MTB beginner help

DaddyM91

Hey Guys and Gals,
So just a little over three years ago now i bought the 2014 Voodoo Hoodoo which as many people know is an entry level mountain bike due to this it has Suntour Raidon X3 coil forks...Now at the moment i only commute to work and back on it as i never really was that good/confident at trail riding but want to get into it a bit more in my spare time.

Does anyone have any ideas if these forks will be any good at trail riding or one step better know roughly what their limit is when it comes to DH and trail? I like the fact that they are low maintenance forks but don't want to go and snap them/me on my first drop off or jump.

Cheers in Advanced.

slc123

As you mention they are a very entry level fork, but really it’s going to come down to the trails you are riding. I suspect if you are just starting out you’re not going to be riding gnarly downhill or doing huge gap jumps. They should be fine for XC and trail riding if it’s just basic level stuff. Obviously you will benefit far more from better forks but my suggestion would be try them out on what you’re going to be riding and see how they perform. If you’re hitting their limits then yes it’s likely you might need to upgrade.

As I said it’s all going to depend on what level trails you are riding and how hard you are going to be hitting them.

In any case I would really doubt you will be able to snap them.

Enjoy getting off road!

DaddyM91

slc123 wrote:

As I said it’s all going to depend on what level trails you are riding and how hard you are going to be hitting them.

Thanks for this advise slc. I am mainly looking at Cann Woods in plymouth and hopefully up to Haldon forest working my way up to the black trail (these are my local trails in the UK). Also im quite a heavy bloke so i wouldnt be surprised if i do snap them again thanks for the advise i shall try them out properly

slc123

I don't know Cann Woods, but having a quick look, it looks like some decent trails.

Ultimately, you can ride anything on anything... I've seen guys on rigid forks and single speeds doing big drop-offs and all sorts. A better bike will make it more pleasurable and will allow you to go faster and feel more confident. I do think people probably go a bit heavy handed on bikes to start with. I still consider I am still learning and would much rather do it on a bike that is going to force me to take better lines and hone the skills a bit more. I rode my XC bike on most stuff and didn't really struggle. Sure some of my mates on FS bikes were probably quicker over some of the more technical gnarly stuff, but I felt it's given me a good learning curve. I rode that solidly for 5 years and it's been an awesome bike. I decided last year to build my own trail bike that's a massive setup up 11spd, long travel forks, slack geometry etc. It's made the harder reds and black runs a hell of a lot more fun, but for general weeknight riding on my local trails I still use the XC.

I guess what I am trying to say is, that personally I wouldn't worry too much about the bike initially. Give it a go on everything (staying safe obviously) and then see how you feel..