MTB forks

[Andrew G]

Are [url=http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROCK-SHOX-Judy-TT-suspension-forks_W0QQitemZ230253517063QQihZ013QQcategoryZ36135QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem]these[/url] any good? There's a couple of other pairs that are currently bid at next to nothing.

I'm aware the forks (standard ones) aren't the best thing on my MTB but being a cheap old thing it isn't worth spending any proper money on it - It's an old, but perfectly good for my current use, Marin Palisades Trail.

They look as though they may be a bargain basement buy, but is that all they're good for? Any questions I should ask? Only one that springs to mind is what the steerer might be cut to.

[Dombo]

They're ok, came as standard on a lot of low-mid-range full sussers. They look to be 8-9 years old from the dust boots, but the owner can confirm. If you want cheap 2nd hand forks Marzocchi are a better bet, especially the old Bomber series. I've done a quick search for you and these look pretty good:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Marzocchi-Bomber- ... dZViewItem

They're very light and when new retailed at around £400-500. THey came as standard on top-end xc race bikes. Same age approx as the Judys but a much better fork. Marzocchi have been in the business of forks for sixty years and their forks are very well made, easily serviceable. Check out mtbr.com for reviews on these or the Judys.
Questions to ask:
Length of steerer
Length of travel - don't put 125mm forks on a bike that came with 80mm.
Any scratches/corrosion on the stanchions - the inner bit that slides up and down
Do they still work smoothly
Condition of seals
Any leaks, either of oil or air (if air forks)
Condition of springs

Good forks will transform a mtb and are always the first upgrade.

I have 4 year old Marzocchi Marathon S forks on my Kona, upgraded from Z2 Bombers. Serviced every couple of years and they're like new again. I won't change them til they break.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Just bought a canteen of cutlery and that's got lots of forks in

[Grahame]

Short answer?

No

Slightly longer answer?

No - the Judy TT were an original equipment fork fitted with slightly suspect seals, steel coil springs and no damping. Oh, and they flex quite a bit as well under braking and hard cornering.

Far better to spend a hundred and thirty well-earned notes on a pair of [url=http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=13462]these[/url].

Strong, reliable, good forks - I'm happy to use them for a month at a time guiding in the Rockies, and never have a problem with them (damn, that's torn it for this summer) when people with much more expensive forks by other manufacturers are fading or failing every holiday.

Oh, and just to keep you happy, they're Italian.

[Elliot M]

Exactly as Graham says

I had Judy TTs on an old bike and the Marz MX Pros (or Comps?) I replaced them with when they seized completely (which didn't take long) were perhaps the best 130 quid in terms of VFM I have ever spent on a bike.

[Andrew G]

Thanks Chaps, I'll give Judy a wide berth then . I wasn't actually searching for MTB forks, I was looking for something else but they got hoiked out in the first search. Thanks for the tips though as I know what to keep an eye out for know. May get the new ones when money allows to save any concerns about leaks, seals etc. And yes Grahame I do like that they're Italian .

[Andrew G]

How do I know which rebound I need and/or what my bike has?

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Andrew, someone your size any rebound and you'll be in orbit

[Grahame]

The option is really the length of suspension travel to buy. Assuming your bike is more than just a few years old (say, made before 2004 - edited from 1994 ) then I'd buy the 85mm travel forks as these will have less of an effect on the steering geometry - a 100mm fork will "relax" the head angle of your bike by about 1 degree more than the 85mm travel ones.

The damping adjustment is a nut to open up or close down a valve which will speed up or slow down how quickly the fork returns (rebounds) to its full length after comressing. Too fast and the fork will try to throw you off the bike backwards, and feel like riding a pogo stick. Too slow, and repeated "hits" will cause the fork to pack down, steepening the head angle and making the bike less stable. I tend to run my forks with the rebound damping adjustment set in about the middle of the range.

The other adjustment of the Marzocchi forks is the spring rate (how stiff the spring is) on the ones we are talking about, this is easy - pump more air in to increase the spring rate (stiffen the suspenstion), release some air to soften the spring. I run my forks with so that about 25% of the travel is used up as "sag" when I sit on the bike. So for 85mm forks, you should use about 20mm of travel as sag when you are in your normal riding position on the bike.

I hope this helps

[Andrew G]

[quote="Grahame"]I hope this helps

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

My forks don't bounce at all