Quick straw poll.
My Niner Sir9 frame is going off to be paint stripped tomorrow before I get all medieval on it's ass with a brazing torch and it emerges like a phoenix from the flames as a trekking flat bar tourer. I've got a pair of new Salsa rigid forks I'm going to marry it with. It'll live out the rest of it's days as a heavyweight world traveller tourer type with racks front and back and guards. Occasionally I'll rip all that off and join the 21st century and use it as bikepacking bike like the cool kids do.
Question is - should full rigid heardtails have matching forks? I'm torn. Most used to back in the day when all mtbs had rigid forks but since suspension forks have been around bikes seem to look more 'right' when they don't. Fork is currently black, frame will probably be some variation on a burnt orange and the hubs, spokes, rims, seatpost and stem, pannier racks and guards are all black if that makes a difference. I've got access to a spray bay so I'll be painting them myself so cost isn't a big deal
My Kona flat bar CX Hybrid is snot green with black forks. It looks right with black and red parts. But they are skinny legged Project 2s, not chunky cankles.
Personally on a rigid bike I prefer it when the fork matches the frame.
Except for old school konas, they look ace
Old skool Konas should have black triple butted P2’s. There’s a law about that sort of thing.
Otherwise, forks is as forks does. Yes, the fork designed and painted to go with your frame looks cosmetically tidy. No, it doesn’t matter if something else works better for the way you want to build the bike and ride it.
Why not if you're going for a respray.
Or maybe go opposites. As in, if your fame was orange with some green detailing, forks could be green with orange detailing.
That's pretty much what I'm planning to do with my London Road.
Looks best with a multicolour scheme on the frame as well.
Not sure what the right answer is, but you've made me think of my old Marin with zolatone 2000 grey frame and magenta fork/stem/bars.
Yes, yes, yes, all day long. Matchy, matchington, match. IMO.
Here's my straw poll from a few years ago if you want to do a meta study of mine and yours
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/respray-fork-to-match-chin-strokers-aesthetes-please/
spoiler: the people who said match were right.
Ok, I think it's settled - Matching it is. It'll take me weeks to get around to finishing the brazing so plenty of time to procrastinate about the colour choice too!
Black or matching are both acceptable.
A complimentary colour (blue with yellow, green with red, bright with dark) could also work.
Just make sure you've put some effort into it.
I'm still a bit shamed by the fact that my HT forks are white on an otherwise black (except the spokes) bike, whereas my FS was bought second hand and the previous owner had got custom decals for the new fork and shock to match the frame...