# Lightweight Rigid mtb fork suggestions?



## Hardtailforever (Feb 11, 2004)

I'm in the market for a lightweight rigid fork to put on my race bike (Scott Scale) for smooth XC courses, STXC and hillclimb races. I'd like to go as light as possible without breaking the bank. I've considered the Pace forks, and I might have a line on a custom Ti fork from Black Sheep. These options are around 600g or so, and both are pretty durable (especially the Black Sheep fork). But I just found out that Ritchey makes a 470g carbon MTB fork that's disc compatible! Has anyone used this fork? Is it really strong enough for serious XC racing and riding? Are there others that I might consider (that won't cost me a kidney and my first born)?


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## nino (Jan 13, 2004)

Hardtailforever said:


> I'm in the market for a lightweight rigid fork to put on my race bike (Scott Scale) for smooth XC courses, STXC and hillclimb races. I'd like to go as light as possible without breaking the bank. I've considered the Pace forks, and I might have a line on a custom Ti fork from Black Sheep. These options are around 600g or so, and both are pretty durable (especially the Black Sheep fork). But I just found out that Ritchey makes a 470g carbon MTB fork that's disc compatible! Has anyone used this fork? Is it really strong enough for serious XC racing and riding? Are there others that I might consider (that won't cost me a kidney and my first born)?


i had a no-name carbon fork on my Winterbike for 1 week before swithing to a Token Carbon.

the no-name is the exact same fork than the White Brothers "Switchblade" and also resembles a Pace. just cheaper
774g uncut (735g cut to 178mm), 440mm lenght

the Token is the exact same fork than the Ritchey but mine is a disc-only version so it's lighter because it doesn't come with the cantistuds like the Ritchey.
447g uncut (300mm steerer), 410mm lenght
408g cut to 175mm
you can get the Token also with cantistiuds. it's 100% identical but much cheaper than the Ritchey...

i already sold several Ritchey Carbon's:
501g uncut with cantistuds(300mm), 410mm lenght
475g without cantistuds


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## Some Guy (Mar 27, 2005)

nino said:


> the Token is the exact same fork than the Ritchey but mine is a disc-only version so it's lighter because it doesn't come with the cantistuds like the Ritchey.
> 447g uncut (300mm steerer), 410mm lenght


The thing to note about this fork is that the shorter length of it will change your geometry quite seriously. I ran a 410mm rigid fork on my hardtail for a while and it made the head angle much too steep for my liking. It depends on the kind of riding you do, but I wouldn't use a 410mm fork again.


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## nino (Jan 13, 2004)

*correct...*



Some Guy said:


> The thing to note about this fork is that the shorter length of it will change your geometry quite seriously. I ran a 410mm rigid fork on my hardtail for a while and it made the head angle much too steep for my liking. It depends on the kind of riding you do, but I wouldn't use a 410mm fork again.


that's why i also posted the lenghts.

BUT i personally prefer a shorter fork over the longer ones. it makes your bike a rocketship.quick and agile handling. my winterbike really came to life with this fork!

also on my Scale i use a shortish SID (63mm of travel only). when i hop on my friends Scales i always think those are slow handling. minemakes you feel like you are on a rocketship. ok, the overall weight also makes for this but also steering the ohter bikes feels "sluggish" to me. when hopping on other brands i sometimes could fall asleep right away


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## DocAltie (Feb 7, 2006)

I use an old Spicer Ti fork. with the crown race it is 480gr.


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## top_ring (Feb 9, 2004)

I own a custom Black Sheep unicrown ti fork. A bit pricey but you won't regret it. Plush _and_ strong.


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## Hardtailforever (Feb 11, 2004)

So are there any longer forks out there (43-45cm or so axle-to-race) that are lighter than the Ti forks available? Those carbon forks look super nice, but I don't want to steepen my head angle so much that I lose the wicked handling of my bike. 41cm is waaaaay too short for the way I have my ride set up (R7 plat 80 with a ride height of about 44-45cm axle-to-race).


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## pindowngirl25 (Sep 19, 2006)

I 2nd the ti fork from black sheep awesome fork.... James also makes a setback ti seatpost with a thomson clamp, best of both worlds, pricey but worth it.


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## Axis II (May 10, 2004)

*WaltWorks Custom Steel*

I would recommend a custom WaltWorks steel fork to anyone. I have the taper leg version on my 29er and it is THE BEST performing rigid fork I have ever been on. They are light as well, come in any size you want and the cost is around 200USD. This is my fork uncut prior to powder coat.


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## top_ring (Feb 9, 2004)

*Nice fork - I agree*. And the price is right for a custom fork, but would that be considered light???

A Kona P2 comes in around the same weight for half that price.


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## RockStarRacing (Dec 30, 2006)

the whitebros. forks are nothing like the pace, they are heavier, not as well made and not hand made, pace dont make for anyone else, yet the whites are the same as the origin 8, black ops and a few other names knocking about, made in taiwan, not north yorkshire, england!


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## Axis II (May 10, 2004)

top_ring said:


> *Nice fork - I agree*. And the price is right for a custom fork, but would that be considered light???
> 
> A Kona P2 comes in around the same weight for half that price.


R
That depends on what your definition of light is....remember, this is a 29er fork and it had an 11 inch steerer tube. A 26er would be lighter yet. I would place this fork in the light category for a steel fork. The fork's ability to soak up bumps is pretty amazing. You basically get about 3/4 of an inch on the big hits. This is the benefit of well-crafted steel and it certainly doesn't belong in the same category as a stock Tiawanese Kona fork.


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## Tracerboy (Oct 13, 2002)

Hey Ninos,

I've searched for contact info on the Token forks, can you lead me in the right direction? Would really like to pick one up. 

Thank you!


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## Hardtailforever (Feb 11, 2004)

So I'll ask again- are there any carbon forks out there besides the Pace (at around 700g) that measure 43-45cm?


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## top_ring (Feb 9, 2004)

The Winwood Purist fork has an A to C length of 420mm but it's heavy as a steel fork.

You'll have a hard time finding an ALL carbon _super light_ fork that has an axle to crown more then 410mm. This length is made to fit a mid to late 90's model frame. Not sure about their lengths but have a look at _Trigon_. Not to many folks talking about these, even though they are very similar, or even the same as the Ritchey/ Token models. I just bought one of these. Not a bad price for a light weight experiment.

Good luck with your search.


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## nino (Jan 13, 2004)

*White Brothers and Bontrager...*



Hardtailforever said:


> So I'll ask again- are there any carbon forks out there besides the Pace (at around 700g) that measure 43-45cm?


white Brothers Switchback 26" measures the same 44cm as my 0815 taiwan fork (it's the same fork!)

Bontrager also has a rigid carbon Pace-alike fork.


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## top_ring (Feb 9, 2004)

No canti studs though. If that matters.


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## elephant (Mar 21, 2006)

*Wow!*



Axis II said:


> I would recommend a custom WaltWorks steel fork to anyone. I have the taper leg version on my 29er and it is THE BEST performing rigid fork I have ever been on. They are light as well, come in any size you want and the cost is around 200USD. This is my fork uncut prior to powder coat.


I have spoken with Walt before and he helped me find some tubing for my MTB but I did not know he sold forks separately.

I was going to buy a Yo Eddy fork for my Yo Eddy rebuild but I can save money (by avoiding ebay) and few ozs with a WaltWorks. Looks cool and supports an existing builder.

I am glad I saw this post. How long did it take to get your fork?


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## MrXC (Jan 14, 2004)

I ran a Spicer Ti fork on my single speed for a few years before selling it to finance and F100X. I now regret selling it since I'm building up a hardtail for short tracks and smooth courses and would like to be able to throw a rigid on for a handful of races. It was a great handling fork, very light (I never weighed it, but I think it was advertised at 1.2 lbs) and (I think) suspension corrected to 430mm. Most importantly, I never had a problem with it despite using it in technical terrain and in races.


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## mpwhitley (Feb 1, 2007)

*Token fork*

Does anyone know where to find a Token carbon MTB fork? It's been talked about on this thread but no one has said where one can be purchased.

thanks


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## nino (Jan 13, 2004)

mpwhitley said:


> Does anyone know where to find a Token carbon MTB fork? It's been talked about on this thread but no one has said where one can be purchased.
> 
> thanks


did you ever notice my signature? just send me a PM...

bye
nino


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## AussieRider (Dec 24, 2006)

I have a pair of Demonchaux Titanium Forks on my SS, claimed weight of 520 gms is about right. Get the longer 430mm version for correct suspension geometry

Very light & handle well with also some compliance

http://www.dmcx.com/en/a128.html


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## mpwhitley (Feb 1, 2007)

Nino,
New to this message board stuff. I noticed the bottom of your message but I'm not quite sure what a PM is.

Thanks, Mark


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## nino (Jan 13, 2004)

*Pm...*



mpwhitley said:


> Nino,
> New to this message board stuff. I noticed the bottom of your message but I'm not quite sure what a PM is.
> 
> Thanks, Mark


PM means Personal Message...

anyway - i will contact you as well through a PM


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## Axis II (May 10, 2004)

elephant said:


> I have spoken with Walt before and he helped me find some tubing for my MTB but I did not know he sold forks separately.
> 
> I was going to buy a Yo Eddy fork for my Yo Eddy rebuild but I can save money (by avoiding ebay) and few ozs with a WaltWorks. Looks cool and supports an existing builder.
> 
> I am glad I saw this post. How long did it take to get your fork?


Sorry for the delay Elephant. You can PM me any time as well. Anyway, turn around time with Walt is right around 2 weeks for a fork- or was. He is a good builder!


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## Slobberdoggy (Sep 26, 2005)

Nice fork/bike axisII.

There's also sibex:

http://www.sibexsports.com/forks.htm (towards bottom)

MIght be the same as the Demonchaux?


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## Wilhelm6 (Sep 23, 2005)

*@nino*

nino,

am I right that the front disc brake rotor on your bike has a diameter of 203 mm? Do you know if there are any limitations in rotor size by the warranty of the manufacturer (Token)? I have been looking on the website of "Token Products Inc." (http://www.tokenproducts.com) for your carbon fork model, but I could not find any information about (carbon forks: http://www.tokenproducts.com/2005/05htm/products.php?pc1id=11). The same happend when I have been looking on the website of "Ritchey" (http://www.ritcheylogic.com) for their WCS carbon mountain fork (http://ritcheylogic.com/web/Ritchey...ates/eproducts_single.aspx?id=23730&live=true).
Are the decals on your "Token" fork easy removable or are they placed under the clear coat layer?
Who is the manufacturer of the rotor?

Best regards


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## TKD76 (Dec 19, 2009)

Hello there, this is Wil from Mons, Belgium,
I've been riding with a 500gr Token carbon fork for about two years now with my Cannondale Killer V900 ( v-brakes) and I'm very happy to have that fork. The Belgium MTB Bikers magazine had a test done with the Ritchey Carbon fork which placed the fork 2nd among the several rigid forks, came behind a french artisanal Ti -fork Skydecamp and held up with no problem with heavy riders. I myself weigh 101kg ( 225 pounds) and like to ride my bike fast on smooth paths or roads. 
The Token carbon fork is very beautiful however for constant pounding on irregular paths I still prefer to be careful because it is carbon material. The cross section is of the steering tube is pretty thick though. 
One drawback, when climbing a steep hill the front end tends to leave the ground, you have to put your weight foward to avoid popping wheelies. Other than that I love that fork, got my bike weight down to 10kg500. But if you race you may want to add additional safety with a Ti Fork.
I tryed to buy my fork from the Token company in Brussels but had no luck in the order I made. I finally found it on the internet and ordered it from Cycles Plum in France. "[email protected]" for almost half the price of the Ritchey carbon fork.
Best regards
Wil


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## TKD76 (Dec 19, 2009)

TKD76 said:


> Hello there, this is Wil from Mons, Belgium,
> I've been riding with a 500gr Token carbon fork for about two years now with my Cannondale Killer V900 ( v-brakes) and I'm very happy to have that fork. The Belgium MTB Bikers magazine had a test done with the Ritchey Carbon fork which placed the fork 2nd among the several rigid forks, came behind a french artisanal Ti -fork Skydecamp and held up with no problem with heavy riders. I myself weigh 101kg ( 225 pounds) and like to ride my bike fast on smooth paths or roads.
> The Token carbon fork is very beautiful however for constant pounding on irregular paths I still prefer to be careful because it is carbon material. The cross section is of the steering tube is pretty thick though.
> One drawback, when climbing a steep hill the front end tends to leave the ground, you have to put your weight foward to avoid popping wheelies. Other than that I love that fork, got my bike weight down to 10kg500. But if you race you may want to add additional safety with a Ti Fork.
> ...


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