mihlbach

I've been riding local singletrack with a Redline Monocog for the past couple of years. Thanks to my BMX background, I feel really comfortable with riding a ridgid SS and the technical challenges associated with that. I've really gotten to know my local trails and I can really scream through them with a rigid, except for some of the sections that have tons of roots. At this point, I'd really like to play around with a suspension fork to see what I can do with that. However, I'm mainly a roadie/fixed gear type of cyclists and I'm not really up on mountain bike stuff. The Monocog has correct geometry for 80mm travel. Anybody have any suggestions for a fork. I'm about 200lbs and I'm not interested in spending a fortune on a fork for a cheap singlespeed. On the other hand, I'm a fairly skilled cyclist, so something in the middle of the road would be great.

Proximo

You can go to a 100mm fork on your frame without issues. It'll give you more travel to absorb hits, useful at your weight. This is a great, tough, fork for a good price:

https://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/FK503A20.aspx

Check the reviews at mtbr.com.

I weigh 210lb, have two of these and couldn't be more pleased.

euroford

it will slacken it about 1 deg. unlikely you will ever notice.

Dannihilator

Depends on the fork some forks have higher axle to crown heights.

euroford

well excellent then, you'll have a hardly noticable change of headangle with it in 100mm mode, or if you run it in 120mm mode it will slacken your head to help keep you pointed through those roots. the eta will lock it down nice and low for climbing.

Proximo

I run an MX Pro in 120mm on an Access XCL frame designed for an 80mm fork. On paper, that has some downsides. In use, it has worked fine on some very rocky, rooty, trails with tight switchbacks (think Sourdough near Brainard lake). Yes, running it at 120mm may put excess stress the frame wasn't designed for at the head tube but it handles just fine and I've used every mm of the travel.

Ideally, you'd match the frame to the fork but the OP just wants to try a suspension fork without spending a lot of money and the MX Pro is a great one at $271. If he likes it, he can always buy another frame to suit it. If not, he can turn it on ebay and get most of his money back. In the end, though, he hasn't spent a fortune on an 80mm race fork or wasted his money on a cheap fork.