Ok so I have an old 1996 Judy xc with with about 60mm of travel and elastomers in it.
I'm getting to the point where i need to get a new fork.
So what do you all recommend i should do.
Buy a Total air upgrade kit for my old judy, which would replace all the insides with all air and upgrade the travel to 85mm. http://www.ekosport.com/ta_intro.shtml
Or should i by a new Rock Shox J4 with the u-turn 80-125mm travel, and all that good stuff. http://www.sram.com/en/rockshox/mountainforks/judy/j4.php
Mainly my riding style is XC, all mountain but i love doing drops and jumps. Nothing too big.
The bike is an old steel GT Karakoram with all newer components. I'm not going to get rid of this bike!
If your old Judy is a 1" threaded steerer (based on it's age, it just might be) then do the ugrade, as I don't think the newer Judy is a 1" threaded steerer, nor will it be easy to find that type of fork except used on ebay. If you have a newer fork with a 1 1/8 inch threadless headset, I say forget Judy and buy something like this:
Englund cartridges are ok but I'd imagine your 10 year old Judy is probably pretty beat up. Do yourself a favor and get a Marzocchi MX comp with 85mm of travel, I think you can pick up an 05 for about $200. It will last a long time and be insanely plush and stiff compared to your old Judy. I think Marzocchi even makes a 1' version of it if your frame is that old. If you are still running cantis though and don't want to upgrade to V brakes you might be stuck with an older fork.
My fork is 1 1/8 threadless so i guess a new fork is the way to go. yeah drops are sometimes scary when my old judy bottoms out.
Thanks for the advice on the MARZOCCHI MX COMP 85. That is something that I will definitely look into. Do you think that 100+mm of travel is too much for my frame?
My fork is 1 1/8 threadless so i guess a new fork is the way to go. yeah drops are sometimes scary when my old judy bottoms out.
Thanks for the advice on the MARZOCCHI MX COMP 85. That is something that I will definitely look into. Do you think that 100+mm of travel is too much for my frame?
That's a hard question to answer as it has to do a lot with the frame's geometry. The bike I'm putting the MX Comp on will be effected minimally by the change in travel, as the axle to crown measurement on the new fork is only about a half inch difference. If memory serves me correctly, there is a rule of thumb about the change in travel or a/c height as it pertains to head tube angle. It goes something like this: For every inch you add (travel or a/c height, I forget which it is, so use the worst case scenario in your calculation) there is a 1 degree change in head tube angle. You have to decide if that change in angle will effect the handling of the bike (i.e the front end having a tendancy to pull up too easily, or washing out in corners). Check with the manufacturer regarding whether the 100mm fork will put too much stress on the head tube and cause potential failure.
If you are definitely going to change the fork, just make sure you go with something that will be a bit more sturdy for the drops you do. The MX is definitely a nice fork, but Marzocchi won't stand behind it if you damage it doing drops. With that said, if you're doing drops with the Judy.....
Best wishes in finding a suitable fork, and let us know what you end up purchasing.
Bob
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Mountain Bike Reviews Forum
15.4M posts
515.2K members
Since 1990
A forum community dedicated to Mountain Bike owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about bike parts, components, deals, performance, modifications, classifieds, trails, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!