|   need help with 29er fork/wheel options | ncj01
Sep 30, 2002 11:25 AM | | Hi, I know nothing, but am interested. My main concerns are limited fork, wheel, and tire selection. I would like a relatively light fork, and tubless wheels. I know stan has a 29'r strip out.....help... |
| hmmm. there are options... | martini
Sep 30, 2002 3:23 PM | | Current knowledge about forks is this: Marzocchi's(two models, one air, one coil, both 80mm travel) are only available through Fisher(stock items) and through select custom builders. This may change for '03 though, keep an eye out.
White Bros. is improving thier fork line for next year. tehy'll have two models, a 80-100mm travel one and an 80mm only. Not sure if they'er both coil, or air or what, but now they've got apretty decent air fork out that gets 72mm of travel. This one will probably go on closeout here soon(deals to be had???)
I've no idea on wieghts for any of these by the way...
Tire choices are getting better, IrC has the Notos and Mythos, WTB has the Nanoraptor, Motoraptor and mutanotaptor. Kenda is introducing a front and rear set at interbike. Continental is rumored to have a tire in the offing, Maxxis has one that may make the grade as well. Are there others out there? Keep your eye on Interbike coverage here in the next few weeks, I'm sure we'll be seeing lots of new intros for us 'bigger' folk. There's no tubless specific tires out there yet, but it won't be long. Mavic's speed city wheels are tubless compatible I think. So far Stan's is the only option for tubless. |
| Here's one.... | banks
Oct 1, 2002 2:55 PM | | The Marz Marathon is available through your LBS who is able to order forks. I don't know about the lower end models, but you cannot order a Marz fork through Fisher as a part; They are a Rock Shox distributer.
Give Marz a call and see. |
| i believe manitou as well | kokies
Oct 2, 2002 5:45 AM | | i believe manitou will have forks as well. Fisher is sponsered my them and I believe I heard them talking about it. |
| i believe manitou as well, but not | twonineSS
Oct 2, 2002 10:52 AM | | nothing from manitou, unless you run disc brakes on an older xvert, tire clearance is an issue. Tom rogers built one for gary f. about three years back, but no more. oh well. |
| Don't think so------------- | banks
Oct 2, 2002 6:32 PM | | The X-vert will bottom out on the crown and tire unless pumped to the higher skys of even bigger wheels; 250psi for 175 lb rider weight.
The Factory Fishers from 2001 were special custom units made from X-vert lowers and Mars stantions with 'secret' internals.
I have a good friend at Answer and he did not know how or what the guys in 'racer production' did.
The early Manitou '2' or '3' will fit the big tire, but travel is limited, BUT you can run canti's on that fork!!!! |
| And more options expected to come in 2003! (rather long) | Cloxxki
Oct 5, 2002 1:03 AM | | Nishiki has a whole line of own-brand forks for their 29" bikes. Next april, the top-model with carbon lowers and air internals is expectedto become available after-market, for a competitive price. Lower pricec than the Marathon, at a lower claimed weight than the present Whitebros.
Already in 2k3, Be-One will come wih 2 "TwoNiner" models, each of them with it's own Suntour fork. Will Be-One be at Interbike? I heard rumours that they want to work the American market, so I kinda expect them to be there. If the Suntours are available aftermarket, they should be quite affordable. Lately, Suntour seems to be raising it's game, so these don't necessarily have to be bad forks at all.
Rockshox has the lower-end Metro, an hybrid fork with prbably about 60mm of travel. Will take a 2.2+ inch tire, from the looks of it.
Check out RST, I bet thay have something as well, they are a company I'd expect it from. The lower-end market will be quite important to have 29" grow. People can this way give it a go for cheap, not too many risks, and a more obvious alternative to a lower-end 26" bike. An enthousiastic sales(wo)man should be able to sell them as well.
Be-One and Gary Fisher will probably both attract a largre, lower-end oriented public, good for the variety in aftermarket forks and tires.
Fournales and Hurrycat make linkage forks that will be custom made to spec'd length, allowing the use of a 29" wheel. A great way to get a lighter fork with a shorter axle-crown length. Getting a ca. 450-460mm axle-crown, 80mm Fournales though, is something you should only do for a custom frame, as 29" hardtails will most probably be built to work with a 475mm Whitebros or a 487mm Marzocchi. Such a short linkage fork is especially interesting for riders that need low handlebar like myself, as my SuperCal plus Marz and a 73 degree WCS stem still make me end up with a highish handlebar, at least compared to what I'm used to.
About tires, Schwalbe has a +-54 mm wide "60mm" Big Apple slick that no-one here seems to care about, but which will be great for road training and beach races, the 26" version of it, at least in qualifier compound, is tested to be the fastest-rolling "mtb" tire around. The stock 29" one can't be bad. I have the "50mm" version which is 43mm actual, and it does roll magnificently!
Other tires are expected as well, at least prototypes. Gary fisher wants a Hutchinsonson 29", and he's not the only one, so he'll be trying to persuade the French to join in.
For myself, I'd like tires to come at the same quality level as 26" top models. So, Schwalbe Qualifier Compound tires, especially the FastFred 2.35" which would blow away the Nanoraptor on all but every terrain I can imagine. Maybe the Nano will be better in wet 'n loose conditions. If I knew how, I'd make the FastFred happen, the 26" version is till better than the 29" Nano, for as far as I've been able to test the latter. Also, as the 26" 2.35" FatFred only weight about 500g, a 560g 29" version SHOULD be possible. At the freakish low rolling resistance the 26" has, and improved by the even larger circumference, this tire, should it exist, would rule in any any dry condition. I've done anything from beachraces to loose and hardpack XC on the Fat, really dieing to get one in 29". Furthermore, the 2.35" FF already allows me to go below the spec'd 2.0bar minimum, so the 29" version would see pressures along the lines of 1.7 bar easily!
Schwalbe already has a FastFred in 28", but not the width that will make the difference.
I really think it's time for someone to make a truly wider and lighter 29" tire, as Kenda promised at first, but didn't live up to. They said a 600g+, 55mm tire, but they ended up making it well under 50mm at a yet-to-be-confirmed weight. Kenda, for instance, has the technology to make 330g 1.9" 26" tires, so why not a 500g, 2.3" 29" one? If a tire manufacturer came with something that's really all-out in terms of performance, they would be able to make great marketing, get raving reviews and lots of fans for their products. Too bad they're all chicken. It took WTB, with probably the best selling 29" tire, till 2003 to come with a kevlar-beaded Nano, which they say is only 30g light than the steel one. In that case, don't be surprised to buy a 700g one, for I have yet to find a Nano that lives up to the 640g claim. The kevlar one is claimed at 595g, I wait with interest!
Other 29" parts on the yet-to-be-made wishlist? Do tell the manufacturers at Interbike! How about a 2.3-2.5" freeride-specific tire? If it existed, it would open the door to investigate something quite intersting : 29" (front)wheeled downhill bikes. If a 29" XC already ascends better, what to expect from a 29" true downhill bike?
If more people come with such wishes (in stead of just Gary, Bigwheel and a few other pioneers, it'll be hard to convince brands that they can make real money with 29". To have the best 29" tire, for instance a 2.2" Hutch Python or a 2.35" Schwalbe Fast Fred, it to be market leader, that along with selling tires is very good to have.
If you go to Interbike, don't just look for 29" parts, ASK FOR THEM, let (y)our voice be heard! There are still product managers at bike manufacturers that know nothing to little about 29", as I found out with felt bikes from Germany. They came with a rigid proto that came with the 60mm Schalbe Big Apples slicks. asking the man about it, he didn't realise he'd made a 29" bike, hadn't heard of it before!
I hope Interbike will bring some more news. |
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