# Dipping a Toe Into Suspension Forks



## MacB (27 Aug 2012)

So, totally clueless, have had a go on a few but it's a lot of dosh to shell out on a short test. These are for a 29er and I found this last night which seems like a good deal:-

http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k1027/a57698/reba-rl-29-dual-air-100-9mm-white-silver.html

I've bought from them before and had excellent service so not worried on that front. My front wheel is a 9mm QR and this is the right steerer tube as well, plus the colour scheme will work 

Clearly I can't opt for any of the tapered steerer options but it is a Hope front wheel so the hub can be converted to different axle types. Though my tests have included through axles and QR ones and I couldn't tell the difference. But then I'm not exactly a rider that pushes the performance boundaries of a bike...unless you count it's ability to support a fat bastard.

I can afford to spend more but I'm finding the concept of £300 on forks scary enough. My online research also seems to indicate the Rebas are pretty reliable with good customer support. I have also considered Manitous.

What think the CC jury?


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## Alun (27 Aug 2012)

I have Manitou R7 forks on a Focus which I have had for about 5 years, so they won't be the latest model, but they do what they say on the tin and have been reliable. I also weigh more than I should, but I just pump then up a bit more. I would definately go for a handlebar mounted "poplock" to lock/unlock the forks on the fly, without falling off.


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## VamP (27 Aug 2012)

What you going to fit them to Mac?

I have 120mm Rebas with QR, I love them. Main use is for XC with a bit of extra muscle thrown in... not 29er tho.


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## GrumpyGregry (27 Aug 2012)

26" Reba Race 100mm here with QR (held shut with a zip tie). Next off road bike will have a Maxle though to stiffen the front when caning it with my amount of mass.

I'd take a long hard look at Fox if buying a pair of forks simply because the folk that service and do warranty repairs on them (Mojo Suspension) in the UK knock Fishers into a cocked hat on the customer service front.


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## MacB (27 Aug 2012)

steel hardtail designed with 80-100mm forks in mind...I always get confused over what is XC/Trail/AM etc and would probably describe my style of riding as XC Lite, or Hardcore Pootling might be nearer the mark. It's a general bike, if I ever lose my sanity and think downhill or jumps/drops are a good idea then I'd probably buy a bike for that purpose. I don't plan any trips to the Alps etc but can ride to Swinley Forest easily from home or Surrey Hills is a bit further. Most of my riding has been even more local around the military land/ranges and I do have an ambition to get the train up to London and do the London/Brighton offroad.

I have been using a fully rigid Karate Monkey, with Salsa Cromoto forks but the bike's been purloined by one of my sons. I got another, via the classifieds on here, and that was purloined by another son. So I have a new steel frame coming for me, am trying out a relatively new(and thus bargainlicious) framebuilder. I had swapped out the Cromoto forks for the KM ones and planned on using the Salsas on the new frame. To be honest fully rigid is probably fine for my riding ambitions but I do find it a bit too rough on occasions. I have an elbow issue that's required two lots of surgery now and has kept me off bikes for long periods. I think that trying to persevere without front suspension is chancing my arm too much(literally).

I kind of figured that the Reba forks would be beyond my current needs/abilities and probably beyond any level I'll ever reach. I've got to order some bits from Germany anyway and somehow I 'accidentally' slipped into the suspension forks section while I was on the site!!!


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## GrumpyGregry (27 Aug 2012)

btw MacB Gravity Dropper Descender seatpost. Worth every single penny. Especially when they are selling them at CRC.


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## MacB (27 Aug 2012)

GregCollins said:


> 26" Reba Race 100mm here with QR (held shut with a zip tie). Next off road bike will have a Maxle though to stiffen the front when caning it with my amount of mass.
> 
> I'd take a long hard look at Fox if buying a pair of forks simply because the folk that service and do warranty repairs on them (Mojo Suspension) in the UK knock Fishers into a cocked hat on the customer service front.


 
Cheers Greg, but the Fox ones do seem rather pricey and my post above is a pretty accurate assessment of my abilities and ambitions for offroad.

Do you think I need to go 15mm through axle to be on the safe side? I can get the Hope converters for the ProII hub easily enough.


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## GrumpyGregry (27 Aug 2012)

MacB said:


> I kind of figured that the Reba forks would be beyond my current needs/abilities and probably beyond any level I'll ever reach. I've got to order some bits from Germany anyway and somehow I 'accidentally' slipped into the suspension forks section while I was on the site!!!


but you can waste hours experimenting with all the settings on the rebas! if it weren't for your elbow I'd say a nice steel rigid singlespeed would be right up your street!!


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## MacB (27 Aug 2012)

GregCollins said:


> btw MacB Gravity Dropper Descender seatpost. Worth every single penny. Especially when they are selling them at CRC.


 
damn your eyes Mr Collins, here's me psyching myself up to lash out £300 on forks and you're trying to double that for some Fox ones then add £130(a very nice price by the way) for a Gravity Dropper....especially as I have a shiny new unopened Thomson Elite for the new bike.

I do have the Traildrop post on my list of future thingies to try, is the Gravity Dropper version a lot better? Is it worth getting a handlebar remote?


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## GrumpyGregry (27 Aug 2012)

MacB said:


> Cheers Greg, but the Fox ones do seem rather pricey and my post above is a pretty accurate assessment of my abilities and ambitions for offroad.
> 
> Do you think I need to go 15mm through axle to be on the safe side? I can get the Hope converters for the ProII hub easily enough.


QR will be fine for your (current) abilities and ambitions. I've only recently realised what's going on at my front end as my riding has become a little more... ahem... agressive of late. For nigh on 20 years a QR has done me fine and I've raced, ridden Alps etc.m, etc.. I blame a minor mid-life crisis, an excess of testoserone, a desire to carpe diem before I'm too old and a silly habit of riding with people half my age for the need to change.

At the risk of teaching grandma etc., get hold of a copy of this and watch your abilities and ambitions soar into maxle land.


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## GrumpyGregry (27 Aug 2012)

MacB said:


> damn your eyes Mr Collins, here's me psyching myself up to lash out £300 on forks and you're trying to double that for some Fox ones then add £130(a very nice price by the way) for a Gravity Dropper....especially as I have a shiny new unopened Thomson Elite for the new bike.
> 
> I do have the Traildrop post on my list of future thingies to try, is the Gravity Dropper version a lot better? Is it worth getting a handlebar remote?


I am horrified at how much forks cost off the shelf. Horrified. Much better to buy a bike with the forks/steerer you want and sell the rest once you've had the forks off.

Stick with the Thomson rigid. You only need a dropper when you reach the point where dropping the post to tackle the gnarly starts to piss you off - in my case too much tarmac riding now makes my knees protest if I ride mtb with a compromise seatpost height so rigid had to go. Now I've the same saddle height on road as mtb until the land drops away.


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## MacB (27 Aug 2012)

GregCollins said:


> I am horrified at how much forks cost off the shelf. Horrified. Much better to buy a bike with the forks/steerer you want and sell the rest once you've had the forks off.
> 
> Stick with the Thomson rigid. You only need a dropper when you reach the point where dropping the post to tackle the gnarly starts to piss you off - in my case too much tarmac riding now makes my knees protest if I ride mtb with a compromise seatpost height so rigid had to go. Now I've the same saddle height on road as mtb until the land drops away.


 
Aha, yep I've got a QR SP clamp lined up to go with the Thomson, a Hope one but will change for a Cromag if it proves less than adequate to my bulk(which will hopefully begin to diminish rapidly again now I can actually ride). You're right I would be looking rigid only if I didn't have elbow concerns as I know my riding really doesn't warrant any suspension at all.


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## GrumpyGregry (28 Aug 2012)

MacB said:


> Aha, yep I've got a QR SP clamp lined up to go with the Thomson, a Hope one but will change for a Cromag if it proves less than adequate to my bulk(which will hopefully begin to diminish rapidly again now I can actually ride). You're right I would be looking rigid only if I didn't have elbow concerns as I know my riding really doesn't warrant any suspension at all.


Hope (non-QR) one copes admirably with my excess of poundage.


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## User482 (28 Aug 2012)

GregCollins said:


> QR will be fine for your (current) abilities and ambitions. I've only recently realised what's going on at my front end as my riding has become a little more... ahem... agressive of late. For nigh on 20 years a QR has done me fine and I've raced, ridden Alps etc.m, etc.. I blame a minor mid-life crisis, an excess of testoserone, a desire to carpe diem before I'm too old and a silly habit of riding with people half my age for the need to change.
> 
> At the risk of teaching grandma etc., get hold of a copy of this and watch your abilities and ambitions soar into maxle land.


 
Some people have problems with QRs coming loose on suspension fork/ disc brake combos, so it's not just about increased stiffness.


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## GrumpyGregry (28 Aug 2012)

User482 said:


> Some people have problems with QRs coming loose on suspension fork/ disc brake combos, so it's not just about increased stiffness.


 
very true, it can happen to the best of us, hence



GregCollins said:


> 26" Reba Race 100mm here *with QR (held shut with a zip tie)*. Next off road bike will have a Maxle though to stiffen the front when caning it with my amount of mass.


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## mickle (28 Aug 2012)

Got a bad elbow - change your bars for some with greater sweep.


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## MacB (28 Aug 2012)

mickle said:


> Got a bad elbow - change your bars for some with greater sweep.


 
already done that M, I use Mary Bars with 40 degrees of sweep and it is a big help....I may well be able to get away with fully rigid, I am at the moment, but the last surgery has cost me many months off the bike. More importantly it has cost me a fantastic amount of cash feeding my bike building habit to keep myself amused during recuperation. I know it is a form of insanity in building up bikes when you aren't actually allowed to ride....but hey....nobodies perfect.

Worst case scenario...I don't like them and somebody gets a great bargain on some Rebas


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## Cubist (29 Aug 2012)

Gotta get those Rebas. I just cannot fault mine (Reba Race 100mm on a 26 QR.) If you have the wherewithall then future proof it with Maxle Lite. If it costs the same, then the converter kits for your wheels are only 15 quid. That way, you can be certain that the moment you do lose your marbles and hit the trails/stray off the towpath , then you'll be well-equipped to do so.


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## GrumpyGregry (29 Aug 2012)

MacB said:


> already done that M, I use Mary Bars with 40 degrees of sweep and it is a big help....I may well be able to get away with fully rigid, I am at the moment, but the last surgery has cost me many months off the bike. More importantly it has cost me a fantastic amount of cash feeding my bike building habit to keep myself amused during recuperation. I know it is a form of insanity in building up bikes when you aren't actually allowed to ride....but hey....nobodies perfect.
> 
> Worst case scenario...I don't like them and somebody gets a great bargain on some Rebas


Have you ever tried Fleagles?


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## MacB (29 Aug 2012)

GregCollins said:


> Have you ever tried Fleagles?


 
looked but not tried, I'm pretty happy with the Marys


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## GrumpyGregry (29 Aug 2012)

MacB said:


> looked but not tried, I'm pretty happy with the Marys


Got fleagles on the mtb. Love em. Love em to bits. With bar ends too. Gets lots of stares in the car parks but dang they work.


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## MacB (29 Aug 2012)

Well I ordered the Rebas with the standard 9mm QR, I decided it's more than adequate for my current and perceived future needs. Most of my riding you lot would probably consider tame for a Cross bike let alone a MTB. If I get brave or feel the urge I'll upgrade at a future point.

Many thanks for all the help though and coming next.....how to tune your forks


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## MacB (30 Aug 2012)

GregCollins said:


> Got fleagles on the mtb. Love em. Love em to bits. With bar ends too. Gets lots of stares in the car parks but dang they work.


 
Darn, mooching last night and my finger slipped so now have a set of Fleegles en route. I already have a short 60mm stem that they can work with.

Actually it had crossed my mind that the rise on the Marys may be too much now that I've gone for the 100mm forks, so the Fleegles give another option...and they were only £20.


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## GrumpyGregry (30 Aug 2012)

MacB said:


> Darn, mooching last night and my finger slipped so now have a set of Fleegles en route. I already have a short 60mm stem that they can work with.
> 
> Actually it had crossed my mind that the rise on the Marys may be too much now that I've gone for the 100mm forks, so the Fleegles give another option...and they were only £20.


Fleegles + On one 50mm stem in Gold on 100mm Reba's is a dead comfy combo. The bar ends are, of course, a crime against fashion.

The fleegles do make the bike wider than some doorways though!


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## MacB (30 Aug 2012)

GregCollins said:


> Fleegles + On one 50mm stem in Gold on 100mm Reba's is a dead comfy combo. The bar ends are, of course, a crime against fashion.
> 
> The fleegles do make the bike wider than some doorways though!


 
mate I have bar ends inboard of the grips on one set of Mary bars...I've long since given up being concerned about appearance to others.

Hopefully this will work out quite well as I'd been wondering about whether I'd need to flip the Marys or use a negative stem. Still won't know until it's all built up...couldn't give a stuff about doorways


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## GrumpyGregry (30 Aug 2012)

MacB said:


> mate I have bar ends inboard of the grips on one set of Mary bars...I've long since given up being concerned about appearance to others.
> 
> Hopefully this will work out quite well as I'd been wondering about whether I'd need to flip the Marys or use a negative stem. Still won't know until it's all built up...couldn't *give a stuff about doorways*


bloke in my LBS does!


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## MacB (30 Aug 2012)

GregCollins said:


> bloke in my LBS does!


 
that just means you need more tools and more training


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## GrumpyGregry (30 Aug 2012)

MacB said:


> that just means you need more tools and more training


Nah. I like to drive him nuts by bringing it in even if all I want in an inner tube. A boardman sat there amongst all his high-end Elsworths and Spesh's makes him go a funny colour. I won't leave the mtb locked outside his shop see. Magnet for the local scrotes. The mtb is self serviced for everything bar fork rebuilds/servicing when they send it away to fishers.


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