captronk

what is meant by "suspension corrected"? Does it just mean a rigid fork?

JonathanGennick 

It is a rigid fork with added height to yield the same or similiar head angle as a sagged suspension fork.

Tim_Iowa

Yup, it's a term to describe a bike (currently with a rigid fork) with the proper geometry to equip a suspension fork if desired. The frame and fork are taller.

You can usually tell because there will be a couple inches of dead space between the tire and fork crown on a "suspension-corrected" rigid fork.

A frame/fork that isn't "suspension-corrected" would get its geometry messed up if you put a taller suspension fork on it.

JonathanGennick 

I used correction to my advantage once. Bought an old 26er frame designed for 80mm travel. Put on a rigid fork corrected for 100mm travel. The resulting slightly slacker head angle has made the bike one of my all-time favorites.

jimc101

Most bike upto the mid/late 90's technically need suspension corrected forks, as they were designed for 40-60mm forks, but as #JonathanGennick experienced, it often made the bikes handle better by sticking a slightly longer fork on than originally spec'd.

For modern bikes (post 2000) it's not really applicable, as frames were designed for suspension forks initially,

JonathanGennick 

Mine was merely a 20mm difference. 2004 Gary Fisher frame that was originally built with an 80 mm fork. I don't like to stray too far from the original design parameters.

Tim_Iowa

Hmm, I wonder if that was the genesis of the modern movement to a slacker head tube angle. 71 degrees was the norm, and now 68-69 is common.

Some modern "in-betweener" or "adventure" bikes are offered with sus-corrected forks, and some aren't. For example, I understand that the 1G Salsa Fargo was not sus-corrected, where the 2G Fargo was (due to customer request).

captronk

gracias.