# Anti Gravity Fork



## mrkawasaki (Aug 2, 2006)

Hi - bought this NOS fork from your side of the pond - hey it was pretty and shiney...  - now I need to discover some facts about it before I can decide what period frame to add on the back!

Anyone know who made them - I cannot find any old MBA ads anywhere.
Can anyone guess a year?
Or are they a prototype that never made the shelves...?


Mr K


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## newhollowpointer (Dec 17, 2004)

*I hope this doesnt come as a shock but.....*

They are NOT new.

I know that the forks are shiny and pretty but Im afraid that they arent NOS. (I hope I didnt state that they were:eekster: ) They actually came off a pretty _run of the mill _92 Trek that had some serious upgrades.

I tried to research it as best I could and was told that it shared some of the parts with the switchblade and came out of a small (now defunct) Company in CA. Firstflight might be able to shed some light. I remember Jeff saying that he had a pair lying around somewhere.

Hope that helps.

BTW.....I vaguely remember that auction because it ended right about the same time that a Carbon FSX fork auction was ending. I believe you just edged out my top bid on it :madman: I rememeber thinking what a coincidence that was.

Oh well..... still in the market for one of those.


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

They were made by a CNC company in Santee, CA (just east of San Diego), IIRC. That one looks like a second or third generation model. Their appeal at the time (early 90's) was that they cost less than a RockShox or Manitou fork.


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## mrkawasaki (Aug 2, 2006)

*Old Friends!*

Thanks for that - no worries about the NOS status - I couldn't remember anyways! They sure are in good condition if they have seen action!

1992 is a start (I cannot imagine that they would have been a Trek factory fit though, maybe a dealer special build??

I have some Switchblades but don't really see any clues as to a relationship there.

BTW I didn't win the FSXs and am still in the hunt - no doubt our paths will cross again! 

Mr K


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## Zanetti (Sep 18, 2005)

Tange and Trek both marketed versions of that fork around 1993-1994.

Here's an example:


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## Zanetti (Sep 18, 2005)

*You're in for a shock...*


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## Glow in Dark (Jan 8, 2005)

I have a pair of those that I rode the sh*t out of. They were one of my first big mountain bike purchases. I was a freshman in HS and I thought they were so cool. I modified them to get an extra 1/2 of travel by shortening the top pieces and adding extra bumpers. They were pretty light and pretty trick looking.

I still have the fork although it is not on a bike. It works but it the booties have harden and need to be replaced.


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## uphiller (Jan 13, 2004)

That fork had a big advantage over some other forks of the day in that it the elastomers inside were much longer than those in contemporary forks like the Manitou 2 or 3. Forks with short spring stacks always have poor rebound control on bigger bumps, since the elastomer loses too much of its total length when getting compressed at max travel.
I seem to remember an Anti-Gravity ad stating that their fork had a 10" elastomer stack, whereas the Manitou 3 had a 6" stack with the same travel; the Manitou 2 was even shorter than 6".
That brace does like seriously wimpy, though, and all the offset is in the crown, which means sluggish steering: the fork"s center of gravity is far from the center of the fork's axis of rotation, ie the center of its steerer tube. Would be interesting to see hear how they ride, though.


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## mrkawasaki (Aug 2, 2006)

*Thanks*

Wow - terrific response guys - thanks! :thumbsup:

Particularly impressed with the advert - which shows I have some essential graphics missing on the legs! I wonder if any magazine reviewed them in action...? I don't suppose they made them for too long - I am fairly sure they didn't get imported to the UK.

I don't see the link with Tange Struts though - they look a very poor shock in comparison.

The main reason for my query was that I couldn't decide whether to put them on a 'good' frame or donate them to the good ladies' ride  - I think I might retain them for further investigation... 

Mr K


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## outside! (Mar 15, 2006)

Wow, 7949 Stromesa Court, Suite R is just a few blocks from here. Area code is still 619 (it is now 858) which definitely dates it to pre-2000. That address is actually near Miramar MCAS (formerly NAS, think Top Gun), not in Santee. There are a bunch of machine shops in this area. Many of the shops only stay in business for a few years. I actually do business with a shop on that street. I will have to ask around and see if anybody knows anything. There is a chance that some of the machinists may still be around. I kind of remember them from back in the day, but did not care for all the offset in the crown. Seemed like it would hit the downtube. The tall elastomer stack would be an improvement over the Manitou's. Of course it would be even more elastomer to try and track down for a rebuild.


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## Zanetti (Sep 18, 2005)

mrkawasaki said:


> I don't see the link with Tange Struts though - they look a very poor shock in comparison.


The lower legs and MCU spring system were nearly identical.


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

I remember stopping by the Anti Gravity booth at a bike show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in 1992. The lower legs came in a handful of colors but were made from extremly thin tubing that looked like it would dent very easily.


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