MiddleAgeMan

I have been riding a 1996 Cannondale M700 for a number of years now and I am not very confident in the parts on the bike itself which quite often leaves me with confidence paralysis on the technical (read: rocky and steep) trails. I know I can switch out the brakes (which I have) and other components on it, but even my LBS keeps telling me the bike is pretty much done. Likely, it is not the right size for me eiter. It's great for doing the local MUP or pulling the kids in the trailer, but I really don't trust it, especially having endo'ed on it and breaking my collarbone.

With a limited budget, a few months ago I purchased an '05 or '06 dual-suspension Santa Cruz Blur frame and a buddy gave me his "beater bike" to use the parts off of it as they are much better than what I have on the C'dale. After sinking some money in on a new CK headset and BB, I discovered that the head tube is too tall for the front fork steerer that my buddy supplied. The steerer on the fork I have is only long enough to be able to grab it with the bottom screw of the stem, and that is with it slammed all of the way down. Okay, so a new fork is required.

I contacted Santa Cruz and they made the recommendation to not use a fork with more than 120mm of travel. I'd like to be at the higher end of the travel range, but most of what is available out there on the used market have tapered steerers or steerers that are already cut shorter than the donor fork I have. Based on the 8" measurement of the donor fork, I would probably need a 9" steerer or better, especially since I'd like to be able to adjust my handlebar height until I am comfortable. If I go new, most forks in that travel range today have the 15 or 20mm thru axle, which would mean swapping out the front wheel (26"), or at least the hub as the existing hub is not convertible to the larger standard. Again, more money than I had planned to spend.

I'm lost in decision gridlock. Right now I'm looking at used Fox Floats, and Rock Shox Reba or Recons. I don't want to skimp on something lower-end as that is one of the things I did on the C'dale and paid the price with surgery. There is a used 100mm Fox up on another MT bike site, but I don't want to pull the trigger before doing my due-diligence.

Are there other fork manufacturers I should look at? Xfusion, Manitou, etc? Are there other suggestions you guys might be able to offer? I want to stay cheap but I don't want a crap fork either. The brakes are 6-hole discs so v-brake mount posts are not necessary. The bike is too nice to put a Walmart-grade piece of hardware on it.

AnkleWork

Did parts really cause your endo? Can you really trust a used fork, regardless of brand?

dsaul

X-Fusion forks can't be beat for the money. I put a Velvet on my latest bike and its definitely not a crap fork. It is very sensitive to being adjusted properly, but it works great when you get the air pressure and rebound set for your riding style. If you can afford it, get a Fox. I have a Fox and they are great, but really expensive and not that much better to justify paying twice as much. If you want a good fork for half the money, get an X-Fusion. You won't be sorry.

Kimmo

Maybe you have a local co-op with a pile of suspension forks, some of them pretty decent, like at my local. Check for availability of rebuild kits.

MiddleAgeMan

The fork was not setup for my weight at the time by the LBS that installed it. It compressed more than anticipated and instead of springing back up it stayed compressed, sending me flying. Had I gone against their recommendation and purchased the beefier fork I had wanted, I likely would have ridden away from it sans plate and screws.

That's another good question: Can you trust a used fork? Obviously, with sites like 'Bay you don't know what you are going to get. But what of some cycling specific sites like here or Pinkbike where the sellers are more educated and take care of their equipment? Does that make the components they are selling a better bet?

Sorry, Kimmo. No co-op in my area.

AnkleWork

Doesn't really seem like a parts quality issue. Frequently the "lower end" component groups are built "beefier."

Why not have heart-to-heart talks with several bike retailers until you gain confidence in them and buy a whole bike which fits and meets your needs?

MiddleAgeMan

Money is an issue. If I could afford a new bike I would have gone that route to begin with.

NatUp

I guess I'm not understanding why you don't have confidence in the parts on the older bike. You've endo-ed on it, why? Are the parts somehow to blame? If they survived the crash and still work, then they sound awesome to me. Why the lack of confidence on technical trails? Skill and technique are much more important in those circumstances.

It's hard to make suggestions about future parts and bikes when you don't know what's wrong with the old. Upgrade your skills first. It's far cheaper than bike parts.

AnkleWork

Looks like you misidentified the problem, then over-constrained it to the point of no solution. Good luck.