How much punishment can a Carbon MTB fork take?

[BaGearA]

And broke a few days later...

I did not know that ....still might impressive that it did not snap

[King_Crispy]

I did not know that ....still might impressive that it did not snap

But it did, a few days later...

With catastrophic results

[NotSoBigBen]

Is a rigid fork really the right tool for the job of you want to be jumping and 'hucking to flat' (don't even know what that means)?

 

I have ridden both carbon (some Chinese job) and steel rigid (Surly I suspect) forks on 'normal' routes including a lot of time at Thaba (green plus Leopards Claw and Samuel) for a long time and never had an issue. In my case the wheels very rarely leave the ground voluntarily though ... Not a particularly skilled technical rider to be fair.

 

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[King_Crispy]

Is a rigid fork really the right tool for the job of you want to be jumping and 'hucking to flat' (don't even know what that means)?

 

I have ridden both carbon (some Chinese job) and steel rigid (Surly I suspect) forks on 'normal' routes including a lot of time at Thaba (green plus Leopards Claw and Samuel) for a long time and never had an issue. In my case the wheels very rarely leave the ground voluntarily though ... Not a particularly skilled technical rider to be fair.

 

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Give credit where credit is due.......

Chinese carbon if bought from a proper supplier will NEVER give issues

[Grease_Monkey]

Is a rigid fork really the right tool for the job of you want to be jumping and 'hucking to flat' (don't even know what that means)?

 

I have ridden both carbon (some Chinese job) and steel rigid (Surly I suspect) forks on 'normal' routes including a lot of time at Thaba (green plus Leopards Claw and Samuel) for a long time and never had an issue. In my case the wheels very rarely leave the ground voluntarily though ... Not a particularly skilled technical rider to be fair.

 

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No not at all, thats what my AM bike is for. The point of the thread was more to find out that if I am on the trails on the rigid SS and there is a little kicker, should I avoid completely, or can I go for it (within reason)....

 

I am also not in the air all the time, but I do like to have fun on the bike, and do not want to write my brand new build, or myself for that matter, off for something stupid.

 

In other words I just wanted to get an indication of what I can and cannot do with the fork. If the answer was a gravel road then that would also be fine as this won't be my go to bike, rather a tool to get stronger.

 

"Hucking to flat" = a drop off to a flat landing = a bad idea for most bikes. That's why I said use common sense and don't do that - it was just an extreme example

[FCH]

Man, I am literally one fart lighter than you, been pining after a Salsa with carbon fork....but jeez.... i know the stuff is strong..... still not 110% for me.

 

LOL, that's encouraging!

[V12man]

No not at all, thats what my AM bike is for. The point of the thread was more to find out that if I am on the trails on the rigid SS and there is a little kicker, should I avoid completely, or can I go for it (within reason)....

 

I am also not in the air all the time, but I do like to have fun on the bike, and do not want to write my brand new build, or myself for that matter, off for something stupid.

 

In other words I just wanted to get an indication of what I can and cannot do with the fork. If the answer was a gravel road then that would also be fine as this won't be my go to bike, rather a tool to get stronger.

 

"Hucking to flat" = a drop off to a flat landing = a bad idea for most bikes. That's why I said use common sense and don't do that - it was just an extreme example

Don't go crazy... they are a touch unforgiving... that said.. I love riding mine, but.... land properly or it will bite you quickly... Probably won't break though - JC managed to survive a terrible landing and the fork broke a few days later... kind of understandable really... just show how strong the stuff is- but they are not DH long travel forks... keep that in mind and you will be fine.

[gummibear]

Hectic! What caused that unfortunate demise?

3 months of single track riding.Not sure of the make though.

 

Ritchey or Niner would be my choice.

[Flippa]

And broke a few days later...

 To be fair though, it was an older Niner fork with a straight steerer.....

[Monark]

Just get a steel fork from Singular....

[V12man]

 To be fair though, it was an older Niner fork with a straight steerer.....

I don't think that you could blame the fork for breaking - I am really amazed the bike frame did not break from that landing... the video on slo mo is enlightening as to the stress frames are put under. (and forks too)

[the nerd]

Just get a steel fork from Singular....

 

or go custom... 

[jcmeyerSS]

hahahah ok ok

 

yes it was my dumb fat ass that broke the Niner fork.

 

But to be fair to the fork the fork:

I was 105kg t the time and i way over-jumped a fairly large jump and came down hard on my front wheel.

It was also a Straight steerer fork and it broke right on the Crown.

 

I did many many jumps, gaps and Rock gardens with it. To be honest I dont think there is a single "Bike trail" in JHB or Pretoria that I did not ride with it. I even did the Hakahana SP1 on it back before the Enduro days and had a Top 10 Time on strava back then.

I even used to play at the jumps at bike park on it.

 

 

Needless to say even after that messed up jump I still road the Niner fork for another month or two and it only broke the day before 94.7 when I tried to jump a little washout.

 

I have just bought a new bike and as the guys have already established I did not hesitate to fit a new Niner fork to the front. I am not going to be any nicer to it than i was to the last one. I wont be doing any large gap jumps but i will still be riding hard through any rockgarden or trail. Ill still be doing small gaps and jumps on it.

At the end of that day it is what i enjoy doing and how i enjoy riding and if i cant ride like that cause I'm scared of hurting my fork then I need to change my fork.

 

I have found for trying both shapes of Fork that the Triangular shaped forks (Niner, Rapide, ENVE, Ragley, Whiskey etc) are more laterally Stiff and Flex less than the tube shaped one (Exotic, Ritchey, On-one, MRP) but that also down to personal Preference. The more flex the less road chatter, however i try and do as little (corrugated) district road as possible.

 

IMHO and from a good few years of riding on various carbon forks they are pretty darn tough and I have broken way more wheels and rims than I have forks.

 

No worries jumping with a carbon fork.