Is fitting suspension forks to a retro MTB a faux pas?

[tintin40]

Personally I find suspension forks on bikes that were either a) not designed to have suspension or b) were around before suspension on mtbs was introduced to be offensive.


If you want suspension, but a modern bike. It works so much better and the bikes are designed to complement this suspension.



Thats just me though.

100% agree. I'd leave your fine vintage DB alone. As they say 'don't fix if not broken' Its a fine bike as it stands. Just ride and enjoy. Part of the fun of 'off rode cycling' is the rough stuff. Stick to the road if want a smooth ride IMO

 

[JeRkY]

Is fitting suspension forks to a retro MTB a faux pas?

well my 93' Explosif is going to be getting a pair of Z-links so no
(although they were an option available on the bike when new and i'll be keeping the P2's as an option.)

 

[al]

Blimey!! Thats rattled a few cages hasnt it?


IMHO, We live in a world that changes far too fast this is the case with bicycle technology. Retro fitting any later technology to an older bike changes the very soul/feel. Its very true to say it makes the bike more usable in some situations but way back when real bikes were being designed they were a tool to do a simpler job in many cases.

All i say is every rider isnt the same as every bike isnt the same, so your riding style will dictate what your bike set up needs to be. Please dont loose sight of one thing.

Enjoy the ride. Its far shorter than you think.
Respect is everything, Cheers, Al

 

[Gonzalez]

What you all have to realise is that Longy is getting a bit longy in the toothy. He likes his home comforts like his 42" plasmay screen, and those comfy shoes with velcro straps you get in the Sunday paper magazines for £5.99. His ol bones are a shakin when we go riding up the knarly paths up our way, cut the ol fella some slack and let him put some nice soft forks on it if he likes :roll:
Longy, just make sure they're luminous - keep it real.

 

[JustKev]

MadCowKev

Ok...will ask Jonnyretro

Cheers

Longy

If Jonny has forks I have a Manitou 1 crown/steerer that will fit your 17" Apex. Yours for free if you PM your address

 

[longendale]

Well guys, looks like i've opened a can of worms here. I'm undecided at the mo, yes, i love the Apex and how it rides but had a thought - what would it be like with suspension forks..?

I appreciate all the comments, on one hand 'keepin it real' appeals and on the other the 'tweaking' part of me would like to improve the ride, if that's possible? So watch this space, i may just end up gettin out there and enjoying it for what it is.....oh, and buy another MTB.

Hey Gonzo, them velcro shoes aint arf comfy and that comode i bought comes in real handy when watchin Antiques Roadshow....!

P.S I ride the gnarly paths...some of us WALK..!

 

[dbmtb]

Plenty of people were running suspension forks in 91.
Original Manitous, Rock shox Mag 20s or Pace Rc35s would all be in the right timescale.

There was even the weird Browning system Marin flirted with!

I started riding around 91 and all the bling bikes at the time had it.

I didn't! (as I was broke!)

Don't stress about it.

 

[steveslow]

My view is that early suspension forks were pretty rubbish. I had Mag10s and RC35s BITD, and they were a world apart from my current RC41s. So it's for that reason I wouldn't put suspension on a retro bike. Modern forks would probably be too long and in any case won't look right.

 

[Russell]

I think that a few people here are forgetting that unlike todays bikes, BITD suspension was an option at purchase. Konas came with P2s or Marzocchis, Orange had a choice of about 5 different forks you could have, When I bought my GT I could choose between the rigids and some Mag 21s. Many manufacturers offered their bikes in rigid or suspension guise.

The reason 'retro-bikes' don't tend to have sussy forks is because at the time, we couldn't afford them; Also, we were suspicious of the extra weight of the forks and their value in enhancing control.

Now, we can afford the forks and we can see the benefits so why not spec your retro frame with a suitably retro pair of suspension forks? As long as the forks and the frame are a similar vintage... who cares?

 

[rumpfy]

I think that a few people here are forgetting that unlike todays bikes, BITD suspension was an option at purchase.

Not when I started riding it wasn't.


BITD, when suspension did become available, we put it on our bikes because it was innovation and suspension corrected geometry wasn't common place yet. It was an aftermarket upgrade, not a factory option. Even then, the suspension worked mediocre at best.

Even still, we're talking 53mm of travel forks that didn't really change the way the bike handled all that much.

Putting 80mm or more travel forks on old bikes, however, is asinine.