Mountain Biking - Fork Advice

New to the forum ya'll, guess I'll intro myself...
Long-time trail runner/ endurance athlete, tri-athlete, backpacker and hiker.

I've recently (over the past 2 years) been starting to mountain bike more and more on my Diamondback Response XE. RST Gila Plus front shocks, Shimano Acero shifters (and derailer...?), mechanical discs, not sure the make...

I like my bike, to a point. I'm not a bad rider, and I feel like with a better bike, I could do some damage in some Adventure races (any of ya'll do those...?). Cost-efficiency wise, where to start? I definitely want to keep my frame, (for now, but i DO have another one lined up here for the summer i believe.) but beyond that, I was going to start with forks and shifters. I know nothing about forks, but was leaning toward SRAM X9s for shifters.

I'd love some help, thanks a million!

BTW... Trails around Auburn?

hey, i'm new to this thread as well....but i digress...

Rock Shox, the highest model you can afford or are willing to spend. if you stick with it, you can spend money on more expensive better forks. I say rock shox because they are pretty reliable and great for "your first fork." there are better forks, there are worse forks. i used to have a Magura Thor, i now have a Rock Shox Lyrik. Fox makes great shocks as well, in some ways better. for now, to keep it simple...rock shox.

Agreed with the previous poster - Rock Shox makes killer forks and they have an outstanding warranty / service department, which makes confidence in using their products a huge plus. I have a Rock Shox Recon (http://www.treefortbikes.com/product/333222363961/82/Rock-Shox-2011-Recon-Gold.html?utm_source=bikeforums&utm_medium=forum&utm_campaign=social) on my Niner EMD, I really like it. Solid, easy to adjust, durable. Its not light, so if that is what you are going for, the Reba is a better option.

However, do realize that upgrading components will in the long run be a lot more expensive than upgrading the frame. Specifically brakes (hydraulics), front fork, and wheels are going to eat up a lot of cash. If the frame fits you really well, you like the geometry, and want a project bike, then by all means go with switching out components. Just realize there are some killer bikes out there sold as completes that will save you a little on the pocketbook in the long run.

First of all I'd ask how much do you weigh? What type of riding will you do most, xc, all-mountain stuff etc? I was aroung 150lbs when I started riding. I had a rockshox Sid 80mm from way back(7 years or so) that still performed great for me doing xc riding. Sold the bike but still liked the fork. Now I ride a little harder/aggressive but nothing too big and weigh around 165lbs. I ride a Recon 85-130mm(I think) and like it just as much performance wise. It's heavier and longer but it suits me better. So long my winded input would be figure out what type of riding you want to do and how much travel and weight plays into it and then narrow it down from there. Hope my rambling helps. Good luck

Thanks for the input from everybody, I'm leaning toward something from Rock Shox's Recon line. How about shifters? I'm really not a fan of my low-end shimanos.

ventoit- Im 175-180, and almost exclusively trail ride (all-mountain?). I get some pretty good impacts at times.

i'd agree with the rock shox rec, since that's just easy and you won't get garbage -- unless you get a Dart, which is functional, but not much of an upgrade. get a Tora or better or don't bother.

i've never done an adventure race, but i imagine you'd want to have 100-120mm of travel, maybe even 140. think all-mountain, not cross country, when looking at specs. your frame may or may not be built for that much travel, check the travel specs on your original fork and match up to that.

sram x9 is good stuff, but sram and shimano are not universally compatible. be sure the shifters you buy will operate shimano derailleurs. i think shimano LX or XT should be in the same price range.

again, like Alan said, you ought to consider a new machine, even if you have to delay a while. you will probably need to replace/upgrade every part on that DB to get to where you need to be to compete in an adventure race. i know, it's the competitor that wins, but you have to be a beast to overcome an equipment handicap. fork + frame (lighter) + wheelset (stronger) + drivetrain (lighter, more reliable) + brakeset (hydro) = a lot of money. in the end, you would come out ahead by buying a complete machine.

I WILL buy a new bike eventually, but... Im a young guy. I think everyone should start out with something they need to work on to familiarize themselves with the sport. I want to build a bike, as I feel like the knowlege gained will be valueable in the long run. Eventually, this DB will be a back-up bike. I appreciate all the help, see ya'll in the forum. Keep an eye out for upgrade updates and requests for help :)

(De-raiers will be replaced with shifters. New single-gear crank is also on the agenda. Im thinking 32-spoke. It'll be summer before the bigger mods are made.