Mountain Biking - What's the Best Fork for this Boulder?

Hey there guys,

If you owned this Giant Boulder and wanted to install the best 80mm XC fork you could imagine, what type of fork would it be for the upgrade?

www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/boulder/9043/48922/

TIA

- Slim :)

If you're looking for "best", I'd go with WB Loop which can be had in 80mm. You'd have to get a new front hub.

But that'd be a waste of a nice fork on a low end frame. But since you asked...

If you were looking to upgrade the fork on the Boulder, may as well look at the frame and all the components as well and upgrade them, as it is a pretty basic bike.

If you must upgrade the fork, would look at a 2012 Rock Shox SID RCT3, or if you can find a NOS 2011 Rock Shox SID XX World Cup Carbon, that would be nicer, getting a good fork for a tapered headtube frame is getting harder now.

I was just thinking about a XC MTB in chromoly steel, as opposed to any other frame material.

The frame on the Boulder is sound, it's just that all the components are bad!

It's not that the components are bad, it's just that they are very low end; and won't stand up to much off roading, and putting on the 'best 80mm XC fork you could imagine' would cost several times the value of the complete bike. The frame will be heavy as well.

80mm is on the limit now for XC, with 100mm now been the shortest you would want to use, and although you love Chromoly steel as a material, it isn't the best for XC, you need Carbon Fiber for that now, steel has a place, where you need strenght, and can sacrifice weight for it. but that is really in the mid-lower end hardtail AM area, not XC.

If you want a steel XC frame, would be looking for new hand built / used good condition 2008 or newer frame, with disc mounts, although by this time, most major manufactures had gone alu, or if you can find one, say a 2011 Salsa Ala Carte. whatever you look at, it won't be cheap.

Fox F80 would be pretty sweet. So would an F100 since 20mm won't make much difference. But why put a nice fork on such a low-end bike? The phrase "lipstick on a pig" comes to mind.

If I were in the market for a cromo XC bike, I'd consider this: http://www.covebikeusa.com/products/bikes/11/handjob.html

Fox F80 would be pretty sweet. So would an F100 since 20mm won't make much difference. But why put a nice fork on such a low-end bike? The phrase "lipstick on a pig" comes to mind.

If I were in the market for a cromo XC bike, I'd consider this: http://www.covebikeusa.com/products/bikes/11/handjob.html


I attribute most of the cost difference between the Handjob and the Boulder, to be primarily due to both higher grade componentry and a much better fork on the Handjob. Otherwise, I deeply believe that there is very little quality distinction between their frames.

Therefore, it's less about lipstick on a pig, and more about placing the right slipper on Cinderella....

www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/boulder/9043/48922/ (http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/boulder/9043/48922/)

www.covebikeusa.com/products/bikes/11/handjob.html (http://www.covebikeusa.com/products/bikes/11/handjob.html)

Compare the fork and components:

sr suntour xct v4 = $60
components ---Tourney

rockshox recon 351 u-turn = $400
components ---Sram X9

- Slim :)

PS.

Thanks for the fork suggestion :thumb:

It's not that the components are bad, it's just that they are very low end; and won't stand up to much off roading, and putting on the 'best 80mm XC fork you could imagine' would cost several times the value of the complete bike. The frame will be heavy as well.

80mm is on the limit now for XC, with 100mm now been the shortest you would want to use, and although you love Chromoly steel as a material, it isn't the best for XC, you need Carbon Fiber for that now, steel has a place, where you need strenght, and can sacrifice weight for it. but that is really in the mid-lower end hardtail AM area, not XC.

If you want a steel XC frame, would be looking for new hand built / used good condition 2008 or newer frame, with disc mounts, although by this time, most major manufactures had gone alu, or if you can find one, say a 2011 Salsa Ala Carte. whatever you look at, it won't be cheap.

Thanks Jim!

If you're looking for "best", I'd go with WB Loop which can be had in 80mm. You'd have to get a new front hub.

But that'd be a waste of a nice fork on a low end frame. But since you asked...

Thanks Soulja!

I attribute most of the cost difference between the Handjob and the Boulder, to be primarily due to both higher grade componentry and a much better fork on the Handjob. Otherwise, I deeply believe that there is very little quality distinction between their frames.

The frame on the Handjob costs almost double a complete Boulder. So apparently the cost difference isn't about components unless Giant is practically just giving away bikes for some reason. It's a nicer frame. It's made better. I just think it's a waste of money to put the best fork out there on a Boulder. But hey, it's your money, spend it how you'd like...but don't kid yourself into thinking that a Boulder is a high quality frame.

The frame on the Handjob costs almost double a complete Boulder. So apparently the cost difference isn't about components unless Giant is practically just giving away bikes for some reason. It's a nicer frame. It's made better. I just think it's a waste of money to put the best fork out there on a Boulder. But hey, it's your money, spend it how you'd like...but don't kid yourself into thinking that a Boulder is a high quality frame.


I see the point you're attempting to make here, Zephyr11. It's just that, you can't assume that because something costs more, that it's of higher quality. I know that type of thought is practically ingrained within us all from birth, but sometimes, it just doesn't apply. Sometimes, it's just a part of some marketing scheme. Since chromoly steel is chromoly steel, as long as the tubular thicknesses are similar, there's just no way that there could possibly be a vast amount of difference there. I mean, just think of the cost of basketball sneakers. There's no way that any mass produced pair of basketball sneakers should cost over sixty bucks. However, we do have the Nike Lebron 9's for $170 and the Nike Kobe VII System Supremes for $180. Go figure!

BTW - If I were going to personally purchase a mountain bike for myself, I'd get either a Voodoo Soukri, or a GT Xizang, and do the custom build myself ;)

* The reason that I posed the original question, was due to the fact that I recommended a Giant Boulder to a young newbie, giving her hopes of eventually being able to upgrade the Boulder into quite possibly, a very capable and uniguely novel MTB. In time, she could gradually upgrade all of her components and switch to some really high-class suspended fork. I still think I'm correct in that regard.

- Slim :)

I see the point you're attempting to make here, Zephyr11. It's just that, you can't assume that because something costs more, that it's of higher quality.
I'm not assuming that. We're talking overall construction of the bike, but whatever, I'm not arguing with you about it.


* The reason that I posed the original question, was due to the fact that I recommended a Giant Boulder to a young newbie, giving her hopes of eventually being able to upgrade the Boulder into quite possibly, a very capable and uniguely novel MTB. In time, she could gradually upgrade all of her components and switch to some really high-class suspended fork. I still think I'm correct in that regard.
Sure, Boulder's fine to start out with. But by the time she's pouring that much money into it, she'd be better off getting an entirely new bike. She'd probably even save money in the long run that way.

I'm no expert on frame construction, but I'm just gonna throw it out there that just because a frame is chromoly doesn't make it high quality. There's a point where craftsmanship & structural design come into play. But hey, to each his own.

The reason that I posed the original question, was due to the fact that I recommended a Giant Boulder to a young newbie, giving her hopes of eventually being able to upgrade the Boulder into quite possibly, a very capable and uniguely novel MTB. In time, she could gradually upgrade all of her components and switch to some really high-class suspended fork. I still think I'm correct in that regard.

- Slim :)

Think it all you want, Slim; it's still lipstick on a pig. The ONE saving grace of your plan is the 'upgrade' parts will likely last long enough to be transferred onto a truly GOOD frame.

For example, my 2-month-old 2006 Kona; of all the parts on the bike, here are the new ones:

seatpost, coil spring on the shock, cables, stem, 44t chainring, and headset. The rest are from 2007 & 2009.

My frame was a surplus warranty replacement, cleared out for about a third of the price. IT'S worth upgrading parts for as long as it lasts.

DX-MAN says:



Think it all you want, Slim; it's still lipstick on a pig. The ONE saving grace
of your plan is the 'upgrade' parts will likely last long enough to be
transferred onto a truly GOOD frame.


Sorry DX! I wil have to very respectfully disagree with you there...Science would dictate that chromoly steel tubes welded together would have to be very strong, if properly welded together, almost despite their design.


For example, my 2-month-old 2006 Kona; of all the parts on the bike, here are
the new ones:

seatpost, coil spring on the shock, cables, stem, 44t
chainring, and headset. The rest are from 2007 & 2009.

My frame was
a surplus warranty replacement, cleared out for about a third of the price.
IT'S worth upgrading parts for as long as it lasts.

I'm most certain that this part of your response is entirely accurate. However, it does not negate the fact that chromoly steel frames are all very strong, reliable, and durable, when welded.

- Slim :)

DX-MAN says:




Sorry DX! I wil have to very respectfully disagree with you there...Science would dictate that chromoly steel tubes welded together would have to be very strong, if properly welded together, almost despite their design.



I'm most certain that this part of your response is entirely accurate. However, it does not negate the fact that chromoly steel frames are all very strong, reliable, and durable, when welded.

- Slim :)

your assuming the frame will even be compatible with future high end componentry. Its already going to be tough finding an 80mm fork. Can you upgrade to 10 speed without buying a new wheel? How about that crank, what kind of BB does it use? Want to upgrade the crank you'll need a new BB, most now have integrated ones. Will the standard threads still work? Or will they all have press fit bearings by then? Time marches on and component standards change. They change at the top levels first so upgrading a low end bike becomes even harder. Often you find you need to buy LOWER end components simply for compatibility.

DX, there's something oddly familiar about your signature ;)

Suppose I should give credit where credit is due:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTbgvYPVdXE

samburger, yup, i stole it. TOO funny! Took a day and a half before I could say it without cracking up halfway through it!

Slim, Slim, Slim.......

There's nothing inherently wrong with cro-mo frames; BUT, you don't see them in high-dollar bikes anymore... and there's a REASON for that.

THAT REASON IS: there are a sh**-ton of better alloys out there!

Cro-mo frames could be found in f'n WALMART in 2000! Saw them!

The entire Reynolds line of steel alloys is a BIG bump up from cro-mo, in that they are lighter AND stronger, perform better under the rider, and last longer!

But, I'm likely wasting my time here trying to bring you back to reality; you probably believe indexed thumbshifters are just as good as X.0.

You do whatever you want -- just don't try to tell us you're right and we're wrong, like you have been. One Romney is enough.

samburger, yup, i stole it. TOO funny! Took a day and a half before I could say it without cracking up halfway through it!

Glad someone appreciated it! The attitude surrounding that comment (combined with a few other snarky remarks;)) got me quite a bit of heat from my #1 critic. I guess pessimistic jokes just aren't for everyone.