Yeah, I think I'm done with the "hardcore" off-road stuff, so a rigid fork is what I'm looking for.
I didn't know about the the whole fork length issue though...thanks for the info.
As far as disk brakes go...what are the benefits? I'm assuming they stop better thank what I have, but are there any benefits (e.g. they work better when wet, they last longer, they are more reliable, etc.)?
I used nashbar.com's live chat feature and they recommended the following equipment:
Tires:
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?sku=14689
Tube:
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?sku=4876
Fork:
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?sku=13284 (this has mounts for disk and V-mount brakes)
Bike Lock:
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?sku=9234
If you've read the above posts, you know that I have never installed a new fork myself, so I was told I need a new "star nut". I know this goes in the tube of the fork, but I'm not entirely sure what it's purpose is and it looks tricky to install. Would I be better off using the below product? Does it serve the same purpose?
Fork Plug (instead of star nut):
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?sku=12932
Any feedback on the above products would be appreciated as nashbar.com's site does not have a review feature.