# Wow, Rock Shox Dart 2 Forks Are HEAVY!



## getagrip (Mar 26, 2008)

Just got my Rock Shox Dart 2 Forks in today. These things weight a ton! I think they weigh more than my stipped down Trek 820 steel frame! My Shimano Deore rear derailleur also weighs a ton! Seems like a lot of people focus on a lighter frame to lessen the load, so to speak, but I think most of the added weight is the components!


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## opmike (May 23, 2011)

Why did you buy this thing? Generally, when they come stock on a bike, most owners are in a hurry to get it off or are otherwise very dissatisfied with them. It's one thing if it came on your bike from the factory, but I wouldn't ever actually buy one.


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## getagrip (Mar 26, 2008)

I'd say you are wrong unless you have stats from a study to indicate otherwise. Not everyone has $400 to spend on upgraded forks - if you only have say $600 for the ENTIRE bike and the bike comes with Dart forks, you are going to leave them on, which I believe is the case for more people. Furthermore, go check out eBay and see how many people buy these forks. If you have the money for something else, some people may take them off and upgrade, but most people don't have that luxury. For me, I'm sure they will do fine...


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## S_Trek (May 3, 2010)

Yes they are! Btw the D3 isn't that much lighter.


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## sbarnhart (Jun 8, 2011)

You didnt really say anything about this, but a rigid fork weighs ALOT less.They are pretty cheap too.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

The fork probably does weigh more than your frame. Can you return it?

Steel frames are usually 4 lb and change, or maybe 5 lb and change. RockShox claims the Dart 2 at right around 5 lb, or two Surly 1x1 forks, and it's not exactly feature-packed. Now that I've been riding a fork with a platform damper for a few years, I don't think I could ever go back to one without either that, a compression damper, or a tunable lockout, on any bike I had to ride up hill. When I was afraid I couldn't repair it, Plan B was a rigid.


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## savagemann (Jan 14, 2008)

Lets put things into perspective here.
A dart 2 is worlds better than the crap that comes on a $300 bike.
It would be a decent upgrade over a 5-6lbs fork that doesn't even do anything.
Now if you compare it to something like a fox float or similar, it is not even close.
For a cash strapped person building up a bike, it is a decent option, and can at least be serviced/rebuilt unlike alot of the garbage out there.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

I think everybody should ride a rigid fork at least a little bit. People believe they "need" a suspension fork, and settle for some really trashy things. I don't have saddle time on the Dart, and maybe it's an improvement over no suspension. But I'm skeptical.


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## getagrip (Mar 26, 2008)

AndrwSwitch said:


> The fork probably does weigh more than your frame. Can you return it?
> 
> Steel frames are usually 4 lb and change, or maybe 5 lb and change. RockShox claims the Dart 2 at right around 5 lb, or two Surly 1x1 forks, and it's not exactly feature-packed. Now that I've been riding a fork with a platform damper for a few years, I don't think I could ever go back to one without either that, a compression damper, or a tunable lockout, on any bike I had to ride up hill. When I was afraid I couldn't repair it, Plan B was a rigid.


I'm not concerned with the weight - I was just making a general observation. I had a misperception that frames weigh more than they actually do. In fact, for a 30 pound bike, I thought that the frame made up most of the weight on the bike and the components were secondary...I was obviously wrong. :eekster:

I have no doubt that the fork will perform better than any fork I've owned. I've tried my current fork in both lockout mode and suspension mode, and while the lockout "rigid" mode has its advantages, I really like the suspension mode. Its always kind of funny when I approach a pot hole when I'm locked and forget that I'm in lockout mode. I'm reminded of which mode I'm in when I practically get jolted off the bike when I hit the bump! :yikes:


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## brent878 (Apr 17, 2007)

if you want a suprise, try taking your wheels off and weighing them with your tires on. They probably weigh alot more than you think if you thought the frame was heavy.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

For me, the big advantage to riding a rigid fork over a cheap suspension fork is that the rigid fork doesn't twist and flex around, so it tracks really well. Locking out a cheap fork won't make it track well. I also like that a rigid fork is lighter, in a place where it does matter, and doesn't pogo when I climb.

As far as potholes and obstacles are concerned - I don't expect any of my bikes to do the riding for me, suspended or not. I try to be smooth and light, and flow over/around/through obstacles. Much as I hate to admit it, I get more saddle time on road bikes. There's no suspension to unlock, but potholes, curbs, steps, rocks, roots, log-overs and everything else all still exist.


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## mtnbiker72 (Jan 22, 2007)

Lots of SKTM Steel in those forks, to be strong enough for off-road use they need to make the tubes thick. The aluminum lowers are going to be heavier than Magnesium lowers as well.

Given it's going on a Trek 820 (which is almost all Hi-Tensile steel except for one tube and probably weighs at least 6-7 lbs for the frame) weight probably shouldn't be a major concern though.


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## getagrip (Mar 26, 2008)

AndrwSwitch said:


> For me, the big advantage to riding a rigid fork over a cheap suspension fork is that the rigid fork doesn't twist and flex around, so it tracks really well. Locking out a cheap fork won't make it track well. I also like that a rigid fork is lighter, in a place where it does matter, and doesn't pogo when I climb.
> 
> As far as potholes and obstacles are concerned - I don't expect any of my bikes to do the riding for me, suspended or not. I try to be smooth and light, and flow over/around/through obstacles. Much as I hate to admit it, I get more saddle time on road bikes. There's no suspension to unlock, but potholes, curbs, steps, rocks, roots, log-overs and everything else all still exist.


I think its fun to ride over things. Not that you can't do that with a rigid, but the suspension fork softens the blow. Yeah, I imagine a true rigid would be better than a locked out suspension fork, but the latter of the two at least gives you a feeling of what a rigid would be like. I don't mind riding my bike in rigid mode as it seems to perform pretty decently. In fact, it rides so decently in rigid mode, that I forget I'm in rigid mode and...BLAM, WHAT DID I JUST HIT! And THAT is why I prefer a suspension! :thumbsup:


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## bclagge (Aug 31, 2009)

getagrip said:


> I think its fun to ride over things. Not that you can't do that with a rigid, but the suspension fork softens the blow. Yeah, I imagine a true rigid would be better than a locked out suspension fork, but the latter of the two at least gives you a feeling of what a rigid would be like. I don't mind riding my bike in rigid mode as it seems to perform pretty decently. In fact, it rides so decently in rigid mode, that I forget I'm in rigid mode and...BLAM, WHAT DID I JUST HIT! And THAT is why I prefer a suspension! :thumbsup:


I think you misunderstood AndrwSwitch's point, which is that when you ride over things your body is your suspension. That's what people mean when they say things like "be light on the bike" or "flow with the trail." So when you hit a rock or a pothole, there is no "BLAM," because you saw the obstacle coming, got in the attack position, and absorbed the terrain with your arms and legs.


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## b0mb3r (Feb 12, 2011)

I would send the Dart 2 back... look for a used Marzocchi Bomber Z1 or Z2; that fork may be 10 years old but its virtually indestructible; and anyone can replace the seals on them. Believe me I have 1997 Z1 and a 2001 Z2; both still work like a charm. They do not have fancy features like lockouts but they are butter smooth.
OP if you need some help with that let me know... there are always good deals popping up on those things (sub 100).


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## getagrip (Mar 26, 2008)

bclagge said:


> I think you misunderstood AndrwSwitch's point, which is that when you ride over things your body is your suspension. That's what people mean when they say things like "be light on the bike" or "flow with the trail." So when you hit a rock or a pothole, there is no "BLAM," because you saw the obstacle coming, got in the attack position, and absorbed the terrain with your arms and legs.


No, I understood and respect his opinion. But that was my response and I met every word of it. In truth, my response was based more on my street riding and dirt road riding experience - I tend to be more conservative and careful on the trails and am more likely to ride around obstacles in that situation. Seems like I run into more unexpected obstacles when I'm riding on the road, such as when I run into a contruction site where there are holes in the dirt everywhere, or just general street riding, when the sidewalk gets a little choppy or I run into other unexpected obstacles. I also tend to hit unexpected bumps when I'm riding on the Wabash trail, which is an old railway turned into a bike trail. I find that suspension forks are very handy in these situations. They turn a BLAM into a bing. I also like "hopping" up curbs with a suspension fork. It feels like I'm going to break something when I hop up a curb in lockout mode.


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