Cheap fix

Ph!l_GeeWhizz
Ph!l_GeeWhizz Posts: 28
edited April 2010 in Commuting chat
Instead of forking out for a new commute i've decided to go all green and use an old MTB i've had for a while. OK, real reason is i'm skint.
Anyways, looking at ditching the suspension forks for some rigid ones and wondered if a set of road forks would fit my mtb frame? Seen some cheap carbon ones on e-bay as i'm looking to fit as much light weight gear as possible. Will still be running 26" wheels as i've got some relatively new lightweight wheels.
Can anyone point me in the right direction? Ta . :wink:

Comments

  • night_porter
    night_porter Posts: 888
    Obviously I haven't seen the forks but in general roadie forks will be for 700c wheels not 26" ones. Unless of course the advert says they are 26".

    Secondly, road forks don't generally come with the bosses required to fit Vee, Cantilever or Disc brakes they usually have caliper brakes fitted to them which I don't think are big enough for MTB wheels.
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    Ph!l_GeeWhizz wrote:
    Instead of forking out for a new commute i've decided to go all green and use an old MTB i've had for a while. OK, real reason is i'm skint.
    Anyways, looking at ditching the suspension forks for some rigid ones and wondered if a set of road forks would fit my mtb frame? Seen some cheap carbon ones on e-bay as i'm looking to fit as much light weight gear as possible. Will still be running 26" wheels as i've got some relatively new lightweight wheels.
    Can anyone point me in the right direction? Ta . :wink:

    you can get rigid MTB forks, or lock out the forks, or just making them stiffer.

    chuck some slick tires and that will make a quick fast urban bike.
  • cyberknight
    cyberknight Posts: 1,238
    [quote=

    you can get rigid MTB forks, or lock out the forks, or just making them stiffer.

    chuck some slick tires and that will make a quick fast urban bike.[/quote]

    +1 on that ,

    Is it a full Susser as well ? dialing the back suspension as tight as possible will help as well.

    You can pick up rigid forks for maybe £20 assuming they would fit, try the slicks + locking out method 1st .

    I would recommend city jets as a cheap , good tyre.
    FCN 3/5/9
  • Ph!l_GeeWhizz
    Ph!l_GeeWhizz Posts: 28
    Thanks for replies. Just to clarify, its a hard tail frame and the suspension forks fitted dont have that lock up function.
    Also alot of the mtb forks i've seen are either a small fortune or are heavy jump type forks. Seen some salsa cromoto's that would do the jobe but cant find any cheap 2nd hand ones. Lots of tyres to choose from too but finding innertubes for the skinny tyres is a ball ache if you want the normal type valves.
    The hunt continues.
  • cyberknight
    cyberknight Posts: 1,238
    these any good ? ebay

    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/diamond-back-ligh ... 335c718de7

    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/G-T-cromo-forks-m ... 335c71ccf7

    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/UnKnown-26-1-1-8- ... c542ee21c( disk brakes)

    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kona-Project-2_W0 ... 1c1200b658
    FCN 3/5/9
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    Ph!l_GeeWhizz wrote:
    Thanks for replies. Just to clarify, its a hard tail frame and the suspension forks fitted dont have that lock up function.
    Also alot of the mtb forks i've seen are either a small fortune or are heavy jump type forks. Seen some salsa cromoto's that would do the jobe but cant find any cheap 2nd hand ones. Lots of tyres to choose from too but finding innertubes for the skinny tyres is a ball ache if you want the normal type valves.
    The hunt continues.

    unless the forks are very soft, and your out of the saddle a lot? shouldn't be a problem same with inner tubes slightly larger will be a touch heaver but will fit fine and will give a bit more fairy protection.
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    roger merriman wrote:
    Ph!l_GeeWhizz wrote:
    Thanks for replies. Just to clarify, its a hard tail frame and the suspension forks fitted dont have that lock up function.
    Also alot of the mtb forks i've seen are either a small fortune or are heavy jump type forks. Seen some salsa cromoto's that would do the jobe but cant find any cheap 2nd hand ones. Lots of tyres to choose from too but finding innertubes for the skinny tyres is a ball ache if you want the normal type valves.
    The hunt continues.

    unless the forks are very soft, and your out of the saddle a lot? shouldn't be a problem .

    I use a burly steel framed MTB for my commute; 20-40 hilly mile round trip depending on mood! Forks are suspension without front lockout. No problem at all. Obviously, weight saving is useful but, unless your route is particularly long, hardly essential. You'd have to save an awful lot of weight on a very long commute before it made more than a few minutes difference to your journey.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    Rolf F wrote:
    roger merriman wrote:
    Ph!l_GeeWhizz wrote:
    Thanks for replies. Just to clarify, its a hard tail frame and the suspension forks fitted dont have that lock up function.
    Also alot of the mtb forks i've seen are either a small fortune or are heavy jump type forks. Seen some salsa cromoto's that would do the jobe but cant find any cheap 2nd hand ones. Lots of tyres to choose from too but finding innertubes for the skinny tyres is a ball ache if you want the normal type valves.
    The hunt continues.

    unless the forks are very soft, and your out of the saddle a lot? shouldn't be a problem .

    I use a burly steel framed MTB for my commute; 20-40 hilly mile round trip depending on mood! Forks are suspension without front lockout. No problem at all. Obviously, weight saving is useful but, unless your route is particularly long, hardly essential. You'd have to save an awful lot of weight on a very long commute before it made more than a few minutes difference to your journey.

    yup I used to take the MTB out on club runs, quick tough beastie.
  • g00se
    g00se Posts: 2,221
    Kona Project 2 forks are very good budget rigid forks - you can get them in 26, 700 or 29 - and with disc, or rim brakes.

    http://www.bikemagic.com/reviews/forks-and-shocks/rigid-forks/kona-project-2-triple-butted/15856.html
  • Gussio
    Gussio Posts: 2,452
    g00se wrote:
    Kona Project 2 forks are very good budget rigid forks - you can get them in 26, 700 or 29 - and with disc, or rim brakes.

    http://www.bikemagic.com/reviews/forks-and-shocks/rigid-forks/kona-project-2-triple-butted/15856.html

    +1 for the Kona P2's. Excellent value, bombproof, match the geometry of your existing susp. forks, and will save you about a Kg on overall bike weight.
  • g00se
    g00se Posts: 2,221
    The P2s were de-facto rigid mountain biking forks before they all came with front suspension - have been made for years. I understand that they are very common component for switching mountain bikes back to rigids.

    Lots of the current Kona 'asphalt' bikes still use them (hybrids, cyclo-cross etc).

    Surly make what looks like clones of the P2s too in various formats.

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