Forks off road

There are all sorts of things to consider when getting a fork for off road use to make sure that it is just right for you.

Off road covers a few different types of fork such as cross country, downhill and jump. You need to choose a fork that is suited to the bike it is being installed on and the type of riding that you hope to use it for.

Cross Country

Cross country forks are light weight and designed to absorb lots of little bumps.

Downhill

These are big long travel forks for going fast.

Jump

Tough forks for taking big impacts when you land.

Steerer tube

One of the first things that you need to look at when choosing a new fork is the diameter of the steerer tube. Most bicycles use a 1 inch 1/8 headtube diameter however some use 1 inch and there is a few other variations. If you have an older bike, then you may have threaded steerer tube. This thread is what your headset screws on to. A modern design uses the stem as a clamp meaning that the tube is smooth. If you're not sure what you have then why not give us a call on 0870 165 1108 or drop in to one of our stores.

Rigid or Suspension

Although the vast majority of off road forks are now suspension you still have the option of rigid forks, these are responsive, light and maintenance free. However for most people suspension is best way to go for off-road use. It will be significantly more comfortable, faster on bumpy bits and generally easier to manage. Suspension is also constantly improving with the introduction of lighter forks, lockout options and all sorts of different adjustments to make them feel just right for you.

When buying a suspension fork bare in mind what your frame was originally designed for. If your bike came with a rigid fork or a suspension fork with less than 80mm of travel then you should not exceed this as it will affect the handling of the bicycle and place it under increased pressure.

Disc or V-brake

Decide what type of brakes you want to run before choosing your forks because although most forks are coming with both V-brake and disc mounts there are a few with one or the other, or in the case of Manitou a different disc mount all together.

Tyre clearance

If you want to run a big tyre such as 2.3 or above then you will need to get a fork, which has enough tyre clearance to achieve this.

Single crown or double crown

If you are buying a downhill fork then you will probably be looking at a double crown fork. Very simply this is a fork, which is attached above and below the headtube of a bike for additional strength. The downside of this can be that it places the frame under increased pressure.