I've just got bog-standard front forks on my zesty 214 (QR9?), and I'd like to make the front end stiffer. Is there anything I can upgrade to do this, or do I need a brand new set of forks to see any benefits (which I can't afford!!). Obviously I can't fit a maxle or anything, but just wondered if there was anything I could do!
cheers.
I used a Dt Swiss skewer on the front of my fox q/r forks. Can't say I can tell it's stiffer but it certainly isn't wobblyer. Spesh uses them to stiffen up their forks as well.
Edit
Dt Swiss rws skewer is a bolt up skewer
You could try a bolt up skewer like the Halo ones, or slightly more expensive would be to get a pro 2 front wheel with the 9mm adapters and use a 9mm bolt thru skewer. Apart from that, nack all you can do without it being spendy AFAIK. Sell the current forks and trade up?
or do I need a brand new set of forks to see any benefits
No.
But it's not really worth trying to stiffen/upgrade the forks you have. It would be cheaper to sell them and buy some decent used forks to replace them, and maybe a 20mm or 15mm front wheel at the same time
I say 15mm becasue it's not very popular at the minute and forks and front wheels to fit it are currently dirt cheap! 🙂
Cheers, looks like I'll have to save up and spend some money on the problem!