nicgel
Dirt Disciple
Ok so which models of Marzocchi are reasonably priced and would work say with 60 mm travel?
Suitable Suspension fork for a 1990s Marin Team MTB
- Thread starter nicgel
- Start date
You need to decide : Year - travel - price!
The older Marzocchis have 51mm (air!) travel - lot's of fork models in the 90's. Starting with DH3 you can have 77mm.
After that Bombers with 100mm travel (1996).
You get 1st class rock solid suspension, absolute epic italian design.
If you want it cheap, elastomer or simple coil go to Manitou or RS.
Doesn't mater at all.
joglo
Senior Retro Guru
Hi guys, good discussion and a lot of nice suggestions for good looking and nice working suspension forks.
But it's if I'm not mistaken a Team Marin frame. Not just 1990s, but exactly 1990.
It came with 395mm Rigid fork.
A lot of the discussed forks have 60, 80 or even more mm travel. Those forks are roughly 460-490mm long, to me, much too long and therefore simply not suitable for this frame.
Especially for a Bike which has no suspension fork corrected geometrie at all.
The problem ist not just that the front and bar moves up hand breadth, and the angles change, but with that also the BB gets higher and most importantly the center of gravity move quite a bit up and backwards. "It's a chopper, baby" then.
Not sure if this bike is still fun to ride with such forks.
To be on the safe side, carefully look at the axle to crown height of any fork your considering to find something with maybe <420mm with SAG. Typical early suspension forks like Mag21 had roughly 415mm.
If you want a fork with more travel, use another rather late 90s frame with proper geometrie.
But it's if I'm not mistaken a Team Marin frame. Not just 1990s, but exactly 1990.
It came with 395mm Rigid fork.
A lot of the discussed forks have 60, 80 or even more mm travel. Those forks are roughly 460-490mm long, to me, much too long and therefore simply not suitable for this frame.
Especially for a Bike which has no suspension fork corrected geometrie at all.
The problem ist not just that the front and bar moves up hand breadth, and the angles change, but with that also the BB gets higher and most importantly the center of gravity move quite a bit up and backwards. "It's a chopper, baby" then.
Not sure if this bike is still fun to ride with such forks.
To be on the safe side, carefully look at the axle to crown height of any fork your considering to find something with maybe <420mm with SAG. Typical early suspension forks like Mag21 had roughly 415mm.
If you want a fork with more travel, use another rather late 90s frame with proper geometrie.
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nicgel
Dirt Disciple
Very good advice. I might see if I can find a rigid fork. Does this model's rigid forks vary much with the subsequent models in subsequent years. So I would be ok to use a a 1992 or 1993 fork even though they were made later.
BrushedAluminium
Senior Retro Guru
Sounds like your Marin frame is an early 90s modelswhich suggest the geometry was designed for 390mm axle to crown fork. A ridgid fork of that era would fit well for exmple: Marin ridgid forks.
Suspension forks of that era include manitou 2, Rock Shox mag 21,Pace RC35, Marzocchi XC (short travel)
Suspension forks of that era include manitou 2, Rock Shox mag 21,Pace RC35, Marzocchi XC (short travel)
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BrushedAluminium
Senior Retro Guru
92 /93 fork will work fine anything later will affect the geometry and handling of the bike
nicgel
Dirt Disciple
So what year might this be?
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BrushedAluminium
Senior Retro Guru
looks about right and 11/8th threaded so a good match
