^ i hadn't really given much thought to riding in the dirt on a rigid fork, but one main thing recommending against that is the fact that i'd have to roll on some really fat low PSI tires. i don't own a car and i live in the heart of downtown chicago. the closest forest preserve trail that i can get to out on the fringe of the city is a good 15 miles of urban street riding away from me, and rolling that far on concrete with a 23 PSI tire sounds like a form of mild torture. that's why i'd really like to have a suspension fork with lockout, that way i can roll on the street with a tire of decent PSI (at least better than 23 PSI) and still make adequate time and then dial in the suspension when i get to some dirt.
if i want to do that with a new fork for my current outdated mountain bike, it looks like that $750 dollar white brothers fork is my only real off the shelf option. and then i realize that for another 450 bucks i could just pick up a Motobecane FLY pro from bikesdirect and have an entirely brand new aluminum hardtail with a good SID Race lockout fork and other adequate mid-level componentry, all in a package that would weigh significantly less than my old raleigh cro-mo beast.
it looks like i'll have some options to carefully consider come spring, but getting a brand new bike to tool around with on some trails is pretty damn tempting. i already have a titanium road bike from bikesdirect that i absolutely adore, i would hope that their mountain frames are of similar quality, but you guys would probably know that better than i.
Last edited by Steely Dan; 11-23-10 at 12:59 PM.