New forks for a Saracen Mantra 3

AliW630
AliW630 Posts: 22
edited November 2009 in MTB general
Hello i currently have a saracen mantra 3 and at the moment the forks are pretty poor.
what forks should i look to get and how long can i go before my warranty iis void on the bike.


Thanks Ali

Comments

  • joshtp
    joshtp Posts: 3,966
    prob non more than about 130. what does the bike have now? add 10mm, and i wouldnt go over that, but im not sure what the manufacturer would say on warrenty, so if you want to keep the warrenty, dont increase the travel. if it is 130mm, this is pretty good.
    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=13113
    I like bikes and stuff
  • mac_man
    mac_man Posts: 918
    AliW630 wrote:
    Hello i currently have a saracen mantra 3 and at the moment the forks are pretty poor.
    what forks should i look to get and how long can i go before my warranty iis void on the bike.


    Thanks Ali

    Hi Ali

    I have the same bike... what forks are you running?I have the Tora 289 U Turns and am very pleased with them - no problems so far. A lot better than the usual tat like Dart 3s you'd normally expect at this price. But I believe some bikes came with Manitou forks.

    I like the Toras more than the Dart 3s on my son's bike which are, frankly, tat.

    Note: since Saracen are now a new company their warranty is worthless. You will have some comeback with whoever you bought the bike off. But Saracen themselves are not interested.

    I know... cos I sent the crappy plastic headset back to them after it busted. I wasn't bothered about getting a refund as I couldn't be arsed. But the numpties obviously didn't read my letter.... as I just got a stock response saying 'we are a new company and any old warranties are null and void', or words to that effect.
    Cool, retro and sometimes downright rude MTB and cycling themed T shirts. Just MTFU.

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  • AliW630
    AliW630 Posts: 22
    yes the headset snapped on mine as well... shame they cut some corners on the bike's parts...

    i used to have darts on my previous bike which are durable but do not offer the plushest travel in the world..

    the tora's are great but need a bit more adjustability the lack of lockout makes them a pain sometimes on climbs.

    the reason i have set up this topic is that i am lookin for a fork that can take bigger hits than the tora and also has a bit more adjustability. i understand now that going over 140mm would be foolish... i have a
    reasonably strict budget... any ideas about which fork i should get?
  • mac_man
    mac_man Posts: 918
    The Tora 302s have lock out... and the 2010 models have 130mm max travel.

    You really need the adjustability IMO as I'm nearly doing wheelies if I try any climbing with the fork set to max travel. :lol:

    Anyhoo...How are you finding the bike generally? Don't see many out on the trails? Have you made any other changes?

    My only complaint, bar the dodgy headset is the puff that's needed up hills. But it's a plusher ride than my son's Rockhopper, which I find very harsh. And I love the colour!
    Cool, retro and sometimes downright rude MTB and cycling themed T shirts. Just MTFU.

    By day: http://www.mtfu.co.uk
  • AliW630
    AliW630 Posts: 22
    ye i have the same problem,

    i have made several changes to the bike:
    gusset slim jim pedals
    new headset
    trutaiv holzfeller
    that's all the changes but the new cranks make a huge difference
  • mac_man
    mac_man Posts: 918
    Yeah.... I was thinking of upgrading the pedals myself... but what benefits have new cranks brought to the party?
    Cool, retro and sometimes downright rude MTB and cycling themed T shirts. Just MTFU.

    By day: http://www.mtfu.co.uk
  • AliW630
    AliW630 Posts: 22
    the blaze crank set has alot of flex i don't know if u have noticed that...

    because of that i bent my bb on a 6ft drop......

    the new cranks stiffen things up in the midsection of the bike and make climbing seem easier even if its not.... mind over matter.... :lol:

    the stronger holzfeller cranks add alot of confidence in techy sectoins as well less flex means a stiffer platform for ur feet. makes things that bit more secure.

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