Fork Choice(Cheap)

[AndyBike]

I'm completely lost.

Forks I know, but usually the high end, and I've a number of those - RS lyrik,pike,fox factory, and i can even strip and service those. But when it comes to the cheaper stuff im a complete novice.

This lack has left me having problems as to what to get as a replacement for the buzzbike with the dodgy fork.
Im sticking with a sus fork, because its an 1 1/4" race, and sus fork crowns are usually big enough,wide enough to support the wider crown race.
For once im not concerned about the weight of them, or how crap they really are, or arent that adjustable or suppleness or anything like that. I just need one that fits.

Oh and i dont want to spend much, in fact as cheap as humanly possible.

So I've picked two, that fit the bill and i think will be suitable for a fat middle aged bloke on an ebike.
Minimal travel, as the bike isnt really built for a sus fork, and the less is probably better.

I just need someone who is a bit more clued than me to say 'Yup, that will do you fine' Not for horsing it down some offroad bike trail or black run, probably not even on broken ground. Just along tarmacked roads to get the shopping.

So there is this - A suntour NEX 700c with disc mount(oh meant to say its for a disc brake)

Pardon our interruption...

Says its 75mm, though from the pic it certainly doesnt look like it. Could be, which would be unsuitable.


Or there is this an RST Volant with disc and canti mount.

Pardon our interruption...

The RST has something called "front mount PLS Extension compatible" though I have no idea what that is.
Also claims 50mm travel which is ideal, and even looks to have black ano stanchions which would be another plus

Have to say im leaning more toward the RST. only is it suitable for a fat bloke on an ebike ? Most of the forks ive got are 150-170mm and built with for offroading specifically on ebikes and says on them 'ebike ready' or such, but with the rst or suntour i dont think the same criteria apply, or even that it matters for pottering along the road

Thoughts ? opinions ? real world reviews ? suggestions ? Don't be shy, post 'em up.

 

[Raboa]

I would go for the Suntour as it has a disk brake mount and judging by your description you just need something to make your cycling more comfortable.

 

[Woosh]

I use both brands but now prefer the suntour NEX. It has a typical 65mm travel. Very reliable.

 

[egroover]

I'd go with the Suntour, 50mm travel version here for £40 if in doubt. The smaller the travel the closer to the original bike geometry with the original solid fork
Just check the steerer length is enough at 300mm compared to the existing buzzbike fork

https://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/frames-forks-c6/frame-fork-spares-c152/nex-disc-700c-suspension-fork-p35063/s95674?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=sr-suntour-nex-disc-700c-suspension-fork-colours-trek-black-colours-trek-black-w523435&utm_campaign=product%2Blisting%2Bads&cid=GBP&glCurrency=GBP&glCountry=GB&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_qexBhCoARIsAFgBlet-cOu7BQHAwmr0RVYvD6tzgb1GVzzGPJmnBIjrWHhhdrId3Bw8zCYaAnhBEALw_wcB

 

[matthewslack]

I have just dumped the Suntour Nex that came on my Ridgeback X2. A heavy pile of utter crap. The stanchions had rust spots through the chrome within a month, harsh, and with mileage wore quickly as the poor seals let water in.

Restricted choice for a replacement as 63mm nominal travel and qr axle and straight 1-1/8"steerer, so I bought secondhand 100mm travel Rockshox Reba. Front end is about the same height despite extra travel because of sag with the air fork.

Ride quality immensely improved, should have done it 10,000 miles ago.

 

[Woosh]

Suntour NEX (£40) versus Rockshox Rebar (£350). It's not a fair comparison.

 

[egroover]

I have just dumped the Suntour Nex that came on my Ridgeback X2. A heavy pile of utter crap. The stanchions had rust spots through the chrome within a month, harsh, and with mileage wore quickly as the poor seals let water in.

Restricted choice for a replacement as 63mm nominal travel and qr axle and straight 1-1/8"steerer, so I bought secondhand 100mm travel Rockshox Reba. Front end is about the same height despite extra travel because of sag with the air fork.

Ride quality immensely improved, should have done it 10,000 miles ago.

10,000 miles on a £40 fork is not bad going, that's a good few years of cycling for some folk

 

[matthewslack]

10,000 miles on a £40 fork is not bad going, that's a good few years of cycling for some folk

Its total mileage is over 15,000 now - it was dead a long time ago. I only lease the bike, so careful about replacing and customising because one day it may go home!

What amazes me is that this £2,700 bike could be sold with a £40 fork!!

My lesson on quality is chromed steel stanchions always rust, often very early in their life. Only prevention of oil after every drop of rain is excessive for a bike used twice daily for commuting.

All other forks with black or various shades of non-chrome coatings last forever with virtually no attention bar an occasional wipe down.

No more chrome for me!

Edit:

The weight difference is astonishing! The Reba is weightless in comparison. Although my newly added 622-47 Marathon Plusses add some of it back.

 

[Sturmey]

I have a number of older/high miles bikes with cheap chrome steel sprung forks with some rust . Other than a bit of sloppiness (bushing wear) and one fork seizing , they seem to ride on the road ok. There is no rust on the bottom near the dropouts which can be an issue with the flattened tube type steel fork dropout. . Other than that, I dont think there is a safety issue with these sprung forks or am I wrong? I accept that the forks might become ineffective and unsightly and become extra useless weight but is that all there is to it?

 

[WheezyRider]

I've had Suntour (I think they are NEX) on a couple of my bikes. Worked nicely until it rained, then they became stiff. On occasion through the winter, one would seize up and it was a case of sticking lots of oil on and bouncing hard on the handle bars to free it. After 2000 miles or so, they still "work" as in move up and down, but it's not smooth like in the first 100 miles where you hardly felt anything when going over a bump.

I don't know a lot about sus forks, I normally try to avoid them. I am curious about this cheap brand on eBay, called Bucklos. Anyone tried them?

 

[AndyBike]

Once upon a time forks came supplied and fitted with fork boots

Then seemingly after that people started taking the boots off their forks, which I suspect was simply to make them look cooler. Now pretty much from that time on manufacturers stopped fitting fork boots to forks.

To my mind this was a bad idea, because it meant stanchions, which are the all important part of the fork that must be kept clean and free of damage, were troubled by rock strikes, chips, scratches and dirt gathering on them and getting dragged inside where it caused damage and wear to the dust and even oil seals

Boots also prevented 99% of water ingress.

Today few forks are fitted with boots,and especially on the lower end, water has become a problem. It has promoted rust on uncoated stanchions. This is one of the main problems i see on suntour forks. Water also enters the inner workings of the fork, turning the oil in them into a milky gloopy mess, that no longer flows or moves about the internals lubing them

You can buy boots separately, and fit them yourself, but it required a strip down of the fork to free the stanchions from the lowers.

Now I know many people are saying suntour, but I've seen far too many suntour forks with rusty stanchions, and while yours might have remained rust free, for whatever reason, that certainly appears to be the exception of the rule.

A coated stanchion isnt going to rust, so the rust is going to damage the dust seal, and in turn allow crud in that would damage the oil seal, which would allow water to enter the system.

All that said and done I might have no choice, but I think i would be just as well opting for RST, who have been making basic forks longer than suntour, which was originally a component company(in direct competition with shimano), before it went bust and was then bought up just basically as a known name, but had no relation to the quality component company that went before.

RST on the other hand has always made forks. BITD the choice were RS,RST,Marzocchi,Pace and a few others.
RST stands for Rapid Suspension Technology.

* The RST Mozo Pro was the diamond in the rough back in the days when MCU elastomers were the choice of spring.

Suntour and RST do also make high end forks, but they're expensive, and thats not what Im interested in currently. Besides i have enough of them to last me yonks.

Pic - back when things were all CNC and anodized.

 

[AndyBike]

Opted for the RST.

Seems to be the standard fork, pic here on a Ridgeback Arcus 1, so at least that clears it up whether its suitable for ebike use.

Ridgeback Arcus 1

Ridgeback Arcus 1

www.ridgeback.co.uk

Just check the steerer length is enough at 300mm compared to the existing buzzbike fork

Steerer length is 260mm, the one that came fitted to the bike is 235mm.. and was alloy, the RST is steel so i can bring it up a bit,which will be better me being a giant.

Overall length(crown to axle) appears to be 460mm(Well the last model with the chrome stanchions) on the knackered rigid fork its about 430mm. So not really enough of a difference to cause any worries.

Only niggle is theres nothing about it on the RST website. only lists the silver stanchion model, so i dont know if this is a current or an older model, but either way im happier that the stanchions appear to be coated, although we'll have to see what actually turns up.
Current models, if that is whats being shown on the website, are all disc only. whereas this is a disc of V, so actual year is an unknown, although googling it brings up the model showing coated stanchions(Dated April 2024)

RST Volant 700c Suspension Fork Black

<span>The RST Volant TNL is a completely new Urban fork, featuring a light-weight casting with V-brake cantilever and post mount disc brake mount and is front mount PLS Extension compatible</span>

www.cycleking.co.uk