Originally Posted by
metz1295
I want a fork that can be locked for pavement riding. I may have the wrong term, but I know they exist.
They do. You’re fine. He’s saying he thinks your budget is too low. A Procaliber or Stache really is better than an X-Caliber / Roscoe which really is better than a Marlin. But the Marlin is ok to get started and find out if you want to spend more, and it's ok to keep if you're satisfied.