Originally Posted by
pitch
What is a coil fork? I've seen a whole lot of entry level bikes with Suntour SF15-XCM-HLO 100mm forks. How do I know what a coil fork is? What are the alternatives? I'd rather spend a little extra now and not replace the fork in a year.
Suntour is generally low end. Some question it's reliability and safety on singletrack.
Coil forks are heavier. The coil spring is tuned to a riders weight. If you are an average 70-75kg you are probably fine. If you are super petite or very heavy it can be non-optimal without having it serviced, and the coil replaced with a different weight one. Rockshox has several different colored coded coils.
Air forks are lighter. They have a air pump valve, and you can adjust the pressure to correspond to the rider's weight.