[Closed] recommend me a fork for my tandem please

Have a look on[url= http://www.mtbtandems.com/Forks.html ]mtbtandems[/url]for tandem rated forks

'zocchis are good as windwave can fit a reinforced steel steerer to many of them for about £40 which is well worth doing,

We used to run a 2002 DJ1 which can be modified using mix and match from other forks. Ours had the reinforced steel steerer, heavy duty springs and air caps. We now run a Z1Lite - with the reinforced steel steerer again and a bit of mechanical preload added to the coil side as well as the air preload.

I don't bother with a lockout on any of my bikes - but the Z1 has a lockdown (eta) I don't find bob an issue as you tend to sit and spin rather than stand up and mash on the tandem

The Z1 is ludicrously long for the bike - about 140mm longr than the stock rigid fork but suprisingly it doesn't seeem to affect teh handling too much - just means I cannot reach the ground fronm the seat - front BB is now 16.5 inch unladen!

Steel steerer and 20 mm axle are musts in my book

Thanks for that,
much appreciated.

TJ has summed that up quite nicely.
We went from a triple clamp Judy XLC and normal 9mm QR to 'zochhi 66's with 20mm bolt through and the improvement in steering accuracy was incredible, even going to a single crown.

No need for lockout, even on the steepest climb you're not going to find the front wheel wanting to lift! We've found the range of adjustability on the 66 RC2X has been brill. The later models got too much travel making them very long as TJ point out, but we run ours with lots of sag and the damping ramping up to stop them bottoming.

Have to say we don't have a steel steerer, just the standard ally one, and all has been fine, but TJ does have a fair point. The failure mode of a steel steerer is probably kinder.

When we test rode a Ventana it had Maverick DUC32 fork, which felt different to our 66's but certainly stiff and well controlled. Might be worth tracking one down.
EDIT - just looked on ebay and there's one going for £350 inc front hub.

Rob

That maverick looks interesting, any thoughts on that fork?

Upside down double crown would suit a tandem I reckon, and allow me to fit front bags, but a bit nervous about air for touring....

Cheers

I had a look round the 'zochhi range yesterday - there is a [url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=30250 ]'zocchi 55 that might fit the bill[/url]

I would take some persuading away from 'zocchi - they are tandem rated and the service I have had from windwave is good adn I like being able to fit steel steerers

Or DJ1s for the budget option.

What are you running at the moment and what is the frame?

New frame (well to me) bob jackson Jobby for 100mm forks.
currently on a thorn with (bendy) rigid forks, but upgrading to take rohlf and S&S fixings for eurostar baggage.

Do you ever carry anything on the front end of you bike? if so how? we are currently using low rider panniers when we go touring, but sus forks will negate this. the upside down jobs could have bags hanging from them more easily, but i'm not sure on reliability.

I need to be able to fit a mahoosive brake too, as we do like to get the pace up after all the upward work...

Cheers.

If you really don't want air ( and the new DJs are air one side I think) I would bet that the DJs can be converted to coil easily with a bit of mix and match.. Why not have a chat with windwave to see what they suggest out of the 'zochhi range?

Will do thanks.
Are they uk based?

cheers

Crossed posts. I use a tubus swing rack on the front - refitting the DJis to get the rack to fit. ( the z1s are too wide) The rack works very well and the bags become part of the sprung mass.

Most forks will take a 200mm disc nowaadays - thats what we run with hope 6 pots ( upgraded recently from m4s
edit - windwave are the importers and UK based

With the DJ1s and front panniers

[img] [/img]

With the z1s
[img] [/img]

Thanks for all your help.

Cheers

Hi, I don't know if you are sorted, but I have a pair of rockshox argyles 100mm forks, or a pair of 66's. They are both coil forks, and the 66's could be reduced to whatever travel you wanted...

Let me know if you are at all interested

Hi Lyons,

I'd be interested to hear more, maybe see some pics and get an idea of price.
I have absolutely no idea about these types of forks as I'm a lightweight xc boy so burly forks don't often figure in my radar!

please can you email me to the address in my profile.

Thanks
Andy

I don't know a lot about them myself but I think either would be fine. The argyles are a strong simple jump fork IIRC and the 66s a burly fork - can the travel be shortened down on them?

Hi andy, the argyles are good forks, they are a reasonable weight, and strong. The 66's are excellent, really plush. I'm 95% certain they can be shortened. Let me know your email, and I'll send some pics... Andy

Hi Andy,

my email is in my profile, andyfb78AT gMail DOt Com

Cheers

Andy

Just to add my two penneth we have pike airs with steel
steerer and they are nice and stiff and quite easy to tune in
We had dj's with eta before and they were like a sponge in comparison and I never really Sussed that anyway