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Forks / Shocks
NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.
Hello
I have a Garry Fisher Hifi and have destroyed my forks / Shox so i am going to upgrade and was wondering what would be the best fork for me.
I do allot of XC (Manly Dam) and some DH (Thredbo), weigh around 96kg and ride fairly aggressive
I have been looking at the Foxshox F29 RLC 120mm, would these shox suite my riding or is there something better that you can suggest?
Cheers
Brent
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Don't they come with this fork already? So yes it will be work well, probably a little on the small & light side for Thredbo DH, but so is the bike. You'll need to make sure you get one with the custom G2 offset or the handling will suffer.
First up, a HiFi is not for DH. It's just not the right type. I'm not even going to get into explaing. Let's just say this...there's a very valid reason that DH bikes exist.
Now, are you asking about the fork or the shock? If either or both is destroyed, and you claim to ride aggressively, and weigh plenty, then you require a different bike. It's as plain as that.
To answer your question about the Fox F29 RLC 120 then here goes. That fork is for 29er bikes only and will completely screw up the handling of a HiFi. So unless your model is a 29er, then forget it. What you'd want is the Fox 32-F-RLC 120. Still, it won't have the G2 custom offset and your Genesis geometry will then no longer apply, so then all the reasons you spent your hard earned on a HiFi will also no longer apply...
So go to your Fisher dealer and chat with them.
The Fox F29 RLC 120 is a great fork, when plugged into a 29er bike. It performs flawlessly. The Fox 32-F-RLC 120 is also a top fork and it also works flawlessly, when fitted to a bike using 26" wheels, hardtail or full suspension. Very rarely indeed do Fox products fail, provided the correct servicing intervals are adhered to.
In my opinion, bigger is better. But most would expect me to say that.
Especially if you are doing some of the rougher stuff. Thredbo? You will need bigger than those F-RLC120. The 120mm forks are not going to hack it if you are doing heavier riding than Manly Dam. Go for a fork in the 140-160mm region, maybe some Rock Shox Pike, Lyrik or Domain forks. Fox 36mm Talas or Van's are good. These can be picked up affordably so they are a good mid-range AM/light FR fork. You can get beefier FR and DH forks, like Rock Shox Totems and Fox 40's, but you lose some pedalability with those, cost twice the price, and may not be that useful for longer XC rides. If you still need to pedal about the place, get a fork with lock out and maybe U-Turn (or equivalent) so you can make you pedal up hills more forgiving. End result? Go with a larger AM fork.