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are there any "creakfree" singlecrown forks available?

C

cwrender

Chimp
Sep 30, 2008
11
4
I am posting this in the dh forum as the chance to get feedback from riders abusing their equipment
is higher here than elswere in this forum.
I am searching for a singlecrown fork with about 160mm that currently is in production and has no problems
with developing a creaking sound at the stanion/crown interface. As I am located in Europe these damaged crowns normally dont get exchanged via warranty. Depending on the distributor and manufacturer the answers are hovering between:
"its not a bug its a feature" and "The creaking is not loud enough to warrany the fork"
So I am searching for a fork without this "feature"
Forks I tested that failed are:

- 2013 Lyrik 1 1/8" (3 month silence)
- 2015 36 tapered (1 month silence)
- 2014 Mattoc (7 month silence)
- 2015 Pike (2 weeks silence)

I had a Bos Deville 160 for 12 month that never creaked but it was mounted on a less capable bike than my current frame and so probably was never ridden this hard. My riding is not overly abusive as I am a 180lbs rider that gets about 12 month out of a Flow Ex or Mavic EN821 before it needs replaceing (cracks). I normaly dont break stuff but "wear it out". I crash seldom and tend to break my bones instead of bike parts.
Every feedback is welcome even if its only reporting the same "feature" for a fork to exclude it from the list.
 
S

sbabuser

Turbo Monkey
Dec 22, 2004
1,119
57
Golden, CO
I'm on my third Lyrik, and never had one that creaked. I'd also suggest checking headset, headset/ frame interface, bar/ stem interface, and front skewer. I think I finally traced my creaking (that I would've sworn was a drivetrain noise) on two different bikes to rear maxles.
 
M

marshalolson

Turbo Monkey
May 25, 2006
1,774
532
I think this feature is on just about all single crown forks less than 5.5-6lbs

Totems and 66's never creeked, even on dh bikes for me, or anyone I know
 
C

cwrender

Chimp
Sep 30, 2008
11
4
sbabuser said:
I'm on my third Lyrik, and never had one that creaked. I'd also suggest checking headset, headset/ frame interface, bar/ stem interface, and front skewer. I think I finally traced my creaking (that I would've sworn was a drivetrain noise) on two different bikes to rear maxles.
Click to expand...
Of course I checked that its the crown and not anything else (forks without frame).

marshalolson said:
I think this feature is on just about all single crown forks less than 5.5-6lbs

Totems and 66's never creeked, even on dh bikes for me, or anyone I know
Click to expand...
To be fair I too never had a creaking 66 in five years. One quarter of a pound more forged alu in the crown would be a perfect "tuning option" as the remaining parts are holding up fairly well. To find a 5.5pound produktion single crown seems nearly impossible (neglecting overly heavy internals aka DVO or Suntour coil forks that tend to creak too).
 
Udi

Udi

RM Chief Ornithologist
Mar 14, 2005
4,918
1,213
Why did you ditch the Deville?
I'd try another one. All the other forks you listed creak in my experience too (and it's completely unacceptable even though everyone continues to sell this rubbish), however as hinted above, if you get them exchanged a few times you can get a creak-free one. I have a 36 that doesn't creak and it's over 3 years old. Unfortunately this game is difficult outside the US because warranties are rarely processed legitimately or fairly.

The other thing I would suggest is buying from an outlet that will allow you to avoid the local warranty process. For example, a friend of mine got a new Pike that creaked (no surprises there), but CRC exchanged it for a new one and covered shipping for the old one. So far no creaks on the new one.

marshalolson said:
Totems and 66's never creeked, even on dh bikes for me, or anyone I know
Click to expand...
Definitely had a creaky Totem myself (CSU interface). So you get the aforementioned STD and the creaks.
 
mrgto

mrgto

Monkey
Aug 4, 2009
295
118
StiHacka said:
Mine clicked like crazy, one of the major reasons I replaced it besides its weight. XFusion makes a few forks with one piece steerer aluminum assembly but I am sure they'll develop a nasty creak elsewhere.
Click to expand...
I am 235lbs+ and mine is going on several years old with no creaks. I guess I got a good one or I'm riding so unbelievably fast I'm outriding the sound of the creak.
 
kidwoo

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Aug 25, 2003
42,149
13,358
Squirtin ketchup n' mustard on charred flesh
Funny. Every trailbike fox fork I owned since the 32mm vanillas came out creaked. Although I do have one right now that hasn't broken its vow of silence. I never owned an RS trailbike fork until 2013. The only RS forks I had that creaked were boxxers with stretched crown pinches.

summary: good luck!
 
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Jm_

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,067
10,632
AK
kidwoo said:
Dear mom:

Some chick in a DVO ad stole your shoes. The ones that were next to the L.A. gear ones that look just like them. Yeah the ones that have been sitting in the closet for 30 years.

You want me to get them back?


Love, your son;

kidwoo
Click to expand...
The shoes come off.
 
C

cwrender

Chimp
Sep 30, 2008
11
4
Udi said:
Why did you ditch the Deville?
I'd try another one. All the other forks you listed creak in my experience too (and it's completely unacceptable even though everyone continues to sell this rubbish), however as hinted above, if you get them exchanged a few times you can get a creak-free one. I have a 36 that doesn't creak and it's over 3 years old. Unfortunately this game is difficult outside the US because warranties are rarely processed legitimately or fairly.

The other thing I would suggest is buying from an outlet that will allow you to avoid the local warranty process. For example, a friend of mine got a new Pike that creaked (no surprises there), but CRC exchanged it for a new one and covered shipping for the old one. So far no creaks on the new one.



Definitely had a creaky Totem myself (CSU interface). So you get the aforementioned STD and the creaks.
Click to expand...
Devilles are normally sold in pairs (as in forks ;-)) as replacement parts are unavailable and the german distributor needs month to fix something and regulary sends back a fork with a new defect. So one for the bike and one for travelling via DHL. When I bought the fork the shop betrayed me by delivering only one fork of the "Team package".

Sometimes I wake up and have the hope there might be a single crown with acceptable damping (or at least easy modificable as in 36 or Mattoc), an at least acceptable air spring (Deville, new Lyric), convertable to coil (all of them) and no 2004 Sid crown interface declared as the strongest shit since the marzocchi Monster by marketing guys. Perhaps its time for a sub 5lbs dual crown trail fork? I know a lot of people that would buy one.

My best solution at the moment is riding with buddies on Specialized and Santa Cruz plastics as its impossible to hear my fork creaking besides these pos. Maybe was buying an "welldesigned and manufactured" creakfree frame with good geo not the best idea.
 
StiHacka

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,508
In hell. Welcome!
cwrender said:
Devilles are normally sold in pairs (as in forks ;-)) as replacement parts are unavailable and the german distributor needs month to fix something and regulary sends back a fork with a new defect. So one for the bike and one for travelling via DHL. When I bought the fork the shop betrayed me by delivering only one fork of the "Team package".

Sometimes I wake up and have the hope there might be a single crown with acceptable damping (or at least easy modificable as in 36 or Mattoc), an at least acceptable air spring (Deville, new Lyric), convertable to coil (all of them) and no 2004 Sid crown interface declared as the strongest shit since the marzocchi Monster by marketing guys. Perhaps its time for a sub 5lbs dual crown trail fork? I know a lot of people that would buy one.

My best solution at the moment is riding with buddies on Specialized and Santa Cruz plastics as its impossible to hear my fork creaking besides these pos. Maybe was buying an "welldesigned and manufactured" creakfree frame with good geo not the best idea.
Click to expand...
MRP Stage. :dirol:
 
O

Olga_icannot

Chimp
Aug 16, 2014
41
37
Seattle
kidwoo said:
Dear mom:

Some chick in a DVO ad stole your shoes. The ones that were next to the L.A. gear ones that look just like them. Yeah the ones that have been sitting in the closet for 30 years.
Click to expand...
I always wondered where 'Woo got his good looks, luxurious hair, and questionable footwear.

Then enigma is cracked open.

P.S. You're mom is hot in a '80's Flashdance sort of way.
 
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