[bikeanddrum]

I am thinking about getting a rigid for my Paragon. I know the different forks, prices etc. but my questions is this:

What are the main riding differences between the forks. I live in NC lots of roots. I keep my Reba locked out w/ motion control now, but wanting to lighten the bike. So given my area which fork would take the bigger hits/roots better or should I just leave well enough alone and keep the Reba etc. Just want some honest opinions and I just want to know the ride difference that justifies the price difference etc. Example Surly-80.00 OTHERS over 200.00 Just curious.

Also is the high end bling of a Ti fork worth the extra $$$ from you guys point of view. Thanks for looking

 

[onespeedpachiderm]

fork opinion

The Bontrager Switchblade,available soon, would be a good choice. Lighter weight than steel, cheaper than ti, and is a quality fork.

 

[Cloxxki]

You'll take bigger hits with the rigid, obviously. You'll notice even with the Surly fork already that handling speeds up. Handlebar will drop just a bit (how tall is your Reba locked out?), angles steepen somewhat.

Another option I have not heard much of is the $130 IRD fork. It may or may not have new lighter tubing, as it's $30 more expensive than IRD's 26" offering. Even quicker handling on the IRD if memory serves me well and those specs are correct.

On-One's fork will top it with the quickest handling, 47mm offset.

What I like about rigid forks is that I'm more directly connected with the trail. I "feel" the trail, and seem to rail more controlled. A locked out fork doesn't quite do the same, not as stiff. White Brothers ARE stiff locked out, but their geometry is of course still the same.

Samrtest thing is to just buy the KM fork and ride it. Don't like it, people will be lining up to buy it off your hands for $50-60. It is a harsh fork, but when I swapped to the smooth-but-kick-ass titanium Jones H-bar (better investment IMNSHO) it was much better already. Gone was the urge to get a bling rigid fork for my KM, and at less cost, improving riding in many other ways too.

Any of this make sense? Hope it helps...

J

 

[BigWheeler]

More rigid questions

I'd like to piggyback on this thread. I'm also looking to put a rigid fork on my 29er (the new Rig) and was looking at the offering by Kelly, Vicious, On-One, and the Karate Monkey (obviously). I'd originally settled on the Kelly, but they're currently out of stock, so I was thinking about going with the Vicious, but after Cloxxi's reply to another post I wondering whether or not that is a good idea.

Here's what I'm looking for: a smooth rigid fork the handles quickly, but that is still affordable. I don't feel confident enough to get into custom designs at this point, so I think that's out (not to mention the added cost). Oh, and I want something a little nicer than the KM.

Has anyone ridden a Vicious or a Kelly? What about the new On-One? Is there anyone else I should be looking at?

Thanks in advance!

 

[wooglin]

Its hard to talk about forks without knowing what someone weighs. Also, if you don't at least look at Wily forks you'll be making a mistake. Wily is that link over there on the right side of this page. You know, one of the forum sponsors....

 

[BigWheeler]

more details, then

I'm right around 190lbs, depending on the time of the season -- from 200 during the winter to as low as 180 at the end of the summer usually. I'm on a rigid SS convert now (26") and owned a Fisher Tam in the past -- now I'm looking to combine the two in the Rig. I'm mostly into fast XC style riding, with a little racing to keep things interesting.

I've looked at the Wily's, but I would like to keep things a little cheaper than that. I'm going to get a little cash when I sell the Rig's Reba, but not just tons.

 

[pisgahproductions]

I've said it before, I'll say it again...

My WaltWorks fork is awesome. I'm 160 pounds and ride 'like a bag of hammers'.
My fork takes it all, feels great, looks cool, and didn't cost all that much.
~E

cut and paste from the WW site:
Forks: Forks cost $180 if purchased with a frame, or $210 if purchased alone. All configurations of steerer tube size (1" or 1 1/8"), length, rake, and brake setup are available at no extra charge.

 

[max-a-mill]

i just came off a KM fork and have a couple rides under my belt on a new waltworks fork.

there is a pretty big difference!

rigid is still rigid but my new fork really handles smaller bumps better and on larger hits i notice the new fork dosen't transmit nearly as much vibration up into my hands as the old one.

it's nice. is it worth the extra hundred bucks just to try riding rigid? i dunno. but if you find you like riding rigid it is definitely worth the money to upgrade IMHO!

 

[BigWheeler]

rigid? check.

It's nice. is it worth the extra hundred bucks just to try riding rigid? i dunno. but if you find you like riding rigid it is definitely worth the money to upgrade IMHO!

Yep, I'm already sold on riding rigid, so I don't mind dropping a little more than KM-price into a fork. My riding style might be affectionately termed "big dumb animal": I tend to be fairly aggressive, standing more than I sit, and generally using the bike like a tool rather than a toy. I've found that I'm actually as fast -- if not faster -- on a rigid SS than a hardtail with gears. KISS (or something like that).

How do you find the handling with a Walt? I've found Genesis bikes to be a bit of a pain on slow-speed switchbacks, and wanted a fork that would minimize that.

 

[realbiker]

I've the On-One fork - weight is nearly the same as the KM but you'll love the fork for the 47 mm offset - it's a complete new handling ...

 

[cruzthepug]

I'd like to piggybackon this thread. I'm also looking to put a rigid fork on my 29er (the new Rig) and was looking at the offering by Kelly, Vicious, On-One, and the Karate Monkey (obviously). I'd originally settled on the Kelly, but they're currently out of stock, so I was thinking about going with the Vicious, but after Cloxxi's reply to another post I wondering whether or not that is a good idea.

Here's what I'm looking for: a smooth rigid fork the handles quickly, but that is still affordable. I don't feel confident enough to get into custom designs at this point, so I think that's out (not to mention the added cost). Oh, and I want something a little nicer than the KM.

Has anyone ridden a Vicious or a Kelly? What about the new On-One? Is there anyone else I should be looking at?

Thanks in advance!

Kelly has a outlet on ebay. I've been seeing them during my searches. They have a couple of forks on there now, disc and canti. Here's the link to the disc.

http://cgi.ebay.com/29-Kelly-Mounta...ryZ36135QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Steve

 

[JAKEtheDOG]

Riding a Kelly 26" now

Has anyone ridden a Vicious or a Kelly? What about the new On-One? Is there anyone else I should be looking at?

Thanks in advance!

on an Ionic SS and liking it. It does have a bit shorter C/A than the SID I was riding which steepened the angles making the bike a bit more nimble. The Kelly is stiff but my typical riding weight at the end of the season is 180 so I think the steel was the best option for me. They're tough as nails, look pretty darn nice, and Chris Kelly was great to deal with. He shipped my fork litterally within 10 minutes of me calling him. Nice!

The rigid fork has definitely changed how I approach rock gardens, roots, etc. and I would say at this point hasn't made me any faster but as I get more time with it, I'm sure that will improve. (Got to learn to bunnyhop) Overall, I do like the way the bike handles much better with the rigid fork. Enough so that I ordered my 29" frame with a rigid fork.

I was actually planning to order a Kelly for my new 29er (Niner Sir9) but as it turns out, the C/A on the Kelly 29" fork was just too short for the geometry of the frame (this on the advice from Chris at Niner). I opted for the Niner steel fork instead. It's about the same price and if the ride quality is close to the Kelly, I think I'll be happy with it.

If the Kelly fits, I don't think you'd be disappointed. They're stiff but nice.

-jake

 

[the_eleven]

I put a Waltworks rigid on my 2004 Genesis bike, 470 a-c with 45mm offset.

It sure did quicken up the steering, and that fork rides great.

So now I have a fully rigid gearie and a FS setup.


Perfect.

 

[bikeanddrum]

I work in NC at a Trek Dealer. I just called and put an order for the new Carbon Switchblade Bontrager is making. It will be here at the beginning of Jan. so they say. I will post pic and ride report when it comes etc. All the posts have been helpful. I have ridden a KM fork. I just wanted to know the difference in riding characteristics etc.

Our rep at Trek says that Keith Bontrager and others love the way the switchblade ride and that it handles the higher frequency bumps great which is what I am wanting being that those are the ones that wear on ya anyway. That along w/ a Carbon handlebar should ride nice. We will see I guess.

 

[The Avenger]

IRD fork heavy

Another option I have not heard much of is the $130 IRD fork. It may or may not have new lighter tubing, as it's $30 more expensive than IRD's 26" offering. Even quicker handling on the IRD if memory serves me well and those specs are correct.
J

I rolled the dice and ordered an IRD fork. Granted it came with a 300mm steerer but I just couldn't get past the fact that it weighed 3.4 pounds! That's as much as my WB sus fork! I wasn't expecting and ultralight, but come on, I would hope for a little weight savings when going from sus to rigid.

Sent it back to IRD.

 

[BigWheeler]

Kelly's are on the way

I just got an email from Chris at Kelly and he's shipping an order to BTI tomorrow, so they'll have the goods in stock soon.

By the way, talk about customer service: the owner responds to my "hey I'm Joe Scmo" email in just a hair more than two hours -- nice!

 

[bikeanddrum]

3.4lbs is a lot of weight for rigid. You really have to enjoy the better steering etc to have it weigh as much as your suss fork.

The Bontrager Switchblade I just ordered comes in around 2 lbs. Well the book says 900grams but I believe that is for the 26" one not the 29" version, but still light enough. When all is said and done my Paragon should weigh in around 23 lbs which is great!!! I will keep the Reba(maybe) after I switch them out in Jan. when the Switch arrives just "in case" I ever want squish again. hahaha

 

[BigWheeler]

Switchblade?

Did you order the carbon fiber version or the aluminum version? If I remember correctly, there are both, and when I talk to Trek yesterday they couldn't give me a date for the carbon fiber one. Sounds like you got better info: maybe that's what I get for calling at 4:45 on a Monday!

The carbon switchblade does look tempting. Did you hear an MSRP on those?

 

[bikeanddrum]

Yeah it was the carbon switchblade and not the alum one. He said they were expecting them first of January and he had 6 on backorder including mine. I think retail will be less than the original 300 bucks. We shall see. I still have a whole month to wait for it lol. I will let you know more if I find anything out.

 

[Cloxxki]

3.4lb for 300mm steerer, wow. Still some 3lb cut to size for a racey short steerer...
That's amazing. You don't pay for it's design or technology, but sheer steel mass!
Next time (or first?) someone comes on here complaining he folded up his KM fork, we'll know what to send him for...
$130 for a superheavy rigid fork? Good thing you sent it back, I hope they take notice. I was honestly expecting it to sport the new Tange blades to end up quite a bit lighter than the KM fork.

If I see all these fork weights, the KM really isn't that bad at all. Offers lots of stiffness, handles clysdes just fine, and still turn around a middle of the road hardtail into a super-agile singletrack rocket.