Apologies if this should be a wanted but it’s also advice sought so ill risk it.

Suntour xcr on my sons hardrock is rock hard.

Without going daft budget, any suggestions or even links.
The usual, cheap, light, quality, pick two etc is in mind but I’d say light and something that moves under him.m

I’d look for some Sid’s or 32’s second hand they will be relatively cheap and light

I found Rosebikes quite good when I was after some retro type forks last year.

Are you bothered about age or second hand?

If not I have a pair of 1999 ish RST XMO air forks that are very light and as they have an Englund cartridge in either leg can be set up for virtually any weight.

Lighter and better performing than SIDs of the day.

Yellow and disk and V brake compatible.

In a bid to help keep your lad riding I’ll let them go for the cost of delivery – about £10 or so, unless your near the midlands in which case pop round and there free 😀

Sorry, should have added they are either 70 something or 80mm travel (I forget exactly which), 1 1/8″ ahead steerer and QR

Twonks, that’s very generous but like his father, he is a colour coded tart and yellow won’t go down very well with him.
Red, black, grey or white would be OK.

A free fork plus the minimal cost of having the lowers powdercoated is still a bloody cheap deal, no?

i have some old red SIDS that you can have for £25 about 3lbs in weight or cheaper if you can collect

When i was doing what you are doing SIDS were the only ones with a reasonable A-C as all other forks were much longer and therefore affected the geometry

One of the germans sites did some for about £150 new and there is a suntour something or other for about £100 on the bay but its about 2 kg in weight IIRC

twonks – YGM

Junkyard, could you send some pics please and probably confirm that A-C dimension as I’d overlooked that side of things.

Please….

I’ve 80mm marzocchi bombers from about 2006/7 on my loaner bike – they seem to be pretty decent

I’ve got a pair of old Rockshox Dukes, 80mm travel forks in black; Motion Control and air sprung. They haven’t been touched in years so I can’t comment on their working condition (I think I may once have done an oil change). They have v-brake bosses (alongside the caliper mount) and a steel steerer, so aren’t light. There was a Poplock lever that’s now lost but it is possible to pop out the return spring so the lockout can be applied via the dial.

you can fit an 80mm airshaft to a 100mm reba/sid if you can find one cheap enough

you can also get lower spring weights for the suntour.

a lower leg service with lots of new grease will help stiction

Pjay, how much would you want for those ?

Bump revival please, not sorted out yet.

Sorry, I missed your post. I’d have thought that Junkyard’s Sids would be the best bet at that price as they’d be a better fork. You’re welcome to the Dukes if they’re any good but they are a tad weighty with the steel steerer and minus the Poplock lever. If you can collect that would be great or cover postage (guessing about £10-£15).

They haven’t been used for years so I’ve no idea what condition the internals might be (do seals deteriorate with age?).

Just out of interest I did a quick search on Ebay which throws up some affordable options (some new) – http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Forks/177815/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=80mm

German sites for rockshox gold 30s in 80mm. Quite light – c 1.6kg iirc and airsprung with decent damping.

Edit – they were cheap, not quite so now.

I had a similar situation for my son’s bike (there was a recent thread on kids 24″bikes).

I got a pair of 26″ 100mm Reba’s from the classifieds here and got an 80mm airshaft from TF tuned. Serviced them myself (first time I’d taken forks apart, a good learning experience) and all is good.

The only issue is small bump sensitivity, even with low pressures they are still too stiff over repeated small bumps.

Good luck, email me if do something similar and have questions about the servicing and fitting the airshaft.

I Missed this as well in an act of shonkiness

mail me and i will do pics of the sid tonight

I have a Manitou Skareb sat in the shed if it’s of use?

80mm travel, air spring, post mount disc only and 180mm straight 1&1/8th steerer.

Good general nick, really light and plush but a bit too flimsy for my bulk! Much better action that the Duke I currently have fitted.

In Nottingham if it’s of any use?

Keithb, I’d be interested in the skareb if you still have it?

marzocchi Marathon – nice and light, air sprung and white?

Keithb, could you send me some pics of the skareb please, I’m in Halifax so it’d probably be a posting if your able to.

Steve, likewise, can you send some pics.

Both, thanks for the replies, I’ll look to junkyard’s sids first off but if they fall through I might be returning to you.

Edit. Keithb, I have a trip to Chesterfield next week for work so maybe I can divert if they are suitable. How much would you be looking at for them?

It appear that Chesterfield is way way more north than Nottingham, so quite a detour….if you could consider a price posted?

Anyone else?
I’ve not heard further from any of the above possibles so still at square one.

Didn’t you get the pics I sent?

No, nothing here.
Claytonmmdc 70 AT btinternet DOT com?

Keith, did you receive my email?
Steve, still nothing?

I’m wondering if there is a problem with my email account…

have sent it twice – will try again later – am just off out

Not wanting hijack the thread nor tread on Rockhoppers toes, I’m also looking for some 80mm forks, so if Rockhopper has passed hopefully we can come to some arrangement.

Thanks.

Id be looking for 2012 or earlier Rebas (or Sid)…find some 100mm ones or 120mm then just reduce the travel with all travel spacers down to whatever you like

Holmes, I expect to be sorted with the Skarebs mentioned above today so I’ll update this once I know then you can hijack all you like!

Steve, no email turned up so I can’t think what’s happened here.

Many thanks.

Holmes, I’m sorted with the Skarebs now so take over!

Thanks for the help here posters and apologies on behalf of the email servers.

My lad’s bike also had shitty suntour fork.

I put on a kona project 2 rigid.

Light and reliable.
It was much better for his level of riding

I struggled to get a set of 80mm forks for my middle child so settled on some 100mm Marz MX Pros and the slightly slacker head angle doesn’t seem to create him any problems. He can even stretch them out to 120mm if the going gets rough!

I’d go newer rather than older – my experience with Child No. 1 is that newer designs cope with the lower air pressures for little ones better than older, particularly on the rebound.

Twonks, ygm (if the forks are still on offer)