Adding suspension Forks to a ridged MTB
10-03-20, 09:36 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Adding suspension Forks to a ridged MTB
I have a mid-90s Rocky Mountain Sherpa with a rigid suspension. As I wandering around on craigslist I see some suspension forks and being new to mountain bikes, I am wondering what I should be looking for? I have cantilever brakes so I know to check for that and to make sure the stem is the correct diameter. Are there differences in stem length? And speaking of cantilever brakes, how do they work with the fork moving up and down and the cable changing tension?
10-03-20, 11:36 PM
#2
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I have a mid-90s Rocky Mountain Sherpa with a rigid suspension. As I wandering around on craigslist I see some suspension forks and being new to mountain bikes, I am wondering what I should be looking for? I have cantilever brakes so I know to check for that and to make sure the stem is the correct diameter. Are there differences in stem length? And speaking of cantilever brakes, how do they work with the fork moving up and down and the cable changing tension?
A better fork would be an air oil fork with lock out so that you can shut it off when you don’t need it (pavement and smooth trails). This one is an excellent choice but you’d need linear brakes or discs. Here’s a better picture of one that I own. I use a similar for two of my mountain bikes although both of mine are disc.
My bikes are similar age-wise to your bike. The swap is fairly easy.
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Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
10-03-20, 11:39 PM
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If you buy a second hand fork, you'll need to check that the steering tube is long enough for your frame, they will often be cut down by the previous owner.
Last edited by cobba; 10-03-20 at 11:46 PM.
10-04-20, 02:05 PM
#4
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Thread Starter
Thanks for the replies, now I know what to look for and understand better. The couple forks I saw on Craigslist here did not have that cable housing stopper. Also, sounds like I could change the front fork to a disc brake set up. From my motorcycling riding in the dirt with dual sports, I have come to rely more on the back brake in the dirt, but having a disc for pavement would be nice.
