I was riding in the woods the other day and I caught my front wheel in a root. now my Manitu skareb fork is totally broken and my wheel needs to be replaced. I was thinking that I do not really do much off road biking anymore and I prob. do not need a suspension fork. I have a Gary Fisher Big sur and I am wondering what I have to look for when buying rigid forks to replace a suspension fork. does any fork fit on the bike?

thanks,
Brian

There's some debate on how much it matters, but I think it's important that the axle to crown distance of the replacement fork match that of the original suspension fork. Matching the axle to crown distance ensures that the front end of your frame is at the same height as before, so all aspects of the geometry, h-bar height, head tube and seat tube angle, pedal/ground clearance, etc remain roughly the same. If you use a standard rigid fork it'll be shorter by the amount allowed for travel in your existing fork.

If it's still in good enough shape to measure, do so, but allow for the amount it drops when you sit on the bike. If you can't measure, "suspension ready" forks are sold based on the travel of the forks they replace. You can check out some options here at the Vicious Cycles site

thanks for your help, I just ordered a fork. what kind of tools will I need to mount it?

Bike mechanics 101. Go to the park tool website.
https://www.parktool.com/repair/bikemap.asp

There are a few tools that I will not buy for cost reasons and just defer the job (and tool) to my LBS. Crown Race Cutting Tool, Crown Race Setting Tool, and a Headset Press. Those can be pretty pricey tools for rare use. If you plan on doing a couple jobs a month where they will be used, perhaps different story. The rest of the install is a breeze for you.