Straight steerer 29er rigid fork – unicorn poop?

Do they exist? My 26er frame is straight head tube, and I have a hankering for building a 69er frankenbike. Does the fork in the title exist? Or am I hunting for unicorn poop?

Planet X have a couple of options. I’m sure others are available.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FOMK35CF/mkm-35-rigid-carbon-mtb-fork

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FOOOSCF4709/on-one-monocoque-straight-steerer-carbon-fork

Singular Swift fork?

Salsa are your friend here. Chromoto or Firestarter, take your pick.

Planet X as above, or try exotic: http://www.carboncycles.cc/?p=197 – been using both for years with no issues 🙂

You might be able to get a 29er wheel and tyre into a 26″ rigid fork, but I don’t know how much mud clearance you’d have.

You might be able to get a 29er wheel and tyre into a 26″ rigid fork, but I don’t know how much mud clearance you’d have.

This much (with those exotic forks): https://www.flickr.com/photos/37065594@N06/27181275784/in/dateposted-public/ (apologies for the rest of the pic!)

Stooge fork? Lots of offset so on a 69er it’ll be ‘interesting’

You’d be better off wth a 26″ fork unless the frame is designed around a long suspension fork, as the 29″ wheel will lift the front end by 31.5mm anyway.

You might be able to get a 29er wheel and tyre into a 26″ rigid fork, but I don’t know how much mud clearance you’d have.

This is what i used to do, it does work if your tyre is in the low 2s and not too tall. It also means that the geometry isn’t changed too much.

I ended up buying a Salsa Chromoto which worked really well, it has a 20mm thru axle and is for sale if you are interested.

Ps if i was doing it again I’d prob get a 650b wheel and stick a bigger tyre in there..

Plenty room in a carbon 26″ fork.

Pace / surly and Genesis all have/had steel straight steerer 29r forks so should be plenty to search for

Genesis one was 26″ length (445mm) as the frame was build around a non-suspension fork. It’d be ideal if you can find one.

Niner do a nice steel fork. Pricey though, but rides lovely, I’ve ran a few Frankenbikes, ran an Inbred as a 69er once. It wasn’t great. Geometry all over the place. Best combo was a 29er rigid with 26″ wheel. Was spot on like that.

IMAG0257 by pten2106[/url], on Flickr

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Was that an 800mm seat post?!?!

Ison do a nice one for just over a hundred quid. 465mm ATC so maybe a little long for what you want?

Ison 29er fork

Try the 29r wheel in a 26r fork if you have one.

In contrast to Takisawa I found it worked really well on my 456 with a 29*2.1 in there(although I’m back on 140mm 26r forks at the moment as the rigid fork is in another bike) but then that’s a bike designed to be better with a longer fork in (I tried the same rigid fork and 26″ wheel and it was way too nervy).

I reckon any taller fork with a 29r wheel and it would be a wandery mess.

The Genesis rigid fork that I tried was brutally stiff and uncompliant – I wouldn’t reccommend it.
The best fork, in my opinion, would be a Singular Hummingbird/Gryphon fork – 445mm a/c and 55mm of offset.

Finding one might not be so easy now though. The Stooge fork is also 55mm offset, I think but I don’t know the a/c dimension.

i don’t know about the greater offset making the handling “interesting”?? – it’s what plays a big part in making the Hummingbird (and presumably the Stooge) such great handling bikes.
I’m positively evangelical about the Hummingbird’s handling…….

I’ve been impressed with the my Mosso rigid fork, it’s taken some decents hits and is reasonably light at 800g. They’re only £50 off eBay, plenty of clearance for a 29″ tyre, straight steerer, QR axle only though I think.

Surly Karate Monkey – http://surlybikes.com/parts/all/karate_monkey_fork

shermer75 – Member

I ended up buying a Salsa Chromoto which worked really well, it has a 20mm thru axle and is for sale if you are interested.

Tell me more about these please

The Genesis rigid fork that I tried was brutally stiff and uncompliant – I wouldn’t reccommend it.

1st Gen iO fork? 28.6mm untapered blades and was a bit direct : ) Fortitude fork was 445mm and had tapered + butted blades.

plenty of room for a 29×2.4 in a 440mm 26″ fork, front end sits about the same height as with a sagged 120-130mm sus fork

Exotic’s round tube forks are great tbh, I’d probably go straight there if I wanted a rigid today.