trickdog

I have been thinking of swapping out the front suspension fork for a lighter and solid fork on my MTB.

Although the suspension fork is nice on the bumps and curbs, I think there is too much energy being absorbed and wasted while pedaling hard and especially when pedaling out of the saddle.

Anyone have any experience and or feedback if the $$ and effort was worth it.

Thanks
TD.

gwhalin

I swapped out my front fork earlier this summer. Was definitely worth it. I do all my riding on the street. My ride is much nicer now and I am able to get a quicker start from stop at intersections.

khuon

If you're riding strictly pavement then it's a good idea. You'll want to measure your axle-to-crown and get a suspension-corrected rigid fork with a similar AtC in order to preserve your bike's handling traits. If you go with a longer AtC than your current fork then the bike will tend to turn quicker but can also feel twitchy. If you go with a longer one then the bike will feel more sluggish and slow in the turns but feel more stable. When measuring, be aware that most suspension forks are set up with sag when weighted so have someone help you out and measure the distance with you on the bike and positioned in a riding stance.

You'll also want to of course match the steerer size (1" vs 1-1/4") and type (threadless vs threaded) as well. Your cost will be somewhere around $40 to $60 for a decent steel fork. Although, I'm not necessarily advocating buying from them, you might want to take a look at Bikeman's Rigid Fork webpage to get an idea of what's available. My recommendation would be the Kona Project 2. I would also recommend the Surly and Tange forks.

To install, you will need to yank the old fork off the bike, pull the crown race off the old fork and install it on the new one. You will also need to cut the steerer of the new one down to the right size after you're comfortable with its height. Directions can be found on the Park Tool website. If you're uncomfortable with doing it yourself, a shop can do all the work for you. It should only take them a half-hour.

here and there

I switched to a rigid fork a few weeks ago and it was definantely worth it. Even though I kept the lockout on and the preload as high as it would go I would still feel the fork bobbing a bit when stopping/accelerating and climbing. With the rigid fork the bike feels nimbler so accelerating and climbing feel easier. Plus, I think the bike looks better with the rigid fork.

radical_edward

Talk to your LBS about getting a new crown race for your headset to put on the new rigid forks.

Then, while not being every day convenient, it is quite simple to swap the rigid and suspension forks if you want to have a weekend mountain biking, or take your bike camping.

Having said that, you will be surprised where a rigid forked mountain bike can take you.

Check out kona dealers as the project fork mentioned above is a nice fork at the right price. Their singlespeed came equipped with said fork and my own LBS had a number of 'take offs' where people had upgraded to suspension at time of purchase. You can get a heavier dirt jump version, so watch what version you are getting.

Portis

I switched to a rigid fork a couple months back. Turns out the axel to crown was a bit too short for me even though it was a suspension corrected fork. It leaned me too far forward, for my liking. So i just ordered a new suspension fork, and will be swapping back.

I learned that the bike might be a couple lbs lighter but i never noticed it. I noticed the lack of suspension and the forward leaning position a lot more. I was not impressed and will have my surly 1x1 for sale on ebay in the near future.


Seems sorta fashionable for people to be going back to rigid. I too, fell into it. But like i said, i noticed no detectable improvement in speed or otherwise. I did notice some negative effects.

khuon

That's why you need to measure.

Portis

And also why you shouldn't listen to your lbs when they tell you it will be fine. I did measure but was talked into the fork anyway. Still my mistake.

cyccommute 

Another alternative would be to get a suspension fork with a lockout. Fox, Manitou and Rock Shox all make some version of this kind of fork. I put a Manitou Black on my mountain bike last spring and was amazed at the difference. It keeps the mountain bike ready for off-road and makes riding on paved sections of my commute much easier.

ghettocruiser

I'd been commuting on a SID with lockout for four years now. I used to always hit the lockout when standing on the pedals to climb on pavement, and it FEELS faster, but I've become increasingly convinced it's all in my head, or at the very least is not a measurable difference.

Low-precision testing showed my bike-to-work time with the fork active and locked out are the same.

yes

If you haven't done it yet, get some slicks. For $15 or $20 for the set, you will notice a huge difference, and they work fine on dry rooty trails as well. Don't get semi-slicks - just flat out no tread having slicks.

I bought the nashbar sus. corrected fork on sale for $35, and it matched my trek hart tail geometry well. I measured, and it was right about equivalent to the susp. fork I had on. I considered getting a shorter fork to steepen the angle a bit to make it more like a road bike. Personally, I think that would have been a good idea in hindsight.

jyossarian

I swapped the susp. fork for a rigid one last winter and didn't miss the suspension at all, even over potholes, crap roads, curb jumps, stairs, cobblestones, etc. Bike was lighter, I gained an extra 1-2 mph and it was more nimble. Plus the fork cost $40 from pricepoint.

HardyWeinberg

If anyone needs a rigid fork w/ 6 3/8" steerer (i.e. short headtube + stem) PM me. I might be putting it (back) on ebay when I get around to it. It's a way cool fork, but I need 8" of steerer.