Hi all

I am looking at upgrading my forks, I have a 2005 GT Avalanche with Suntour xc pro forks on. I have know idea of the weight of them but i know they bend and flex all over the place and feel pants.

I know the bike is old but I cant afford to buy a knew one so hope a new set of forks would improve things.
seen these on CRC for £150 but cant find many reviews, what do you think
Manitou Match Forks 2010
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=59669
Is 5.4lb very heavy ?
Current fork is 120mm, these do a 100mm or a 130mm which one would you suggest ?
is this a better fork Rockshox Tora 302 Coil U Turn 85-130mm
Or this 2011 – Marzocchi Marathon LR Black

My discs are IS mount but presume I can just buy a post mount adapter.
Any other suggestions gratefully accepted.

Thanks in advance for your help.

andynick

Personally I be looking for a set of Rebas…probably secondhand. Depends whether you’re happy to strip down and check them over (Not difficult for the basic oil change). Try the Classifieds: make sure you ask plenty of questions up front…if you end up with knackered forks after asking the right questions, just post up on the forum and a witchhunt can quickly be organised 😉

My discs are IS mount but presume I can just buy a post mount adapter.

Yep, should be no problem. What are the brakes?

Is 5.4lb very heavy ?

Yep fairly hefty for a 100m fork. Sub 4lb for a lot of forks of that travel.

That is very heavy!

Look on eBay for some 2nd hand Rockshox rebas, which you should be able to get for that – in fact.my mate just sold some for a little less.

The black-box, motion control ones are the ones you want.

I stuck some Rebas on my GT a couple of years ago. Great upgrade for the Avalanche and a great fork. I have two of them and both have been faultless.

I wouldn’t say VERY heavy.. 5.4lb is around the weight of a 426 Pike.. a QR Reba should be over a pound lighter.. anything under £200 new won’t be a great deal lighter. and less weight isn’t as important as decent damping or stiffness on a fork IMO

if you can up your budget you’ll probably find new Rebas for £250ish BTW

i have some rebas up for sale, email is in profile if your interested in going the second hand route, will happily do pics etc

Thanks for all the great info Guys,
The current forks are 120mm travel should I aim for the same or will 100mm be OK for the frame angles and stuff?

@ Nuke, the brakes are Clark S2 (cheap heavy but stop well)

dont mind 2nd hand I am watching a few on ebay, big problem is steerer length 195 is absolute minimum 200 is better current is 205mm.

the Reba’s do look nice 120mm travel would do me very nicely.

Have Rebas and Pikes both freshly serviced, email in profile. 😀

Have you looked at On One?
Rock Shox Bargains!

APF

Would I notice the difference between 100mm and 120mm travel as alot of the reba’s I see are 100mm ?

current forks are 120mm BUT and its a big but… crap !

Thanks

Andy

Avalanche is probably set up for 100mm – Google for some builds on that age of frame – if so 100mm rebas would be best – and they are more common so bargains are more likely. Get some Reba teams so you wont be tempted to upgrade again in future.

Those Spring damped Rockshox Recon Golds at On One for £190 are great buys. I have a similar model but the ones before those. They are fantastic forks. The damping is so smooth and they are easy to service and don’t need servicing a lot anyway. I think Rebas are as good a fork as you can get though. I prefer the Spring Recons as they are simpler and a spring fork is superior to any air fork. I have had quite a few sets of Rebas in the past. I’m tempted to go for some of those new Recons my self!

a spring fork is superior to any air fork

That’s a matter of opinion….

Whilst springs have a more linear compression, which some people like, air have a more progressive stroke, which some people prefer. Air forks will also more likely be lighter than their spring counterparts and more easily fiddled with.

My discs are IS mount but presume I can just buy a post mount adapter.

That may depend on what bakes they are, adding a post adapter straight onto an IS fitting will mean adding 20mm to the rotor size

Check the 2011 Marzocchi range. Bomber 44 RLO it might be heavy at just over 2kg but it’s a solid fork. My mate has it and the fork is absolutely problem free. It weights very similar to a RS Recon but has 2 more years warranty. It has adjustable rebound and lockout + solo air spring. All You really need. Best thing about it it has 3 years warranty without any service requirements. It has open bath damping and is buttery smooth, great small bump sensitivity. Marzocchi had couple bad years due to quality control issues but this fork just works, no leaks, no play in the bushings and my mate does not really look after his bike. The warranty is a huge bonus and that is why my mate bought it. 120mm travel can be changed to 140mm with a spacer so if You ever upgrade to a longer travel frame than You can still use the fork.

I managed to get a rock shox reba off the classifieds here for about £120, it replaced the suntour unit on my girlfriends avalanche, the difference between them was like night & day. It is an 07 model & has IS mount & just having them serviced they apparently have a spaced inside that allows us to go from 100 to 120mm travel if ever required.

suntour are just awful!!

My brake calliper uses an adaptor to mount onto the IS mount on my current forks, does the calliper just bolt onto the post mount if so mine should fit but what size rotor fits as standard, 160mm ?

Well without getting into a mass debate! I don’t see many motorcycles with air forks and rear shocks! it simple air forks are a compromise to save the bit of extra weight! No other reason to have them. Well that and not having to change the spring if you are a feather or heavy weight!. I will take my couple of Lbs weight and have a nice spring with better small bump sensitivity.

As for easier to fiddle with have you actually ever taken a cimplex air fors to bits. Or taken a spring fork to bits? I think you will find your aboive atatement a bit ill informed if you had!

I like Marzocci forks – mine have been faff free. My 150mm AM2 have also been slammed into a tree (while on the back of my car) and survived. I have stuck some Motorcycle fork oil in mine and (after getting the oil level correct) have been ace. Only cost 70 quid

Best performing forks I have had? Fox F140 (air)I think. But – lots of servicing and worry about the stantions wearing and quite flexy. Didnt matter in the end – the steerer came loose in the crown. I wouldnt buy S/H foxes….

Hi all Thanks for all the great advice but I have managed to convince the wife that she can have my GT and I can but a new bike on the company’s cycle to work scheme 😆

Will start another thread asking for your guidance on a new bike.

Thanks again all