ a TA? No room inside to carry.

 

[miles e]

Anybody have any measurements of the new 5spot with a 160 fork on it? Head angle and BB height are what I am really curious about.

Actually, Turner has those measurements on their homepage currently, in the small print above the picture of the 5 Spot. 67.5 degree HA, 13.9" BB; I believe others on this forum have reported similar measurements with this setup.

I borrowed the 36 off my RFX and rode this setup for a couple weeks and found the Spot did stack up pretty well to the bigger bike overall, with the DW link putting it clearly ahead when it came to climbing/acceleration. :thumbsup:

 

[Enel]

I weigh 150#s, conservative 60 yo, balding male. I ride all mountain in my aggressive manner. To date my front end has worked.I do not know if it is holding me back or it is just right.

If I continue to ride "my way" will I need or benefit from a larger axle and stiffer wheel?

Oh, how was your ride today?

Almost everyone here will tell you you need TAs. I am a fan, but I doubt most of us feel the difference. A lot of the folks here are clydes in the 200+ range, so take it with a grain of salt. Especially at your weight I doubt you will notice much difference. So I think you will benefit little from a TA set up. It is the trend of the future in forks of this travel range, so nothing wrong with getting a more modern set up, I just don't think you need it at all.

And my ride yesterday was great.

 

[miles e]

Almost everyone here will tell you you need TAs. I am a fan, but I doubt most of us feel the difference.

You're a fan despite not being able to feel the difference?

I think a fork with 32mm stanchions and a TA is the minimum any rider would want on a Spot, and I'm pretty middle of the road in terms of body weight @ 175 lbs. A fork with 35/36mm stanchions would be ideal from a stiffness perspective, but those do come with a weight penalty, unlike modern 32mm/TA forks. I would concede that you could maybe run a QR fork on a Flux, but in that case I believe a 32mm/TA fork would be optimum.

The rear end of the DW bikes is outstanding in terms of both stiffness and how well it tracks the ground (which so often do go hand in hand). Maybe with some ~5" bikes you could dicker around with a QR fork, but IMHO it would be a joke to put one on the front of a DW Spot. :nono:

 

[Enel]

You're a fan despite not being able to feel the difference?

I don't feel a difference in stiffness, but I like my teeth and am uninterested in breaking a 9mm axle and falling on my face. Given the option I will take the stronger interface.

Espouse what you want. This dude will not notice any difference.

 

[miles e]

I don't feel a difference in stiffness, but I like my teeth and am uninterested in breaking a 9mm axle

I wouldn't worry about that too much if I were you.

Espouse what you want. This dude will not notice any difference.

How can you be so certain, just because you don't notice a difference? I'll at least concede that it's possible he may not, but I think there's a very good chance he will. At any rate, why would you cheap out on not getting a new hub/wheel when you're spending $3k+ for a new frame & fork? It's not like this is 2003 and the fork is going to gain a couple pounds and an inch of A2C if you want to go TA.

 

[Enel]

How can you be so certain...

With a DW Spot you absolutely need a TA fork

I think a fork with 32mm stanchions and a TA is the minimum any rider would want on a Spot

I'm the one being dogmatic here?

Your responses represent classic Homer group think. Around here, one would think it's impossible to even ride and even enjoy a bike without a DW link Turner frame, 1 million engagement points in the hub, a dropper post, Pushed suspension (or even better Avalanche) and front and rear TA connections.

Of course anyone who questions or doubts those dogmas can't ride, or doesn't ride, or doesn't ride as well or as hard as the Homers.

Keep the veiled insults and condescension coming.

 

[miles e]

I'm the one being dogmatic here?

Nice snipping of my comments. I said the Spot abolutely needs a TA fork "to do the frame justice". Sure, you could probably put a QR fork on a RFX too, but it just stops making sense to do so at some point, and in my experience you've reached that point well before 6" of travel.

Your responses represent classic Homer group think. Around here, one would think it's impossible to even ride and even enjoy a bike without a DW link Turner frame, 1 million engagement points in the hub, a dropper post, Pushed suspension (or even better Avalanche) and front and rear TA connections.

Says the guy with a Gravity Dropper on his single speed, who won't ride a bike with chainstays longer than 17.30" Your preconceived notion of Turner riders aside, the OP asked a specific question and got direct answers, largely based on experience. How much time do you have on 150mm QR forks, or a DW Spot for that matter? What forks have you actually ridden both the QR and TA axle version of at all?

If you recall, I actually suggested he temporarily use his old fork rather than sink money into 150mm travel QR one. Even companies who sell the fork openly question (fourth paragraph) the wisdom of running a 150mm QR fork. The guy may be on the older/lighter side, but he also says he rides "all mountain in my aggresive manner". I can't say with 100% certainty how much he'll benefit from/notice (which aren't always the same thing) the stiffness of a TA fork, I just think he would be doing himself a disservice by not trying one.

Of course anyone who questions or doubts those dogmas can't ride, or doesn't ride, or doesn't ride as well or as hard as the Homers.

Keep the veiled insults and condescension coming.

You're the one that said you can't feel a difference between QR and TA; I can't help but draw my own conclusions. Make a statement like that on any other board and I'll bet it would be met with open ridicule. Maybe you should go try just that if you've had your fun here and find Turner riders so distasteful to begin with.

 

[victim]

I'm with miles. I've use the same model fork on the same bike with same wheel and the only difference being QR to 15mm and I noticed a big improvement. I'm not super sensitive to bike changes and set ups so I know if I pick up on something it's probably a big change. Bike was not a Turner but don't see how that makes any difference. As to the OP feeling an improvement? You never know...

 

[Enel]

If you recall, I actually suggested he temporarily use his old fork rather than sink money into 150mm travel QR one.

I missed that.

I feel a bit bad about my comments above and hope you will accept my apology for getting a little hot.

Sure I have a lot of the doodads noted above, but I don't think they are essential to my riding life (except the GD on the SS).

Here is the deal I M O: If he wants to save some bucks, there is nothing wrong with running what you brung. But... if I were buying new, I would go TA since that is where the market is going and there is no downside. I think we agree there. I do not think it is required in any way though, depends on the rider and there we disagree.

The older qr Fox 32 stanchioned 140mm fork was certainly not holding this guy back today, he was killing it everywhere.

PS: He is a bike shop owner and probably can use any fork he likes.

I got to ride around just a bit on the Spot and liked it a lot. Pedal incompatibility prevented a longer test ride, but it is the one bike in the Turner line that definitely interests me. When Dave makes a Sultan with geometry similar to a Spot, I will be first in line.

 

[inzane]

Almost everyone here will tell you you need TAs. I am a fan, but I doubt most of us feel the difference. A lot of the folks here are clydes in the 200+ range, so take it with a grain of salt. Especially at your weight I doubt you will notice much difference. So I think you will benefit little from a TA set up. It is the trend of the future in forks of this travel range, so nothing wrong with getting a more modern set up, I just don't think you need it at all.

And my ride yesterday was great.

I notice a huge difference between QR and TA! I can hold my line through corners better and the steering is much more responsive. I weigh about 150 lb as well, and ride aggressive AM on a HL 5 Spot.

No way I would go back to QR.

 

[miles e]

I feel a bit bad about my comments above and hope you will accept my apology for getting a little hot.

Don't worry about it; ultimately we just see things differently on this issue, and I could have been more tactful myself in "discussing" the matter.

I got to ride around just a bit on the Spot and liked it a lot. Pedal incompatibility prevented a longer test ride, but it is the one bike in the Turner line that definitely interests me.

I remember you saying that when the bikes were introduced, which I found interesting because at the time it was the one DW bike I had no interest in. Another good example of why it's important to keep an open mind on bike related matters.