Carbon Fork on a Mountain bike

[parco]

I don't ride my mountain bike that often but a friend asked me along on a group ride so I went. There were about 20 people on this ride and I noticed one guy had a carbon front fork on his bike. I wanted to ask about this setup but I never got to talk to the guy. Does anyone have any info about carbon front forks for mountain bikes? Is there a benefit over suspension forks?

[pakora]

The primary benefit is that they're way lighter (2-3.5 pounds lighter!). I personally ride one because I put together a bike meant to be as light as possible while also being sturdy.

Whether rigid is for you depends on the kind of riding you do of course, plus personal preference. I rode a rigid steel bike for most of two years before building up my fancy carbon rigid bike.

[cadence90]

ENVE, Whisky, Pace, Ritchey, Niner all make carbon rigid mtb forks with good reputations.

[peanutgallery]

If you show up with a carbon fork on a mtb group ride its an automatic that we're going straight to the closest rock garden

A carbon fork is light and it forces you to make good line choices but that's about it. If you struggle with the technical part of mtb you will have a long day

[Veloo]

I wish I got the Nashbar 26" carbon MTB fork a few years ago. It was about $100 and the dollar was on par.
Now it's $159 (+30% exchange) so can't quite justify it for an MTB turned commuter.

I got the 700C cross fork and it's an Evo fork with Nashbar branding. I'm assuming the same for the 26" MTB fork.

I see they have a cheap steel 26" fork but no weight listed. I wanna shed weight from my old RockShox Quad 21 on my Schwinn S-96.2.

[benb]

Oddball answer but I am pretty sure there are some suspension forks with carbon crowns and/or stanchions, etc.. Big bucks I bet! :banana:

[Fatty]

Main benefit is that they are generally lighter. No maintenance is a biggie for some.

[rohan]

Not that it makes sense for the riding I do, but I have been eyeing last year's red Specialized Crave SL... single-speed, carbon fork, and lighter than my Waterford!

[pasadena]

I have a full carbon rigid 29er and it's a lot of fun.
It's a different style of riding, and a throwback but again, a lot of fun.

Only way to see if you like it is to try it.

[1X10]

I am happy with my steel 29 with the ENVE fork...built up 1x...

Super fast and nimble and makes me think my lines...If your area trails or riding dictate a rigid set up then no worries...If playing in the rocks and roots more often then none I would suggest some cushion...

My next rig will have at least 120mm of float on the front and be rolling on plus+...

My 2 pennies...

[59Bassman]

I have thought a whole lot about a full rigid mountain bike in the past. I'm currently on an older Fuji 29er HT, but used to lust after a Niner SIR9 with a matching carbon fork that was in a local shop. It's minimalist mountain biking, distilling the experience into its purest form.

But to pull it off, you will either be 1) very good, 2) into physical abuse, or 3) very slow. The rigids I've looked at have tended to weigh a good bit less than other mt bikes and require less maintenance. They are also (per folks I've talked to with miles on them) unforgiving and requiring of more careful line selection and bike handling skills.

I'd still like one for self-education, but I wouldn't take one on a group ride. I need all the suspension help I can get to keep up with any of the folks I know who ride offroad. I'm just not that good.

[SlowPokePete]

I love having aa rigid fork (Niner carbon) on my singlespeed.

Besides all of the above, it is awesome for climbing!

SPP

[Gummee]

Some of us are old enough to remember the 'suspend the rider' (Ritchey) or 'suspend the bike' (everyone else) debate.

I've got an inherited SIR9 in the garage that needs a fork. I'm debating between a rigid carbon and a suspension fork. I'm leaning towards rigid carbon 'because singlespeed.'

M

[2metalhips]

I ride a Carbon Santa Cruz Highball with a Spec carbon Chisel fork. I'm in my 60's and I like it. Before that I rode rigid steel for 5 years, front sus and fs for 15 years before that. Rooty rocky NE singletrack. If you want to bomb rocky descents then it might not be for you, other than that there are no disadvantages. It may actually be an advantage in some situations. I find it fun and a challenge to pick the best line. Others mentioned lighter weight and less maintenance. The key for me is a more upright position, big soft tubeless tires, 2.35 @ 20 psi or so. Also Mary bars which is easier on the hands and upper body. Lots of time off the saddle or just hovering over it, you can't ride it all like suspension. But all this takes a healthy amount of handling skills, it's not for everyone that's for sure.

[purpurite]

Oddball answer but I am pretty sure there are some suspension forks with carbon crowns and/or stanchions, etc.. Big bucks I bet! :banana:

My RockShox SID World Cup has a carbon steerer tube and crown, with magnesium legs. Super light, super pricey and not meant for beefy riders.

http://www.apexspeed.com/doug/random/bikes/gunnar/rockshox-sid_005.jpg

[adamhell]

I had the enve fork on my krampus for a little bit. i ended up just putting the steel fork back on because it made the bike look more uniform, if that makes sense. if i had a really nice hardtail (not a million pound surly) i would put the enve on it.