Buying new forks, what do I need to know?
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Buying new forks, what do I need to know?
Another noob question, if I wanted to look for a carbon fork to replace my Rockshox RL, what numbers do I need to know?
Current spec:
Sonder Broken Road
Rockshox Reba RL-A8 - 15x110mm Boost - tapered steerer - 100mm travel - 51mm offset
FSA Orbit C-40-ACB headset/7.8mm spacer
Any other things I'd need to include in the costs? Axle? Crown race? New headset? Random tools?
I've seen other threads asking for recommendations so I'll check those out, I just wanted to make sure I was looking at the right spec.
I expect the price might put me off but no harm in looking
Current spec:
Sonder Broken Road
Rockshox Reba RL-A8 - 15x110mm Boost - tapered steerer - 100mm travel - 51mm offset
FSA Orbit C-40-ACB headset/7.8mm spacer
Any other things I'd need to include in the costs? Axle? Crown race? New headset? Random tools?
I've seen other threads asking for recommendations so I'll check those out, I just wanted to make sure I was looking at the right spec.
I expect the price might put me off but no harm in looking
- Piemonster
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Re: Buying new forks, what do I need to know?
Axle will come with your forks
Just use the same headset, I just swap the crown race over if I change forks.
A cutting guide for steerers is a worthwhile investment.
I don’t think you really need anything, maybe a star fanged nut but that’s about it. (I’ve Rebas I use with a Broken Road btw and have just fitted Travers Prongs)
Edit, if your using carbon forks maybe you’ll want a expanding plug type thing instead of a star fangled nut.
Just use the same headset, I just swap the crown race over if I change forks.
A cutting guide for steerers is a worthwhile investment.
I don’t think you really need anything, maybe a star fanged nut but that’s about it. (I’ve Rebas I use with a Broken Road btw and have just fitted Travers Prongs)
Edit, if your using carbon forks maybe you’ll want a expanding plug type thing instead of a star fangled nut.
Last edited by Piemonster on Fri Oct 09, 2020 11:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Buying new forks, what do I need to know?
I bought a carbon one for my Broken Road off ebay. It cost about £95 and came with the axle. Fitting is pretty easy, the hardest part was getting the disc brake caliper aligned correctly. There's no need to change the headset.
May satan walk with you
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Re: Buying new forks, what do I need to know?
The axle should come with the fork.
You should be able to use your existing headset. You'll have to remove the "crown race" from the Rebas and fit it to the new forks. If it's not already split, then a broad, flat blade screwdriver will get it off. A junior hacksaw will split it to make it easier to transfer in future.
You will likely need a hacksaw to shorten the steerer on your new forks. If it's a carbon steerer then as fine a blade as you can find. I use an old stem as a saw guide.
For a metal steerer you will need a Star Fangled Nut. These are best fitted with the proper tool. For a carbon steerer, an expanding bung will be required.
For a 100mm 29er fork you will want a rigid fork with an Axle-to-Crown (A2C) of around 490.mm.
Something like this
https://www.carboncycles.cc/?p=1768&
You should be able to use your existing headset. You'll have to remove the "crown race" from the Rebas and fit it to the new forks. If it's not already split, then a broad, flat blade screwdriver will get it off. A junior hacksaw will split it to make it easier to transfer in future.
You will likely need a hacksaw to shorten the steerer on your new forks. If it's a carbon steerer then as fine a blade as you can find. I use an old stem as a saw guide.
For a metal steerer you will need a Star Fangled Nut. These are best fitted with the proper tool. For a carbon steerer, an expanding bung will be required.
For a 100mm 29er fork you will want a rigid fork with an Axle-to-Crown (A2C) of around 490.mm.
Something like this
https://www.carboncycles.cc/?p=1768&
Re: Buying new forks, what do I need to know?
If your new forks are going to be rigid you'll need to specify the Axle - Crown measurement so that the geometry that the frame is designed to is not overly affected.
Scrub that, Colin's already covered it above ^^
Scrub that, Colin's already covered it above ^^
We go out into the hills to lose ourselves, not to get lost. You are only lost if you need to be somewhere else and if you really need to be somewhere else then you're probably in the wrong place to begin with.
- Piemonster
- Posts: 364
- Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2014 7:00 pm
- Location: The Fife Riviera
Re: Buying new forks, what do I need to know?
That carboncycles fork isn’t boost Is it? The OP will need boost forks most likely for a broken road?
Re: Buying new forks, what do I need to know?
If your budget stretches to it then this is the only number you need
01702 257302
Travers Bikes
Adventure without risk is Disneyland - Bikemonger
Re: Buying new forks, what do I need to know?
This one is boost from Exotic but out of stock https://www.carboncycles.cc/index.php?s=0&c=103&p=1897 This would also do as it's a longer A-C https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FOSEC27/s ... -29er-fork
If you go for a carbon steerer also use carbon assembly paste to help the bung grip in the steerer, nothing worse than slippage and wobbly headset...
If you go for a carbon steerer also use carbon assembly paste to help the bung grip in the steerer, nothing worse than slippage and wobbly headset...
- Piemonster
- Posts: 364
- Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2014 7:00 pm
- Location: The Fife Riviera
Re: Buying new forks, what do I need to know?
Or hang on for a month or so and have these for postage costs. Need to make sure I’m happy with the Travers Prongs first.
Chinese EBay Carbon so I’m not ‘selling’ as such.
Can’t recall the A2C off hand but I know I checked it was suitable with Sonder first.
Chinese EBay Carbon so I’m not ‘selling’ as such.
Can’t recall the A2C off hand but I know I checked it was suitable with Sonder first.
Last edited by Piemonster on Fri Oct 09, 2020 2:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Buying new forks, what do I need to know?
100mm 29er sus fork is ~510mm long so a rigid 475-485mm would be a good match. 483mm was a common length for a while.
- AndyTheBikeGuy
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Re: Buying new forks, what do I need to know?
Might be worth getting in touch with Neil at Alpkit and ask him about their new carbon forks, they provided one with my custom build that I presume they'll start selling at some point soon.
Re: Buying new forks, what do I need to know?
Thanks folks, great info as always
And Piemonster, if things work out with your Travers I wouldn’t mind giving those Chinese forks a try. I might get an idea and could pass them on if I buy something else.
I’ll do some more reading over the weekend and see what’s involved
And Piemonster, if things work out with your Travers I wouldn’t mind giving those Chinese forks a try. I might get an idea and could pass them on if I buy something else.
I’ll do some more reading over the weekend and see what’s involved
- Piemonster
- Posts: 364
- Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2014 7:00 pm
- Location: The Fife Riviera
Re: Buying new forks, what do I need to know?
Yeh you can have them all going well with the Travers.
Will message in a few weeks
Will message in a few weeks
- Piemonster
- Posts: 364
- Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2014 7:00 pm
- Location: The Fife Riviera
Re: Buying new forks, what do I need to know?
Forks now available if you’re still keen?Shewie wrote: ↑Sat Oct 10, 2020 1:32 pm Thanks folks, great info as always
And Piemonster, if things work out with your Travers I wouldn’t mind giving those Chinese forks a try. I might get an idea and could pass them on if I buy something else.
I’ll do some more reading over the weekend and see what’s involved