A while back i got a 2006 enduro frame as an upgrade for cracking the previous one. Transferred all the kit across including a pair of 120mm manitou black forks (quick release). Although not ideal for the frame it was what i could do at the time (i believe they are a little short in travel and not great for the geometry?) Think the standard fork was Fox 36RC Talas fork bolt through (150mm).

Currently considering upgrading and wondering what forks i should be looking at. Use it mainly for all day mountain trail riding with teh high BB adapter on the rear shock.

Pretty sure it will take a 160mm fork but think thats overkill for what i will be using it for. Is it worth going for 150mm travel as that what was standard for the frame? Or would a 140mm be adequate? Like the thought of adjustable travel (fox talas) for climbing etc but dont have any experience of it and whether it makes that big a difference? Thinking of something with a qr so dont need to get a new wheel as well but that then limits what fork are available.

Budget is going to be around £250ish so going to have to be second hand, suggestions welcomed

coil u-turn lyriks.job done 😉

For that money there’s a wide range of 160mm forks out there.

Lyriks come in three flavours, but coil U-Turns are a good – if heavy – choice.

If you want adjustable travel then there’s always the Magura Wotan to consider too.

I’ve got a Fox 36 Van R on my S-Works Enduro of the same vintage.

Its great with it and the coil rear shock too.

It rarely gets ridden up hill tough and tends to come with me to the Alps or Uplifts in Scotland but I can and do (occasionally) ride it up hills.

I do feel its a bit much for the UK though but wouldn’t change it now.

I’ve currently got a set of 160mm Domains (fixed travel) which some would consider overkill, but I like doing silly things on bikes now and again.

I have a set of 36 TALAS in good nick if you’re interested, was looking for £300 quid really, but am open to mature negotiation 🙂

P.S.
100/130/160 travel ones

I have a 150mm Marzocchi Z1 Light ETA on mine. Seems fine to me and you can reduce the travel for climbing, using the ETA – but you may find that you hardly ever use it.

reading up a bit on some reviews etc and sounds as though fox forks are pretty service intensive / costly? Are they worth the extra costs for servicing? or am i misinterpretaing some research?

lyriks coil sound nice and take it they will be smoother than the lyrik 2 step? I assume they have the disadvantage of being heavier than the two step? And guessing i’d have to get a new front wheel as well?

Rob what is the length/daimeter of the steerer? what year are they and have they been serviced recently?

Quite a few people on here have had bad experiences with Fox forks and even more think the service intervals take the pee. Do enough reading and you’ll find loads of complaints about most manufacturers’ forks. (Except maybe Marzocchi from a few years ago, but if heavy is an issue then avoid!)

Fox forks are loverly and buttery smooth, but that does come with a downside in that you need to take care of them; not so much if you don’t ride all that often or all that hard. Doing regular wiper/seals and oil change services isn’t hard, but depending on how much you like fettling you might find it a PITA. Having said that I think all forks should be serviced regularly – they cost lots and I like them to work properly 🙂

On the issue of cost of full service (i.e. by Mojo), yes they need to be done more often than other forks(unlikely to be less than 12 – 18 month intervals IME – dependant on how often you ride) and that would definately put me off buying them new at RRP, but as I’m never going to shell out that kind of money I don’t have an issue with it.

Can you let me know your emailer mau00149? For some reason I can’t view your profile 🙁
I’ll send you all info re my forks and some pretty pictures.

Just realised you said you’ve got QR front wheel. You’ll need a new hub (20mm) for 36s or Lyriks.

Other things (yes I have nothing to do until this afternoon’s ride :))

You use the high shock mount?!? Only person I have ever known do this, these bikes descend so well that I’ve only ever known them set up for doing so – slack with big forks and hefty wheels. Serious overkill for trail centres, but stunning for things like rocky, rocky Lake District descents.

I’ve always found being able to reduce fork length very handy for climbing, but the bike just doesn’t pedal quite as well. Not really sure why but having them at 160mm feels better for pedalling, but can cause issues with keeping the front wheel down if on steep climbs.

I had a 150mm Fox 36 talas rc2’s on mine.

Great fork but I found that while talas-ing down did help on the uphills it killed the handling totally, plus I had a lot of trouble catching pedals – and they are heavy old things. Servicing wise, just get them done at least onece a year…

What about the newer 150mm 32’s or Revelations?

Have ran a coil lyrik since 2007 and it is still on there. Wind it down for climbs to 135ish and it is no probs. Climbs well with a coil on the rear as long as you don’t stand. Often run it around 150mm on trails that have lots of tight slow corners and open it right up for fast, steep places.

Happy on local trails, trail centres, mountains and DHs.

What wheels do you have? I would be worried about mangling lighter wheels if you upgraged to a lyrik as you will be going like stink.

cheers for all the info, pretty sure its a specialized stout hub with a mavic x223 rim on the front. Probably easiest just to get a new front wheel to go with the fork if getting something with a 20mmm axle. Would like to keep it fairly light if at all possible although do have an older rockhopper hardtail.

Running the high mount as i was finding i was getting a fair few pedal strikes. I believe this was fairly common? Guessing the 120mm fork on the front possibly contributes to that by lowering the front end and BB.

have pinged you an email rob.