Hope someone might have the knowledge on this one. Currently riding a 2001 Marin Palisades trail which has the fork that it came with – Manitou Magnum with 3 inches of travel. The fork is getting a bit knackered so would like to get a new one but am unsure what the frame will accommodate and cannot find anything on Marin's site. I ride reasonably tame XC (if you know Calderdale the most adventurous descent I'd attempt is down to the Blue Pig from Heptonstall), don't go to trail centres but wouldn't mind giving that a go but the vast majority of my riding will be round Calderdale. My thoughts are that a fork with 100mm travel would be probably what I want – any ideas whether the frame will accommodate this without negative changes in the handling?

Confusing things somewhat, I'm thinking in the future I'd like to get a Cotic Soul when funds allow and it'd be good to get a fork now that I can use on that, which I see takes 100-140mm in its new incarnation, is my Marin going to explode or handle atrociously if I fit a fork that has say 100-130mm travel?

Final question – there hasn't been a change in standard of fork steerer tube or some such between 2001 and now that will mean I cannot in fact by a new fork for my Marin?

TIA.

It should be fine at 100mm but 130mm is likely to make it very sluggish.

Thanks clubber, I take it no compatibility problems with current forks?

No problem with the steerer sizes Kilgoretrout they are all 1 1/8"

Many thanks MrOvershoot.

Just be sure the fork you buy has V brake mounts (I presume you are still using V's?)
The number of forks that still have mounts for V's is quite small these days

Thank MrOvershoot, was aware of that one, I'm thinking I'll switch to discs at the same time though (front wheel is compatible). The future really is arriving. Though I'll stick with v's on the backs as it appears discs aren't an option without some fairly clunky adaptor.