txtraining

I appreciate the replies. I feel like I should delete the thread since I gained the knowledge I asked, but I will keep it open in case anybody else ever has the same scenario. Thank you to all who helped answer my questions. 

I have a Geurilla Gravity Gnarvana coming that I was fit for. I like my Hardrock and I still plan to upgrade it and use it to learn to work on instead of my Gnarvana.  When I need to upgrade the fork on the Gnarvana, I will have similar knowledge I gained from working on my Hardrock. 

For example tonight while changing the rotors, one of my bolts was stuck. I have learned to not strip the bolt; if you do,  cut it with a dremel to make an opening for a flathead screwdriver and use that to turn the bolt out.  I would rather learn that on a $250 bike than a $7,200 bike.

Last week I learned to bleed mineral brake lines. This week I learned when going up a size in rotors you need an adapter and next week I'll learn to add a new line to sram guide rsc brakes I purchased for my Hardrock.

After I choose a fork, I will gain that knowledge.  I appreciate everybody sharing their knowledge and time with me, for free.  Thank you. 

3 minutes ago, RonSurly said:

Welcome txtraining!

i’d recommend the fork in the link below, it’s an upgrade and being an air fork you can adjust it to your preferred stiffness 

https://www.srsuntour.us/collections/xc-marathon-forks/products/xcr-32-lo-r-air?variant=27528271811

 

Thank you.  I understand Suntour has an upgrade program (I have emailed them about it), and I think I would prefer upgrading to an air fork.

I appreciate you taking the time to look this up for me.  The listing of specs on the website helps me learn a lot as well.
 

• 80-100-120mm travel
• Ships 100mm travel setting
• Hydraulic lockout
• Adjustable rebound 
• Air spring adjust for preload
• Forged aluminum crown and lightweight steerer
• 1-1/8" steerer
• 32mm stanchion tubes
• 9mm open dropout design
• Lower magnesium monocoque design
• Direct mount 160mm disc design 
• Internally adjustable travel setting
• 2300g
• Fully serviceable
• 2 year limited manufacturing warranty

2 minutes ago, mack_turtle said:

you might be able to take advantage of the Suntour upgrade program as well, and save a few bucks.

Thank you, yes I emailed them about it last night. https://www.srsuntour.us/pages/upgrade-program  The only downside is a lot of their size 29 is preorder until February 2021

9 minutes ago, mack_turtle said:

that's fine. it's your money to throw away spend. I just wanted to give you fair warning because many people don't realize how much a new fork costs and how little benefit they will get from it compared to the cost. I never know what someone's level of experience is when they ask a question, so I give it to them straight so they're not surprised and disappointed when they look at the price tag of fork that costs almost as much as the bike when it was new.

I understand.  

I was riding Walnut Creek x2 almost every day for 3 years on this bike until I moved south; I am on the spectrum and do not like to change routines, so I will likely continue riding the same trails over and over again.  I had to always bring my bike to the shop for fixes, tuneups or to inflate my tubeless tires.  I want to learn to do it on my own so I have as little downtime as possible and I actually know what my bike is, not just how to ride it.

Thank you for the information regarding the sizes, now I know what to google and learn about.  I did not know what a crown race, or straight steerer/tapered was until you guys mentioned them and I googled it.

Thank you for your help and helping me use the correct terminology.

4 minutes ago, mack_turtle said:

you could sell that bike as-is right now and buy two new forks for it. not that you'd gain anything by that, but it's a very, very low-end bike that is worth less than any fork you want to put on it.

I don't want to sell the bike, again I like the frame.  I am upgrading the bike because of the frame.  It is very difficult to find a frame for me that I like.

Money isn't really an issue other than practicality.  I do not mind putting $2,000 into this frame and then spending $8,000 on my new bike.

4 minutes ago, Teamsloan said:

Ah, just saw the post about what bike it was. That’s not as bad as I assumed, but the options are still limited. Look for X-Fusion on Jenson. They have some straight steerer 29er forks that still have QR dropouts. Probably have to go 100mm though.


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Thank you.

Just now, mack_turtle said:

the top of the fork is 1-1/8" (28.6mm) where the stem mounts. the bottom of the steerer tube where the crown race of the headset sits is 30mm on a straight steerer tube fork. the bottom of a tapered fork is 40mm and will not fit on your frame under any conditions.

Thank you, this is exactly the information I was looking for and will help me learn more about bikes.

I am trying to learn to work on my cheap bike before I get my higher end bike.

This helped a lot.

8 minutes ago, mack_turtle said:

you need a fork designed for a 29" tire with 80mm of travel. you need a "straight" (not tapered) steerer tube, and dropouts for a 9mm quick release. there are very few forks on the market that meet these qualifications any more. you MIGHT get away with putting a 100mm travel fork on there, but I wouldn't chopper out your bike any more than that.

what's wrong with the current fork? it's several years old and should be serviced at least once a season. when did you service it last?

Thank you for the information, Straight tube.  I have learned other Hardrock owners upgraded to Rockshox Recon Gold, but I want to learn more before I make my purchase.  There are tube sizes like 1 1/8th, how would I figure out which one I have?  Measure the opening I assume?

The current fork was serviced in October of last year, it is too springy, the lockout cap has broken off and I want to try something new.

Again, I really like this frame and have found no lower-end frames that compare for fit.  I appreciate your time.

7 minutes ago, mack_turtle said:

this is what comes up for a 2015 Hard Rock https://bikepedia.com/Quickbike/BikeSpecs.aspx?item=1596571. there is no 29" version listed among 2015 bikes of that model.

I'm curious to see where this leads, but I am going to say from the start that spending money on a fork for a 5 year old bottom-of-the-barrel entry-level 26" bkes with rim brakes is a waste of money. you probably will not be able to find a better fork except perhaps on the used market.

I like the XXL Frame and fit, and this is going my backup bike and I want to make it more comfortable when I ride it.  I have upgraded the brakes to Guide RSC and 180mm rotors.

I am already purchasing a new bike.

1 minute ago, mack_turtle said:

to clarify, a shock is the suspension component on the rear end of a full suspension frame. you're looking for a fork. it's a single fork, not forks. and there's effectively no such thing as a "rear fork" on a bicycle, so there's no point in specifying the "front fork."

look through Bikepedia.com and find the specific bike that you have and share that link. that will tell us exactly what specifications you need, before anyone gets carried away with suggestions that might not help.

Bikepedia does not have the specific bike.  This is the bike.

https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/value-guide/product/3062483/

I am looking to upgrade my fork on a XXL (23") 2016 (I think) Specialized Hardrock https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/value-guide/product/3062483/.  It is currently a SR Suntour Fork.  

What measurements should I be looking for when I purchase a new fork?  

So far, I know it is 9mm QR.
I need to find out the Steerer Tube size.

I have thought about changing to Thru Axle, but that means I would need to purchase new wheels.  To make things easy and cheaper, I am assuming stick to 9mm QR Forks, but I want to make sure I buy the right fork.  What should I be looking for?