Sportster2009

Here is my bike



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I ride on the road only with this bike. Is it worth spending 100 to 150 bucks to get a steel fork put on it in order to ditch the suspension fork? What will it do for me, will it really make the bike any faster? The suspension fork I have on it know has lockout which I use all the time.

Thanks...

Mr IGH

It weighs less and is simplier, but I doubt you'll be faster. There's nice rigid forks for ~$60. What wheel size is your bike?

Sportster2009

They are 700c wheels. I have 700 x 35 Specialized Nimbus Armadillo tires on it.
Yeah, that is the reason I'm asking, if it is only to save a little weight, I feel like it's a waste of money. I have a good 30 pounds to loose, so having a bike that is a pound lighter is not important to me.
I used to be a hardcore roadie. I didn't have the time to ride much and got into running because it took less time. Now I'm tired of running and want to get back into riding more. I no longer have a road bike. This is what I am using on the road. I do not want to buy another bike, so was just wondering if anyone had opinions on if it was worth putting on a rigid fork.

seeker333

here's one of your cheapest options

i have one of these in the cyclocross version, with a-t-c distance of 400mm and narrower crown more suited to skinnier tires (it will still take 2" tire though)

https://aebike.com/product/dimension-...k1266-qc30.htm

get 20 bucks more worth of stuff and shipping is free

monsterpile

It sounds like you just answered your question. Ride it the way it is. The weight savings is about all that changing your fork is really going to get you and maybe a little speed as a result.

GriddleCakes

I switched from a shock fork to rigid to save me the hassle of shock maintenance; any savings in weight or gain in speed was negligible. Just ride it till it's broke, then replace it with a rigid if you're interested in saving cash/time (my LBS charges $25 for the yearly fork overhaul on the Lady G'Cakes' bike, so a rigid steel fork would pay for itself after three years, if I could convince the Lady to forgo shocks).

Sirrus Rider

+1 Ride it until it wears out then pick up a cross bike which would give you road and fire trail capability..

Steely Dan

shocks are an energy suck, so if all you do is ride on pavement, then there's no reason to have suspension on bicycle in my opinion. once i decided that my old mountian bike was going to become my dedicated winter commuter, i replaced the crappy old first generation rock shox fork with a decent cro-mo rigid fork i picked up on ebay for 60 bucks. the change to rigid was wonderful for street riding. however, your suspension fork has lock-out capability for road riding (my old fork did not), so if i were in your position, i would simply lock-out the suspension and live with it. yeah, you could save a little weight getting a new rigid fork, but unless your planning to ride competitively with the bike or something like that, it probably ain't worth it to change.

Fizzaly

I wouldn't bother according to the specs that bike weights 26lbs which IMHO is pretty light, if you wanna be a weight weenie go for it, Ive never seen the point in trying to save weight on a commuter. It's got lock out, so like said by griddle ride it till it breaks then get a rigid.

Sportster2009

Thanks for all the replies. You guys pretty much told me what I already knew, but for some reason wanted to hear it from others. I just want to ride the bike to stay in shape. Rarely would I ride it longer than 40 or 50 road miles and 99% of the time ride solo, so nothing competive. Just out riding the roads to stay in shape and have fun when I can't be in the trails riding my mountain bike.

LesterOfPuppets

I'd go rigid if you could find a Tange Prestige 29er disc in stock somewhere, typically only $60. Check the Axle to Crown on your fork with a bit of sag on it. The Prestige 29 claims 440 ATC, so if yours is in the neighborhood that would work.

Besides the weight difference I like the aforementioned low maintenance and also more precise steering.

exile

Its probably not worth it to change your fork.

wisaunders

Fork it, use what you've got.

AltheCyclist

I wouldn't change -- the improvement in weight will be very minor. You could even swap to faster tires or pump the tires up to high-end of the pressure limit and probably notice a bigger difference.
I'd keep the fork cash and use it toward a whole bike that fits closer your riding .

AdamDZ

I switched between suspension and rigid fork twice on my commuter. Both have advantages. The bike does feel to be faster and more agile with a rigid fork, although it's probably more my perception than reality. On the other hand it's definitely more comfortable with suspension fork, easier on the hands when you hit potholes or if you need to drop down a curb, etc. I couldn't tell any weight difference at all. I think anything less than 5 lbs is not noticeable for an average person under normal use. I eventually ended up staying with a rigid fork because I wanted to have a full fender and panniers in the front.

My opinion is that unless it REALLY bothers you for some reason stay with what you have. Don't spend money without a good reason.

Seattle Forrest

Then you aren't losing much/any power to the fork's suspension. Save your money. Besides, everyone knows you need a new bike anyway.