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3,567 Posts
I recently picked up one of Spicer's closeout rigid ti forks (thanks Gene!).
430mm, v-brake only. Wow, this fork is super light. Actually, scary light.
574g with an uncut steerer and 542g after I trimmed it down a bit. This is
supposedly one of the redesigned forks w/ slightly thicker tubing.
I have had one whole ride on the fork, so my impressions should be taken
w/ a grain of salt. I did a lunchtime loop through Ute Valley Park, with some
fairly technical terrain. The combo of a Jones H-bar and the Spicer ti fork is
smooth. Way smoother than I expected. Certainly nothing like a
suspension fork, but far more forgiving than the same setup w/ the Planet X
rigid fork. My compromised elbows might actually be able to handle this combo.
The appeal of a rigid fork for me: lightness, steering precision, lack of bob while
standing up hammering, and the lack of maintenance. For me, the simplicity
of a rigid fork goes well with the simplicity of a singlespeed. I don't think I
can handle fully rigid all the time, but for smoother non-technical rides, it may
be just the ticket. I'm hoping this combo will work well for 18 Hours of Fruita,
but I'll have to pre-ride the course to really know.
baker
430mm, v-brake only. Wow, this fork is super light. Actually, scary light.
574g with an uncut steerer and 542g after I trimmed it down a bit. This is
supposedly one of the redesigned forks w/ slightly thicker tubing.
I have had one whole ride on the fork, so my impressions should be taken
w/ a grain of salt. I did a lunchtime loop through Ute Valley Park, with some
fairly technical terrain. The combo of a Jones H-bar and the Spicer ti fork is
smooth. Way smoother than I expected. Certainly nothing like a
suspension fork, but far more forgiving than the same setup w/ the Planet X
rigid fork. My compromised elbows might actually be able to handle this combo.
The appeal of a rigid fork for me: lightness, steering precision, lack of bob while
standing up hammering, and the lack of maintenance. For me, the simplicity
of a rigid fork goes well with the simplicity of a singlespeed. I don't think I
can handle fully rigid all the time, but for smoother non-technical rides, it may
be just the ticket. I'm hoping this combo will work well for 18 Hours of Fruita,
but I'll have to pre-ride the course to really know.
baker