Dual Crown Question

Hey mate first off congrats on the new bike, second you shouldnt put a dual crown since it will screw up the geometry making the bike more unstable. I suggest getting a nice 120mm fork instead.

Hi!

Since you are talking about a DC fork, I assume you are considering getting into a bit rowdier riding? This bike was not really built for much in terms of burly tracks and/or airtime, but it will allow you to get out and learn and have fun on the trails. As previously mentioned, do not go above 120-mm on the fork side. As for the rear, curious as to why you feel a need to upgrade it? Whatever is on there now is likely good enough for you to get started. I'd be more concerned with putting a sturdier set of tires on there, and probably getting a wider handlebar - both good value upgrades that make a real difference on the trail. The 3x drivetrain is also a bit of an antiquated concept, but again, the bike will get you out there enjoying yourself.

Possibly the most troublesome aspect of this frame design is that the split seat tube means you can only drop your seat post so much before it will touch the rear shock. Make sure you measure out the max amount of seat post you need for seated pedaling, and cut as much as you can get away with (take care to make sure there is still enough seat post left inside the seat tube). That way you'll be able to at least drop it a bit for the rowdier parts of the trail, which will make more of a difference to riding this bike than any fork or other upgrade would. If you really want to drop the seat out of the way, there are 2-piece telescoping seat posts that will get the job done. Depending on how tall you are, you might also get away with a short-travel dropper post (100-mm travel), as those are short enough in overall length to fit in your frame.

Good luck, have fun!

As suggested, definitely avoid anything over ~120mm of travel. Since your frame uses the older 1-1/8 inch head tube, finding a replacement fork may be a bit difficult. I'd suggest looking in classified ads or chatting with your local shop about what they might have lying around.

With a short stem (50-60mm), wide bars (750mm-ish), and good tires you'll be well on your way to a more enjoyable ride.