Taxi Rob

Anybody tried the Dimension replacement forks in general? How about the 700 cross fork for disc brakes with 26" wheels? How is the tire clearance?

What about suspension forks? Is it worth it to build up an RST 1" from scratch? It looks like there aren't many other 1" options...

mega69

A company called RST sells 1" steerer tube fork/shocks.
They sell the shock without the tube actually and you chose
what tube you want for it..they have 1" tubes availiable.

Also another upgrade is from a company called Dimension.
They sell a 1" to 1-1/8" quill adapter that fits inside the 1"
steerer tube but allows for the better 1-1/8" stems to be
used. Hope this helps.

Taxi Rob

I was looking for actual reviews and applications, but thanks for the info. Have you tried building an RST from scratch? Do they perform well? I'll try another forum for reviews of the Dimension cross fork...

mega69

No; i havent used an RST suspension fork. Most everything today are 1-1/8" with forks.
I just recalled reading elsewhere about RST selling basic suspension forks without
steerer tubes and the customer having the option to pick out the steerer tube to fit
ones needs...SR Suntour sells forks still with 1" steerer tubes as well. They arent professional
grade shocks but they are 100mm of travel and comparable to what comes on most lower
end bikes today from local hobby shops in the $400-$500.00 range but with a 1" steerer tube
; not 1-1/8".

roccobike

I've made the swap from rigid to sus on a MTB with a 1" head tube. It didn't work out that well. You have to determine if the frame you're working with was designed for a sus fork. I made the swap on a 1988 Nishiki Ariel (not the raised chainstay frame). The fork, a Suntour, worked out well but the fork changed some critical dimensions resulting in instability. When riding on asphault, the bike would no longer hold a line, requiring constantly holding on to the bars. I now use this bike only on gravel rails to trails where turning/handling is not an issue.
Not all frames react this way. I also have a 1992 Nishiki Ariel, with a 1 1/8 head converted from a rigid fork. It steers fine, very predictable. As for finding forks, you can sometimes find a sus fork with a 1" steer tube, used on ebay.
As for RST, their spring forks are very low entry level, but they are sturdy, just lack any rebound control and can get spongy.
BTW, be careful with how much travel on the fork you use. I only used a 40mm on the 88 Nishiki. These bikes were not meant for 100mm travel forks.