| About a year ago I purchased an entry level hardtail | | | | However if you ride often spending a little more on a |
| mountain bike. At the time I did not want to spend a | | | | fork might be warranted. |
| lot of money and I did not want poor quality. So I | | | | Determine the size of the bikes head tube. The size |
| purchase a bike that had a good frame and basic | | | | of the tube could limit your selections. Is your head |
| components. | | | | tube 1 inch or 1 1/8 inches, etc? |
| | | | | Consider buying a suspension fork that is adjustable. |
| After riding for a year I have decided that I want to | | | | Some forks are adjustable at the head and some |
| improve the comfort and control of my bike on the | | | | have a pop lock adjuster that mounts on the |
| trail. Therefore I made the decision to upgrade my | | | | handlebars. The adjustable function will accommodate |
| front suspension fork on my hardtail mountain bike. | | | | different riding terrains. |
| | | | | Determine if you need to buy new parts to install |
| My initial research concluded that there are a lot of | | | | your new fork. Do you need a new headset, stem or |
| different brands, types and sizes forks on the | | | | brakes? |
| market so I conceded knew I needed help. After all, | | | | Consider the installation charges of a new fork. If |
| suspension forks are expensive and I didn't want to | | | | you plan on installing the fork yourself you will need |
| waste my money. | | | | to press on a bearing and potentially cut the fork tub. |
| | | | | This could result in additional tools and time so you |
| After talking to different rides, employees at a few | | | | want to weigh your options. |
| bike shops, reading article and posting questions online | | | | Find out what your friends are riding and ask them |
| I put together a couple of bullet points to consider | | | | their opinion on brand and options. Ask them if you |
| when buying a front suspension fork. | | | | can ride their bike to test out their fork. |
| | | | | Do you want to buy new or used? Some riders buy |
| Determine if your bike has the geometry to support | | | | great bikes, immediately upgrade them and never |
| a suspension fork. If it does have the correct | | | | use the original parts. You can find new or near new |
| geometry try to determine the maximum height fork | | | | parts on Bike Servant which lists mountain bike |
| it can accommodate. I almost bought a fork with | | | | classifieds containing bikes for sale, bike parts and |
| 160mm of travel but the seller convinced me not to | | | | race events. |
| buy it because he believed my bike did not have the | | | | |
| correct geometry. After checking with the factory I | | | | Keep in mind list above will help you get started in |
| determined that he was correct. | | | | your decision making process and there are more |
| Consider your riding style. Are you a cross country, | | | | items to consider as you explore your options. |
| down hill or a dirt jump rider. Make sure you buy a | | | | |
| fork that suites your style of ride. This will help | | | | The tips listed above will hopefully help you narrow |
| prevent you from buying more fork then you need. | | | | down your choices before you purchase a new fork. |
| Determine your budget and stick to it. Suspension | | | | Good luck and see you on the trail. |
| forks can vary in price and can be very expensive. | | | | |