Rigid fork & frame combination advice.

scale20

I’ve been getting the urge to go back to day 1 of my mountain biking and build a HT frame with some carbon rigid forks.

All Ht frames have different travel/geometry ratings so how do I know what length rigid forks to go for? For example I have been looking at getting a new Pace RC 305 Ht frame; it’s rated to take forks of 130 – 140mm so what length rigids do I need to be looking at to keep it within its geometry?

Failing that if rigid forks only come in certain lengths do I have to look at buying the frame that suit the forks rather than the other way round?

I hope that makes sense!

supersonic

The forks usually state what geometry or travel it replaces.

Exotic carbon forks are great value:

http://www.carboncycles.cc/?s=0&t=0&c=43&p=498&

bomberesque

I tried this recently, having ridden an old non suss corrected rigid for the last couple of years

I got a 100mm sus corrected frame (an IBIS tranny) and got a nukeproof 445mm A2C fork

I was not impressed with the stiffness from the Nukeproof fork that I got. It didn't track anywhere near as well as the steel one I had on the old frame (OK, duh, it was 600gr lighter at the same time!) and so I swapped it out for a SID team and boy am I happier.

for a 130-140mm fork correction, you'll be looking at more like 275mm (if they're even available that long) I believe and I think you'll find it even less stiff.(/edited as I realise I got the length wrong from the OP)

By all means give it a go but it didn't suit me. I'd try first on a stiffer fork (which will also be cheaper although heavier .. my Identity was 1400gr, but you can get steel ones much lighter than that which should still be nice and stiff) then you're not investing a fortune either, although the Exotic ones are very good value and pretty sure they're the same unit as everyone else sells.

Anonymous

Don't do it scale, reminiscing is one thing, but times have moved on. I tried my dad's bike recently for a change, it's a mid-to-late-nineties hardtail, with proper crap forks.
It wasn't fun. I haven't suffered that much arm pump since, well, since I used to ride a bike like that!

scale20

Thanks for the link Supersonic, lovely looking forks and cheap! The description on that site explains it a bit better. On looking at wiggle and CRC it didnt make much sense!

It's not that i miss rigid forks because its been about 17 years since I last rode them offroad, to be honest I'm not sure why I want to do it, something's drawing me in!

Im thinking of the local riding I do at home, quite XCish, long road climbs to get to the tops then grass/gravel farm tracks with a bit of singletrack thrown in. I rode the Marin trail after lunch yesterday and couldn't help thinking that a rigid would make this so much more fun and that you would have to go back to having to read the trail ahead in much more detail and carefully pick your route rather than smash over everything with all 6 inches

Any sugestions on frame material best for the job?

supersonic

Steel frames tend to be more compliant, as do titanium frames, compared to aluminium. Carbon frame can reduce buzz. But big tyres are the way forward!

ride_whenever

I did enjoy my inbred with hoooge tyres and steel rigids, but it is so much faster for xc with the sids on it.

scale20

I've just been looking at on-one frames, they also do a nice carbon rigid fork all at prices that dont break the bank if you get it wrong!

Its got to be steel I think carbon and Ti are a bit out of my price range for my 4th bike