Mountain Biking - SunTour, if you're listening I have a new slogan for you

“yesterday's technology, sold today, at tomorrow's prices”

Pissed ma'self!

My new sig!

Holy crap!

You really didn't like the fork you knew came on the bike you purchased, eh?

Doesn't that slogan apply to most vintage parts?

SunTour, if you're listening I have a new slogan for you

Make that SR Suntour.

Unless you're talking about vintage Suntour like Snyder sez. Then it's Maeda for the really old stuff and Mori for the stuff right before the end of the line for the real Suntour.

XC Pro was good stuff back in the day.

I'm kinda tempted to get a new Superbe crank for ye olde Pinarello.

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/uploads/images/xlarge/116979.jpg

Back to MTB world,

I see Euro XC pros racing on SR Suntour forks, they must have some decent forks, right?

I hear some decent things about the Epicon (I think that is what its called) in terms of price to performance on German mtb forums. Fox, RS, and Marz, and Manitou are still the go to brands here though. I replaced my SR Suntour pretty quick though (it was cheap trash, meant only to be on the bike to hold the front wheel until replacement).

Yes, that may be, but as in this thread (http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=723949), you never did explain what happened. Inquiring minds wanna' know.

Throughout my years of bike riding I've owned various different bikes, mountain, road, hybrid all from different manufacturers such as, Trek, Giant and Specialist, from low-end to midgrade. I personally prefer Giant mountain bikes. Five years ago I purchased a Giant Boulder for when I'm on the bike path for pulling my kids in the bike trailer. It had a SunTour fork that felt like a pogo stick and anytime I went over a bump the front wheel would vibrate like it was going to fall off… I expected this from a bike cost $300. My son, daughter and wife all have low-end bikes with RST forks and none of them had the same characteristics as my giant Boulder… again I expected this from a low end bike. I always thought SunTour was better than RST…. But apparently not!

Recently I purchased a 2011 Giant Talon 29er 1, again I understand this is not a high-end bike midgrade at best, and it came with a SunTour fork. After about 100 miles of riding I started to notice the same characteristics I was experiencing from my giant Boulder with a SunTour fork, rattling, vibrating and a pogo stick feel. Again I know the Giant Talon is not a high-end bike but it's not a $300 bike either. I would expect on the giant Talon price range the SunTour fork would be a little better than what is installed on a $300 bike. When I contacted SunTour support they mention the issues I'm experiencing are normal, but the rattling can be resolved by adding more grease to the spring and wrap a heat shrink tubing around the center of the spring. So apparently other people are experiencing the same issues and heat shrink tubing is the fix… Seriously Suntour, did you not think about doing this in the manufacturing process!!!

So in conclusion if a manufacturer is going to put a low or midgrade fork on a bike go with RST… Or a pogo stick (the engineering is better).

I'd rather ride a rigid fork than a lowend (edit: sproinged) fork by any manu. I've only tried old Answer/Manitou and Rockshox cheapies though. Not even gonna bother with Suntour or RST unless one should happen to fall in my lap.

Pig Suntour falls in lap...man no longer is able to reproduce.

Ay, mi juevos!