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I've been doing more mountainbiking recently, strictly wheels on the ground XC on local easy trails. My old Rock Lobster 853 does all this very well, the aging 1 1/8 quick release forks are past their best though, but I love the bike, its been in and out of my life since about 2001 I think. The Hope Mini breaks are bomb proof, the hubs are Hope too and equally bomb proof, it fits and its an old dearly loved friend. I am planning a few bike packing trips next year with it. Cairngorms loop is penciled in. Can I get any half decent 100mm replacement forks?
The other part of me is looking at a Scandal or similar but to get bomb proof brakes and hubs etc I would need to spend far more than the £1k I have available.
What would you guys do?
Keep it.
I later wish I'd kept every bike I've ever sold on.....
Yeah my, title is shit. I aint selling, but will a new bike seem lacking?
There’s a Scandel offer for £999 with mostly GX and RS 35’s on at the moment isn’t there? I’d buy one of those.
You could still sort your forks out - you might find some Recons or something like that if you have a look around. Nothing more decent is likely to be straight steerer / 26er and 9mm qr I wouldn’t have thought. Maybe also some Suntour Epicons / raidons could be available with some digging.
100mm; 26"; 1 1/8th steerer
Otherwise it's the 2nd hand market for you 😉
Or get bolt thru forks and new end caps for the hope hub.
1 1/8 would still be the weakest link though. (In terms of availability)
@stevehine...cool. might by two and I'll be set for another 10 years!!
Slightly higher spec of fork. I'm tempted to keep my old bikes going!
https://www.rosebikes.co.uk/rock-shox-reba-rl-solo-airtm-mtb-suspension-fork-26-2680433?product_shape=black+matt&article_size=26%22%2C+100mm+of+travel
I had an 07 Rock Lobster 853 and rode it everywhere, local, Cairngorms, Glentress.... Then I got a more relaxed geometry Anthem in about 2014 and struggled with the RL being steep, which I had never been aware of. Persevered with it for a long time and eventually had to sell it for a LLS Bird HT in 2017 I think.