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| *Vultures Knob>>>Mountain Bike |
Can I replace a rigid fork with a suspension fork on my GT Outpost mountain bike? |
I have a 1997/1998 18" GT Outpost that has seen very little usage. The bike is in great shape. I just started getting back into trail riding and would like to upgrade to a front end suspension. What make/model/size, etc. of suspension fork is compatible with this bike? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks. Hey AJ, -The GT Outpost came with ridgid 1 1/8 inch steerer tube fork with an old style quill stem. With a 1 1/8 inch headtube size on your GT Outpost you will have HUGE selction of threadless forks to choose from, but you will also need to purchase a new threadless headset and a new stem to go with your new fork. -Since your bikes geometry was made for a ridgid fork I would not go with more than a 80mm of front travel or thats about 3 inches. So again there are a bunch of forks to choose from in that range. There are so many makes and models out there it will make your head spin, but stay with the entry to mid level name brands of forks from Marzocchi, Rock Shock and Manitou and you can't go wrong. You could also save money and choose simple coil and elastomer type fork like an RST so you won't have to worry too much about adjustments, unless you like to fine tune your equipment. -I would suggest going to a trusted Local Bike Shop and talk about your fork change, because you will also have to choose a new stem for your fork and stems come in different lenths and rises to fit your riding style. Also get a new handle bar. That handlebar that came with your bike is too narrow and you will need to get your front brake cables extended. -Check Ebay for a 1 1/8 inch steerer tube suspension forks. Also jensonusa, pricepoint, bikenashbar, beyondbikes etc. Hope this helps. The first thing you'll need to check is the head tube diameter. On that vintage of MTB it's possible - but not likely- that you have a 1" headset. Remove the headset and measure the diameter of the steerer tube. Hopefully it will be 1 1/4". If it's just 1 inch, you're pretty much screwed. I don't think anyone makes 1 inch suspension forks any more. Also, you'll need to check your headset style. It it's threaded - there will be threads on the steerer tube - you'll need to buy a new threadless headset and stem as well. You can't use a quill stem on a threadless fork. If you have 1" headset, You might be able to find a headset that fits in your headtube that is compatible with a new fork. You'll need to measure the inside diameter of the headtube, then go to: http://www.fullspeedahead.com/fly.aspx?l... There you can browse through the headsets to find one that fits your headtube, then you'll have to browse the web to see who has one. If you're lucky, and have a threadless stem and a 1 1/4 inch steerer tube, pretty much any reasonable priced cross country fork will do. I wouldn't spend $600 on one, but something reasonable in the $300 range from marzocchi or manitou will work for you for now. If you really start to get into it, you'll want a complete upgrade to a much better bike anyways, so I wouldn't go nuts on this bike. I like Pricepoint for value and selection: www.pricepoint.com yea, check head tube diameter and your in good shape if the fork matches. |
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