Suspension - is this any good.

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Hi,

I have currently got these forks on my specialised. Forks: RST Gilla Plus T7, 100mm, Cro-Mo steerer, 30mm stanchions, coil MCU w/ preload adjust.

I have been advised I should change these as they are crap. Just spotted these http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=11776

Are they any good.

All help will be appreciated

I have currently got these forks on my specialised. Forks: RST Gilla Plus T7, 100mm, Cro-Mo steerer, 30mm stanchions, coil MCU w/ preload adjust.

I have been advised I should change these as they are crap. Just spotted these http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=11776

Are they any good. FWIW. While your current fork would be considered primitive AND (worse) heavy, if you are only planning to change it because someone else disdains it, then there probably isn't a reason to spend the money ...

If your buddy/whomever thinks you need a new fork, then have him/them let you borrow his/their bike (i.e., if it is a shop, they should let you BORROW a bike for an afternoon) for a quick run down your favorite path/track/whatever, and see if you notice a meaningful difference ... in part, YOUR weight will affect how well your RST fork functions.

If you are riding on gravel roads, then you probably won't notice a difference. IF you are riding on technical trails, then you will ... BUT, do the test ride. If your buddy (or, the shop/whomever) balks at lending you their bike for an extended ride, then tell them to put it somewhere ... and/or, to keep their opinions to themselves.

Manitou forks are generally supposed to be GREAT WHEN NEW, but apparently they cannot be rebuilt to spec if-and-when the need arises -- now, I/you would think if all the necessary parts were replaced, it would be as-good-as-new, but the word is that they aren't/(can't be).

A better choice would probably be a Marzocchi or RockShox fork in the same price range ONLY because the eventual rebuild will be more satisfactory ...

I personally wouldn't buy the RockShox because they are now owned by SRAM, and I have found SRAM's North American customer service to be absolutely unacceptable ... the situation in Europe & Asia may be different.

BTW. I have a primitive BALLISTIC fork (neoprene!) and a MARZOCCHI fork.

are you having a problem, or did omeone just look at your bike and say, "that fork is crap!"?

if you're not having a problem, ride the d*** thing until it breaks. don't bother w/ the splice fork, either. manitou has fallen off the quality cliff! if you truly do need a new fork, and want simplicity, marzocchi is not a bad choice; neither is rockshox, by the way.

the determining factor is the type of riding you're doing, and the condition of the fork you have -- not someone else's opinion of bling.

In my own humble opinion, those RST forks are so crap that they are dangerous.