Girvin crosslinks. What do they look good on and is a disc conversion viable?

[ishaw]

Just bought a set off here. Had a few sets of the carbon ones deviously and regret selling them, one was even nos.

The reason I bought the set on here was that I thought they'd look great on an rts I have. I've had the rear end converted to disc though, and don't want to be weird and run disc rear, v front.

Can they be converted to take a disk brake?

I've done some research and found a few examples of the carbon ones having a disc mount glued on, but not the alu versions.

I'm guessing an adapter bolted to the leg could create a point of failure but I'm no engineer. Could a disc tab be welded on?

While talking about these forks, has anyone used any other shock on them aside from the ods, noleen or risse? I've seen some examples of other shocks but understand that head tube clearance is tight so needs to be slimline.

 

[Aech]

The reason I bought the set on here was that I thought they'd look great on an rts I have. I've had the rear end converted to disc though, and don't want to be weird and run disc rear, v front.

I guess I'm weird then as I ran a rear disc & front V for a couple of years BITD, I always use the rear brake more than the front, especially in slippy conditions I always prefer to drag the rear to moderate speed than risk the front washing out on me.

I've done some research and found a few examples of the carbon ones having a disc mount glued on, but not the alu versions.

I'm guessing an adapter bolted to the leg could create a point of failure but I'm no engineer. Could a disc tab be welded on?

Yes you could weld a tab on but it's aluminium so you'll need a decent welder who knows his stuff and then get the fork heat treated afterwards.

Why not glue an adapter on the aluminium ? That would be my preferred choice, fab up a nice ally bracket welded to a piece of half round tube that's a snug fit around the leg and glue it on. The tube will spread the load over a bigger area and give a larger contact patch for the glue.

Just make sure all the edges of the tube are nicely rounded off where they touch the fork and extend at least 1/2" beyond the tab bracket so there are no sharp edges to create stress points on the fork leg.

 

[rentedmule]

The bolt through the leg would not be the failure point I'd worry about. I was holding a mint set of carbon crosslinks years ago and snapped a leg in half when I applied what seemed like very little force. After that, and observing their propensity to eject riders over the bars, I've stayed away from them.

There are clamp on disk adapters for forks available that locate onto the dropout. May not be as clean as a glue-on install, but maybe you could use one as the base structure to modify for your needs?

https://www.roadbikereview.com/threads/disk-brakes-conversion-possible.366640/

 

[novocaine]

I forgot who it is on here who had new legs made and widened to run as a fat bike.
Do some digging.

 

[markoc]

Steel 90’s GT is what I’ve got planned.

That is, when I finally find my unicorn frame (94 Talera in a colourway that seems to be rarer than rocking horse poo) only found two and one was in the US, the other Japan.

BMX bars, short stem and singlespeed with a girvin fork. Seen a couple from the US and they look fab.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I forgot who it is on here who had new legs made and widened to run as a fat bike.
Do some digging.

Were you thinking about @fguki ? He's the one making and selling the girvin elastomers

 

[novocaine]

Were you thinking about @fguki ? He's the one making and selling the girvin elastomers

Nope.

Turns out it's @yakboy I was trying to remember. It's in here.

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/wot-happened-to-fat-bikes.469092/page-8

 

[yakboy]

Yep that'd be me.. @danson67 's work is still going strong, caliper welded to the front of new fork legs( although I'm sure easy enough to do on existing alloy legs). Dan is the one that would know. Picture of bike loaded up for this weekends #Surly100 down in Gloucester. The forks works a treat ( had the coil shock fully rebuilt...Noleen still do full rebuild kits), the J path gives fantastic small bump sensitivity, didn't realise how much until I got back on my 160mm Enduro monster this weekend for the first time in 20 months and realised just how good the Girvins really are

 

[ishaw]

Sounds promising. @danson67 has a frame of mine and also did the rear disc conversion on my RTS.

I would still be interested to find if any other shocks will fit this fork. Preferably air. I'd also be u for a risse as I can make it match the rear one

 

[yakboy]

Sounds promising. @danson67 has a frame of mine and also did the rear disc conversion on my RTS.

I would still be interested to find if any other shocks will fit this fork. Preferably air. I'd also be u for a risse as I can make it match the rear one

Risse do make an air shock but I have heard that it changes the character of the fork( not for the better) the Noleen NR1 and NR2 shicks really do work well ( if properly serviced), you can buy them new from Noleen still