skategoat Posted May 9, 2005 Report Share Posted May 9, 2005 I know there are a lot of bike riders here so I thought I'd ask for some advice. My kid has a 17 inch Giant Boulder mtn ridgid frame bike and he's bugging me for new forks with shocks. Never mind that he rides 90% of the time on the street - he "needs" shocks. Knowing zero about mountain bikes, what should I look for in an inexpensive fork? How do I know it fits? What should I ask if I look for one on eBay? BTW, if it matters, the kid weighs 100 lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailertrash Posted May 9, 2005 Report Share Posted May 9, 2005 Honestly I think it would be more cost efficient to buy a new bike. Some frames are not intended for suspension. A suspension fork on some frames can really throw off the handling of the bike. If it is a 17 inch frame it should have an inch 1/8th headtube, but you should either measure that or have it checked out at a bike shop. If the frame is older it may be a one inch headtube. Depending on what size it is will decide what kind of fork you can put on there. Really though I would strongly suggest getting a new bike. You can get a pretty cheap bike (bike shop quality) for a little more than you would pay to put a fork on the existing bike. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skategoat Posted May 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2005 Thanks guys. The bike's not that old. It's a current Giant model and you can buy it with suspension fork or rigid. Same frame, same geometry. I chose rigid since he rides mostly pavement. I'll keep my eye out for a trade-in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted May 9, 2005 Report Share Posted May 9, 2005 http://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?id=11493 Here is a late model Rock Shox. It is a decent fork. Most bikes today have geometry set for suspension forks. Years ago, they did not. You will most likely have to buy light springs for any fork you get (unless it is air sprung). If the fork is oil damped you will most likely have to put lighter weight oil in it or see if the fork will adjust for 100 lbs. Of course, if your son is not that serious (which it sounds like he is not). Throw the fork on as is and do not worry about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest johann Posted May 9, 2005 Report Share Posted May 9, 2005 I'll sell ya a RST Gila Plus T5 for 20$ I believe its disk only. It came on my jumping bike, I'm worried about blowing the shock apart, since i'm 230, and jumping on it is prolly not a good idea. It came off a Mongoose Ritual Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skategoat Posted May 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2005 johann, I'd take it if it had rim brake mounts. Can you confirm? I looked at the specs on your bike and it says dual mounts. http://www.mongoose.com/bikes/detail.php?id=299&brandLine=Pro_International&brandID=48 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest johann Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 email me at johann at spambob.com and I'll double check on that right now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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