best fork to hit stuff with like a cave man on 2 wheels

Chris_Makin
Posts
10
Joined
2/18/2019
Location
Coventry, GB
Edited Date/Time 9/1/2019 7:04am
Hi,

Looking for a recommendation on where to go with my next fork.

I'm currently trying to get my Chromag Rootdown to where I want it to be. I don't know why but my ride style on this bike is to push into & hit things with my fork instead of lift and nip about like i do on my other hardtail (Stanton Switchback, perhaps down to bike length?). I'm using the front end of the bike like a battering ram - however the fork currently deployed here is not taking on that role well (I'm not going to go into this fork here as I've had plenty of help trying to get it zeroed in and still find it unsatisfactory).

Here's a little of my fork history, I've ridden the following quite a bit:
CC Helm 27.5 @ 160, 150 ('17 TR Scout) + finally settled at 140 on a hard tail (Switchback) - love this fork, took a while to get setup right and came to life after it's first lower service.
RS Pike RTC3 140 29er on ROS9 - love this but dives a bit and lacks support on dem big hits - prefect trail fork though.
Fox 34 FIT4 @ 150 on the mentioned '17 TR Scout - does everything well enough. Easy to setup and just ride, seems to fit the current bikes character well.

So I'm looking at 29er - 44-42mm offset, 160mm travel, air or coil and fully kitted I'm 220lbs give or take. Ride style id say is hard charger, up on the pedals.

I'm looking at Fox36 or RS Lyrik as they both have plenty of additional tuning options and aftermarket kits (something the current for lacks) with the Formula Selva R being an outside bet. Can't tell you why I'm not considering another Helm... I'm just not.

Any advice or thoughts on "best fork to hit stuff with like a cave man on 2 wheels" would be greatly appreciated.


|
Eisma
Posts
85
Joined
7/18/2015
Location
Golden, CO, USA
7/27/2019 11:33am
I'd say a Fox 36 or MRP Ribbon. I have spent time on both and find that the 36 is more of a "race" fork and is great for going fast. My current bike has a MRP on it and I think it shines on a trail that has multiple repeated hits. Think of going fast thru a crop of baby heads. Where the 36 felt harsher. This is just my .02 and I am by no means a suspension tech or pro racer.
1
Chris_Makin
Posts
10
Joined
2/18/2019
Location
Coventry, GB
7/27/2019 11:48am Edited Date/Time 7/27/2019 11:49am
Ta Eisma My wife has an MRP Ribbon on her bike but it doesn't seem to like my weight no matter how I set it - brilliant for her though.
nug12182
Posts
14
Joined
10/29/2016
Location
Little River, SC, USA
7/28/2019 5:31am
TOTEM
2
1
Verbl Kint
Posts
590
Joined
9/13/2013
Location
Quezon City, PH
7/28/2019 6:28am
The stiffest 29" single-crown fork I've ever tried is the Durolux 36 (RC2). It's definitely built for cavemen.

Unfortunately, it doesn't come in shorter offsets.
1
Skerby
Posts
82
Joined
5/4/2014
Location
Ellensburg, WA, USA
7/30/2019 9:50am
Long travel Fox 36 + Luftkappe is pretty cavemanny. Plush but hard as hell to bottom. I wish there was a way to add some positive chamber volume though. Im runnin 86 psi in mine, can handle 90 but there is no way i could bottom it.
1
Chris_Makin
Posts
10
Joined
2/18/2019
Location
Coventry, GB
7/30/2019 10:16am
Skerby wrote:
Long travel Fox 36 + Luftkappe is pretty cavemanny. Plush but hard as hell to bottom. I wish there was a way to add some positive...
Long travel Fox 36 + Luftkappe is pretty cavemanny. Plush but hard as hell to bottom. I wish there was a way to add some positive chamber volume though. Im runnin 86 psi in mine, can handle 90 but there is no way i could bottom it.
Ta, good to know - never fussed about utilising full travel, currently fussed about the out going fork feeling like a bag of spanners and bricks in the washing machine when I'm going warp speed through the rough.

Some good deals on 2019 Fox models at the mo too...
Skerby
Posts
82
Joined
5/4/2014
Location
Ellensburg, WA, USA
7/31/2019 9:48am
^ I struggled with my 36 in this regard for a while. Turns out in the first place I had too little HSC support, so I moved in 4 clicks and rode like that for a while, realized that I was still getting beat up but in a different way. So two clicks softer, Im in the middle of the two settings now, and it feels straight up amazing lol.

The high speed comp clicker on the fox is a big deal from what I discovered. It has a really big range of possible adjustment and it's easy to find yourself outside of a setting that actually works for you. It's a kind of harshness that's hard to identify.
7/31/2019 10:21am
A Fox 36 is going to give you that extra burliness you are looking for, without giving up much if anything in the plushness department. I'm currently testing the latest Ohlins RXF 36 and it's right up there too. Both would certainly be a big step up in stiffness and poise under duress compared to the 34s you mentioned.
1
Chris_Makin
Posts
10
Joined
2/18/2019
Location
Coventry, GB
7/31/2019 12:42pm
Ooooh the Ohlins RXF 36 Trail that was announced a while back? Looking forwards to hearing more about that.

1
skypickle
Posts
1
Joined
8/14/2019
Location
Leominster, MA, USA
8/14/2019 12:34pm
would the mezzer be an option?
1
jeff.brines
Posts
1284
Joined
8/29/2010
Location
Grand Junction, CO, USA
8/14/2019 1:05pm
Anyone have a Shiver circa 2003 laying around?
1
Big Bird
Posts
2345
Joined
2/1/2011
Location
Oceano, CA, USA
8/14/2019 4:20pm
Anyone have a Shiver circa 2003 laying around?
I've got a Monster T.
2
8/14/2019 5:31pm
DVO Onyx SC is worth a look. Burly chassis, very tunable. Low speed range is a bit limited, but the zillion clicks of high speed allow you to really fine tune the big hit support without going too harsh. Fully serviceable in house for a decent shop/home mechanic.
8/15/2019 7:55am
the older Ohlins RXF36 came stock on my enduro. I spent two days riding the fastest trails of Mountain Creek NJ with not a single bottom out. I tried slamming the front end down on the high speed section of Crap Chute, but the front end feet so composed. In fact, I I have only bottomed the fork out once on a slow speed 6 ish foot drop to flat.
Pedal4life
Posts
298
Joined
6/19/2014
Location
San Diego, CA, USA
8/20/2019 11:51am
Lyrik for me I'm 205lb. pretty much run through almost anything very tunable very durable & it just works.
Chris_Makin
Posts
10
Joined
2/18/2019
Location
Coventry, GB
8/20/2019 3:13pm
Ta for all the input, went with a Lyrik in the end - my local shop can best support me on this fork Smile Initial impressions have blown me away. I've gone from not enjoying this bike to pretty much riding everyday.


3

Post a reply to: best fork to hit stuff with like a cave man on 2 wheels

The Latest