New forks or new bike?!?!?

I think want something a bit burlier than my current Nukeproof Reactor 290, and was thinking of putting some beefier forks on it with more travel. Going from Marzocchi Z2 (effectively Fox 34’s) to Fox 36’s or RS Lyriks, and upping from 140mm to 150mm travel. Not sure if the frame could take 160mm. But it’d still only have 130mm rear travel…..

I’m pretty heavy at 105kgs, although trying to get that down a bit, I’m never gonna be a 60kg racing snake so maybe a bigger bike overall will be better.

I’ve seen a couple of bikes basically the same sort of spec as my Reactor on sale with 150mm rear travel and 160mm front with forks that could be upgraded easily and cheaply to be effectively RS Lyrik Ultimates. The bigger bikes would probably be a bit heavier but I’m not sure they’d be any worse going up than the Reactor and I thinkt the bigger bikes have climb switches on the rear shock which the Reactor doesn’t.

I’m riding a lot with my son (nearly 16) who is getting better all the time and loves bike park type places, so it’ll get used and Grenoside, will hopefully get him over to Warncliffe side in the summer, as well as Stainburn & Ilkley but will also get used in a few european bike parks as well when we go on holiday. He’s on  kona process 153 after previously riding Giant Trance x and Canyon Strive, as he gets bigger I’ll stick to enduro type bikes for him.

I’ll be better with a bigger bike as well won’t I???

You have my permission to buy a new bike.

You’re welcome.

Yes you could put bigger forks on (within reason), and yes it would make it better for descending. But I’d be willing to be that in a year or so you’d still be looking at a bigger bike?

Running 160mm forks (Marz Z1) on a bike with 135mm out back (Banshee Prime), it’s ace.  Nukeproof website suggests 160mm is OK in a Reactor…

Get one of the multitude of cheap Ripmo AFs that are out there. Great as a trail bike, but still very capable at the bike park. I’ve just put a Cascade link on mine and it’s bloody brilliant. Will up the front to 170 and I’m pretty confident it’ll be even more fun.
Must stop looking at coils as well.

Anyways, I’ve played around with bigger forks on smaller bikes quote a lot on the past and they are fun, but when you hop on a pepper big bike you realize what you’ve missed.

A friend has a Reactor with a 160 Lyrik, and it just doesn’t feel quite ‘right’.

Another thing to consider is a beefier fork that is zero cost to travel adjust. That’s what I did, Formula Selva.

Running it at same travel as the previous now, it’s better in every way. It’s even more comfortable while using less travel.

If I want I can bump up the travel 10mm to the frame’s limit, for say a park day or trip abroad.

Then for my next bike I can bump up the travel again to eg 160.

Thats how I justified a new fork to myself anyway.

Yeah thats sort of what I was thinking. get beefier fork now and if I want I can upgarde the frame later. Reckon a bigger fork would be fun on the Reactor but think I’d always be wondering about more bounce in my back end!!

I reckon for the bikes I’ve seen, the cost would end up being pretty neutral, either spend money on forks and sell the ones I have, gonna cost me a couple of hundred quid. Or buy the new bike and sell the reactor, gonna cost me a 2/300 quid. Then upgrade the forks for another £150 or something. I want to upgrade the wheels on the Reactor so that would also benefit the new bike in terms of weight reduction.

Oh and cheers Onzadog!