Feeling Rigid In The Front
A painful day off the bike. Just tired and late night last night out with Wifey scarffing fish tacos and fine beverages at a good friend's crib. Slack day with family today, followed by washing off a ton of winter road grime from the Mamasita. She looks sweet and ready for action this week. The trails won't see any rubber for some time yet, this week temps are crawling up into the 50s!! Woot! Woot! And I plant to try to get a least a couple hours each day in. Anxiously waiting the first ride with no jacket/winter gloves!
With a growing number or road rides on the Mamasita, and a growing number or gravel-ish races I want to do (Iron Cross, Hilly Billy Roubaix, Southern Cross, etc.,) I want to pick up a rigid fork for the Mamasita. I have it down to either a carbon Carver, a Salsa CroMoto Grande, or a Kona P2. If anyone has and experience on these forks I would be interested in hearing about it.
That's about all I got today, busy getting some stuff done, so I can slack and ride more this week.
First shipment of XXC Print mags will ship tomorrow. As SOON as Mr. Slackass Fed(not so express)Ex guy comes. Then my 2nd shipment is due on Tuesday. Nice! XXC kits should be in anytime now too. Nervous and anxious to see how they cam out, and even MORE anxious to wear 'em on the race course!
Later.
posted by Jason @ 9:21 PM
8 comments
8 Comments:
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I have a Kona Project 2 with about 700-100o miles on it this winter, doing a variety of riding, from smooth gravel to seriously rocky and technical. It is laterally stiff. No twisting in corners, etc. It also, interestingly, has a large amount of fore/aft flex. You can watch the fork bend and bounce forward and back while hitting bumps going down hills. I dig it, it's a comfy fork. But, in the end, it is a rigid fork. I have also heard good things about the salsa forks. I'm open to a carbon fork - I would get one if I had the extra money, just for the weight factor alone. Sure would make popping the front end of a 29er up a bit easier.
Jason, I've ridden the CroMoto Grande and what amounts to the Carver. (A "catalog" fork that is sold under a lot of brand names)
The carbon fork is nice, light, and rides nice. The Salsa Cro Moto Grande is just a wee bit heavier, and rides about as nicely. I guess in the end it is a toss up. At least from a smooth fork feel on gravel.
My best advice would be to go for a weight savings. Might as well, ya know?
I might go with the CroMoto or the P2 just 'cause they're cheaper and for what I do with a bike [ride it in races, not race it in races ;)] It might be the ticket.
GTed, Thanks for the info. Yes, I have seen that fork under some other names as well. My only concern would be is there any serious weight limit or rotor size issues.
I had a kona p2 a while back. for a cheap rigid fork it seemed to work fine but I think you need something a bit schazzier for the mama
I have the Salsa Cro Moto on the El-Mariachi. It has handled everything I have thrown at it...including the big rocky descent up at Laurel Mt at higher speeds than you hit with your fox ;). Anywho, maybe you should think about a White Bros carbon fork. For what you going to do with the Mamasita, a carbon fork would be a better choice.
I like shnazzy!
Don, you do thing on that descent (and most) I wouldn't do on down hill bike!
I’ve put some time in on an Origin 8 Carbon fork (same, same) and a Salsa Cro Moto as well as a few other steel forks and for mountain biking with some sketchy descents steel is real man. I can’t speak for the Kona but the Salsa kicks @ss. One thing to keep in mind is your axle to crown ratio and keeping your handling familiar. Minus the Niner carbon fork most carbon forks on the market will shorten your A-C ratio and make the font end drop and steer faster. Maybe that’s good in your book maybe it isn’t. I will add this, the last time I bombed down a sketchy fast 30 minute descent on the Origin 8 carbon fork (on a coasting bike with 2 disc brakes) I felt completely out of control due to how the fork works. More so out of control even than when bombing that same descent on a fixed gear with only a front disc brake and a steel fork.
Go Salsa and keep it in the family. If you loose a race due solely to the slight weight difference in the carbon vs steel forks I will have you a “better luck next time” beer at the finish line.
Peace,
Metro
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