Assistance please - fork options for potential 26" MTB dually build

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open roader
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Assistance please - fork options for potential 26" MTB dually build

Postby open roader » Sat Aug 26, 2017 11:22 am

I missed out on the nice carbon 27.5 frame (too large size for me....... :cry: )

However, I have been offered a NOS Giant Trance 26er frame with matching NOS rear shock for under $400. The frame is the correct fit for me too!

[img][img]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4353/36409334410_0b11e745f2_h.jpg[/img]P_20170825_100155[1] by Matthew Brennan, on Flickr[/img]

I'd like to take up the offer as the size fits me well and I already have 2 x pairs of excellent 26" MTB wheels and 26" is my perfered size over 29 (tested a mate's Giant 29er) which I found a little cumbersome for the light to moderate trail work I want to do, however, I've come to a bottleneck in the potential build options as this frame takes 1-1/8th straight steerer fork.

Giant originally released this bike with a Fox Talus 150mm travel fork.

From what I gather using Google, my options are somewhat limited. Although I can purchase this new frame and shock very cheaply and it's ONLY an alloy 26er :roll: , I do not want to invest in cheap coil or generic Chinese air forks. The only real performance option I can find is a NOS 2016 model Fox Float 36 180mm HSC/LSC RC2 which the vendor is insisting is a straight 1-1/8th steerer.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Fox-Float-36 ... Swq~tZONpg

This would mean I'd have to switch my front wheel hub over to a 15mm thru axle model , however, I do not mind paying the price of a new hub and this fork as the frame and shock are new and cheap and the fork has the nice Kashima coated legs and with bulk travel and adjustment but I have not found much more in the way of decent forks with straight steerer options in my net surfing.

Is there somewhere I should be looking for other / better options for a reasonably performed fork option for my potential build?
3rd class cycling is always better than 1st class walking

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Duck!
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Re: Assistance please - fork options for potential 26" MTB dually build

Postby Duck! » Sat Aug 26, 2017 12:12 pm

Just for consideration, it is not impossible to fit a tapered steerer fork in that frame. What you will need is what's referred to as an EC44 lower headset (External Cup for 44mm head tube ID), which will fit the larger lower headset bearing outside the head tube. This will jack the front end of the bike up by a small amount. Manufacturers are not offering much in the way of decent forks for 26", but with persistence and a lot of digging you should be able to find something somewhere.
I had a thought, but it got run over as it crossed my mind.

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Re: Assistance please - fork options for potential 26" MTB dually build

Postby open roader » Sat Aug 26, 2017 2:06 pm

Duck! wrote:an EC44 lower headset
Many thanks Duck. I was wondering if such a beast existed - I don't mind slightly gentler steering angle as I think 26" is plenty snappy as it is.

You have indeed opened up my options there.
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Re: Assistance please - fork options for potential 26" MTB dually build

Postby trailgumby » Sat Aug 26, 2017 2:28 pm

Are you sure about fork length? I thought Reign was 150mm and Trance was 120-130mm. May depend on model year.

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Re: Assistance please - fork options for potential 26" MTB dually build

Postby open roader » Sat Aug 26, 2017 2:36 pm

trailgumby wrote:Are you sure about fork length?
In a word, No.

I guess 180 even wound down to 150 plus the overlap of an EC44-40 bottom cup.

I have seen 2008/2009 Trance 0/1/2 frames fitted with aftermarket 150mm forks before though.

150mm would be a luxury, maybe I need to look for a more modest 140 fork? :?
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Re: Assistance please - fork options for potential 26" MTB dually build

Postby Duck! » Sat Aug 26, 2017 6:37 pm

26" Trances were typically around the 120mm travel, but some versions with the travel-adjusting Talas forks may have gone up to 140mm. 150mm in factory-spec trim has only become a thing with the more recent 27.5" models; even the short-lived Trance 29er kept the same travel configuration as the late 26ers.
I had a thought, but it got run over as it crossed my mind.

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Re: Assistance please - fork options for potential 26" MTB dually build

Postby open roader » Sat Aug 26, 2017 7:09 pm

Thanks Duck. I've been eyeing off the first of the all alloy Trance 27.5 models - these were the ones fitted with the 150mm forks. I'm mainly sussing them from the perspective of them being mounted on car roof racks - they all look the same when they are up there............. :oops:

I intend to ride this one only over moderate trails - nothing banzai so I'll compromise with a 32mm leg with 120mm travel fork and an EC 44-40 bottom cup set up which penalises me 12mm in stack height but I can live with that.
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Re: Assistance please - fork options for potential 26" MTB dually build

Postby 10speedsemiracer » Sat Aug 26, 2017 7:21 pm

RockShox Revelation 140mm seems to be the fork of choice for that frame. Lots of good feedback on os forums.
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Re: Assistance please - fork options for potential 26" MTB dually build

Postby Duck! » Sun Sep 03, 2017 9:52 pm

open roader wrote:Thanks Duck. I've been eyeing off the first of the all alloy Trance 27.5 models - these were the ones fitted with the 150mm forks. I'm mainly sussing them from the perspective of them being mounted on car roof racks - they all look the same when they are up there............. :oops:

I intend to ride this one only over moderate trails - nothing banzai so I'll compromise with a 32mm leg with 120mm travel fork and an EC 44-40 bottom cup set up which penalises me 12mm in stack height but I can live with that.
32mm stanchions get a tad flexy in longer-travel setups, but 120mm is generally still pretty reasonable for stiffness. Plus if you're riding fairly tamely you're not really going to have much of a problem with flex. '08 vintage frames have a pretty steep head angle compared to modern equivalents, so the fraction of a degreee slackening introduced by the jacking up from EC44 lower headset bearing won't do any harm to the handling; might take a little bit of sharpness off in flowy stuff, but improve descending stability a bit. Nothing drastic though.
I had a thought, but it got run over as it crossed my mind.

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Re: Assistance please - fork options for potential 26" MTB dually build

Postby open roader » Sun Sep 03, 2017 10:30 pm

Thanks Duck- you're on the same page as me. I'm building a dually for the purpose of endearing me to trail riding as a new comer, I value stability and predictability over performance and speed.

32mm legs will have to do for this build, the fork I purchased appears to only have fitment/build marks on it and 120mm travel is an extra 20mm travel over the Recon Air fork I had on my hardtail so it's an improvement and consumate with a less expensive build...... I say.......
3rd class cycling is always better than 1st class walking

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