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There are god knows how many perfectly capable bikes with straight steerers out there and only one fork that can still be used (Rockshox Sektor Gold) and even then, it's definitely not a set of Lyriks or 36s. Who knows how much longer it will still be available. No matter how careful you are with maintenance, forks are eventually going to wear out.
These are bikes that could be passed onto the next generation and reduce the barriers to entry into the sport. Not every teenager has parents who think £2,000 is a perfectly acceptable amount to spend on a full suspension bike.
I'm not sure if this is indicative of the bike industry or just society in general. Either way, having to hang my Nomad on the wall when it's got plenty miles left in it is going to be very depressing.
Hopefully the gap in the market will be tempting enough for a new or existing suspension brand to meet the demand. Time will tell I guess. Very sad though, I agree; especially for youngsters trying to get into the sport who can’t afford the latest standards.
We are a disposing society, in which we all participate, it's not a good thing.
You could also place a valid argument that a vast majority of those older 1.125" steerered bikes are also obsolite due to wack 80's roadie geometry. Compare a Whyte T-130 against a Cove Hustler = the Whyte wins hands down. But, yes, it is a waste.
Nonsense. What's required is another entirely new standard.
Until 'manoeuvrability, flickability, and fun' become the new buzzwords. Then the geometry will suddenly be bang up to date again.
You could also place a valid argument that a vast majority of those older 1.125″ steerered bikes are also obsolite due to wack 80’s roadie geometry. Compare a Whyte T-130 against a Cove Hustler = the Whyte wins hands down.
While this is true, it wasn't *that* long ago we were all having lots of fun on those mtbs with 80's roadie geometry. If I was a skint teenager again I'd be more than happy with a hustler!
'Old' bikes now are much, much better than 'old' bikes were when I started out in the mid-2000's.
Hopefully the gap in the market will be tempting enough for a new or existing suspension brand to meet the demand. Time will tell I guess. Very sad though, I agree; especially for youngsters trying to get into the sport who can’t afford the latest standards.
They’ll come back with some marketing BS about stiffness, or handling, or making the trails come alive... may even bring back 26” wheels with them!
In the good old days we had bolt in steerers. What a bloody fantastic idea that was.
Even non bolt marzocchis could have a new steerer pressed in.
So easy so sensible.
Ultimately, SRAM (or anybody else) are never going to be bothered to support a shrinking market of older tech, wrong though that may be.
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">I think a better plan would be for a small company to offer simple replacement damper kits for older forks, that way assuming you don't crash and bend the lowers the fork/shock can continue indefinitely.</span>
Maybe the damper could be built to be "universal" and then the sleeve which makes it fit to different forks internals made cheaply.
Are there any firms that specialise in replacement steerers?
Are there any firms that specialise in replacement steerers?
Never happen - product liability and the original fork manufacturer will probably sue for IPR 'theft'
RSF in Plymouth replace steerer and stantions
Except for ND tuned in portugal who have fitted a new steerer and fork leg to my Marz 55s.
You could also place a valid argument that a vast majority of those older 1.125″ steerered bikes are also obsolite due to wack 80’s roadie geometry.
Not so sure about that, 1.125" steers where around until pretty recently and although the bikes tend to be steeper than today's LLS® a lot of them work well for most people's riding, rather than the riding they think they do.*
* I am guilty of this too. I am lucky enough to have two MTBs (both technicaly old) o e for local oand 90% of natural riding and one for when I fell like a hero at trail centers.
Totally agree - i’m Contemplating retiring my 2004 5-Spot because the Pike is on the way out and there aren’t really any alternative forks available to replace it. The geometry may be ‘old fashioned’, but i’m not sure I’ve ever explored the limits of what the bike is capable of...
even then, it’s definitely not a set of Lyriks or 36s.
Of course it's not but,when you're talking about people who can "only" afford a (probably 10year or more) old second hand bike you're not taking about people who can afford a fork which costs more than many a new frame are you?
Given 160/170mm was dh territory back then too you could always fit double crowns of you wanted something current and good and 6x the price you were able to pay for the frame, or as is more likely, if you want a 120mm ish single crown fork there will be plenty new ones in the budget end of the market (epixon, sector etc at the good end, lots of stuff at the i just want a bike end) for a number of years yet.
The complaint seems more that "[my?] old second hand stuff isn't worth much because it's only usable with old second hand stuff".
Ooh Poo 😢
guess that means I really better get my finger out and source some forks and other bits for my 1st generation Soul frame that I have ..... loved the bike but robbed the bits off it for another project.
always meant to rebuild it but something else kept cropping up.
Any suggestions ?
There was a lot of information in your post and I had a bit of trouble digesting it all so maybe you can just answer me this. Even though I would prefer a fork with 35 or 36 mm stanchions, I'm OK buying a set of Rockshox Sektors.
If Rockshox discontinues the straight steerer Sektor, what fork do I buy for my Mk1 Nomad? Or is it time to throw it in a skip?
Look after the sektors. They’ll last as long as the nomad does.
World cup worthy if 100mm is enough.
I don't have the Sektor's yet. I bought the Nomad with Fox 36s, replaced them with Lyriks when they wore out, and now I'm worried the Sektors will be gone by the time I wear out the Lyriks.
what fork do I buy for my Mk1 Nomad?
Today, or some years down the line when your current fork is borked and you want a (150?) 26" qr straight steerer fork?
Today, I'd be buying a set of (used) 36s and getting the csu replaced with a straight one (assuming that's still available after market)*
In 5-10years time? God knows.
*Actually no i probably wouldn't, I'd be looking at a new bossnut rather than spending the best part of a grand on something already obsolete. But thats just me.
<Edit> in all seriousness, what did you wear out on a pair of 36s, what is going to wear out on the lyriks?
Look after the lyriks and they’ll last as long as the nomad then.
Your overthinking this.
Fox at least list a 26", 1 1/8 steerer version of the latest 36. Just the kind of thing that's too niche to be available through the likes of crc, but any lbs with an account with the distributor.
A quick look re fatoldgit's soul actually surprised me. It seems that this year even suntour (who by virtue of their massive low end oe market produce lots of forks with old standards) aren't producing 1.125 steerered (or 26") versions of the top end (axon/auron) this year.
On the up side the FOG it's a steel frame so you could just get the HT replaced easy enough.
I'm amazed rs and fox still do top end forks in those standards given the lack of market - though maybe that same lack of market means they still have a lot of old inventory to work through rather than producing new csu and lowers.
I don't see the point in buying second-hand, unless it's NOS. If new forks wear out then used ones will wear out even quicker.
Seriously, am I the only one that wears out forks? Even with regular maintenance stanchions will wear, bushings will wear, and damper internals will wear. How are you keeping your forks running forever, short of not using them?
Also, assuming I can keep sourcing bearings (which I'll admit is not a given), how do you wear out a frame?
thanks for that link, 100mm would be just fine, and it looks like a few available even if the top end ones are discontinued
Ill be having a good look round their website and I take it they will sell direct to the consumer,
What does "early retirement" mean?
Rockshox still list the Reba as being available with a straight steerer. That's a decent XC trail fork. I'm still running some old U-Turn Rebas that I bought back in about 2005 and some Revelations that I bought about 2007 or 2008. If the bike has Pikes, Fox 36s, etc and has been thrashed until the forks are beyond repair, I think I'd accept that the frame is due for retirement.
I'd work on a 2nd hand fork needing new bushings, given I'd likely be replacing the csu I'd not be bothered about stanchions any how.
But...
Bushings are replaceable (and should be) and they're wear parts.
Stanchions IME only wear when the bushings already did.
I've never noticeably worn a damper, even if i did, they're replacable.
If you're worried, buy spares now whilst they're available.
As for a frame it all fatigues, heel rub, cable rub, bushing and bearing housings eventually wear. Everything wears eventually. Even the sun will give up one day, it's just the time scale (like your forks should be) makes it irrelevant.
But to my previous sort of question, given the cost of a new pair of lyriks/36 why not just replace the whole thing with something current? (i get in mtb that could still be ood within the week). Personal opinion is personal of course but i think a better geo, better suspended modern cheap bike is likely to actually be at least as much fun to ride as you're flash old one with (probably) lots of pedal bob, noodly front end and so on.
@fatoldgit:
I assume so - never bought from them but they're the uk distributor so, if they're putting prices on site and won't sell direct you should be able to get the same price from any lbs, and given their brands i expect that really is any, including bobs bikes and hardware store and the like.
It's a shame the coverage of the suntour stuff is pants really as their top end stuff is by all accounts really good, especially at the price, unfortunately the lower xcm and things are horrible things but that said they feature on bikes which sell for less than one of m wheels. (iirc dvo is/was an independent offshoot in an attempt to break the fox rs strangle good at the to of the market, i think they're still assembled by suntour).
I doubt any of the main suspension companies will go near this, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's written into contracts with the bike manufacturers not to either. A company along the lines of one up components (like when they started) would be the best bet.