Rigid fork

Evening all

I need some advice looking to change my suspension forks on my giant roam to rigid forks as they’re heavy and it gets used on roads more than anything other.

The forks are

63mm

1-1/8″ straight steerer 

480mm a-c

1. Do people think it’s doable to change them to rigid? I don’t want to spend hundreds on forks but I’ll definitely think about what my options are.
2. what forks would everyone recommend ?

thanks

tom

Sorry forgot to add its got 700c wheels

Easy, a Salsa Cromoto will do that.

Surly do some nice ones that would be suitable (or used to) St Johns Cycles used to stock a good range.

I guess I don’t want to buy the exact same a-c it needs to take sag into account the current fork sag. ? The current forks are 50/63 travel.

is 700c the same as 29” if so can I use forks that are for 29”

Seeing as the forum is holding its collective weener, in expectation of England???

Id go rigid.

Surly are a good bet.

Is your front wheel regular (100mm), or boost (110mm) wide?

I guess a surly fork will be 525mm, axle to crown. It will give your bike a slightly more relaxed position.

29er is a big tyre on a 700c rim. Same difference. The width of the tyre makes the difference.

700*25= race bike

700*35= cyclocross

700*40= gravel/ tourer

700*50= 29er

700*3.00= 29+

id have a search for koans rigid forks.

they made their ‘project 2’ in a 29 version.

I’m not watching the England game not

my cuppa tea.

yeah it’s regular 100mm qr

Ahhh so my tyres are 700×42

Depending on your frame’s head tube you might be able to use forks with a tapered steerer, with just a new lower headset unit. Increases your range of options. I’ve got Surly, Kona and Ridefarr forks on my bikes, they’re all good.

Depending on your frame’s head tube you might be able to use forks with a tapered steerer, with just a new lower headset unit. Increases your range of options. I’ve got Surly, Kona and Ridefarr forks on my bikes, they’re all good.

This will help add a cm in to the headtube too a shorter a2c will be compensated for, a bit

Kona p2 700cc, a few on ebay are 405mm a2c and you want something around 450mm to preserve your geometry

That’s definitely something to consider if I have can’t find anything. Is fork rake important I’m not sure what the rake is on the current ones but I’ve seen a few forks that mention fork rake.

For example I’ve seen these – https://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/frames-forks-c6/rigid-forks-c51/trek-2020-2021-district-1-fork-p42232

Pros and cons to something like these ?

I’ve got my eye on some surly ones as well

Those ones at Triton you’ve linked to look ideal.  Same length as current forks at 30% sag, and the right axle.decent price too.

That’s what I thought. I wasn’t sure on the fork rake

Only thing I’d want to check on those Trek forks is maximum tyre size. I’d personally want clearance out to around 29 x 2.2 if I wanted to run some big tyres or mud guards.

Had a look the bike they came off originally has 700 x 40 tyres. Mine are 700×42 I’m still trying to find out the max tyre size that can be used with them.

I’d consider what you’re trying to achieve in functional terms. How much weight will you save and how much real difference will that make on roads, which seems to be you main terrain? You might get better bang for your buck by simply investing in faster rolling tyres – obviously depends on what you’re running currently. Having a lighter fork will maybe make the bike feel nimbler and a little quicker off the mark and, I guess, if you don’t have a full lockout, will make for easier honking out of the saddle, but it won’t somehow make your bike feel like a lightweight road/gravel machine. It’ll also make it less able on more technical off road stuff.

I fitted one of the classic old On One 26″ carbon forks to an old hardtail frame and ran it 29″ front, 26″ rear – it still handles 29″ wheels with big tyres no problem and has a shorter axle to crown measurement than 29″ forks – it saved a bit of weight and was fine on smoother stuff, but it did lose some trail capability.

Anyway, sure you can do it. Just find a compatible fork with a similar axle crown measurement to your sagged suspension fork and fit it, but for road use, tyres first would be my take.

ps; Sonder were recently selling off carbon Camino forks on eBay for 60 quid. Tapered steerer so won’t, I think, work for the OP, but worth a look if you’re after an affordable carbon fork with some brand reliability (as opposed to one from someone you’ve never heard of)

Hi

so I’ve done tyres already I’m using continental   Contact speed which has made a nice difference. The original forks are just heavy and seem cheap quality there leaking and I feel the amount of road I use it for I may as well just go rigid and have done with them that’s all.

The default answer to these sort of questions used to be Exotic – https://www.carboncycles.cc/?p=197 although I don’t know if that’s still the case. They do seem to do a good range of sizes and straight steerer options.

I’ve not used them and was initially quite nervous about carbon, but ran a carbon legged MRP Rock Solid fork for years without issue on hardtails that spent the vast majority of their time on the road, and they were great. Steel is certainly reassuring though.

I’ve just changed my suspension forks for a pair of Exotic carbon forks.

Aside from a quick spin up and down the road I’ve not been out on them yet as I’m waiting on some new brakes.

My original forks had a straight steerer and as the carbon ones are tapered, I used an external Hope bottom headset.

Id try and get carbon forks if you are mostly using it on road.

Yea Exotic carbon are the best option for your case I think. They have a 465mm long version, which should be the right length to replace your 480 sus fork.

And they have a straight steerer, and QR release dropouts if that’s what you need?

Those Triton one’s are a bargin, but they are aluminium I think, so maybe quite stiff and uncomfortable