Replacement fork for old bike

se99paj
se99paj Posts: 22
edited October 2013 in MTB buying advice
I have a really old mountain bike that my girlfriend has started to use, there is a thread on the front fork but I think its finally had its last days, the headset bolt will no longer tighten to the fork and there is a lot of movement.

I'm looking for a cheap and cheerful solution, so I've been looking on ebay for a cheap threaded fork.

But, I'm confused, most of the forks on ebay don't mention anything about the length, do most rigid forks tend to be the same length?

Most seem to have a steerer column larger than the current forks so that shouldn't be too much of an issue, I'll just need to make sure that there is enough thread left over.

Are there any other mesurements that I should pay attention to, the sellers on ebay don't seem to give away much information.

Thanks,

Comments

  • jimothy78
    jimothy78 Posts: 1,407
    Key facts to check (most sellers will be able to tell you if you ask) are:

    *Intended wheel size (presumably you need 26"?)
    *Steerer width (either 1" or 1 1/8")
    *Steerer length (and thread)
    *Brake mounts (do you need pillars for dual-pivot (v-brakes or centre-pull callipers), or just a central hole for single-pivot, side-pull callipers)

    the fork leg length isn't going to vary much between one fork and another as long as they're designed for the same size wheel, but if you want to double check then ask for the axle-crown height

    there are tons of old threaded forks knocking around on ebay, so it's just a case of trawling through a few of them until you find a match.