Hi folks,
I posted on here a while ago asking for suggestions about where to get hold of a rigid 20″ fork to replace the 1.8kg useless coil spring fork that was on my sons bike. Options seemed to be between BMX forks or Exotic carbon forks.

BMX forks are not suspension corrected and also fairly weighty. The Exotic 20″ carbon forks are expensive and carbon fibre for a 6yr old boy who’s gonna lay his bike down in any old manner didn’t sound like a durable choice. Also, I wanted V-brake bosses rather than disc, these didn’t seem to be available.

So, inspired by these guys, http://faqload.com/faqs/bicycle-components/suspension/20-front-fork-build
I decided to modify a rigid 26″ Exotic aluminium fork I had lying around.
First step was to hacksaw off the dropouts in order to set about removing the aluminium tube sections from them. Once cut off, it revealed as expected that the tubes had been epoxied into the cast dropout. Removing these sections from the dropouts was no easy feat. I soaked in chloroform (attacks epoxy) for three days but this didn’t do much. So, I took them along to my friendly machinist in the workshop where I work. He managed to thin out the aluminium tubes until they could be prised internally from dropouts.

After scraping the residual epoxy left behind in the dropouts I was ready to cut the forks to the correct length. Dry insertion of the fork tubes into the dropout revealed it to be a sliding fit rather than a pressfit as I’d expected. This was slightly disconcerting. However, continuing onwards, I mixed up new epoxy and applied liberally inside the dropouts. These were then clamped onto a front hub by their quick release clamp (effectively using it as an alignment jig) and slid them onto the forks.
Now that the epoxy has set they feel totally solid and should be able to take all the punishment that my 6 yr old will throw at them. They also weight <1kg and have lightened up the front end of his bike no-end!

I thought that I’d post this info as others of you must have wanted to do the same for your kids. Only recently have the manufacturers realised that a “suspension fork” is not needed on a 20″ MTB.
One final comment. I did contact Exotic about sourcing new fork dropouts from them. Their reply was short and along the lines of “we cannot help you”.

Spoon Works ™ approves.

bit late to tell you that a 20″ aluminium trials fork is the same length as the useless 20″ suspension forks… 😳

Good work on the home bodgery, I’ve procured an aluminium 20″ wheel frame and will set out about project budget lightweight 20″ this summer.

I looked at 20″ trials forks but they seem to be 400mm axle to crown. I needed something nearer 350mm.

Only recently have the manufacturers realised that a “suspension fork” is not needed on a 20″ MTB.

I found that my kids gave far less of a sh*t about bike weight than I did and on the whole preferred crappy undamped bouncy forks to rigid when offered a choice.

But I applaud your effort nonetheless!