# Black vs Gold Stanchion



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

I am preparing to upgrade my fork on my Raleigh. It currently has a Suntour XCT. Over time the black wore off of the bottom of the stanchion tubes. I never lubricated them, so that may be the problem. My Cannondale has a RS Recon with gold stanchions which look a little more durable.
My choices in fork are a Suntour Epicon from 08 or one from 09. The 08 model has black and the 09 model has gold stanchions. The 09 is more expensive, but the only reason I would get it is because of the gold. If I properly care for the fork (i.e. lube it according to the manufacturer's specs) can I avert the black rubbing off? Or is it inevitable?
Please don't try to talk me into a higher end name brand. The bike is mainly for neighborhood riding (since the new fork will have lock out) and friends to ride with me on light trails. I ride my Cannondale on the trails. I just want an upgrade over the low end model...plus the Epicon got great reviews from MTBR members!
Thanks in advance.


----------



## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

For that kind of use I would just buy a steel rigid fork like this and save even more money.


----------



## rufusdesign (Sep 19, 2008)

The black and gold is just annodizing and will wear over time if the fork isn't properly serviced and lubed. It is inevitable and will happen just much, much slower if properly taken care of.
If you want a gold stanction, go with a gold stanction. It is personal preference.


----------



## scottzg (Sep 27, 2006)

get a tora 318- steel stanchions will never wear out and it has a decent damper w/ lockout. Cost is about the same on sale.


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

So the gold is just as susceptible as the black to wearing off? That will definitely affect my decision making.
Thanks for your concern boomn, although I asked people not to suggest forks other than those I decided on. I have already thought about a rigid and decided against.


----------



## rufusdesign (Sep 19, 2008)

rweakley said:


> So the gold is just as susceptible as the black to wearing off? That will definitely affect my decision making.
> Thanks for your concern boomn, although I asked people not to suggest forks other than those I decided on. I have already thought about a rigid and decided against.


It is just the color anodizing that the company chooses to put on the stanctions. It will wear off if the fork is not serviced and maintained on a proper schedule. If properly maintained you shouldn't have much of a problem at all. That shouldn't be a big part of your decision making unless you plan on neglecting your fork again.


----------



## eat_dirt (May 26, 2008)

a good rigid fork performs better than a low budget suspension fork.


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

eat_dirt said:


> a good rigid fork performs better than a low budget suspension fork.


Thanks, but why don't you check out the reviews of that particular fork here before passing judgment.


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

rweakley said:


> Thanks, but why don't you check out the reviews of that particular fork here before passing judgment.


Well, this from a guy who thought the color of the stanchion was an issue?  People love cheap forks that don't work well, reviews from same don't mean much. For the type of riding you mentioned a rigid fork would be a better choice. YMMV.


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

Bikinfoolferlife said:


> Well, this from a guy who thought the color of the stanchion was an issue?


I didn't claim to be an expert. But out of 14 people, the fork got an average 4.71 stars on this website. So every one of them must be an idiot that loves cheap crap?


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

Oh, and by the way, several of the reviewers listed Rock Shox, Fox and Marzocchi as similar products they had used...


----------



## tomsmoto (Oct 6, 2007)

you should go re-read the reviews again.. they're not from experienced people.. a few of them even stated that its their first air fork. they dont know any better.

you can believe whatever you want, but thats not a good fork and you're going to shell out your hard earned money for it.

are you trying to convince us, or yourself?


----------



## eat_dirt (May 26, 2008)

believe what you want, but a budget air fork is vastly inferior to the stability and reliability of a quality rigid fork bought for the same price (or even less).

SR suntour is the OEM on low end bikes for a reason. their components aren't very good.

it's your money.

you said what kind of riding you do and what kind of fork would best suit you. and i say rigid steel. just like with a steel hardtail bike the metal soaks up bumps incredibly well and maintains stability on some really harsh terrain, or curbs if you like.

i used to ride a zion 29er with a surly fork down stairwells.


----------



## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

*not bashin' ya bro*

rweakley - I don't understand what kind of answer you are looking for.
You stated that you did not want any thing high-end.
You also said that you would be riding around the neighborhood with this bike and would be using the lockout. You have your Cannondale for trail riding.
And yet, when someone provides you with a a reasonable alternative (rigid fork), you get defensive and/or accusatory. 
The posters above me pretty much know what they're talkin' about and given your proposition, answered appropriately. If you're set on getting one of the forks you mentioned, by all means get one! The deciding factors (as it appears to me) are; A - color, and B - cost. Pick one that you like.

The reviews have to be taken with a grain of salt. People rate stuff that they absolutely love or hate -in general. You'll find some reviews that are genuinely unbiased and you need a discerning eye to find those. On 'higher' rated products, the first reviews I look at are the lower to middle of the road reviews so I am not swayed by fanboys or haters (that's just me tho). As the quality of parts go up, the reviews tend to be more 'accurate' IMO ---and I AM GENERALIZING

I'll stop now 
I too vote for a nice (suspension-corrected) rigid - my $.06


----------



## tomsmoto (Oct 6, 2007)

ive found that searching the forums is about 1000000x more useful than the reviews. the reviews are good for finding quick weights and things..

lots of bike parts are VERY setup dependent, its hard to get a straight review.. you never know who the person is, or how they ride, or even if their bike is working correctly. ive seen people slam xc gear beacause it broke dirt jumping! it skews the ratings..


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

rweakley said:


> I didn't claim to be an expert. But out of 14 people, the fork got an average 4.71 stars on this website. So every one of them must be an idiot that loves cheap crap?


Trust me, you're not coming off as any sort of expert...

I haven't bothered with the mtbr reviews in years, many people (and not necessarily forum members at all) post just on brand name alone, don't get the model or year correctly so hard to read a lot into them. When you see something get a rave or a knock it can be interesting, but people who are happy with their purchase are often too enthusiastic, and those that feel burned in some way are the opposite, and many satisfied users don't say anything at all...

Take your chances on a Suntour fork if you want, let us know how it works out. A rigid fork sounds better all around for your purposes and budget.


----------



## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

tomsmoto said:


> ive found that searching the forums is about 1000000x more useful than the reviews. the reviews are good for finding quick weights and things..
> 
> lots of bike parts are VERY setup dependent, its hard to get a straight review.. you never know who the person is, or how they ride, or even if their bike is working correctly. ive seen people slam xc gear beacause it broke dirt jumping! it skews the ratings..


DOH!! - Thanks Tomato! (  ) - I meant to include that very sentiment! :madman:


----------



## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

dbl post


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

Ok, assuming that you are all fairly experienced riders, I will assume you are all collectively right. If I do go rigid which of the styles above will still allow me to continue using the bike for trail riding? I still take the bike out on trails on which the terrain is not too rough where a hardtail is more appropriate, and my friends ride it when we ride together.

Now keeping this in mind...I am in the Marines. Currently I am stationed in Houston, where there is no base and the local trails are flat. Memorial Park is good but the guys I ride with there have their own bikes. Anyways, I will be transferred to Virginia in a year or so and then to Pensacola, Florida six months later. Most bases have some really good trails. I want a bike that I can let my friends ride that can handle these trails. Would you still recommend a rigid or should I just save for a while to get a more decent suspension fork?

I know that was a mouthful. But I do want to spend my money wisely.


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

I wouldn't worry about the aesthetics of the rigid fork design as much as making sure the fork size is appropriate for the geometry of the bike it's being put on. Don't know anything about which Raleigh you've got, so hard to say what you should be looking at specifically. You basically want to make sure the axle to crown measurement on the fork is suitable for the frame's design. There will be some minor ride characteristics differences among the rigid forks, but I'd go with a steel fork for price, feel and durability. 

I rode rigid mountain bikes in a wide variety of terrain for years (there wasn't anything else), I'm just an old fart now and like my suspension more these days, so I leave my rigid bike riding for the road. Your friends and yourself, being relatively young and fit since you're in the service should enjoy the challenge of the rigid fork, it's better for your skills in any case and for the areas you're riding shouldn't be a problem at all (heck, you might even end up swapping rides with the guys once in a while). Some of the best riders I know ride single speed fully rigid bikes, would think a Marine would be up for the challenge...


----------



## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

^^^Just don't show your guns- - literally or figuratively


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

So the curvature of the middle one above won't give it any more bump absorbtion compared to say the one on the right, which looks like it won't flex an inch?

I can think of at least two times when the suspension seems to have saved me from a broken arm, leg or something else. I was going down a pretty steep hill and ended up on the wrong side of the trail down, when my front tire hit something that made me think I was going up and over. But the suspension let the wheel go over the obstacle. This is what it felt like to me. It also could have been that I was hanging my ass over the rear wheel, which I later found out was the proper riding position for a section like that. The other example was pretty similar.

I think I'll take what you guys gave me and go to my bike shop and talk to those guys and come up with a decision. I'll keep checking back for further advice on here though and will let you all know what I end up deciding.


----------



## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

rweakley said:


> So the curvature of the middle one above won't give it any more bump absorbtion compared to say the one on the right, which looks like it won't flex an inch?


The one on the right will have the most give of all of them because the legs are made of carbon fiber. I've heard people say that the carbon forks feel like 1-2" of suspension. However, it probably costs more than the suspension fork you were looking at.

Comparing a steel fork to a steel fork, two similar looking forks could feel different just based on the steel used


----------



## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

I would get a Tora or something. Other than that, a rigid fork has advantages in stiffness, for one thing, over a bad, heavy, poorly damped bottom end fork.

This thread is a perfect example of how lately there have been many people coming to MTBR not willing to take advice they don't want to hear, along with giving advice out as experts before they 

1. feel the forum and see how and who gives good and bad advice
2.give out good advice based on extensive saddle time and years of knowledge of the products.

Several on the forums get time to test protos and other pre and post development products as well. It's incredibly laughable when I see n00b's especially, or those who base their pride in their decision bashing solid, and sometimes even inexpensive solutions from them.


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

Let it be known that I wasn't bashing anyone, I was just trying to get a question answered without a lot of other stuff thrown at me to confuse my decision further. I'm sure you all know a lot more than I do about bike parts. I am not nearly as new to riding as I am to upgrades though. I have been riding for a few years now, but just recently (well in February when I get promoted) have started earning enough money to do anything with my old bike.

As you can see from some of the later posts in the forum, I have come around to your advice. I just didn't see how a product that 14 out of 14 people rated highly could be such crap as you all proclaimed. But like I said, I will take your advice along with what my bike shop tells me to make a decision on what to do.


----------



## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

You came here with a question and wanted validation for a certain answer, then became defensive and unaccepting when you got valid answers back that were not in line with your original line of rigid thinking.

You're getting the sum of years worth of different experiences converging together to help you out, yet the experience is not good enough.

The problem is perspective and bias. Most people that travel these forums know the reviews section is useless. It's filled with trolls, industry shills, and people that don't know any better and do such things as review the moment they get a product, or review without a significant amount of time using the product.

If you want a great example, check all the posts and threads I made about the Fox 36. I got one in Fall of 07 and it took me ONE YEAR to not only work out the bugs, but retune the whole thing to work better and isolate the shortcomings. Meanwhile, one person that recommended it to me had a blown TALAS, but did not post his experience on the forums, but was the same person that told a lot of people "no problems with mine". On top of that, there were several others who had 36's delivered without oil, enjoyed jumping on the bandwagon when Fox shills and dealers were trying to discredit me in exposing that, but then would PM me asking for help in how to add oil because theirs were delivered without oil too.

There are an infinite number of angles one can attack this at, and it boils down to going on the forum, feeling around, knowing the names, and above all, perhaps using the search when you want to know something and seeing those names pop up repeatedly with products or equipment groups. This way you can tell who's a shill and who's not. Who knows and who doesn't. I've found alot of these types of posters myself and called them out in the past few weeks because they are either n00b's, or empowered inexperienced riders giving false advice as if they do have experience. 

The defensiveness you have seen from others is likely the sum of what mtbr has had a wave of in the last few months.


----------



## scottzg (Sep 27, 2006)

between the designs you posted... they're all rigid forks, it's not really much difference between them when you're comparing them to even a horrible suspension fork. Rigid forks are fun off road, but require a bit more skill to ride. Personally, i lend out my suspension bike and ride my low-ish rent rigid when i go out with beginners, the rigid keeps me from being bored waiting for them, and the quality bike is less likely to get marfed up by a beginner anyway. Fatigue and a lower top speed downhill shouldnt be a problem when youre riding with a beginner in florida. 

On a side note, i thought i had read somewhere that gold anno was a harder anno than the black stuff. I've seen black anno that was worn out and silver was shining through, but not black.

That cheesy fork gets good reviews because it's being reviewed by people who would actually spend money on it... not the most valuable opinions, no offense.


----------



## dascro (Apr 1, 2007)

I'll 2nd the rockshox tora. I had one and the performance was very very good for such a low price fork. I think I paid around 250$ for a 318 Uturn model. I'll say it has about 85% of the performance of the high dollar forks for much less money. If you look at the classifieds and on ebay you should be able to find one for 200 or even less. I sold mine this summer for around 125$. The only problem I had was it was very heavy.


----------



## antonio (Jan 18, 2005)

x3 on the Tora w/ motion control over a rigid. Good internals, decent weight, reliable, deals to be found.


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

scottzg said:


> Personally, i lend out my suspension bike


I might do the same, but I put clipless on my Cannondale, and my friends don't all have the same size feet. I suppose I could just change out the pedals....but....nah.


----------



## Barkleyfan (Jul 26, 2008)

rweakley said:


> Let it be known that I wasn't bashing anyone, I was just trying to get a question answered without a lot of other stuff thrown at me to confuse my decision further. I'm sure you all know a lot more than I do about bike parts. I am not nearly as new to riding as I am to upgrades though. I have been riding for a few years now, but just recently (well in February when I get promoted) have started earning enough money to do anything with my old bike.
> 
> As you can see from some of the later posts in the forum, I have come around to your advice. I just didn't see how a product that 14 out of 14 people rated highly could be such crap as you all proclaimed. But like I said, I will take your advice along with what my bike shop tells me to make a decision on what to do.


Keep in mind the LBS (local bike shop) is in it to make money. Low end forks are what they are.

Rigid forks aren't designed to be noticeably compliant. The raked fork will actually have a tiny bit more compliance, and it will have less nervous steering, depending on overall geometry of the bike it's on. It's the style I ride on my rigid.The steel fork will be more rigid than the carbon fiber, so it will track straighter. As far as the fork saving your arms, riding rigid improved your technique so in that respect, I think it's better to ride rigid than rely on suspension. I ride both, and I just can't seem to ditch the rigid.


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

My LBS doesn't keep forks on hand, they recommended that I order on the internet and let them install it for me.
I like the Tora 318 (I played with one at the bike shop). I am going to monitor google/ebay/etc. and wait until I can find a really good deal.


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

On the note of forks, what is the advantage of a U-turn fork? From what I understand, frames are built with a geometry that is ideal for a certain travel of fork. What is the advantage of a fork that has 45mm of travel adjustment over one that is already set at the ideal travel for a frame?


----------



## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

rweakley said:


> On the note of forks, what is the advantage of a U-turn fork? From what I understand, frames are built with a geometry that is ideal for a certain travel of fork. What is the advantage of a fork that has 45mm of travel adjustment over one that is already set at the ideal travel for a frame?


Correct, but any geometry and fork length is ideal only for specific types of terrain, and so it is really a compromise to work well overall for a wide range of trails

A bike designed for a 100mm fork should climb up steep hills better if you can shorten the fork. Just the same, a bike designed for a 100mm fork should handle steep downhills better if you can add 20mm travel to the fork. Both are examples of changing the geometry of the bike to handle a specific terrain better

In practical use, I couldn't see myself using the travel adjust though


----------



## Barkleyfan (Jul 26, 2008)

rweakley said:


> On the note of forks, what is the advantage of a U-turn fork? From what I understand, frames are built with a geometry that is ideal for a certain travel of fork. What is the advantage of a fork that has 45mm of travel adjustment over one that is already set at the ideal travel for a frame?


Travel adjust is the ability to make your geometry ideal to the terrain you are riding. For the bike you're putting the fork on, 80mm will climb nicely. 120mm will make it harder to keep the front planted on a climb, but it will descend nicely. Travel adjust gives you the best of both worlds with the flick of a switch.


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

Ok, well I found a Tora 302 Solo Air 80mm for 165 including shipping. I looked at the reviews on this site, and it got less than stellar reviews. Of course the Suntour got rave reviews and you all told me to stay away from those. So tell me your thoughts on this fork. Do you agree with the reviews, or do you think it is a good buy?


----------



## Barkleyfan (Jul 26, 2008)

I'm not a fan of air forks myself, I prefer coil for reliability. But yes, it's certainly an improvement over the Suntour. IMO, you'd be happier with a coil U-turn version of the Tora. There are decent reviews on this version;

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/FK405A12-Rock+Shox+Tora+318+Coil+U-Turn+Fork+07.aspx


----------



## theextremist04 (Jul 15, 2008)

the air tora is a solid fork; the only disadvantage is that it's a little heavy. 

and about u-turn- it's not quite fast enough to adjust on the fly (like the TALAS, never tried ata so i can't comment.) that and at least for me i found a comfortable setting and haven't really touched it since, so now i'm wishing i had gone with the non u-turn version.


----------



## B.BL (Nov 6, 2005)

My theory about the gold-colored stanchions: I think they are hard anodized, while the black ones are only regular anodized. Hard anodize has a rockwell rating above steel iirc.


----------



## eat_dirt (May 26, 2008)

i just found a cheap tora 318 2007 solo-air and stuffed it on my SS bike. it was less than 210 bucks at CBO. i wasn't aware you could get them that cheap.

so that's another option.


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

B.BL said:


> My theory about the gold-colored stanchions: I think they are hard anodized, while the black ones are only regular anodized. Hard anodize has a rockwell rating above steel iirc.


I do seem to remember some company came out pushing their gold anodized stanchions some years back with a pitch that they were more durable than the competition. I don't think the color alone would indicate the quality or method of the anodization from what I've read. Try this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodizing. Couldn't find any specific info on the SR Suntour site...


----------



## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

B.BL said:


> My theory about the gold-colored stanchions: I think they are hard anodized, while the black ones are only regular anodized. Hard anodize has a rockwell rating above steel iirc.


They're all hard anodized, at least in the high end stuff. Much of Zoke's upper line has had the black stanchions for years now. It was just a color added to the anodizing process at the end. They also tend to last longer than Fox's gold stanchions, for instance.


----------



## ducktape (May 21, 2007)

A Pike was the first fork I had with gold (or any colour apart from chrome/steel) stanchions. I was not impressed with how easlity they seemed to scratch compared to say the Tora which has the steel ones.
Apart from affordablility I think this is one factor why I was more than happy to buy a Domain instead of a Totem etc.


----------



## Caffeine Powered (Mar 31, 2005)

rweakley said:


> I am preparing to upgrade my fork on my Raleigh.
> Thanks in advance.


Check your PM's


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

Is it possible to measure a steering tube while the fork is mounted to the bike? Can you just measure from the crown to the top of the headset?


----------



## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

rweakley said:


> Is it possible to measure a steering tube while the fork is mounted to the bike? Can you just measure from the crown to the top of the headset?


Crown to top of the stem will get you pretty close. It is always cut back a little short of the top of the stem, but only 1/8" to 1/4"


----------



## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

boomn said:


> Crown to top of the stem will get you pretty close. It is always cut back a little short of the top of the stem, but only 1/8" to 1/4"


To add... you can remove the top cap to double-check w/o worry; to get a closer measurement if it matters to you.:thumbsup:

*Edit*
VVV What BFFL below said...better to have some extra spacers on top of the stem than to short o' stem...
- how does it go?..."measure once - cut twice"?

...then go out and get a 'tube stretcher'


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

And a hint if you're measuring to see what the minimum steerer on a used fork might be, go a bit longer to give yourself some wiggle room; gives you more options if you move the fork to another bike, or want to add spacers or a different stem...it's easy enough to cut, but...


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

This is what I ended up getting. The measure from the top of my crown to the top of my stem is 8 1/2 which is what the fork is cut to. So it it is cut back 1/8 to 1/4 inch, then that gives me a slight bit of leeway.

Can someone look at this and tell me if it was a good buy? It was $110 with shipping. Thanks in advance!


----------



## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

he canked the sale man...I can't tell what you bid on - unless you have a cashed version..
$110 is a good deal if you got the 318 in nice condition.
(It's a bad deal if it's cut shorter than you need!)


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

highdelll said:


> he canked the sale man...I can't tell what you bid on - unless you have a cashed version.


You'll have to clarify what you meant here. "Canked the sale" and "the cashed version"...you lost me there. And why can't you tell what I bid on? Does the link not work?
The steerer is cut just about right. The LBS may have to cut a slice off from what you said earlier (that it is a little bit lower than the top of the stem).


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

Oh, I think I got it now...cached version, not cashed. Still don't know what you mean by "canked the sale" though.The item number is: 130282776984. If you search eBay for that, it should take you to the item I got.


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)




----------



## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

rweakley said:


> Oh, I think I got it now...cached version, not cashed. Still don't know what you mean by "canked the sale" though.The item number is: 130282776984. If you search eBay for that, it should take you to the item I got.


Yeah..hehe..(cashed/cached) - spelling error on my part 
-'Canked' - means to cut short (no pun intended for the steerer tube  ) or end.
Here's a quick definition 
Canked
I believe it comes from 'Canceled' written in shorthand or abbreviations...i.e. CANX


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

Yeah, we use canx a lot in the military...at least the Marines. Just making sure our definitions matched. Why do you say that? I bid at the end of the auction, it wasn't cut short.
So does it look like a good deal?


----------



## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

I said the thing was canked because it was no longer there (for me to see). 
I think you got a good deal...I have the Tora and think it's great!
BTW... I'm a Navy Vet, so I may have used a term that no one else uses - I still thought it was common enough  - hey, atleast I don't call my walls 'bulkheads' or the the bathroom "the head"


----------



## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

The whole ad is still there but you have to scroll down


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

Ok, so I got the fork. Overall the fork seems in pretty good shape. I haven't had it mounted yet, but I put some pressure on it to test out the lockout. Lo and behold, the lockout isn't functioning. Is this something I can easily troubleshoot, or do I need to take it to the LBS? I have never disassembled a fork before.
I was able to find a service manual on the SRAM website, but the fork is the 80mm coil version of the 318, and the only manual I can find is for the air fixed travel and the coil u-turn. I couldn't find anything for a fixed travel coil fork.


----------



## eat_dirt (May 26, 2008)

the toras can't be completely locked like a real locking fork.


----------



## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

tora's lockout will allow ~20mm of travel - It wont completely lock it out - that's a good thing!

*aww - eat dirt beat me to it


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

Ok, well I can't tell how much travel it is. I will just have to ask the shop to test functionality when they put it on. Also, is there a chart that tells which spring should be used for a weight group? If I am not mistaken, they have several springs that can be changed out (i.e. light, medium, firm...)?


----------



## agabriel (Jul 3, 2007)

wrap a zip tie fairly tightly around the stanchion and compress the fork while locked out. 20mm is just less than an inch, so it should be easy to measure with a tape measure.

On another note I just got a Pike in from ebay and I brought it to the LBS to change the oil and go over the internals to make sure everything is straight (I did a few tests to quickly check). Its not a requirement, but I will be happy to know I can depend on the fork; and I'm not comfortable rebuilding my fork.


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

What about spring rate? I am right at 170 lbs. Is there a chart that I can check to see if I have the propper spring?


----------



## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

@ 170 lbs, you should be fine w/ the stock spring [med] - - - I'm 175-180 at the max (w/ gear) and never bottomed (hard) at all - [i had the Tora 318 U-Turn - usually set @ 130]


----------



## eat_dirt (May 26, 2008)

rweakley said:


> What about spring rate? I am right at 170 lbs. Is there a chart that I can check to see if I have the propper spring?


i'm 230 and am using the stock spring.

i'm just running it at about 160 psi.


----------



## rweakley (Sep 7, 2008)

eat_dirt said:


> i'm just running it at about 160 psi.


Yeah, but this isn't a solo air, it's a solo coil...lol


----------

