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I own a 2007 Orange P7 that has been kept up to spec over the years. It's currently running XT 11-spd with a dropper and some wider bars. However I want a 27.5 HT, and looking at a daft deal on a VooDoo. Other than the other change in geometry and other bits, can anyone provide some thoughts on what a new lower spec fork compares to a 2007 Fox 32 Float R fork?
The Orange is great and perfect as it is, and maybe I'm succumbing to the want of something new when I don't need something new.
The forks have always been serviced, most recently by TFT.
Either way the question stands, are a new set of lower specification forks comparable to a older set of higher spec forks from 10 years ago?
Either way the question stands, are a new set of lower specification forks comparable to a older set of higher spec forks from 10 years ago?
I would say it really depends on the forks - I was just in Halfords looking at a HT for my Son, there's a VooDoo 275 HT in there for £370 with some fairly horrible looking RST forks, you know the type chrome sanctions and little or no adjustment - I'd bet on the 07 Foxes being better, but against something like a Yari, the newer forks would be better.
I've been underwhelmed by every new fork unless it replaced something truly awful
RS in particular have a fork for every day of the year and the incremental differences are only noticeable under specific conditions. FWIW I have a bike with a Fox Talas from erm 2011(?) and like yours it's been maintained and fettled. It still works perfectly and compared to the blunt instrument RS Sektor on my 2019 bike it's like night and day. Even compared to the allegedly amazing Revelation on another bike the Fox is still pretty good. It has its limitations that would be unacceptable by modern - but not necessarily better - standards but the way it feels adds something to the ride in all circumstances.
The Orange is great and perfect as it is
You'll have a hard time replacing it with something that's better in every way.
I can’t comment specifically on the forks you mention but going from a 2004 Kona Caldera 26er with dual air Revelations to a 2018 Vitus Escarpe 650b with Pikes it’s a lot better. The bike feels generally quicker / much more stable and the forks are so plush. Still running the same brakes / stem / handlebar and I built it up as 1x11 gx and some spare Dt Swiss wheels I had. Riding it way more than my modern fs bike at the moment.
Good so far for pedally trail centres / pump tracks / steep offf piste trails /uplift at Flyup 417. The Kona was pretty good but just felt twitchy at times and on rocky stuff the forks could give you more of a battering.