Magura TS8 Elec or similar

MarioM

Likes Dirt
It turns out I`m going to need to replace my fox fork this year due to excessive lower stanchion wear . Thinking of moving away from Fox and looking at the possibilities out there . Bike is a merida ninety six with 1 1/8 headtube but being ovalised i guess i can use a tapered fork just got to change the bottom cup . Will the change in bottom cup affect things ?

I use the fork lockout a lot and the TS8 Elec sounds good but mixed reviews on the suspension platform . Other than that i guess i could go for a SID ? This bike sees a lot of non XC riding but i don`t want it to lose its racy feel . I guess I could leave all the stupid riding to the back up . Any other forks out there I should be looking at ?
 

rone

Eats Squid
It turns out I`m going to need to replace my fox fork this year due to excessive lower stanchion wear . Thinking of moving away from Fox and looking at the possibilities out there . Bike is a merida ninety six with 1 1/8 headtube but being ovalised i guess i can use a tapered fork just got to change the bottom cup . Will the change in bottom cup affect things ?

I use the fork lockout a lot and the TS8 Elec sounds good but mixed reviews on the suspension platform . Other than that i guess i could go for a SID ? This bike sees a lot of non XC riding but i don`t want it to lose its racy feel . I guess I could leave all the stupid riding to the back up . Any other forks out there I should be looking at ?
Excessive stanchion wear is caused by lack of servicing, and I don't thing any fork fares well under similar circumstances.

Also, ovalised headtube?
 

MarioM

Likes Dirt
Excessive stanchion wear is caused by lack of servicing, and I don't thing any fork fares well under similar circumstances.

Also, ovalised headtube?
Yeah I know I`m actually fussy when it comes to fork servicing . I remember when i bought my first real mountain bike the seller told me that forks were serviced regularly and after googling it I began to do the same . My new bike I do before the service intervals are due .
I bought this bike second hand had a service done straight away then another just recently . The first service I had done the wear was pointed out to me . Second service well within the interval shows the wear has accelerated . As far as the headtube is concerned Merida term it an egg shape .
 

slippy

Likes Bikes and Dirt
fork uppers are available for most forks, cheaper than a new fork...
But not cheap enough to be an economical option.

rone said:
Excessive stanchion wear is caused by lack of servicing, and I don't thing any fork fares well under similar circumstances.
I own and love Fox, but I think they fare worse than most. I opened a pair of old Manitous that were crystal clean inside with no discernible wear. A pair of Fox with similar use were showing mild stanchion rub. I really think Fox seals are not as good as they could be.
 

MarioM

Likes Dirt
But not cheap enough to be an economical option.



I own and love Fox, but I think they fare worse than most. I opened a pair of old Manitous that were crystal clean inside with no discernible wear. A pair of Fox with similar use were showing mild stanchion rub. I really think Fox seals are not as good as they could be.
I too am a Fox fan , but I think Fox of old were better . The new SKF seals were brought out for these wear issues I think but they are very pricey which I guess in relation to a fork is not so bad . I guess I`m looking to go away from Fox .
 

SummitFever

Eats Squid
Is the 96 a 26" bike? If so (and provided it takes a tapered steerer) then go for a 120mm SID. Far an away the best XC fork that is still good enough for AM duties if you're game. JTmofo has a good one for sale at the moment - http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?292730-2011-Rockshox-SID-RLT-Ti . You can change travel on these by just adding/removing spacers, so anything from 120-80mm is possible in 10mm increments. No remote lockout though. You would need to buy an an XX damper to go with it (expensive new).
 

MarioM

Likes Dirt
Is the 96 a 26" bike? If so (and provided it takes a tapered steerer) then go for a 120mm SID. Far an away the best XC fork that is still good enough for AM duties if you're game. JTmofo has a good one for sale at the moment - http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?292730-2011-Rockshox-SID-RLT-Ti . You can change travel on these by just adding/removing spacers, so anything from 120-80mm is possible in 10mm increments. No remote lockout though. You would need to buy an an XX damper to go with it (expensive new).
Yeah its 26 . I will be only be buying new , no offence to anyone . Because of its ovalised headtube thats why i think i can run tapered but still have to work out if the 1.5 BB cup will change geo if at all .
 

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
The head tube may be ovalised, but it without exception must have round bearing journals. Measure the internal diameter top & bottom, that will tell you if you're likely able to fit tapered or not.
 

creaky

XMAS Plumper
Yeah its 26 . I will be only be buying new , no offence to anyone . Because of its ovalised headtube thats why i think i can run tapered but still have to work out if the 1.5 BB cup will change geo if at all .
Ova listed headtube = frame write off. But that's not what you are trying to say. You probably mean that the head tube has a tapered appearance. I think that the general consensus is that if it has a minimum 44mm lower inner diameter then you may be able to convert to a tapered fork with a headset swap.
 

MarioM

Likes Dirt
The head tube may be ovalised, but it without exception must have round bearing journals. Measure the internal diameter top & bottom, that will tell you if you're likely able to fit tapered or not.
Yeah of course they have to be round , I`d be worried if they were oval . Heasdet is a FSA ZS3 and from memory it`s 44mm ID but will definately be checking and double checking before taking the plunge .
 

MarioM

Likes Dirt
Ova listed headtube = frame write off. But that's not what you are trying to say. You probably mean that the head tube has a tapered appearance. I think that the general consensus is that if it has a minimum 44mm lower inner diameter then you may be able to convert to a tapered fork with a headset swap.
Okay here is a link that shows the egg /oval shape http://www.merida-bike.cz/clanek/Hlavova-trubka-Egg-Shape
Sorry for the language barrier but its just for the sake of image .
 

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
That clarifies it. :smile: 44mm bore is a Very Good Sign; that indicates an internal (press-fit cups) rather than integrated (direct-fit bearings) headset, so an EC lower cup will bung straight in. It'll raise the front of the bike basically by the depth of the cup, plus the extra fork travel.
 

MarioM

Likes Dirt
That clarifies it. :smile: 44mm bore is a Very Good Sign; that indicates an internal (press-fit cups) rather than integrated (direct-fit bearings) headset, so an EC lower cup will bung straight in. It'll raise the front of the bike basically by the depth of the cup, plus the extra fork travel.
I should have put the picture up first . I will be sticking to its specced fork travel of 100mm so I guess the raise should be barely noticeable .
 

99_FGT

Likes Bikes and Dirt
OK. Firstly, ovalised headtube = bad. The "egg" shape you talk about is the shape of the headtube when you look from the front. Ovalised headtube refers to the shape of the lower headset cup / mount when looking from underneath, and is caused by the metal stretching. It can cause excessive stanchion wear due to the extra play.
I'd be looking at what is wearing the stanchions out so fast - do you regularly ride in muddy / sandy conditions or on wet roads? Do you wipe the seals down regularly? Do you run a marsh guard or similar?
When you say you service them "ahead of the interval" about how many km's is it between services?

WRT the higher front end, spacers and stem height can fix them easy enough, you would be amazed how much difference 10mm can make

Al..
 

MarioM

Likes Dirt
OK. Firstly, ovalised headtube = bad. The "egg" shape you talk about is the shape of the headtube when you look from the front. Ovalised headtube refers to the shape of the lower headset cup / mount when looking from underneath, and is caused by the metal stretching. It can cause excessive stanchion wear due to the extra play.
I'd be looking at what is wearing the stanchions out so fast - do you regularly ride in muddy / sandy conditions or on wet roads? Do you wipe the seals down regularly? Do you run a marsh guard or similar?
When you say you service them "ahead of the interval" about how many km's is it between services?

WRT the higher front end, spacers and stem height can fix them easy enough, you would be amazed how much difference 10mm can make

Al..
Ok , forget about the headtube , its the design of the frame . Mud and sand are common rides , yes i have a marsh guard . KM wise its probably somewhere around 800-1000 but around 20 - 30 hours I will do a wiper clean and relube of the foam rings . I think Fox`s 100 hour or yearly service is too long . Bike is washed down after muddy rides .
 

Winno

Likes Dirt
I run a TS8 100 (non-elec) on my RM Element. It's my second Magura fork (I ran a Durin 120 on my earlier carbon hardtail).
I'd considered Fox and RS after running them previously but wanted something lighter and torsionally stiffer.
Very happy with the performance and super simple to service.

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