So I think my son still has a year of growing before he’ll fit on a 26″ bike but I’m being organised and prepping it already.  The bulk of the parts are transferable from his 24″ bike and  I’ve got a spare wheelset (once I build it), so I just need a fork.

So, what would STW do?

Option 1 is to use the Revelations that I was going to sell.  I can reduce them down to 120mm which *might* be too keen for the frame (ideally, 100mm).  They weigh 1.7kg which isn’t too shabby, and they’re only a few years old.

Options 2 is to find some old SIDs.  For example, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rockshox-SID-RL-Dual-Air-1-1-8-for-26-mtb-Rock-Shox-Disc-Brake-Forks/232915286363.  Again 120mm but more likely to be reduced down to 100mm, lighter at just 1.3kg.

I’m leaning towards selling my Revs and buying old SIDs for the huge weight saving.

Looking into the vintage of that fork, it’s probably a 80mm fork.

Can you get a 100mm airshaft for the revs? They’re a better / stiffer fork so I’d use that and not worry about the slight weight penalty.

how light is your son .

My wife has revelations on her pivot

I have got minimum pressure in there – as in anyless and they dont hold them selves up

its still overdamped/oversprung imo for her.

“They’re a better / stiffer fork so I’d use that ”

this is easy said when the weight isnt such a large proportion of your overall mass such as it is when your dealing with a child.

equally stiffness isnt such a big deal when you weigh as much  as a wet paperbag.

depending on vintage some sids can be lifted  to 100mm by moving spacers – this is the case with my 09 world cups and the previous 08 races

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-rock-shox-sids-hope-brakes/ Any good?

My son’s first 26″ bike was built around a 27.5″ chassis, but with smaller wheels. I used a Fox Factory 32 120mm fork (< £200 from eBay) and used internal spacers to chock it down to 80mm travel. Lightweight oil in it to reduce damping and obviously run low pressure and it’s worked out to be a really good fork. I think the low-friction coating on the stantions really help “activate” the fork with a lighter rider and I’ve been very surprised with how well it’s worked for him.

Can pick up Fox 32 forks (especially the non-factory ones!) pretty cheap as most people want 34 and 36 now and, as stated above, a light rider won’t notice the difference in stiffness anyway. It’s been a bombproof fork and was a great buy.

More options in tapered steerers these days. I assume your frame is a 1/8″ straight steerer job?

I used a Tora fork on my son’s first 26, worked great.

How would you know what discipline(s) he’ll want to be riding in a year … 😀  (If you have a magic formula let me know :D)

If my lad had his way over the last year he’d be doing everything .. from BMX, CX, road to Enduro and DH.

Much as preparing in advance is great (and probably a lot of fun) a year is a long time in kids preferences.

I think you are over thinking it. Fit the Rev’s and ride.

FWIW, our lads have ridden and raced on Tora (steel legs!) for a few years and won….

He’s a damned twig, really slim, so a fork not working with his weight is something I am thinking about.

I doubt he’ll be doing DH, he’s great at up and along but genuinely terrified of down: I blame a youth growing up in the Fens.

Yes, the 26er frame is a 1-1/8th straight steerer.  I almost bought one of those Cube frame from bike-discount but decided to get an old Inbred instead.

Much as preparing in advance is great (and probably a lot of fun) a year is a long time in kids preferences

He’ll still need a bike for riding with dad though 😉

I went through the 26″ fork search, whilst sids are light the early gen forks are a bit noodly and to get lighter sids with the powerbulge lowers you’re into xx/WC. I didn’t find much available that were well priced or in serviceable condition

I picked up some durin race forks. Light but threshold damper so these will be kept for the next dj bike. I have some nos 120mm floats on his trail/DH 24 ripcord full suss and some 100mm dtswiss xrcs on his 24 scale hard tail.

I also have a set of parts for the next 26 full suspension build. 2013 Factory 32 26 lowers, 2016 factory CSU and internals. Just need to build it.

Id look for either f80,100,120. The f series 32 has the lighter lowers and thinner wall CSU but plenty enough to stiffness for minis. Identifiable by no webbing on the rear of the lowers arch casting.

Theres lots of u10 kids round here running 36s on their everything full sus bikes.. entirely unnecessary at featherweights.

I’m hoarding 27.5 32, 34 and 36 as well as hubs, wheels, bars, stems, tires in readiness for the ‘next next’ builds 🙂

Was the travel on the F80/F100 etc adjustable with a change of parts?  Or are they the travel they come with.  Just found a F90 which Google suggests is actually a F100 with a 10mm spacer added to reduce travel.  Watching that on ebay now…

They were certainly all adjustable down.
I dont think the 80 was adjustable up as it had shorted stanctions, but the 100 may have been.
It depends on the year for 100/120 and older gen floats you just add spacers or move internals. Later forks need new air shafts but thats 2015 onwards

If my lad had his way over the last year he’d be doing everything .. from BMX, CX, road to Enduro and DH.

N+1 is just as applicable (perhaps more so!) for kids so give him his head and let him do it all!

My boy’s true loves are really CX and MTB, but he loves a good group road ride with his friends. Enduro and DH – well, at 9yo he’s probably still a wee bit young for racing the big stuff, but he loves nothing better than a good trail centre descent. Personally, my job appears to be to keep him in bikes and wheels so that he can ride as much as he wants to without having to turn something down because he doesn’t have the right bike, or it’s broken in the garage.

I’m hoarding 27.5 32, 34 and 36 as well as hubs, wheels, bars, stems, tires in readiness for the ‘next next’ builds

Next job for me is to build him a proper road bike for next year so that his Scatto can be dedicated to CX and I can stop faffing around with it so much!

I doubt he’ll be doing DH, he’s great at up and along but genuinely terrified of down: I blame a youth growing up in the Fens.

LOL … though my lad grew up at Swinley… which admittedly has a few small XC DH’s but he was racing XC. then I’ll blame weeksy (not really) for getting us to FoD … where he was terrified then over the last 6 mo he’s been doing more and more and entering DH (and only missed out on one podium when he got 4th)….and due to clashes with DH he’s barely racing XC this year…

It’s actually turned out to be a lot of fun …. but I’d never have expected it!

We never made it to Phoenix at Newmarket (even when he was doing MSG circumstances conspired) but must be close to you if your in the fenlands.

http://www.phoenixcycleworks.co.uk/bike-park/

I have some nice 100mm rct3 maxle SID you may be interested in.

stevextc: we left the Fens when he was almost 6, so it’s a subconcious fear.  Now in Cornwall which has its fair share of steep up and steep down…