YamiRider1316

I just purchased a diamondback response sport and am looking into a new front fork. I'm relatively new to the mountain biking scene as i race quads and will be primarily using this as a means to stay in shape in the off season. Anyways, was gonna see if there were any suggestions for a good upgraded fork that's not gonna cost me an arm and a leg. Also what other mods should i be thinking about? Shifters are already on the way but any other suggestions/recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

bikinfool

Different year models of that bike yield different fork requirements. Older ones used fairly short travel forks, like 63mm, newer ones 120mm...will make a difference as to what's good for the particular model you've got. All of them came with fairly poor forks, so upgrading isn't a bad idea except that the bike itself is only worth so much "upgrading". Here's some possibilities as to which one you've got https://www.bikepedia.com/Search.aspx...dback+response

YamiRider1316

its a newer response i believe a 2009 at least a 2008. Its got the 120mm stock front fork on it.

YamiRider1316

come on somebodys gotta have some suggestions...

bikinfool

Or is it more, come on, you can search better than that? Probably look at the lower end but functional Rockshox line like the Tora lineup. How much do you consider an "arm and a leg" to be? I have forks that cost from $300-900, to an extent it just depends on what you want to afford...

YamiRider1316

well when you dont know jack about this sport its kind of hard to know what to search for. Im looking to spend somewhere in the 3-400 dollar range. I figure the bikes not worth more than 450-500 as it sits right now so it would be kinda pointless to buy a 1000 dollar fork. I will look into the rockshox line thanks for the input. Any other suggestions would be very much appreciated

ed 

$450-$500 is a pretty big stretch...is it new? What was wrong with the shifters?


I second the Tora. It's a good fork and I've seen them as low as $150, but usually in the $175-$200 on ebay.


First thing I upgrade is the crankset, then the wheelset. Crankset b/c of flex that causes my chain to rub on the front derailleur. Wheelset b/c I will destroy it...and a good strong light wheelset will give you the biggest performance upgrade for your money. (Light, grippy tires help too)

YamiRider1316

yea it is new. i really dont know what its worth just from lookin online that seemed to be the price range. I checked out the toras and seems like they only come in the 100mm range. The stock fork on there is a 130mm so ide like to atleast stay around that. After doin some research i was lookin at the Magura Menja DLO Fork. Anybody heard or have any opinions on these. I can get a left over 08 one for about 360$.

ed 

I really wish you hadn't told me that. Now I have to rant and pisz'n'moan about how silly I think it is to buy a new complete bike only to upgrade the crap out of it.


Flip side: I change stuff just to change stuff, but I'm not gonna go out and buy a DicksSportingGoods bike with sub-optimal componentry on it that I know that I'll destroy...just to upgrade it.


Either way, it's your decision...but I would have built from scratch if all you're gonna do is take a new bike apart and replace everything.




That said...how bout a current build list, your intended purpose for the bike (downhill, cross country, dirt jump, wall art), your weight, and budget. Maybe we can turn it into a shredder.


I'm still leaning toward a wheelset...maybe from BWW.

Zephyr11

https://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...Turn+Fork.aspx
Adjustable from 80-130mm. You can find it cheaper than this if you look around though. There's an XC Tora SL that is only 100mm too, so that's probably what you found.

YamiRider1316

Well i actually didnt buy the bike myself, it was a gift. My current intentions for the bike are cross country we have a lot of neat trails in this area, wouldnt mind having a bike that i can jump either cus in my opinion theres no better feelin then when your flyin through the air(its why i ride quads). I figure ide get a new fork because i do tend to ride the piss out of things and aftermarket parts always hold up better. Shifters were a must from the get go due to the fact that i was always accidentally shifting even when just puttin around the backyard. Hoepfully some new bars and pedals soon outside of that ill probably just replace stuff as a i break it.

ed 

If you catch any air, you'll prob. beat the snot outta the wheels. A not so light, but cheap and durable option for wheelset is the tried and true Shimano XT hubs / Sun Rhyno Lite rim / DT Champion spoke combo. Good cheap wheelset. Not light, but not FR heavy either.


For bars...I'm a die hard Easton fan. Sunline bars look nice and are popular, but I've never used any.

Pedals are personal...I prefer Crank Brothers Candy clipless.



Forkwise...the Tora is still my rec. for ya.

YamiRider1316

well thank you for all the suggestions everyone this was a huge help and zephyr thanks for the link im gonna shop around a little more but that seems to be what im looking for. Any other suggestions are more than welcome but i think i can safely say i have a starting point to go from now. Gotta love bein a newb lol.