Looking for a bike to tide me over till I build up my dream bike and can see the Sunn Tzar is going for a good price plus I always had a soft spot for Sunn and it will be the last chance to buy one as they have gone bust
Wanted a Modular but they have none left in my size
Do you guys think a 150mm fork would be too much for general trail use (north and south downs, occasional wales and peaks) and I'll get annoyed with it? I prefer riding a reasonable distance (30-40 miles) though do some steeper technical short stuff once a fortnight etc. Bike will be just for a year or so until build up a titanium beauty
Depends what you're used to, and the geometry of the frame I guess. I ride around on a Shan at 160mm and its all good, some really steep climbs are a bit of PITA but that's about all really.
I've been riding 140mm hardtails (26 and 29) on the South Downs for the past couple of years, not had any problems with them.
I was riding my Sovereign v2 at 150 for a year and a half. Recently after the latest service, I dropped my Revelation to 140 with a spacer and I can't say I miss the extra travel. On the other hand the bike feels slightly better in corners and general flickability.
My Dialled Alpine has some 150mm 2005 Marzocchi ETA Z1s on the front and it has been absolutely fine for the general riding I do, which is mainly around the North Downs/Surrey Hills. Also handles Welsh trail centres fine, and even my, very occasional, forays to the Alps!!
Just set my girlfriend up with a DMR Trailstar LT with 150mm Marzocchi Freeride forks on it, she won't hear talk of it being too heavy and wasn't interested in hearing about reducing travel on the forks for climbing. Quote, "I just want to ride the bloody thing!" If 5' 5" of small lady can deal with it I'm sure you'll be fine! 🙂
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If tha's riding tha bike round the saaaaaaarf, tha'll nae be needing any of that thar fancy suspension 😉
But I wernt going to spend good brass on fancy new rigid forks when I had perfectly good old bouncy ones to use 🙂 Spending more than's needed; madness !!!
I see Sektors can be dropped to 140 fairly easily or even 130 if the frame angles could handle it
Not at all. Had a 456 with 150mm revs as my main bike. Everything from commuting, Peaks/Scotland to dust'til dawn.
Does help if you have forks that will allow travel adjustment.
My surge has 150mm and have used it in everything from xc duathlon events (where it performed very well actually) to full on dh days. Mainly ride it round the Surrey Hills etc.
All really depends on the bike's geometry though.
My do-it-all hardtail is 140mm, I've also got a nice XC bike, I never ride it- the 140mm is absolutely fine, absolutely all the time, never substantially worse... and occasionally completely kicks ass 😆
160mm Lyrik on a DB Alpine... local rides are 93.5 alpine. not a problem.
wind down to 140ish when pootling along the river (more up-n-down, not grind up & drop.)
I'm using a set of 150mm 2006 Marzocchi Z1 ETA's on my Alpitude. Climbs as well as anything else (with less travel) that I ride, in fact for what I do it's as good as perfect. I don't even feel the need to use the ETA that often and I'm an old duffer so I'll never be the fastest climber anyway.
My bikes are always far more capable than I am.