Mountain Biking - Dual Crown Forks questions

I have a GT hardtail with a Rock Shox SID on the front. I really like the bike but want to get into a little more DH riding. I really don't have the cash to get the Santa Cruz DH rig that I have my eye set on. I was wondering should I stay with the SID and about 4" of travel or get a Rock shox Boxxer dual crown.

Other then weight, which I can't really care about as I am just over 200 lbs what are benefits and hold backs of these forks?

PS I know that I"m a noob and my flame suit is on

TIA
Mikey B

I wouldn't suggest that. For one the extra leverage put on your frame by a big dual crown fork would most likely snap the head tube off your bike because it wasn't intended for it. I'd say just save your cash until you can get a real downhill bike.

ditto.

yup, its better to save up and get a proper DH bike than to trash nice frame and have no bike at all.

Plus if you snap a headtube the chances of serious injury are likely. Your medical bills will far exceed the cost of a DH frame :beer:

What GT hardtail is it? I would recommend a new fork, but not a dual crown. For most GT's (a Ruckus being the exception) I would go with a MAX of 100 mm of travel. 110mm would be stretching it. You'll affect the handling of the bike too much if you go longer. A Manitou BLACK Comp with the travel adjust would work well for you. Or, a RS Psylo XC would be good too. Heck, if you're doing a lot more DH sections, I guess a fork with ajustable travel up to 120 would work o.k. for those DH sections, then dial it back down to 100 for other areas.

If you DO have a Ruckus, then you COULD go longer travel and/or dual crown, but ONLY with a Ruckus.

L8R

Thanks for the replies, I wasn't sure and now I am...

Now its time to get a second job to afford the DH rig that I want
ahaha

Mikey B

Originally posted by Mikey B
Thanks for the replies, I wasn't sure and now I am...

Now its time to get a second job to afford the DH rig that I want
ahaha

Mikey B :beer:

Only people like me can get away with a DC fork on an XC bike...

sorry about the res. Camera had a cracked lens!

Originally posted by BAC5.2
Only people like me can get away with a DC fork on an XC bike...

sorry about the res. Camera had a cracked lens!

That's just wrong!!! On a stumpjumper no less... I'm going to go cry in a corner by myself now!

:eek:

Hahahah my bike might just look close to that. I'm putting a Z1 Freeride (130mm) on my stumpjumper (though it's only intended for XC and not DH only). Am I wrong to want this or put this on it? How did that bike ride after you put that fork on it?

Z1 is a 5 inch single crown...that is a 6 inch (or 5 if it is the oem one being sold aftermarket) dc...big difference...the z1 will be fine :)

Gonzo dont worry. I ve just put a Z1 on my rockhopper (stumpy 2002 frame).Its perfectly fine.

I can hear all your XC bikes (rockhopper, stumpjumper) screaming in pain from having those long travel forks put on them! "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH oooooooooouuuuuuuuuuccccccccchhhhhh... please I'm an XC bike don't do this to me!!"

hehehe

what's it matter though if you ride the same stuff but you have better travel?


arghhhhh FEDEX show up to my house soon (work is so boring, i need a reason to leave) and that reason would be new bike parts!

Originally posted by DrGonzo
hehehe

what's it matter though if you ride the same stuff but you have better travel?


arghhhhh FEDEX show up to my house soon (work is so boring, i need a reason to leave) and that reason would be new bike parts!

No it doesn't really matter, well except for the DC fork on there. But my thought on it all is if you are riding the same stuff what do you need 5+ inches of travel for? I raced XC for many years and was happy with 2.5 inches of travel. I rade DH now and i love 7 inches.

Just wondering what someone riding the same stuff that he did with a 2 inch fork needs 5 for... if you need 5 to me it seems that you are riding harder stuff than what the bike was ment for so why not jsut save the cash and buy a beefier bike?

I don't mean to make it sound like GAWD you guys are idiots for doing that, don't mean that at all... if it works for you that's all that matters! Have fun and you are doin even better.

I just know the head tubes aren't as over built on an XC bike as on a, oh god I'm going to use the term "freeride" bike, and if you are riding stuff that rough needing 5 inches I worry about it snapping because the head tube becomes slacker with more travel and thus creates more stress on the headtube, and I don't want to see any fellow mountain bikers getting hurt cause a head tube snaps.

:beer:

Phil's just got the DC fork on the Stumpy until he gets his Banshee Scream....

:D

Slc. 5" for the rockhopper is perfectly fine, structuraly speaking its a beefed up frame like kona out of bounds hardtails....i dont know about the stumpy though...the rockhopper is faaaar from an xc hardtail. Plus Specialized certifies the rockhopper for 5" single crown forks.

Yes but he is still right. Even though the rockhopper is cert for a 5" sc doesn't mean it is built for the extra stresses of a dual crown (it may be). The out of bounds series by kona is specifically designed to allow for dc forks. I know the p series is too. Not 100% on the rockhopper though :)

I wouldn't say i ride stuff that WARRANTS 5 inches of travel, and i definately wasn't expecting to get a fork with 5 inches, it just happened. Though there are some gnarly drops that are fun, i was doing it on my old manitou (OLD and not much travel) and it was pretty rough, so i'm looking forward to it, and i'm planning to buy a new frame/bike at some point in the next 6-12 months.

Definately do NOT ride a DC fork on an XC frame.

I did this because I was tired of looking at my Manitou fork box in my room. I HAD to ride the fork.

Plus, I had already broken the frame, so it didn't matter really. The fork will be where it belongs on the Scream though :)

Originally posted by BAC5.2
Plus, I had already broken the frame, so it didn't matter really.

Wait... you're riding a dual-crown fork on an already broken XC frame?! :eek: Well... here's to hoping you survive long enough to transfer that fork over to your Banshee. :beer:

Mael i agree with you. NO DC forks on rockhopper...i said so as well :D

Originally posted by khuon
Wait... you're riding a dual-crown fork on an already broken XC frame?! :eek: Well... here's to hoping you survive long enough to transfer that fork over to your Banshee. :beer:

I've been riding it for over a month now. I did a 6' to flat the other day and no problems.

I broke it at the dropout, not at the headtube.

The SCREAM get's here in AUGUST (boat hits the dock on the 8th)! AHHH!!!!