Folks,

Hi there. I have been biking for a few years now and im riding a Canondale prophet 2. I was at Innerleithen today and realised I may have outgrown my front forks (Tora or Pike I cant remember 140mm). Im 6.3″ AND 12.5 stone riding a large frame and want to know what front forks to go for. Im thinking about reducing the travel a little bit as I like the forks to be solid but dont want to screw up the geometry (the bike comes into its own on the downhills) and would probably spend up ro about £400 for forks any thoughts? Thinking SIDS, Fox Float or Marzocchis? Next year upgrade the rear fox float R for a lock out and get some custom wheels (I have a few sets for my road bike and getting seriously into this but not good enough yet to really feel the full benefit!). Any advice welcome and many thanks!

Cheers, Steve

lol at sids on a prophet!! 140-150mm forks with a blt thru axle (revs, pikes, spaced down lyriks, sektors)

“Tora or Pike I cant remember 140mm”
Try and remember, it’d help here
I don’t think there was ever a 140mm tora, but as there was a 140mm recon I don’t imagine it would have been impossible
What dropouts/axle does the fork have. ‘normal’ Quick Release lever, or Maxle QR where you unscrew and remove the axle out the side before the wheel?
If they’re toras then I’d be thinking about somethign else If you feel they don’t cut it for you. On a prophet I’d have thought a pike was ideal. Maybe get it ‘pushed’ by TFtuned if its in good nick and you want it to improve it a bit?

“Im thinking about reducing the travel a little bit as I like the forks to be solid but dont want to screw up the geometry (the bike comes into its own on the downhills”
Not sure I’d be thinking about reducing travel, maybe upping spring rate (by upping air pressure or changing the spring for a stiffer one) if thats what you’re after? A firmer fork?

I’d be looking at Rockshox Revlation as well as you other options. The Dual Air models (Not dual-position-air) models can be spaced down in travel from 150mm if you want
If its something a bit firmer (solid?) then maybe try to find a Manitou Minute, in 140mm and 20mm axle, light and should be able to find a deal from somewhere for a year or 2 old models. SingletrackMag seems to like them as a harder (solid?) riding 140mm fork

Agree with Cruz, you don’t want to go below 140mm or you’ll mess up the ride – going to a bolt through is a good idea, but you’ll need a new front wheel when the right adapters (unless you’ve got a Hope Pro2 already). I’d recommend having your forks serviced – it’s far cheaper and the difference a good service makes to forks is massive – they’ll feel harsh, and unresponsive before a service, and after plush, controlled and lovely.

Swapping to an RP2 / 23, and having it custom tuned will really help – have a word with Simon at LoCo tuning for both and I’m sure he’ll be able to sort you out – I just bought a new Kashima RP23 from him and it is proper sweet, transformed the ride quality.

http://www.locotuning.co.uk

I should say, I have no affiliation with Loco, other than LoCo is local to me and does all my servicing etc. 🙂

Gents,

many thanks. I just checked they are Tora and have front release. I have just had the bike serviced but want to try and take it to the next level. I run Hope hubs on my road bike and they are sweet but would prefer to just do the forks for now (dont want to go for the lefty nonsense and but proper forks by a proper manufacturer). Dont know if it helps but the front lock out doesnt work too well (I put air in them this mornign and still ropey) and they have the tortoise / rabbit setting for the rebound.

Cheers, Steve

PS Must be 120mm then not 140mm im a newby here so please forgive me

ps Whats the difference between the Revs and the Sids? Just taking advice from my mates and they are very good riders and recommended the above but I really dont know the difference. Some of the Sids are £800+ and thats too much for what the bike is worth but not for the level im at. As mentioned above im needing a bit of advice here from gents who know their stuff

A bike service wouldn’t include a fork service, you’re looking at about £70 for a fork service including all seals and oil change.

Going from a Tora you’ll notice a difference with something like a Revelation, smoother, more progressive travel.

Have a look at this thread for some inspiration: http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/forks-on-a-cannondale-prophet

Revs are either 150mm or 140mm trail forks – i.e. for hard riding, will take boulder hits, drops etc without musch trouble.

SIDs have historically been an XC race fork, in 80 and 100mm travel – so very short travel, they’ve been noodly, and a bit nervous until 2009 power bulge models – and now are 120mm with a bolt through. They really are suitable for a Prophet.

The Prophet is a trail bike, and well suited to 140/150 travel – Sektors are great value, same lowers as Revs but with Pike uppers, bascially the same fork but a bit heavier.

Have a look at http://www.merlincycles.co.uk for some really good Rockshox deals.

Remember SIDs are the wrong fork for you 🙂

eh you – you cant remember the make of your forks ???? oh 🙄 😉

stevemac – Member

ps Whats the difference between the Revs and the Sids?

Travel and task- Revelations come up to 150mm and pretty strong, SIDs are max 120mm but designed for lighter/racier use too. For that bike, Revs are suitable.

Revelation or Sektor (cheaper Revelation basically) would be my recommendation.

But, what’s wrong with what you have? Take a look on the fork for any numbers or logos- it might say 302 or 318 on it, might also say “motion control” on the right hand leg.

Rickon,

Thanks mate this is exactly what im after. Whats the difference on the entry sids (rockshox brand for me will fit as thats whats on it already and I know canondale can be fickle but im not bothered about the brand of shox just functionality) compared to the revs?

Rickon,

Got your last message before I sent mine. Thats a great help and very much appreciated. Many thanks mate I will check the revs out.

Cheers

SIDs have historically been an XC race fork, in 80 and 100mm travel – so very short travel, they’ve been noodly, and a bit nervous until 2009 power bulge models – and now are 120mm with a bolt through. They really aren’t suitable for a Prophet.

Slight typo in my post there, should have read as bold above.

I ran 140 U-turn Rev’s on my prophet for the last year or so and love them. Really suit the bike, though I only ever wound them down to maybe 130mm to help on long steep climbs. Always found that less travel than that compromised the fork, and made the bikes handling feel like hard work (& as such the new “2 step” RS’s sound silly to me).

As for your comment “dont want to go for the lefty nonsense and but proper forks by a proper manufacturer“, this is just down right silly. Your say that C’dale aren’t a proper manufacturer even though you happily have one of their frames, and that a fork they been building for around 12 years now is rubbish? Please…
My Lefty will be going back on to the Prophet this year (Rev’s onto my Gemini), a 140mm fork that as stiff as any 20mm bolt thru, and weighs around 1500g is obviously nonsense.
But I admit there not for everyone, a very marmite look, but nonsense… pah!

As for reducing the travel, I’d only do this if you mean to reduce the rear travel too, as per C’dale own “Prophet SL”. This came with 120mm forks and 120mm rear travel via a shock with a shorter i2i length and stroke (190/45 vs 200/50). If I get some spare cash this year, I may build a 2nd prophet up around this spec, as I think the SL might be my perfect bike.

I would go along with recommending Sektors or Revelations for your bike, but you have a decision to make because you say you want to upgrade the wheels later.

QR forks like you have at the moment are on the way out, with 15mm (or sometimes 20mm) bolt-through ones becoming the norm.

Assuming your current wheels are QR only, you might be better to stretch your budget just a bit to buy wheels and fork together now.

These would do the job nicely…
Sektor coil for £320
Sun Ringle Charger wheels for £200