Early 90's suspension forks

[sweety]

After getting out & about again on my 91 Kona CC which has been such a joy to ride i've noticed the tendinitis in both of my shoulders don't like the bumpy stuff :roll: So I have been thinking about fitting a set of early suspension forks to ease things a bit. I Can remember Rockshox & Manitu's were on the market around 1991 but can't remember the names/models of the forks. I need a threaded steerer 1 1/8 (I think it is) so I can keep my impact head set.
Any pointers on which fork to try & find would be most greatful

 

[legrandefromage]

fit bigger tyres - equivalent of rather naff early sus forks.

 

[suburbanreuben]

To be honest, I doubt whether anything from that era will do anything to ease your pain. It really was stone-age stuff, sus forks wise...

 

[IDB1]

Around that time, surely suspension would have been an upgrade so it would be normal for the springy bits to be newer than the bike??

 

[Mr Panda]

Try a flexistem - I have one on one of my '92 cinder cones and it does actually work. A bit.

 

[sweety]

Try a flexistem - I have one on one of my '92 cinder cones and it does actually work. A bit.

Am considering one Really any sus forks but would love it to have a threaded steerer

 

[ishaw]

Not sure the year that they came out, but I am about to sell a couple of sets of manitou threes and a set of manitou comps. They would certainly take the edge off, and come with a threaded steerer tube.

Early Manitous in my opinion looked great, with the CNC alu parts. Early pace were pretty cool looking, and worked pretty well too.

Ian

 

[Anthony]

Kona first made 'suspension-adjusted' frames in 1994, but even before that they fitted RockShox Quadra as on option for the 1993 range. As far as suspension is concerned, your 91 frame has the same geometry as the 93 frames, so any 40-50mm travel fork would be suitable. e.g., RS Quadra or Mag 21, Marzocchi XCR or XC500, or (perhaps both best and easiest to find) a Pace RC35.

The main criticism of these forks usually is that they were flexy, but this is obviously felt most by the heaviest and hardest riders. Early air forks were obviously quite plush, perhaps too plush. The RC35 is an elastomer fork, but possibly the best elastomer fork ever made. They have a very good reputation, and if you could find one I feel sure it would be better for you than the rigid P2 fork.
http://www.goatsurfer.com/pace_forks.html#1993

Your problem might be finding any early fork with a long enough steerer, as the 91 Konas had quite long head tubes. You would need a steerer at least 32mm longer than your head tube to fit the Impact headset.

 

[Rich Aitch]

Fork suspension isolates the rider and most of the bike from trail shocks by providing movement right down at the front of the bike. Stem suspension provides movement by pivoting the handlebars around the stem in an arc, so as the suspension compresses and rebounds your arms will keep pulling and pushing backwards and forwards. Because your tendinitis is in your shoulders I'm not sure a flexstem is a good idea as this may agravate it. But then I'm not a fan of them anyway as I once had a no brand flexstem that became sloppy very quickly and after climbing with bar ends with it a few times it got awful side play that I couldn't correct by shimming it. I like to think Girvin Flexstems were made to a higher standard though, so people with them might not have had those problems.
Personally I'd get a big pair of tyres- something like a 2.2 section and run them at a lower than normal pressure- and use them until I found a pair of forks I liked.

 

[brocklanders023]

Don't care what some of the other posters say, I've got a set of RC35's that have been refurbed and they work well. Don't get me wrong, they're no where near modern forks but do a good job of taking the sting out of trails. I've had rigid forks that flex more. Recommended.