In on fairness somebody buying a budget bike with low end fork wont give 2shits about the weight of the fork, when they are just out for fun on a sunny day.
also ridiculous to say beginners should be using a rigid fork. No one would go for a second ride if they tried trail riding with a rigid fork for their first ride because there would be so much discomfort.
Richard Cornish back in the day i used to RACE a mountain bike without any suspension. Pretty damn fun and effective. Still love ciclocross bikes also. A bad suspension is way worse than no suspension.
That is not a cheap fork. You should have used a properly cheap fork. One of those that cannot be maintained,taken apart. Those are the real garbage. This is a fine entry level fork. There are much worse things out there.
I agree, I rode the Suntor XCM for three years and liked it. Very easy to maintain and service. You can also replace the coil spring with a softer or more firm one, Suntour makes both options. I agree that it is heavy though, which was the reason I replaced it eventually.
I've tried a Suntour XCM but found I got a smoother ride on a pogo stick. I'd rather be rigid than be equipped with a coil sprung fork. That said, Suntour XCR 32 Air forks are good value! Rebound dampening is incredibly important for me with suspension forks, more so than the suspension itself.
When Walmart finally makes it to Poland, he should re-do this video with an actual cheap fork. The Suntour fork on this bike alone is probably the same cost as an entire Walmart bike.
Gyengye Gabor you couldn't be more right. I have this fork on my bike and I'm just a casual rider and it is a great fork for my riding skill. Getting a mountain bike with a high end fork is going to cost at least $1500 if not more which is out of the price range of all but the serious riders.
Lessons learned: 1. You don't need a fork because you're not hardcore enough with your casual riding. 2. You need a 600 dollar fork because you're too hardcore and you'll give up if your fork weighs an extra 2 pounds. --- WHAT?? You just sound like you're trying to justify why your fork costs more than my whole bike? Lessons I would teach: A cheap fork can significantly reduce vibration and roughness, even get you out of trouble if you have less than perfect technique, making your weekend ride that much more enjoyable. Your skill level will limit your riding more than your bicycle fork for all but the most enthusiastic of riders, and when you get to that point you'll know it. ENJOY YOUR CHEAP FORK AND GET OUT AND RIDE!!!
J My 1st fork: 1998 Rockshox Judy SL (high end) My 2nd fork: 1999 Manitou sx carbon (high end) My 3rd fork: 2006 Rockshox Judy J2 (entry level) My 4th and last fork: 2008 SR Suntour XCM (entry level) 10 years since then and still fine :)
I have a suntour xct, a really cheap fork. 26er, cheap disc brakes that are not very powerful. I am 54 years old, 6'3" , 215 lbs and have a 22 in Diamondback frame. Some air in the tires and lube on the chain... life is good I love riding that bike. I don't want to get off after I start riding. Old guys like simple.
ratoneJR Younger dudes like simple too. I'm just 27 and have a pretty much equivalent setup to yours, except with v-brakes. I use it to commute to work and back every day in a route with a few rain-gutted dirt roads, and it works amazing. I can spin on my baby pretty much forever, and leave many fancy 29er pedalmashers in lycra and jersey eating dust.
I'm a 18 years old and I like cycling even though there's no trails near in our area I still do it as an exercise. My frame on my bike is an old Schwinn frontier 650 bought 10 years ago along with WTB tires which still function perfectly and also my newly bought suntour XCM bought for about $65. I live here in Philippines which doesn't offer a lot of trails for bikers.
I have the same fork on a Claud Butler Stone River 26" bike made in 2009! I bought it used off Gumtree. I have taken the bike to Wyre Forest, Peak District, Malvern, Cannock Chase. It has been on very harsh and bumpy trails and I can hear the suspension really struggling. Yet the bike lives. No issues with the suspension whatsoever, it functions as it always did!
This is not a cheap coil fork, it's an entry level fork. It is designed to increase confort, not to go faster, and for a beginner this is the best solution possible to get confident with rough trails at low speed. And also this suspensions don't need maintenance
you will be doing a lot of maintenance on this suspension fork if you ride in the cold xD or else itll become a rigid one with the extra weight of the suspension and frozen oil xD
Yes it would be nice if we all could buy brand name components. But the reality is regular people buy what they can afford, not what they want. Many bicycle you tubers are out of touch with reality. They review bikes that are simply beyond the reach of normal folks. Drooling over the latest tech is nice for a while. But how is that relatable to week end warriors and enthusiasts.
I would rather have rigid forks than cheapo suspension forks. You can get older marzocchi dual crown forks pretty cheap, but they are *not* rubbish. Always buy an older second hand professional grade item rather than a new cheapo item. Also, a rigid fork will work great, and will weigh very little.
Ahh shut up, lay off the alcohol, cigarettes, junkfood, etc and other bad habits poor people generally have and you'll afford the more expensive stuff in no time.
sorry but you're wrong. I'd rather have a “lower end fork" than no fork. I have a Giant Rincon that had a Suntour XCM fork that I did a 20km race through challenging single track... oh yeah I'm physically fit too. I don't just ride easy trails. I recently upgraded that fork to a Rock Shox TK Silver 30 and I am okay with a coil shock. I can't afford an expensive air shock. My theory is use what you can afford and be grateful for what you have.
Matthew Brocke i stopped at "20k". it's raining outside and i just did 50k in a full rigid bike (i have alot of forest around my house). i also do road and cx and never needed any kind of suspension. the only "suspension" i want to get is a seatpost. very usefull in mtb.
what's your point?? some bikers want suspension, some don't. what did you mean 'I stopped at 20km?' I do more than 20km, but last year was my first mountain bike race. My point was that he was a bit arrogant in what he said in regards to cheaper suspension forks. People buy what they can afford. I'm on a budget and save up (sometimes for months) for upgrades but I still love to bike. I'm proud of my bikes cause I bought what I could afford and used what I've been blessed with.
If you are on a tight budget then no suspension is the best way to go. Cheaper, no maintenece and alot more durable. Now, if you think you need a suspension in order to ride 20k, you probably don't have enough skill. And most people say that suspension is mandatory when it's them that never rode a full rigid.
My bikes also have some upgrades, but a suspension fork would be the last thing i'd change. A dropper post, better wheels, converting from 1x7 to a 1x10 drivetrain, a lighter and larger riser bar, some light one finger brakes, a shorter stem...
Whatever dude. You don't know me or the skill I have. I prefer suspension over a full rigid, you're the opposite and that is cool. Don't dis someone cause you don't agree with them. I live in New Brunswick, Canada where we have a lot of mountainous and hilly terrain with a lot of rocks and roots. The place I rode my 20km was in Elgin, NB and like I said it was my first ever mountain bike race.
I own a bike that has a Suntor XCT fork with lockout. I actually like it. Personally I think the real cheap forks are the ones that come from department stores. No pre-load, no adjustment, no lockout... pure garbage. I'm by no means a hardcore rider, nor do I claim to be. Personally buying a full suspension/front suspension bike from a bike shop is 100 times better than buying a pile of junk from Walmart. Yes, I do agree that the XCT/XCM is not the greatest of forks out there, but it's defiantly better than what is offered at a department store. It's a great entry level fork. Just don't do anything stupid on it and ride with care. You'll be fine. Happy Trails!
exactly, the XCT/XCM forks are not great, but not terrible, if you can manage to get a XCR 32 in your budget it is actually a pretty decent fork for the price, coil, but has a lockout, preload and rebound adjustment
anybody with a brain on the matter would take the rigid fork over a cheap susp fork. the RST or what ever brand will fail in about 2 years of actual offroad use. and most people won't drop the cost of the bike almost to add a NEW quality fork. rigid saves about 3x the weight and is solid and predicable.
because people are clueless, if you are a sunday rider and you don't hit hard trails, and lets be honest most mountainbike users NEVER do, you are better off with a rigid fork.
@@MaximumEfficiency don't hit the hole, then. I ride a fully rigid bike on real trails and you just have to pick smooth lines. I would rather my rigid fork than a pogo stick.
Heavy cheap fork is better than nothing. Please come and ride a rigid bike here in south africa on a beginners trail and then we will see you change your pitch. Damn elitists
I've actually been pretty impressed with the level of budget coil forks these days. When I was younger I had a bike with one and it really was a pogo stick.... Now a lot of oem forks have coil strength tuned to the bike size, and at least some sort of real rebound damping (even if you can't tune it). For sure, more money gets you a way nicer fork, and even budget air forks are way nicer. All I am saying is that in my experience, the newer oem forks at bike shop level, like the suntour xcm and xcr actually feel pretty good.
This is obviously an outdated video, but I have some thoughts. My Trek Marlin 5 came with an SR SunTour coil fork like many entry level mountain bikes. I rode it hard for three years, working all the way up to black diamonds (Helena, Montana, USA... These are some pretty extreme trails). Also, let's set the scene: I moved to Helena, found a huge and amazing mountain bike community, and bought a bike to ride. The fork? It's fine.... Ish. I agree with other commenters that my fork for my 112 Kilos is the same as the little kid on the same bike. No good. But I think my favorite thing about it is, I've completely taken it apart and rebuilt it a couple times. It gave me the confidence to work on a fork. I've now owned a Polygon Sisku T8 for a few months with a Fox 34 (IT'S AWESOME!) And I've worked on it already too. The SunTour fork really got me into the sport well. My Fox 34 costs more than my entire Marlin 5 did at the time. Without the SunTour, I wouldn't be a mountain biker.
I don't get the point of this video. it's like saying your samsung J1 budget phone is no good, you need a galaxy s8 when all you really need is a phone to make calls, SMS do some light gaming and Facebook. this is why some beginners get turned off at cycling because of know it all people that forgot how it was to start out.
The point is not between J1 and galaxy s8, but was : hey try the nokia nokia 1100 instead. There are a lot of places where a rigid bike will be prefered(or i will prefer it any way): around town, in the park.
@@ivonakis A Nokia 1100 is not a smart phone, in the same way that a rigid fork has no impact absorption. The video uploader is just feeding his ego by making this video.
I went to the trail with my used budget bike that I bought for $75 bucks and got a good exercise had a cr ap-load of fun. if your not a professional racer, then I recommend getting a decent best bang-for-your-buck bike you can enjoy for a few years
Budget bikes designed for beginers. I think this bike and the fork is wery good if you want to begin MTB. With a rigid fork the bike won't be comfortable. This fork is designed to block vibration and bumps.If someone is not a beginer, he or she will buy a different model. However if we go back about 10 years, this bike is maybe on the top of the range. Locout fork, disc brakes etc...
Theoretical Cyclist if a rigid bike isn't confortable, you're doin it wrong. use your arms and legs to pump the bike on rough terrain. if you can't do it, there's no reason to buy a suspension bike.
Johnny Wolf A bike with a suspension fork is more comfortable as a rigid one. This is the main feature of a suspension fork, to make the riding more comfortable. And that is why the rigid bike is less comfortable as the suspension one.
Theoretical Cyclist for a guy with "theoretical" in the name you really don't know much about theory or pratice. suspension is usefull when doing enduro or downhill, not for "casual" rides. i do xc, cx and road, and never felt the need for a suspension. if anything, riding without one made me a better rider. try getting a fatter tyre, its a way better solution if you need absorsion.
Johnny Wolf You may try a suspension bike. I think it will make you faster. And after that you won't talk bullshit about suspensions. Or you can live in the stone age and ride on boneshakers. I ride on a rigid gravelbike, but I used a several rigid bikes and I know the difference.
I have a budget MTB that runs on similar forks like these. 3 years and 7000km later, they still work fine. Done a dozen or more trails. Got them serviced just once for around $30. I rode a hybrid with a rigid fork for a week and ended up with vertigo. My doctor told me that it was likely due to the constant shocks that were going to my neck and shoulders. I would never trade my budget forks for no forks, if anything they are great value both money and health wise.
Totally disagree with the first point, that it is useless. It isn't useless, it takes some bumps and soaks in which a rigid fork won't. If someone doesn't want a rigid fork, buying a rigid fork is bad advice as it just puts everything on the rider. All the bumps are felt to the rider's hands and arms which would make it really awful for leisure riders. A coil suspension fork would cushion those bumps and they do work, not as good as the air forks but they still work for the budget.
v1d300 not only are they unstable, they also require alot of man work. so called "leizure" riders are like 90% of car owners : they don't know shit about fixing. it's easier to learn the skills to soak the bumps instead of buying a new fork every 500km. you'll need the skills in a hardtail or an fs anyway.
I have been MTB for 10+ year's with a relatively cheap bike w/cheap fork as you would call it & it's still going strong w/none of the issues you describe...even if it did I don't think it really matters as long as your enjoying the bike #I❤mycheapbike🚵
I have this fork and I have a budget bike (Raleight Talus 5.0 - 2011), and let me tell you, the first problem is not quite a problem, because 1 kg more when you are not the type of cyclist who are racing all the time does not matter. I just get used to the weight of my bike, my equipment and my own weight and train that way. For me, this budget fork it's better than nothing at all. The other disadvantages may be true, but getting used to how your bike works can be solved a little. Sorry for my bad english. Nice video btw.
Wife and I have Marlin 6 with suntour forks. They get us out and having fun on both on road and off road scenarios. Were not interested in going fast, or racing, but just enjoying the outdoors. In my opinion there great for that, fresh air, good ride, and good value.
There is a lot of flex with budget forks & 29" wheels but I would say starting at lower range bike & working way up has made me a better rider & some riders have all the gear & no idea.
Well, as a mtber who jumps on a daily basis, we say starting on a low end Hardtail is essential to learn to jump right, and kind of also a right of passage
I've been riding on a budged KTM with XCM 100's for about 8 years and never had a problem with those forks. You said the people who buy budged bikes don't even need forks, but why? I bought a cheap bike and use it almost entirely on a very rough terrain. Of course I wanted a bike with full suspension but those start at like 1.5-2k, so if I don't have enough money to buy a bike with "proper forks", that means I don't even need forks?! I really enjoy riding downhill but I can't afford something that expensive. Then you talk about bodyweight: "a lot of riders weigh 100kg"?! Average bodyweight is around 75kg and as some others have mentioned, you can still replace the springs with stiffer ones and if you won't ride "hard", you don't even have to do that. At 81kgs I don't have any problems with my "budget bike". Next thing: weight of the forks - cycling / mountain biking is a sport, in other words: physical activity and if you're not prepared to work then rather stay at home and watch TV. If a 100kg guy struggles with bike that's 15kg, instead of 13kg, then I think it's obvious why he weighs 100kg - and it's certainly not due to his muscle mass. When I started biking more seriously I was at 70kgs, with an all steel bike that weighed 18kgs, and everytime I wanted to go downhill, I had to first cycle up hill. I never used any lifts or a car to get to the top of the track but I was still able to do it and if someone at 80 or 100kgs can't handle a bit heavier bike, then maybe they picked up a wrong type of sport. And I'm not hating on you or your video, I'm just expressing my opinions. Have a nice day!
He's right about those forks because I had one and it snapped in half while I was riding. I would recommend replacing it with a Markhor Manitou air fork. What a difference !
I have a SR RAIDON, and I think is the best option for low price and his benefits (air, rebound, 32mm, aluminium components) the only problem with mine is after 2 years have a little movement between bottles and stanches
I am 55 and have been riding my Bianchi hybrid for 30 years everywhere - far and wide, hill and dale, road and trail. I am ready for suspension even if it's cheap.
This looks like an older version of my set up. Marin Bobcat trail3, from 2019. I've been trying to destroy it on Galbraith near Bellingham, WA. I just had the bottom bracket and rear tire replaced, but the forks are solid and usually help me stay upright on the trail. I'm not using it on big jumps (I don't do them and don't want to). For climbing and single track it's a great setup. I will look into getting something lighter and with rebound, as the budget allows. Thanks for the info!
I have a 9 year old cross country dual suspension and it uses a coil suspension fork with variable adjust height. I haven't done maintenance on it since purchasing the bike stock and the rebound and adjustments work just fine. Even my shock for the real by fox runs smoothly without a service. Air forks are just lighter and offer a more precise adjustment.
The first MTB I bought as a beginner was a hardtail with a Rockshox coil fork. I still have that bike and I don't regret buying the bike nor the fork mainly because they coil forks are more maintenance free. These days I only use that bike for short trips when visiting the neighbor, short strips of terrain and as a gravel grinder. When I bought the bike I was looking for something that work year in year out without excessive maintenance. Adding some air in the tires, lubing the chain and give that bike a wash now and then is all that is needed. It was a great beginners bike and a sprinting board to get started with the MTB hobby just to see in what direction I wanted to go and what kind of bike suites my style of riding best. These days I use a rigid Fatbike as the main MTB/adventure bike. For my type of riding I woudn't waste my money on an expensive FS bike mainly because those narrow tires doesn't that work well on sand and wet spongy terrain found in my area and in places where I prefer go.
No, dude, that's just not right. There will hardly ever be a scenario where someone will have available for "testing" a particular bike with both rigid forks and cheap forks - there simply isn't a price incentive for any retailer to do that for you. The other thing that makes this video pointless is that there almost isn't a good "middle ground" in the market: a nice suspension fork that doesn't cost around us$700 or more. I have a SR Raidon air and it's almost just as bad as a "cheap" coil one. In my opinion, when it comes to forks, you either have the money to buy a good one (and yes, it IS worth it) or you don't. If you don't, you're definitely stuck in "it's better than nothing" land...
My raidon is not bad at all vs my Rockshox 30 RL Golds. the RS travel better an way much less but the lock out on them really suck vs the raidons and once i realised the raidons work better at 100psi and bellow i actually like them but mine are Gold version. And despite them not showing the two kinds, there is.. As i own a bike shop and i've seen the two versions. The Bizango (Halfords) some times come with the cheaper chrome stachions and they are marked Raidon and that version is awful over the gold stanchions. scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/16463574_10210944267579272_898990770810077216_o.jpg?oh=9bedf9559e870aaa2bd2d9e523b14429&oe=59254459
Ip Har however, you can get a top-end '90s fork for peanuts, and those can be pretty good. Manitou/marzocchi/pace are all decent forks. Buy a lightly used one, strip & rebuild, can be good as new.
all 90s forks are 26ers though. A rigid with the widest tyres your frame/fork can fit does really well on anything that isn't TOO gnarly. better in my opinion than a crappy 80mm travel 3kg fork
The specialized roll with a set of mtb bars and a set of xc tires is a fantastic rig. Highly recommend it, especially with the microshift advent clutch drivetrain. Punches way above its weight as an off road vehicle while remaining an extremely comfy commuter.
True. I have a Voodoo Soukri that was 400. (In a good budget) and my coil spring from the inside of my Santour suspension completely popped out in the process of a bike jump track. I later put in some old Rock Shox that I had laying around and they work great ^^
the reason budget bikes have suspension forks is because most mountain bikers start riding on trails with the same bike they started with, i have a $500 bike that has a fork and i am riding black diamond trails because i don't have the budget to get a new bike and if it didn't have suspension it would limit me even more than it already is
There's a difference in having the skill to push the bike to its limits and a casual rider. That fork wouldn't last a day with me(DH). For beginners going wider tire and tubeless would be much better choice.
hey just because u have money and can afford an expensive bike and fork doesn't mean that we, who can only can afford a budget bike are fat and un fit, and don't ride anything that needs suspension. I kick the trails and hit as many technicals as I can. sorry I'm a hard working middle class citizen
Yeah, I embrace my brokenness and tell myself that when I can afford a lighter fork I will be in better shape for running the extra weight. But they make me hold back from fear of advancing beyond their capabilities and hurting myself. But...suntour does have an upgrade program which I would love to take advantage of..ups and downs of getting into mtbiking I suppose
I have a SunTour SF17 Coil fork on my trekking bike. I will never go back to my old bike that had a fixed one. The ride comfort is 10 times better, I don't have my wrists hurting anymore on long roads.
its a suspension fork. don't deture people from these they are a LOT better than nothing at all. some people just want a causal riding bike without breaking the bank.
Yeah but you see the clue is in the name 'cheap' they obviously not going to be the best are they, they are designed for beginners on a budget, and i'd much rather ride a cheap fork than a rigid.
Damm i rode bmx fake Chinese full sus bike KTM hard tail with front shock that costs only 35 dolars ! They have lock ablitlity and even poor daming rigid all in same trail they are fairly poor 2.5km trails and the how much i enjoyed KTM is just ahh cant be told meanhile i fealed every bigger bump with rigid or bmx there are some good cheap forks guyd ...
I agree with all of this. I just bought my wife a bike with an SR Suntour fork. It's nothing like my fox fork. I spent $450 on a bikes direct bike rather than buying her another junk bike from Walmart. The SR Suntour fork does seem to work way better than anything at Walmart. The bike is a little heavy, but I was able to order it with shimano hydraulic disc brakes, and sram drivetrain. Seems like a reasonable compromise over all. I might have gotten her a non suspension mountain bike if I had seen any, but they all seem to have some kind of suspension, and I thought it might smooth out the ride a little for her.
with a little elbow grease and some wherewithal you can either change out the coils, or even add in some spacers to try and tune the front suspension if there are no compression or rebound adjustments. absolutely entry-level forks, are just that. I think in a lot of ways it is a selling point for the beginner or casual mountain bike rider.
Guess what! Not everybody can afford expensive bike, fork and parts in general. People should start from somewhere. I have XCR 32 120mm and it works fine for now and for me. I just have clean it and lube it. I can`t afford fork for 1/2 or 2/3 cost of my whole bike. When I get money, I will buy a better buy with air fork. And I still will try myself on a race. You just need to know how to ride and develop your skills.
Chuck Norris I know what you mean. It's hella fun yeah....but then there's the pain in the wrist 😂 . On the first day riding a rigid fork mtb I felt as if I'm riding a 26 inch bmx bike 😅
Thanks for the video. You are a good presenter. I found that really useful. Yes I may have to keep my budget 20 year old Marin fork, if I can get it to actually move again. One of the disadvantages. It has ceased up. But at least I now know what the limitations are. Many thanks.
I have Budget fork that came out with my Cannondale F7. Its RST Gila Pro T8, its an aluminum coil fork, so heavy, but its so stiff and durable. But im so happy because i upgraded my fork into Rockshox SID, and cant wait to arrive this wednesday.
This is a proper decent fork. I rode it for 2 years, lovely and reliable. im now running rock sox Air solo its much better, but it costs nearly triple of this one. I would recomment these suntour xcm xct and xcr forks all day for recreational woods rides all day.
How a fork can be useless? I mean, people who wants to be able to get out of the asphalt will need a fork. This is actually a pretty good one. I think you have quiet high stadards and I'm sincerely, truly happy for you. But ATM, most people can't afford a 1500$ bike. Your video is interesting because it points out what are the differences between a low price XC and a high quality one. But it's a bit annoying i that you seem to have a patronizing point of view about those bikes. They are really great. I'm happy that some companies are trying to give the best bikes for the lowest price, and may be you should be too.
AtoBan Well said. And depending on where you live and the traffic infrastructure thereof, a cheap budget fork is WAY better than a rigid even (or especially) on the tarmac. Potholes and crude patches are a thing, people!
@@anomien6346 maybe they don't oil or clean the stanchions? I have a cheap suspension fork that is almost 15years old but it's still usable because I've cleaned and oiled it always
Excellent points! It's kinda funny seeing how many people heard 'budget bike' and took it personally! :-D One awesome thing I learned about Suntour is that they appearantly have an upgrade program to help riders get into better suspension a bit more affordably. The site says: "This program is designed to allow riders using less than ideal equipment to upgrade to a fork at a higher level than what they currently own and ride, and be purchased at a substantially discounted price from MSRP" They also claim that they are offering the upgrade to riders using forks from other manufactures as well. That will end you being helpful to me in the near future so I figured I would share.
thank you very much! very informative for me. this was my question exactly what is difference between and you answered very well. i wanted to hear no just technical difference but practical feeling riding difference. have a great riding mate!
Private X Neither are roads in Brazil. Either you get a hardtail, ride slow on a rigid, or ride fast on a rigid and risk losing control from how much your front wheel is getting bumped off the ground. Worse if, like me, you're a fat rider and can't run low pressure on the tires for fear of pinch flats. I have a literal no-name budget front fork on my bike, and I love it. It's got just enough travel to help me maintain control.
I agree, this fork should not mounted at all on a mountain bike because are almost a garbage. Better a rigid fork like the MTB in the nineties. Very good video!
Even though most people are not going to be out on the mountain bike trails, I for one welcome the front suspension fork when going up a kerb to get tot the shop.
What carbon seat posts do you recommend or what should I look for? I have an $2,000 XC hardtail carbon frame MTB and I am getting into XC racing. I also like to get out in the trails with friends having fun. I seem to feel every bump in the trail with my alloy seat post.
Are we not going to address that you changed your youtube name? To be a sick biker does not sound very appealing. Or have you gone from being a shybiker to a sick one? That said thanks for the videos!
You mentioned there should be rubber protection over the stanchions. I disagree, because it doesn't allow the fork to go through it's entire travel, and if it does ingest any mud or muck it will keep it in there, hidden from view, which is likely to happen because it's a *budget* fork, so if the seals aren't good chances are that neither will the protection be.
I love my RST Omega, really love that fork absorp the bump from off-road track or even just doing simple 50cm drop off when I ride my bike to work on street, perfect? No it's not perfect at all but with a simple & cheap suspension fork my hand can rest a little bit when riding a rough with infinity pot holes or weekend cross country 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
Keep in mind though people that are with a bike like this are thinking it’s amazing which it is. It is better than a k Mart Walmart bike with a crap suspension fork that won’t compress or won’t lock out
I'm contemplating between a 29er with coil sping and a 27.5er with air spring. Is it cheaper to get a new fork or new rims and tires next year? I'm thinking the former.
I do off road riding as a member of a club and I've only got a basic hybrid bike with no suspension and road tyres. It copes with everything and is light weight. Also it gives the minimum rolling resistance. I find the full suspension bikes with huge tyres hard work to ride.
I have a 450 giant and a 1500 giant. both hardtails. personally, I don't see that drastic of a difference. yes it's more mechanically sound, but in terms of riding trails, I am able to get to the end point on both bikes with very little time difference
i still have a Sr suntour on my GT and 2 years later works well..Why buy a Air fork who need maintencen every 1 month? Sr suntour, Aluminium, Shimano Acera for life
gfrp I run a med range Manitou coil fork. Although you definitely do not need to perform maintenance every one month. It's more like 6 months where you check the seals and replace around 1 year. SR suntour forks are garbage, they shouldn't be called forks, they should be called pogo sticks.
But will adding a cheap fork at the softest settings prevent the front wheel hub e-bike spokes from bending less or at all vs the straight aluminum thin fork it came with? I'm on 700c.
Seems a lot of people don't agree but I think you're exactly right. A beginner or slow rider simply does not need a fork. They should buy something with a rigid fork which will be lighter, cheaper and likely have better components if priced equally to a model with a cheap fork. A cheap fork is super heavy (seriously, hold a SR Suntour XCR in one hand and a Fox 32 in the other, over 1kg of difference). Furthermore, a cheap fork will perform poorly with no rebound damping and is very likely to perform sub optimally very quickly after purchase as they have no oil lubrication of the internals and are susceptible to bone dry wiper seals. A cheap fork serves no use. They're made to look like the real deal but they're really nothing close. If you are going to buy a fork, buy a used Fox 32 or Rockshox Gold, for example. Then change the oil in the lower legs for peace of mind and put some fork butter on the wiper seals. In conclusion, a fork is probably the best example of a component that you should spend money on. Either make it properly, or don't make it at all.
Thank you for an instructive video! I bought a bike with a Suntour xcm a year ago as a beginner, and now (riding harder trails) I experience the issues you talk about, especially the rebound problem. Since the bike otherwise works well I now plan to upgrade to an air suspension fork.
i replaced the xcm on my ebike (actually currently in the middle of a big rebuild still waiting on parts) with a relatively cheap pneumatic fork (160 dollars) and i have no intention of ever going onto a bike trail, or taking any jumps, or anything like that. with the pneumatic i can actually adjust my suspension and make riding on a street at 30-40mph smooth. the primary problem with cheap suspension that come with cheap bikes is that there is very little adjustment. they are horrible for sport bike use because they just aren't made for that (will literally break in half on a jump), but they also seem to not be made for commuter bike use because you can't adjust anything useful.
You have a brand new mountain bikers subscriber love your quality in your videos I've learned a few things so I can put something towards my vlog thank you very much
I have found the Sr Suntour forks do have damping after riding in the rain and the water pools into the bottom of the 10 pound fork :) (the sr suntour was the same weight as a Marzocchi 66 fork) Good video!
i wish i have seen this video earlier, i am 84 kilos and i got a budget, 250$ mtb with non adjustable, non locking, front suspension... i can now feel everything in the road and my hands are taking the strain a lot,.. is it easy to convert to solid?
Well I've been dirt jumping and riding street with the exact forks you were showing in the video and it's been going fine. Still, gonna try getting some fox 34's
thanks for the info i just bought a budget bike for fun and while my full giant reign is in the shop. the cheap fork really is like a pogo stick bit of a harsh ride
I'm overhauling my kids '16 Cube Aim fork: a Suntour SF16 XCT 27.5. I could not believe how heavy it was when I took it out of the frame and removed all parts. And with the way kids use it a lot of water and other crap seeped into it. I opened it and it was a mess. Rusted, dirt, etc. No complaints about entry/cheap forks (used them a lot too) but the durability is an issue. They are not foolproof.
Just got a Trek Marlin 5. It has SR Suntour XCE 28, coil spring. Every time i pull up the fork drops about 1/2 " and i can feel it slam. Is this how all shocks behave ? Im considering to replace the fork with something rigid.
Weight isn't a problem - compared to full suspension bikes. A coil sprung fork isless than a half kilo heavier than an air sprung fork. Pricing is the main factor in choosing a bike. Air forks cost twice as much (or more) than coil forks. Coil forks don't leak air. You don't need a shock pump.
I bought a gt avalanche comp, and it has a suntour xcm 30. And it's not really bad for road and flowy trail ...but I'll be using it for around 6-8 months and then I'll be switching to a decent air fork around $300
a wise man once said: ''the best bike is the bike you have, or the bike you can afford.'' my whole life runs on a budget. So budget fork eez good.
Shimo Fuchi or just save money with rigid forks??
rigid fork is better than this type of forks
@@nextgengaming9367 basically no budget mountain bikes now come with a rigid fork.
Exactly
@Michael H i agree so much
In on fairness somebody buying a budget bike with low end fork wont give 2shits about the weight of the fork, when they are just out for fun on a sunny day.
And its even more exercise if you have to move more weight so win win.
also ridiculous to say beginners should be using a rigid fork. No one would go for a second ride if they tried trail riding with a rigid fork for their first ride because there would be so much discomfort.
Richard Cornish back in the day i used to RACE a mountain bike without any suspension. Pretty damn fun and effective. Still love ciclocross bikes also.
A bad suspension is way worse than no suspension.
mic01 ooo
That's so true
That is not a cheap fork. You should have used a properly cheap fork. One of those that cannot be maintained,taken apart. Those are the real garbage. This is a fine entry level fork. There are much worse things out there.
I agree, I rode the Suntor XCM for three years and liked it. Very easy to maintain and service. You can also replace the coil spring with a softer or more firm one, Suntour makes both options. I agree that it is heavy though, which was the reason I replaced it eventually.
I've tried a Suntour XCM but found I got a smoother ride on a pogo stick. I'd rather be rigid than be equipped with a coil sprung fork. That said, Suntour XCR 32 Air forks are good value! Rebound dampening is incredibly important for me with suspension forks, more so than the suspension itself.
if the choose is a sub$350 fork or a rigid fork. i'd rather have the rigid. its more reliable and predictable and mostly maintenance free.
When Walmart finally makes it to Poland, he should re-do this video with an actual cheap fork. The Suntour fork on this bike alone is probably the same cost as an entire Walmart bike.
Gyengye Gabor you couldn't be more right. I have this fork on my bike and I'm just a casual rider and it is a great fork for my riding skill. Getting a mountain bike with a high end fork is going to cost at least $1500 if not more which is out of the price range of all but the serious riders.
Lessons learned:
1. You don't need a fork because you're not hardcore enough with your casual riding.
2. You need a 600 dollar fork because you're too hardcore and you'll give up if your fork weighs an extra 2 pounds.
--- WHAT??
You just sound like you're trying to justify why your fork costs more than my whole bike?
Lessons I would teach: A cheap fork can significantly reduce vibration and roughness, even get you out of trouble if you have less than perfect technique, making your weekend ride that much more enjoyable. Your skill level will limit your riding more than your bicycle fork for all but the most enthusiastic of riders, and when you get to that point you'll know it. ENJOY YOUR CHEAP FORK AND GET OUT AND RIDE!!!
j.1👍Exactly.well said
J I
J My 1st fork: 1998 Rockshox Judy SL (high end)
My 2nd fork: 1999 Manitou sx carbon (high end)
My 3rd fork: 2006 Rockshox Judy J2 (entry level)
My 4th and last fork: 2008 SR Suntour XCM (entry level)
10 years since then and still fine
:)
if your going to mountain bike the point is it's going to be hard but fun. it can't be fun if all your doing is buying the cheapest parts.
i ment the most expensive parts. :)
I have a suntour xct, a really cheap fork. 26er, cheap disc brakes that are not very powerful. I am 54 years old, 6'3" , 215 lbs and have a 22 in Diamondback frame. Some air in the tires and lube on the chain... life is good
I love riding that bike. I don't want to get off after I start riding. Old guys like simple.
ratoneJR
Younger dudes like simple too. I'm just 27 and have a pretty much equivalent setup to yours, except with v-brakes. I use it to commute to work and back every day in a route with a few rain-gutted dirt roads, and it works amazing. I can spin on my baby pretty much forever, and leave many fancy 29er pedalmashers in lycra and jersey eating dust.
I like heavy front forks so it don't rare up going up a hill.
I'm a 18 years old and I like cycling even though there's no trails near in our area I still do it as an exercise. My frame on my bike is an old Schwinn frontier 650 bought 10 years ago along with WTB tires which still function perfectly and also my newly bought suntour XCM bought for about $65. I live here in Philippines which doesn't offer a lot of trails for bikers.
I'm 6'2"/ 50/ 220 and ride a 2011 MONGOOSE tyax elite 21" with a suntour xcmLO suspension fork ,I love it.
I have the same fork on a Claud Butler Stone River 26" bike made in 2009! I bought it used off Gumtree. I have taken the bike to Wyre Forest, Peak District, Malvern, Cannock Chase. It has been on very harsh and bumpy trails and I can hear the suspension really struggling. Yet the bike lives. No issues with the suspension whatsoever, it functions as it always did!
This is not a cheap coil fork, it's an entry level fork. It is designed to increase confort, not to go faster, and for a beginner this is the best solution possible to get confident with rough trails at low speed. And also this suspensions don't need maintenance
All suspensions need maintenance, including this one.
you will be doing a lot of maintenance on this suspension fork if you ride in the cold xD or else itll become a rigid one with the extra weight of the suspension and frozen oil xD
Yes it would be nice if we all could buy brand name components. But the reality is regular people buy what they can afford, not what they want. Many bicycle you tubers are out of touch with reality. They review bikes that are simply beyond the reach of normal folks. Drooling over the latest tech is nice for a while. But how is that relatable to week end warriors and enthusiasts.
Sitou Dien completely agree with you!!
I would rather have rigid forks than cheapo suspension forks.
You can get older marzocchi dual crown forks pretty cheap, but they are *not* rubbish.
Always buy an older second hand professional grade item rather than a new cheapo item.
Also, a rigid fork will work great, and will weigh very little.
Ahh shut up, lay off the alcohol, cigarettes, junkfood, etc and other bad habits poor people generally have and you'll afford the more expensive stuff in no time.
Rigid forks are cheap
bigballer wow.
sorry but you're wrong. I'd rather have a “lower end fork" than no fork. I have a Giant Rincon that had a Suntour XCM fork that I did a 20km race through challenging single track... oh yeah I'm physically fit too. I don't just ride easy trails. I recently upgraded that fork to a Rock Shox TK Silver 30 and I am okay with a coil shock. I can't afford an expensive air shock. My theory is use what you can afford and be grateful for what you have.
Matthew Brocke i stopped at "20k". it's raining outside and i just did 50k in a full rigid bike (i have alot of forest around my house). i also do road and cx and never needed any kind of suspension. the only "suspension" i want to get is a seatpost. very usefull in mtb.
what's your point?? some bikers want suspension, some don't. what did you mean 'I stopped at 20km?' I do more than 20km, but last year was my first mountain bike race. My point was that he was a bit arrogant in what he said in regards to cheaper suspension forks. People buy what they can afford. I'm on a budget and save up (sometimes for months) for upgrades but I still love to bike. I'm proud of my bikes cause I bought what I could afford and used what I've been blessed with.
If you are on a tight budget then no suspension is the best way to go. Cheaper, no maintenece and alot more durable. Now, if you think you need a suspension in order to ride 20k, you probably don't have enough skill. And most people say that suspension is mandatory when it's them that never rode a full rigid.
My bikes also have some upgrades, but a suspension fork would be the last thing i'd change. A dropper post, better wheels, converting from 1x7 to a 1x10 drivetrain, a lighter and larger riser bar, some light one finger brakes, a shorter stem...
Whatever dude. You don't know me or the skill I have. I prefer suspension over a full rigid, you're the opposite and that is cool. Don't dis someone cause you don't agree with them. I live in New Brunswick, Canada where we have a lot of mountainous and hilly terrain with a lot of rocks and roots. The place I rode my 20km was in Elgin, NB and like I said it was my first ever mountain bike race.
This guys just mad cuz he spent 1000 pound on rock shox and now realises there’s no difference
EXACTLY
You will recognise air spring immediately
😂😂
I own a bike that has a Suntor XCT fork with lockout. I actually like it. Personally I think the real cheap forks are the ones that come from department stores. No pre-load, no adjustment, no lockout... pure garbage. I'm by no means a hardcore rider, nor do I claim to be. Personally buying a full suspension/front suspension bike from a bike shop is 100 times better than buying a pile of junk from Walmart. Yes, I do agree that the XCT/XCM is not the greatest of forks out there, but it's defiantly better than what is offered at a department store. It's a great entry level fork. Just don't do anything stupid on it and ride with care. You'll be fine.
Happy Trails!
exactly, the XCT/XCM forks are not great, but not terrible, if you can manage to get a XCR 32 in your budget it is actually a pretty decent fork for the price, coil, but has a lockout, preload and rebound adjustment
I think 99% of people would prefer cheap suspension over ridged forks
anybody with a brain on the matter would take the rigid fork over a cheap susp fork. the RST or what ever brand will fail in about 2 years of actual offroad use. and most people won't drop the cost of the bike almost to add a NEW quality fork. rigid saves about 3x the weight and is solid and predicable.
because people are clueless, if you are a sunday rider and you don't hit hard trails, and lets be honest most mountainbike users NEVER do, you are better off with a rigid fork.
or another way to put it; if the sus-forks are on a $400stock bike, they are for looks only! many even have warning stickers about off-road use.
you can hit a hole and regret not having any suspension
@@MaximumEfficiency don't hit the hole, then. I ride a fully rigid bike on real trails and you just have to pick smooth lines. I would rather my rigid fork than a pogo stick.
Heavy cheap fork is better than nothing. Please come and ride a rigid bike here in south africa on a beginners trail and then we will see you change your pitch. Damn elitists
You have bikes in africa?
They're all stolen.
Bikes? oh i thought this video was about riding lions...
Ps, have you heard of Greg Minnaar?The guy with 20 world cup career victories? Jip his is a South African...
dontbothermewithchannels the way you speak proves that you are 100% Ignorant
I've actually been pretty impressed with the level of budget coil forks these days. When I was younger I had a bike with one and it really was a pogo stick.... Now a lot of oem forks have coil strength tuned to the bike size, and at least some sort of real rebound damping (even if you can't tune it). For sure, more money gets you a way nicer fork, and even budget air forks are way nicer. All I am saying is that in my experience, the newer oem forks at bike shop level, like the suntour xcm and xcr actually feel pretty good.
This is obviously an outdated video, but I have some thoughts. My Trek Marlin 5 came with an SR SunTour coil fork like many entry level mountain bikes. I rode it hard for three years, working all the way up to black diamonds (Helena, Montana, USA... These are some pretty extreme trails). Also, let's set the scene: I moved to Helena, found a huge and amazing mountain bike community, and bought a bike to ride.
The fork? It's fine.... Ish. I agree with other commenters that my fork for my 112 Kilos is the same as the little kid on the same bike. No good. But I think my favorite thing about it is, I've completely taken it apart and rebuilt it a couple times. It gave me the confidence to work on a fork.
I've now owned a Polygon Sisku T8 for a few months with a Fox 34 (IT'S AWESOME!) And I've worked on it already too. The SunTour fork really got me into the sport well. My Fox 34 costs more than my entire Marlin 5 did at the time. Without the SunTour, I wouldn't be a mountain biker.
I don't get the point of this video. it's like saying your samsung J1 budget phone is no good, you need a galaxy s8 when all you really need is a phone to make calls, SMS do some light gaming and Facebook. this is why some beginners get turned off at cycling because of know it all people that forgot how it was to start out.
The point is not between J1 and galaxy s8, but was : hey try the nokia nokia 1100 instead. There are a lot of places where a rigid bike will be prefered(or i will prefer it any way): around town, in the park.
@@ivonakis A Nokia 1100 is not a smart phone, in the same way that a rigid fork has no impact absorption. The video uploader is just feeding his ego by making this video.
I went to the trail with my used budget bike that I bought for $75 bucks and got a good exercise had a cr ap-load of fun. if your not a professional racer, then I recommend getting a decent best bang-for-your-buck bike you can enjoy for a few years
Budget bikes designed for beginers. I think this bike and the fork is wery good if you want to begin MTB. With a rigid fork the bike won't be comfortable. This fork is designed to block vibration and bumps.If someone is not a beginer, he or she will buy a different model.
However if we go back about 10 years, this bike is maybe on the top of the range. Locout fork, disc brakes etc...
Theoretical Cyclist I used a hi-ten steel bike with rigid forks as a beginner.
At least rigid forks are rigid.
Theoretical Cyclist if a rigid bike isn't confortable, you're doin it wrong. use your arms and legs to pump the bike on rough terrain. if you can't do it, there's no reason to buy a suspension bike.
Johnny Wolf A bike with a suspension fork is more comfortable as a rigid one. This is the main feature of a suspension fork, to make the riding more comfortable. And that is why the rigid bike is less comfortable as the suspension one.
Theoretical Cyclist for a guy with "theoretical" in the name you really don't know much about theory or pratice. suspension is usefull when doing enduro or downhill, not for "casual" rides. i do xc, cx and road, and never felt the need for a suspension. if anything, riding without one made me a better rider. try getting a fatter tyre, its a way better solution if you need absorsion.
Johnny Wolf You may try a suspension bike. I think it will make you faster. And after that you won't talk bullshit about suspensions. Or you can live in the stone age and ride on boneshakers. I ride on a rigid gravelbike, but I used a several rigid bikes and I know the difference.
I have a budget MTB that runs on similar forks like these. 3 years and 7000km later, they still work fine. Done a dozen or more trails. Got them serviced just once for around $30. I rode a hybrid with a rigid fork for a week and ended up with vertigo. My doctor told me that it was likely due to the constant shocks that were going to my neck and shoulders. I would never trade my budget forks for no forks, if anything they are great value both money and health wise.
Totally disagree with the first point, that it is useless. It isn't useless, it takes some bumps and soaks in which a rigid fork won't. If someone doesn't want a rigid fork, buying a rigid fork is bad advice as it just puts everything on the rider. All the bumps are felt to the rider's hands and arms which would make it really awful for leisure riders. A coil suspension fork would cushion those bumps and they do work, not as good as the air forks but they still work for the budget.
v1d300 not only are they unstable, they also require alot of man work. so called "leizure" riders are like 90% of car owners : they don't know shit about fixing. it's easier to learn the skills to soak the bumps instead of buying a new fork every 500km. you'll need the skills in a hardtail or an fs anyway.
I bought a 15dollar suspension fork yesterday.. meeeen ,,better a hard ass coil fork than a rigid fork
I have been MTB for 10+ year's with a relatively cheap bike w/cheap fork as you would call it & it's still going strong w/none of the issues you describe...even if it did I don't think it really matters as long as your enjoying the bike
#I❤mycheapbike🚵
"...they are usually not so fitt" [...] 1 kg less will be much better for my wife..."
You will have to sleep on couch this month ;D
I have this fork and I have a budget bike (Raleight Talus 5.0 - 2011), and let me tell you, the first problem is not quite a problem, because 1 kg more when you are not the type of cyclist who are racing all the time does not matter. I just get used to the weight of my bike, my equipment and my own weight and train that way. For me, this budget fork it's better than nothing at all.
The other disadvantages may be true, but getting used to how your bike works can be solved a little.
Sorry for my bad english. Nice video btw.
Wife and I have Marlin 6 with suntour forks. They get us out and having fun on both on road and off road scenarios. Were not interested in going fast, or racing, but just enjoying the outdoors. In my opinion there great for that, fresh air, good ride, and good value.
There is a lot of flex with budget forks & 29" wheels but I would say starting at lower range bike & working way up has made me a better rider & some riders have all the gear & no idea.
Well, as a mtber who jumps on a daily basis, we say starting on a low end Hardtail is essential to learn to jump right, and kind of also a right of passage
I got a 2001 marzocchi bomber air fork with 80mm of travel and I just overhauled it. Going strong for 16 yrs now! It has magnesium uppers too :)
I would recommend the XCR, as it has magnesium lowers and also rebound adjustment!
How much is it USD
I have xct what's that?
@@alexpopescu3696 not sure u gotta check online
@@tbertram88 it's x3 better than xct
What abt xcm
I have the XCM34 for my cube e-bike and trust me it rides perfectly even on red sticker trails that are very technical and challenging.
I've been riding on a budged KTM with XCM 100's for about 8 years and never had a problem with those forks. You said the people who buy budged bikes don't even need forks, but why? I bought a cheap bike and use it almost entirely on a very rough terrain. Of course I wanted a bike with full suspension but those start at like 1.5-2k, so if I don't have enough money to buy a bike with "proper forks", that means I don't even need forks?! I really enjoy riding downhill but I can't afford something that expensive. Then you talk about bodyweight: "a lot of riders weigh 100kg"?! Average bodyweight is around 75kg and as some others have mentioned, you can still replace the springs with stiffer ones and if you won't ride "hard", you don't even have to do that. At 81kgs I don't have any problems with my "budget bike". Next thing: weight of the forks - cycling / mountain biking is a sport, in other words: physical activity and if you're not prepared to work then rather stay at home and watch TV. If a 100kg guy struggles with bike that's 15kg, instead of 13kg, then I think it's obvious why he weighs 100kg - and it's certainly not due to his muscle mass. When I started biking more seriously I was at 70kgs, with an all steel bike that weighed 18kgs, and everytime I wanted to go downhill, I had to first cycle up hill. I never used any lifts or a car to get to the top of the track but I was still able to do it and if someone at 80 or 100kgs can't handle a bit heavier bike, then maybe they picked up a wrong type of sport. And I'm not hating on you or your video, I'm just expressing my opinions. Have a nice day!
That is me all the way.
I'm an idiot for thinking there would be useful advice in this vid
Yes
Y1AN1
Make that two idiots.
Make that 3
it aint Walmart, so don't wine about it
You want some chess with that whine?
Aaron Brand wow, now that I know how to spell things after 2 years, looking back on this comment makes me feel a bit dumb lmao
A_Gill_Be_Fishy all in good fun! Hopefully it’s good for a laugh.
He's right about those forks because I had one and it snapped in half while I was riding. I would recommend replacing it with a Markhor Manitou air fork. What a difference !
I have a SR RAIDON, and I think is the best option for low price and his benefits (air, rebound, 32mm, aluminium components) the only problem with mine is after 2 years have a little movement between bottles and stanches
so what buying a gravel road bike is more ideal for beginners
I am 55 and have been riding my Bianchi hybrid for 30 years everywhere - far and wide, hill and dale, road and trail. I am ready for suspension even if it's cheap.
Lughnerson No it will make you a weak old man if you give in. You will come to rely on it and your bones will become weak.
@@michaelcondrey3510 yeah continue use rigid on your slowly weakening bones as you age
This looks like an older version of my set up. Marin Bobcat trail3, from 2019. I've been trying to destroy it on Galbraith near Bellingham, WA. I just had the bottom bracket and rear tire replaced, but the forks are solid and usually help me stay upright on the trail. I'm not using it on big jumps (I don't do them and don't want to). For climbing and single track it's a great setup.
I will look into getting something lighter and with rebound, as the budget allows. Thanks for the info!
I have a 9 year old cross country dual suspension and it uses a coil suspension fork with variable adjust height. I haven't done maintenance on it since purchasing the bike stock and the rebound and adjustments work just fine. Even my shock for the real by fox runs smoothly without a service. Air forks are just lighter and offer a more precise adjustment.
The first MTB I bought as a beginner was a hardtail with a Rockshox coil fork. I still have that bike and I don't regret buying the bike nor the fork mainly because they coil forks are more maintenance free. These days I only use that bike for short trips when visiting the neighbor, short strips of terrain and as a gravel grinder. When I bought the bike I was looking for something that work year in year out without excessive maintenance. Adding some air in the tires, lubing the chain and give that bike a wash now and then is all that is needed. It was a great beginners bike and a sprinting board to get started with the MTB hobby just to see in what direction I wanted to go and what kind of bike suites my style of riding best.
These days I use a rigid Fatbike as the main MTB/adventure bike. For my type of riding I woudn't waste my money on an expensive FS bike mainly because those narrow tires doesn't that work well on sand and wet spongy terrain found in my area and in places where I prefer go.
Sharju sharju.👍I am exactly the same
No, dude, that's just not right. There will hardly ever be a scenario where someone will have available for "testing" a particular bike with both rigid forks and cheap forks - there simply isn't a price incentive for any retailer to do that for you.
The other thing that makes this video pointless is that there almost isn't a good "middle ground" in the market: a nice suspension fork that doesn't cost around us$700 or more. I have a SR Raidon air and it's almost just as bad as a "cheap" coil one.
In my opinion, when it comes to forks, you either have the money to buy a good one (and yes, it IS worth it) or you don't. If you don't, you're definitely stuck in "it's better than nothing" land...
My raidon is not bad at all vs my Rockshox 30 RL Golds. the RS travel better an way much less but the lock out on them really suck vs the raidons and once i realised the raidons work better at 100psi and bellow i actually like them but mine are Gold version.
And despite them not showing the two kinds, there is.. As i own a bike shop and i've seen the two versions.
The Bizango (Halfords) some times come with the cheaper chrome stachions and they are marked Raidon and that version is awful over the gold stanchions.
scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/16463574_10210944267579272_898990770810077216_o.jpg?oh=9bedf9559e870aaa2bd2d9e523b14429&oe=59254459
Ip Har however, you can get a top-end '90s fork for peanuts, and those can be pretty good. Manitou/marzocchi/pace are all decent forks. Buy a lightly used one, strip & rebuild, can be good as new.
all 90s forks are 26ers though.
A rigid with the widest tyres your frame/fork can fit does really well on anything that isn't TOO gnarly. better in my opinion than a crappy 80mm travel 3kg fork
The specialized roll with a set of mtb bars and a set of xc tires is a fantastic rig. Highly recommend it, especially with the microshift advent clutch drivetrain. Punches way above its weight as an off road vehicle while remaining an extremely comfy commuter.
True. I have a Voodoo Soukri that was 400. (In a good budget) and my coil spring from the inside of my Santour suspension completely popped out in the process of a bike jump track. I later put in some old Rock Shox that I had laying around and they work great ^^
the reason budget bikes have suspension forks is because most mountain bikers start riding on trails with the same bike they started with, i have a $500 bike that has a fork and i am riding black diamond trails because i don't have the budget to get a new bike and if it didn't have suspension it would limit me even more than it already is
There's a difference in having the skill to push the bike to its limits and a casual rider. That fork wouldn't last a day with me(DH). For beginners going wider tire and tubeless would be much better choice.
hey just because u have money and can afford an expensive bike and fork doesn't mean that we, who can only can afford a budget bike are fat and un fit, and don't ride anything that needs suspension. I kick the trails and hit as many technicals as I can. sorry I'm a hard working middle class citizen
Yeah, I embrace my brokenness and tell myself that when I can afford a lighter fork I will be in better shape for running the extra weight. But they make me hold back from fear of advancing beyond their capabilities and hurting myself. But...suntour does have an upgrade program which I would love to take advantage of..ups and downs of getting into mtbiking I suppose
I have a SunTour SF17 Coil fork on my trekking bike. I will never go back to my old bike that had a fixed one. The ride comfort is 10 times better, I don't have my wrists hurting anymore on long roads.
i have the exact same fork from my new bike that i got it 4 days ago... so far so good for me for city/urban riding.. havnt tried offroad yet..
its a suspension fork. don't deture people from these they are a LOT better than nothing at all. some people just want a causal riding bike without breaking the bank.
True👍
Yeah but you see the clue is in the name 'cheap' they obviously not going to be the best are they, they are designed for beginners on a budget, and i'd much rather ride a cheap fork than a rigid.
It seems like for a lot of bicycle "elitists", any fork that is less than $500 is cheap.
Damm i rode bmx fake Chinese full sus bike KTM hard tail with front shock that costs only 35 dolars ! They have lock ablitlity and even poor daming rigid all in same trail they are fairly poor 2.5km trails and the how much i enjoyed KTM is just ahh cant be told meanhile i fealed every bigger bump with rigid or bmx there are some good cheap forks guyd ...
I figured out that the Suntour XCM fork works best if I quickly swap it with a RS Reba before going on a ride. Works like magic, always! :)
I agree with all of this. I just bought my wife a bike with an SR Suntour fork. It's nothing like my fox fork. I spent $450 on a bikes direct bike rather than buying her another junk bike from Walmart. The SR Suntour fork does seem to work way better than anything at Walmart. The bike is a little heavy, but I was able to order it with shimano hydraulic disc brakes, and sram drivetrain. Seems like a reasonable compromise over all. I might have gotten her a non suspension mountain bike if I had seen any, but they all seem to have some kind of suspension, and I thought it might smooth out the ride a little for her.
Recreational Riders Do Not Care About Weight.
It seems like almost all reviewers think everyone races competitively.
I love how he imagines the user of the budget bike as an overweight unfit user lol
thank you for taking the time to go through all that
with a little elbow grease and some wherewithal you can either change out the coils, or even add in some spacers to try and tune the front suspension if there are no compression or rebound adjustments. absolutely entry-level forks, are just that. I think in a lot of ways it is a selling point for the beginner or casual mountain bike rider.
Guess what! Not everybody can afford expensive bike, fork and parts in general. People should start from somewhere. I have XCR 32 120mm and it works fine for now and for me. I just have clean it and lube it. I can`t afford fork for 1/2 or 2/3 cost of my whole bike. When I get money, I will buy a better buy with air fork. And I still will try myself on a race. You just need to know how to ride and develop your skills.
Petar Nikolov Dude Xcr 32 is a nice fork....it's better than rockshox entry level
Solid fork is nice if you dont have very fast and difficult trails. Makes even small rocks just so much more fun!
Chuck Norris I know what you mean. It's hella fun yeah....but then there's the pain in the wrist 😂 .
On the first day riding a rigid fork mtb I felt as if I'm riding a 26 inch bmx bike 😅
Thanks for the video. You are a good presenter. I found that really useful. Yes I may have to keep my budget 20 year old Marin fork, if I can get it to actually move again. One of the disadvantages. It has ceased up. But at least I now know what the limitations are. Many thanks.
I have Budget fork that came out with my Cannondale F7. Its RST Gila Pro T8, its an aluminum coil fork, so heavy, but its so stiff and durable. But im so happy because i upgraded my fork into Rockshox SID, and cant wait to arrive this wednesday.
This is a proper decent fork. I rode it for 2 years, lovely and reliable. im now running rock sox Air solo its much better, but it costs nearly triple of this one. I would recomment these suntour xcm xct and xcr forks all day for recreational woods rides all day.
How a fork can be useless? I mean, people who wants to be able to get out of the asphalt will need a fork. This is actually a pretty good one. I think you have quiet high stadards and I'm sincerely, truly happy for you. But ATM, most people can't afford a 1500$ bike. Your video is interesting because it points out what are the differences between a low price XC and a high quality one. But it's a bit annoying i that you seem to have a patronizing point of view about those bikes. They are really great. I'm happy that some companies are trying to give the best bikes for the lowest price, and may be you should be too.
AtoBan
Well said. And depending on where you live and the traffic infrastructure thereof, a cheap budget fork is WAY better than a rigid even (or especially) on the tarmac. Potholes and crude patches are a thing, people!
Tons of my friend got cheap bikes with these forks and they all have problems
@@anomien6346 maybe they don't oil or clean the stanchions? I have a cheap suspension fork that is almost 15years old but it's still usable because I've cleaned and oiled it always
Top 10 Everything they do clean it and oil on a good fork only needs to be done yearly
Excellent points! It's kinda funny seeing how many people heard 'budget bike' and took it personally! :-D
One awesome thing I learned about Suntour is that they appearantly have an upgrade program to help riders get into better suspension a bit more affordably. The site says:
"This program is designed to allow riders using less than ideal equipment to upgrade to a fork at a higher level than what they currently own and ride, and be purchased at a substantially discounted price from MSRP"
They also claim that they are offering the upgrade to riders using forks from other manufactures as well.
That will end you being helpful to me in the near future so I figured I would share.
thank you very much! very informative for me. this was my question exactly what is difference between and you answered very well. i wanted to hear no just technical difference but practical feeling riding difference. have a great riding mate!
yeah they put cheap suspension forks, better to have a fully rigid, but you can't get one....
WaveRiderMusic btwin rockrider 300. full rigid for 120 bucks in decathlon.
Our roads here in Philippines are just not designed for rigid forks.
yep
Private X
Neither are roads in Brazil. Either you get a hardtail, ride slow on a rigid, or ride fast on a rigid and risk losing control from how much your front wheel is getting bumped off the ground. Worse if, like me, you're a fat rider and can't run low pressure on the tires for fear of pinch flats.
I have a literal no-name budget front fork on my bike, and I love it. It's got just enough travel to help me maintain control.
Riding on the roads in the Philippines on a rigid MTB is fun as long as you can handle it.
Same in spain
What about the RockShox XC32 G2?
Any good?
Came with my Trek Mamba 2013 Gary Fisher Edition.
Is that a good bike?
I agree, this fork should not mounted at all on a mountain bike because are almost a garbage. Better a rigid fork like the MTB in the nineties. Very good video!
But some people are broke do you have any advice for them
get a job, lazy bum
@@japacapa what if they are underage???
Heavy means bombproof
Even though most people are not going to be out on the mountain bike trails, I for one welcome the front suspension fork when going up a kerb to get tot the shop.
What carbon seat posts do you recommend or what should I look for? I have an $2,000 XC hardtail carbon frame MTB and I am getting into XC racing. I also like to get out in the trails with friends having fun. I seem to feel every bump in the trail with my alloy seat post.
oh my "the weight" lmao 😂 i would give no shits what it weighs anyways more weight stronger you get...
Are we not going to address that you changed your youtube name? To be a sick biker does not sound very appealing. Or have you gone from being a shybiker to a sick one? That said thanks for the videos!
He's sick all the time. Some slang is just lame.
You mentioned there should be rubber protection over the stanchions. I disagree, because it doesn't allow the fork to go through it's entire travel, and if it does ingest any mud or muck it will keep it in there, hidden from view, which is likely to happen because it's a *budget* fork, so if the seals aren't good chances are that neither will the protection be.
I love my RST Omega, really love that fork absorp the bump from off-road track or even just doing simple 50cm drop off when I ride my bike to work on street, perfect? No it's not perfect at all but with a simple & cheap suspension fork my hand can rest a little bit when riding a rough with infinity pot holes or weekend cross country 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
Keep in mind though people that are with a bike like this are thinking it’s amazing which it is. It is better than a k Mart Walmart bike with a crap suspension fork that won’t compress or won’t lock out
His trek shorts are more expensive then the bike
I'm contemplating between a 29er with coil sping and a 27.5er with air spring. Is it cheaper to get a new fork or new rims and tires next year? I'm thinking the former.
I do off road riding as a member of a club and I've only got a basic hybrid bike with no suspension and road tyres. It copes with everything and is light weight. Also it gives the minimum rolling resistance. I find the full suspension bikes with huge tyres hard work to ride.
To be honest I found this video a complete waste of time. You didn't make any valid reasons as to why these forks are bad. It's great for a beginner.
I think you mean dampening and not rebound.
I'm using Suntour xct for even 3 years and I don't have any problem. Btw I'm riding downhill from time to time. Suspension really works good job😏
I have a 450 giant and a 1500 giant. both hardtails. personally, I don't see that drastic of a difference. yes it's more mechanically sound, but in terms of riding trails, I am able to get to the end point on both bikes with very little time difference
i still have a Sr suntour on my GT and 2 years later works well..Why buy a Air fork who need maintencen every 1 month? Sr suntour, Aluminium, Shimano Acera for life
gfrp I run a med range Manitou coil fork. Although you definitely do not need to perform maintenance every one month. It's more like 6 months where you check the seals and replace around 1 year. SR suntour forks are garbage, they shouldn't be called forks, they should be called pogo sticks.
gfrp try riding a bike with a rockshox pike or fox 36 then try to compare it with the suntour again. you will know why we want an air fork.
suntour makes good forks too
eEt4s Sure they do, their higher end air forks are decent although I've never ridden one, so take it with a pinch of salt.
gfrp it is recommended on both shitty forks and high end forks to perform monthly maintenance but no one bothers with either
Considering how hard this stuff is to compress its bearly useless on the trails, and having a lockout on it is so much useless as well !
Yes. It´s purpose is more to look good rather then work well.
But will adding a cheap fork at the softest settings prevent the front wheel hub e-bike spokes from bending less or at all vs the straight aluminum thin fork it came with? I'm on 700c.
Seems a lot of people don't agree but I think you're exactly right. A beginner or slow rider simply does not need a fork. They should buy something with a rigid fork which will be lighter, cheaper and likely have better components if priced equally to a model with a cheap fork.
A cheap fork is super heavy (seriously, hold a SR Suntour XCR in one hand and a Fox 32 in the other, over 1kg of difference).
Furthermore, a cheap fork will perform poorly with no rebound damping and is very likely to perform sub optimally very quickly after purchase as they have no oil lubrication of the internals and are susceptible to bone dry wiper seals.
A cheap fork serves no use. They're made to look like the real deal but they're really nothing close. If you are going to buy a fork, buy a used Fox 32 or Rockshox Gold, for example. Then change the oil in the lower legs for peace of mind and put some fork butter on the wiper seals.
In conclusion, a fork is probably the best example of a component that you should spend money on. Either make it properly, or don't make it at all.
Got to love elitists.
Thank you for an instructive video! I bought a bike with a Suntour xcm a year ago as a beginner, and now (riding harder trails) I experience the issues you talk about, especially the rebound problem. Since the bike otherwise works well I now plan to upgrade to an air suspension fork.
i replaced the xcm on my ebike (actually currently in the middle of a big rebuild still waiting on parts) with a relatively cheap pneumatic fork (160 dollars) and i have no intention of ever going onto a bike trail, or taking any jumps, or anything like that. with the pneumatic i can actually adjust my suspension and make riding on a street at 30-40mph smooth. the primary problem with cheap suspension that come with cheap bikes is that there is very little adjustment. they are horrible for sport bike use because they just aren't made for that (will literally break in half on a jump), but they also seem to not be made for commuter bike use because you can't adjust anything useful.
I agree with everything you've said + they also bottom out and top out clunck as you lift the front wheel!:)
The only reason I use a mountain bike is because of just how bad the local roads here are.
You have a brand new mountain bikers subscriber love your quality in your videos I've learned a few things so I can put something towards my vlog thank you very much
I have found the Sr Suntour forks do have damping after riding in the rain and the water pools into the bottom of the 10 pound fork :) (the sr suntour was the same weight as a Marzocchi 66 fork) Good video!
i wish i have seen this video earlier, i am 84 kilos and i got a budget, 250$ mtb with non adjustable, non locking, front suspension... i can now feel everything in the road and my hands are taking the strain a lot,..
is it easy to convert to solid?
Well I've been dirt jumping and riding street with the exact forks you were showing in the video and it's been going fine.
Still, gonna try getting some fox 34's
thanks for the info i just bought a budget bike for fun and while my full giant reign is in the shop. the cheap fork really is like a pogo stick bit of a harsh ride
I'm overhauling my kids '16 Cube Aim fork: a Suntour SF16 XCT 27.5. I could not believe how heavy it was when I took it out of the frame and removed all parts. And with the way kids use it a lot of water and other crap seeped into it. I opened it and it was a mess. Rusted, dirt, etc. No complaints about entry/cheap forks (used them a lot too) but the durability is an issue. They are not foolproof.
Just got a Trek Marlin 5. It has SR Suntour XCE 28, coil spring. Every time i pull up the fork drops about
1/2 " and i can feel it slam. Is this how all shocks behave ? Im considering to replace the fork with something rigid.
Weight isn't a problem - compared to full suspension bikes. A coil sprung fork isless than a half kilo heavier than an air sprung fork.
Pricing is the main factor in choosing a bike. Air forks cost twice as much (or more) than coil forks.
Coil forks don't leak air. You don't need a shock pump.
Sweeet thank man! Very informative video, found it relatable to my bike too. :)
I bought a gt avalanche comp, and it has a suntour xcm 30. And it's not really bad for road and flowy trail ...but I'll be using it for around 6-8 months and then I'll be switching to a decent air fork around $300
lots of variation of models of those forks , my XCM has hydraulic lock out and rebound , very different looking seals and works very well .