So, the G2 geometry fox fork on my Gary Fisher Roscoe is in need of some looking at - the inevitable stanchion wear has finally appeared, although given that I've done precisely ZERO maintenance of the fork since the day I bought it (25 August 09, so just a few days short of four years ago!), it's had a good run.
The two main options are to get the fork serviced and have a new CSU fitted, or to get new forks. I reckon the cost will be about even either way, but there's no guarantee that new forks will have the G2 geometry - or at least that new forks at the price I'm prepared to pay will have it.
From what I can see, the main difference is the fork offset - 51mm for g2 forks, and 46 for "regular" fox forks. Is that right? I understand that the shorter the offset, the slower the steering is, at least for a given head angle and fork length. Will that 5mm make a huge difference? If I go for taller forks (e.g. marzocchi tend to be taller axle-to-crown than other forks for a given travel), will I need an even bigger offset?
Or does anyone know of a good source of either cheap G2 forks, or cheap Fox CSUs?
cheers
fork offset can be really quite noticeable, you are correct in that a normal offset in a G2 frame will slow the steering down, make the bike a bit more reticent to turn into corners. Having played with all sorts of offset and CSU combos (including making franken-forks) a shorter offset in a frame meant for G2 can also make the bike a wee bit more prone to tuck under on tight corners.
worth checking the fox data as well from memory i thought they were 40-44mm? dependant on model in the 26" wheel size (may well be wrong on this, been a while since i looked)
GOod point there,. this is indeed for 26" wheels. I just looked at the fox forks website and found little to no actual data on the offset - the figures above have been gleaned from various forum threads found through google
One other thing to check is that Fox used have a lot of the offset in the lowers rather than all in the CSU like rockshox so you may get away with a "normal" type CSU rather than trying to track down a replacement G2 upper
oh my word, it never occurred to me that the offset might be in the crown, I had simply assumed it would be at the dropout. Bugger.
I think its all done at the crown,Lowers are all the same
Confirmed. The offset is purely in the crown. They are the same fork as any other from the crown down. Ive seen a few G2 offset forks for sale on various websites - id take a look at that first.
Apparently G2 aftermarket forks are now available from fox and rockshox
Pretty sure 26 are 38mm standard and 44mm G2, 29 are 44 standard and 51 G2, though my early 29er Rebas had 38mm offset.
Confirmed. The offset is purely in the crown.
maybe in the new forks, in the older 29er versions it was a mix of CSU and lower. Not that I've got both versions or anything from building many variations of freak fork 😀