So I got the new bike itch again and picked up a Ritchey 29er frame on the cheap as the basis for my second bike / winter bike. I have the drivetrain and finishing kit in the form of spares, but I’m looking for forks and wheels with the usual cheap/light/strong balance to be achieved.

For the forks I’ve seen a good deal on some 100mm DT Swiss XMMs but the OL model rather than ODL model I can find little information on these and I have always been on Rockshox / Marzocchi in the past so I’m reluctant to risk the change but it’s £150 more for Rebas which could go towards better wheels. Any experiences anyone?

Wheels wise I’ve seen a deal on Ritchey wheels but have read of poor bearings on the internet. I have seen Easton ARC 24 on Hopes but again I’ve no experience of the rims but can replace the bearings on these which is great for long term winter use.

Thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated, noting I’m 80kg so not super light but this will be the bike for fast and flat trails rather than rocky terrain with big drops.

Thanks in advance.

I think those Easton on Hopes are a good deal. Currently looking for a new frame myself and may also purchase these for it. As for forks I’m a Rock Shox man too and despite having DT Swiss and X-Fusion in the past I always seem to go back to Rocks. Saying that though the DT Swiss I had I kept for a while, from memory they took a while to bed in and get used to them but they were fine.

Doing the same sort of thing myself at the moment! Doesn’t seem anything better value than the Easton Hopes – even if the rims are crap I’ll still have a good set of hubs I can rebuild.

Can’t find much on the DT forks either, but what I can find seems to be fairly positive… And they’re cheap!

https://www.merlincycles.com/fox-float-32-performance-elite-forks-29-100859.html

Another option. Half way between the DT and RS price wise, and I think the best damper of the three… Probably better for parts/servicing than the DT too.

Thanks for the replies, I hadn’t spotted the Fox forks, so that’s another option. Do Fox still require the lower leg service every 16 hours? The Easton on Hope wheels look the best option so far, so I’ll probably go with those.