Building a new 29er and I have no idea what forks to get. I was very set on Marzocchi 320 RL’s but having read some reviews on forks with the same damping circuit it appears to be very specific and not usable over a larger variety of trails.

The Manitou Tower Pro’s get some fantastic reviews but I am unsure on their reliability (a standard 2 year warranty), also not sure where services them (I reckon that TF Tuned can but not 100%).

Then there is the rigid 29+ option, get some rigid forks, 50mm rim and 29×3 tyre to give me some decent squish which would certainly be simplest but not sure if it would be suitable for all kinds of riding.

Top end of my budget is 350-400, ride usual trail centres and bridleways. Pretty set against the Rebas, not overly impressed with my 26″ dual airs although have served a purpose.

Any advice/opinions on the forks/options?

Reba’s seem to be the popular choice.

I’ve got some Marzocchi 44 Ti forks for sale if your interested (steerer is quite short)

X fusion slides?

Never looked at X fusions, do they have a good reputation for durability and pretty good performance?

Slackman, as I havent built the frame yet id like to hold off buying second hand until I know what steerer length id need!

Probably a good idea. Drop me a line if you’re interested when you get the frame.

Wont have finished building the frame until late august I am afraid, I imagine you will have sold them by then!

Reba’s seem to be the popular choice.

I’ve gone for Rebas for my 29er build. Problem with esoteric stuff is that I’d be worried about the LBS not being able to service them (the Bos XC fork looks really nice…) and I’m not buying Fox given their current rep.

If you want to go a bit cheaper I bought some Suntour Epicons for my build and have been pretty happy with them so far, though admittedly I’m a newbie and haven’t anything else to compare to. For me, they were half the price of Rebas but I wasn’t buying in the UK. My other choice was X-Fusion Slides but they weren’t available to me.

dont discount rigids, i have a fortitude and with the rigid fork and 2.4inch tyres its very capable (geometry helps…) and i would be happy riding it at any trail centre and 99% of bridleways. gets a bit of a hand full of really rocky terrain which is the downside, but weight and reliability better than any sus fork! not sure i’d go with 29+ front/29 rear as that means 2tube sizes etc. also heard from a krampus owner that the tyres that came on it were paper thin and expensie to replace. if i was you i’d go rigid till you decide on your ideal/high end sus fork, save buying a compromise fork till you have chance fo maybe try a few

Gazc, that was my plan to start with. At £80 for a very capable rigid fork and a fat 2.35 ron I can happily ride that to save me some money until a more complete build is available. Also as you mention, its next to 0 maintenance.

Got rigid forks on my new 29er and for general trails they are great certainly much better than I thought they were going to be!

+1 on the Slides. Stiff, reliable and perform way better than the price suggests.

If you’re thinking rigid, I can recommend these.
Bit of a bargain at that money, weigh next to nothing, disturbingly comfortable over the rough stuff compared to the stock fork on my fortitude, and damn sexy to boot.

I’ve found a 15mm thru axle, tapered steel rigid fork which will probably be going on first, if not some pretty simple straight QR forks will be going on there until I get the money to buy some squish (unless they are good enough to ride everything with anyway).

Rigid and 29+ is the ONLY option

+1 on the Slides. Stiff, reliable and perform way better than the price suggests.

X-Fusion slides are ridiculously good. And I don’t just mean “for a budget fork” either.

Can’t recommend them enough, they really are excellent. The fact that they’re so much cheaper than Rockshox or Fox too only helps!

Got a Krampus, stock tyres are as sturdy as any other tyre out there. Non standard 120 tpi tyres are slightly thinner apparently. Is a hooligan machine, think giant BMX. It rides everything well except fast, very rocky terrain where you get shook up on the wrong line. Rode my Bluepig with 150mm RS Revs last night for a change and missed my Krampus all night. You know that feeling you had riding bikes as a kid? That comes from riding rigid bikes( where you should know better).

I’ve got some Manitou tower pro on my Carbon 29er and they seem really good performers. Well built too and when Chain Reaction were selling them recently – ridiculously good value.

If you’re thinking rigid, I can recommend these.
Bit of a bargain at that money, weigh next to nothing, disturbingly comfortable over the rough stuff compared to the stock fork on my fortitude, and damn sexy to boot.

Don’t suppose you have a picture of them fitted to your fortitude?

I have the Manitou Tower Pro 120, and very happy. Mine also came from CRC for £220.

The Tower Pro seems to have been discontinued and renamed the Minute.

Don’t suppose you have a picture of them fitted to your fortitude?

This is the 26″ version, which is the same a2c as the stock fork

For the rigid 29+ supporters, can you run the tyres on standard rims tubeless? I.e. on flows/arches or similar?

Dantsw – The minute is the 26″ flavour of the towers as far as I am aware – EDIT: My bad, seems your right!

Looks like xfusion slides are now also on the list.

Maximus – email loco for a price on the slides. I was going to get them from him, but the CRC deal on the Tower Pro was just too good, and I really like the mix of coil/air springs on the Manitou.

I think 29×3 will work on flow/flow ex but it is under the recommended 35mm min rim width. I think I would try on flows but not arches…

I’m running with dually rims on mine, there is also the 35mm Pacenti rim and I think carbon light bicycles now have a 35mm carbon rim or Chris Holm unicycle rim or the Rabbit Holes from Surly if you want to got the whole hog.

If you’re going to go 29+ you may as well go the whole hog and go fat front – on one do a nice carbon fat fork for £150! It wil give you the option of trying a fat tyre in the future.