[SirChomps-a-Lot]

I've been planning on getting an angleset and putting a proper fork on my 6 point for a while now.

Luckily, I just found out the headtube is a 44mm inner diameter, not a proper 1.5 headtube (w..t..f..).

Several companies make options to slack out a 44mm headtube, but they limit you to 1-1/8 forks.

So, the big question: are long-travel 1-1/8 singlecrowns safe? My gut says no. I know they sell a ton of them, but I feel like it's a recipe for trouble. Looking at a totem with the tiny little steerer next to the massive legs looks rather foolish to me. Do people really go huge on those things? Do they still have all their teeth?

Should I just get a 40 and drop it to 6 inches? Can boxxers be dropped?

 

[insanitylevel9]

 

[SirChomps-a-Lot]

good news, y'all:

My current fork is a 55 at 541mm AC

A 40 and a boxer can both be lowered and are totally in a usable AC range, especially given the bb drop from an angleset:

Fox 40 180: 545.8mm
Boxxer Ride 174: 544mm

Do those numbers sound right?

I will enjoy keeping my teeth!

 

[boogenman]

So, the big question: are long-travel 1-1/8 singlecrowns safe? My gut says no. I know they sell a ton of them, but I feel like it's a recipe for trouble. Looking at a totem with the tiny little steerer next to the massive legs looks rather foolish to me. Do people really go huge on those things? Do they still have all

cam Zink goes kinda big and has all his teeth and he is pretty f'ing dreamy considering how fine his gal looks.

No offense but you are probably only going pink bike huge so you will be just swell with a 1 1/8 steer tube.

 

[Whoops]

fwiw... I've been running a 180mm travel marz 66 for 3 years now with no problem. I had doubts initially, but paranoia is like that.

 

[boogenman]

fwiw... I've been running a 180mm travel marz 66 for 3 years now with no problem. I had doubts initially, but paranoia is like that.

30 ' drops to flat and 60' doubles on a regular basis?

 

[Jm_]

good news, y'all:

My current fork is a 55 at 541mm AC

A 40 and a boxer can both be lowered and are totally in a usable AC range, especially given the bb drop from an angleset:

Fox 40 180: 545.8mm
Boxxer Ride 174: 544mm

Do those numbers sound right?

I will enjoy keeping my teeth!

Yes, but will it be safe?

 

[dump]

How about a fox 36? Good fork, good and strong... and at 1 1/8" for several years now.

 

[sstalder5]

Also running a 66. No problems for me.

 

[w00dy]

No complaints here. I've been DHing since 98. I have never used a DC fork on my bike. Never a tapered or 1.5 HT either.

 

[boogenman]

No complaints here. I've been DHing since 98. I have never used a DC fork on my bike. Never a tapered or 1.5 HT either.

Woody is strong like bull and does really huge on a smaller scale with problemo. He hates canada

 

[descente]

didn't chris king come out with a 44mm headtube tapered steerer headset? seems more legit than an angle set, and getting a taller fork will still slacken the bike.

 

[SirChomps-a-Lot]

didn't chris king come out with a 44mm headtube tapered steerer headset? seems more legit than an angle set, and getting a taller fork will still slacken the bike.

yes, a couple different companies make those. Don't really want to lift the BB. I suppose it's an option, though.

 

[no skid marks]

I'd go the triples option.
I think long travel single crowns although possibly safe, have a limited lifespan, and there manufacture shouldn't be supported with purchases.
Sponsored riders may go huge, but you'll not see their forks with stanchions or steerer's moving in crowns shown at will.
Even without my anti corporate scam conspiracy theories. I don't see why you'd swap height, stiffness, or weight to run a single crown over a triple.
Kowa were working on a 170mm triple clamp fork with quickly adjustable travel, but I've not heard much from them of late. This IMO is the ideal trail bike fork. Head angle/travel can be changed in seconds to suit the trail you're riding.
Hmmm, I wonder if I could get Avy guts in one of those Specialized trail bike triples, or a Maverick.

 

[stoney]

If you can get a boxxer, do it. You're not doing tail whips and x-ups are over rated. Also, the WC is the best feeling fork I've ridden in a very, very long time.

 

[bullcrew]

Single crowns are fine. A buddy of mine goes pretty damn big on a totem and another budyy slays it on a 66 and now a 36 180.
I've raced on a fox 36 180 and hammered some nasty stuff on it and several other single crowns in the past with no issue.
Buddy of mine B. Root rocks a totem on so e very big stuff and nasty stuff aside of blowing the guts up he digs it.

I think you'd be fine if there were an issue the internet would already be on fire with it.

 

[descente]

i'm sure it wouldn't be that hard to lower a boxxer world cup now that i think about it...

 

[HAB]

I had a Totem for a while. I don't huck much but I rode DH aggressively on it without any problems. You guys are seriously overthinking this. Answer this honestly, can any of you think of a SINGLE incident of a modern DH/FR fork steerer failing? I can't. Closest I can think of were a couple Marz forks circa 2005 but the two instances I can think of there involved some huge cases.

 

[no skid marks]

Still, why sacrifice stiffness, weight, or travel?

 

[HAB]

Still, why sacrifice stiffness, weight, or travel?

Well, in this case, so you can run an Angleset. Mine was 1.125 for the same reason, I had it in a bike with a 1.5 headtube for a while, but with a Works offset angle headset. It was DEFINITELY stiffer than, say a 32mm Boxxer. It wasn't a 40, but it was hardly a noodle either.

 

[no skid marks]

Well, in this case, so you can run an Angleset. Mine was 1.125 for the same reason, I had it in a bike with a 1.5 headtube for a while, but with a Works offset angle headset. It was DEFINITELY stiffer than, say a 32mm Boxxer. It wasn't a 40, but it was hardly a noodle either.

Theoreticly triples are stiffer, but in reality, there are stiff singles, but at a cost of weight, and travel compared to say a Boxxer. 32mm comparisson isn't fair, not against 35mm+ singles of a later manufacture date. Compare a Boxxer 35mm with any single, it'll win on at least two of the three (stiffness, weight, travel).
Triples are better for an angleset aren't they?

 

[HAB]

Theoreticly triples are stiffer, but in reality, there are stiff singles, but at a cost of weight, and travel compared to say a Boxxer.
Triples are better for an angleset aren't they?

Pretty sure my Totem Solo Air was very marginally lighter than a Boxxer WC. I could be wrong though. You're right it's less stiff, and has less travel though. It's all about intended use, I was using it on a do-it-all bike, where the limited turning circle and knee-smashing tendancy of a dual crown when climbing were a turn off. As soon as I moved to a dedicated AM/FR bike and a DH bike I sold it and bought a dual crown. For something that's just used as a DH bike they have obvious advantages. There are aspects to the versatility of a single crown that are nice.

 

[no skid marks]

Pretty sure my Totem Solo Air was very marginally lighter than a Boxxer WC. I could be wrong though. You're right it's less stiff, and has less travel though. It's all about intended use, I was using it on a do-it-all bike, where the limited turning circle and knee-smashing tendancy of a dual crown when climbing were a turn off. As soon as I moved to a dedicated AM/FR bike and a DH bike I sold it and bought a dual crown. For something that's just used as a DH bike they have obvious advantages. There are aspects to the versatility of a single crown that are nice.

Knee bangers a good point. I only do it a few times before my subconscious works out my knees moving room.
Steering lock is a very rare to non existent issue I've found. I've never had a problem with it on some tight tracks, and at that angle of turning, lock can have benefits too. But valid points, just don't outweigh the pros for triples for me. But there really isn't much in it, and I am clutching at straws for any worthy debate.
I've thought of a single with a joiner from the crown to a top crown(in front of head tube, but wouldn't help the stanchions as far as durability in the crown or stiffness., and stack height would have to be pre determined ideally.
Would add a parallel bar, and direct mount stem options though.

 

[Whoops]

30 ' drops to flat and 60' doubles on a regular basis?

Sure, every Tuesday.

 

[HardtailHack]

I have no dramas with my Totems stiffness wise, I guess I don't really pay much attention to flex but more to what the damper is or isn't doing.

Singles are easier to get in the car and you don't look like a DH'er when running singles, I roll around the streets on my Totem equipped Ion and maybe one person in a hundred stares at the bike whereas running triples had every tosser wanting a convo.
It all about looks!

As to weight I have no idea, my coil Totems are probably heavy but they do their job if Marz would go to a bigger stanchion I'd run a set of 180mm 's over Totems any day and 66's still have a three year warranty(in Oz).

 

[staike]

Luckily, I just found out the headtube is a 44mm inner diameter, not a proper 1.5 headtube (w..t..f..).

Several companies make options to slack out a 44mm headtube, but they limit you to 1-1/8 forks.

Actually, as it is a 44 mm ID headtube (for integrated headsets) you can buy custom headsets which allows you to run 1,5" forks (38 mm). Chris King is making a version for tapered steerers, I don't know who makes a headset for a full on 1,5", but I've seen a homemade one. So it is possible.

 

[roel_koel]

well here's the thing

the 1.125" steerer long travel forks are not going to suddenly "snap" (unless you have the kind of crash that would ruin a frame or any fork..)

but in the long term, they often develop a looseness in the steerer tube / crown interface which exhibits as a scary 'cracking' or 'creaking' noise under hard braking, heavy landings or hard turns

I have been told that this is caused by the steerer stretching (flogging out) the steerer bore in the crown, from all the leverage placed on the interface by the longer fork legs, this is not something I have seen with any of the dual crown forks I owned or sold over the years.

my previous employer was a high end MTB shop and I would sell over 100 Totems, Lyrics, 36s every year

I also personally owned several totems and lyrics which all developed this problem within 6 months of brand new ownership, I was doing lots of freeride with big drops / timber stunts and dirt jumps

rockshox have 2 year warranty so a new CSU was always provided under warranty, the downtime was somewhat annoying as the CSU was not always in stock

I had a good number of customers also have this issue, and this happened on the Fox 36 to a number of customers as well, but often after 12 months from brand new

fox have a 1 year warranty so outside of the first year a new CSU was at customers expense


I have not experienced this issue on my last fork which is Fox 36 with taper steerer, the taper 36 fork definitely feels stiffer around the crown area than my previous 36 in 1.125" steerer (this developed the creaking)

 

[kidwoo]

I bent a steerer on a totem ditching the bike into the backside of a landing on a decent sized drop. It BROKE THE HEADSET, but not the steerer.

Don't worry about it.

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

i run a 1-1/8th totem.
mostly for dh with very limited jumping (6-7ft drops to tranny at most)...

no problemas

 

[jonKranked]

cam Zink goes kinda big and has all his teeth and he is pretty f'ing dreamy considering how fine his gal looks.

No offense but you are probably only going pink bike huge so you will be just swell with a 1 1/8 steer tube.

rep for you

 

[W4S]

6 point isn't rated for double crown anyhow, i'd be more worried about the headtube breaking than the steerer.

 

[MinorThreat]

^^ Is there any actual engineering behind the thought that a dual-crown exerts any more leverage on a headtube than a single-crown, provided both have the same A-to-C length?

 

[frango]

I am on similar boat... kinda.
I plane to get rid of Totem SA tapered, but I didn't decided yet whether get 2012 Fox 36 180 with 1-1/8 and FSA Option for my Glory 2010 or tapered and keep 65,5* HA for the next season...
Will I feel steerer stiffness difference between two version of the Fox?
I am light, I don't huck, I don't race.

 

[ocelot]

Didn't Manitou come out with single crown Travis with 203mm travel? That must've been like a noodle.

 

[HAB]

Didn't Manitou come out with single crown Travis with 203mm travel? That must've been like a noodle.

Yup.5

 

[morethanjake543]

I broke my 180mm 07' 66rc2x. I'm not a hack, but I definitely put the fork through it's paces. It survived two seasons of northstar, whistler, racing, and the occasional overshooting. Jumps weren't ever massive and the drops I hit were at most 12 feet to tranny.

The last week before it broke, I noticed a significant increase in creaking. I thought it was just because of the dry season but hey, guess you should just keep an eye out on steerers when your future fork hits this age. Luckily, it snapped on me when I jumped into some braking bumps and not from me plummeting back towards the earth.

I got hooked up with a deal on 888s and haven't looked back since. I don't trust 1 1/8th forks. Not because I think they wont hold up (experience tells me otherwise) but instead because I prefer the stiffness that comes with a true downhill fork.

 

[IH8Rice]

I got hooked up with a deal on 888s and haven't looked back since. I don't trust 1 1/8th forks. Not because I think they wont hold up (experience tells me otherwise) but instead because I prefer the stiffness that comes with a true downhill fork.

your true DH fork is 1 1/8"

 

[DirtMcGirk]

I'm a fat bastard riding a 36. Have been for a long time. I send it, I flat it, I hammer it, once I tried to make dinner with it. It lives on.

There's this whole idea of "warranty of merchantability" when it comes to this stuff. Google it.

 

[SirChomps-a-Lot]

See, THAT's what I'm worried about. Everyone's trolling about "dur dur dur you don't hit 30 foot drops dur dur". Of course I don't, but I hit 10 footers from time to time and they're smooth as. They'd be fine on a hardail unless you nose case the bejesus out of it, at which point any fork/frame would get pwned.

The braking bumps at whistler, on the other hand, are gnarly. Really gnarly multiplied by doing a bazillion runs a day = entropy.

Call me crazy, but I want -- nay, need -- to have confidence in the front end of my bike.

I broke my 180mm 07' 66rc2x. I'm not a hack, but I definitely put the fork through it's paces. It survived two seasons of northstar, whistler, racing, and the occasional overshooting. Jumps weren't ever massive and the drops I hit were at most 12 feet to tranny.

The last week before it broke, I noticed a significant increase in creaking. I thought it was just because of the dry season but hey, guess you should just keep an eye out on steerers when your future fork hits this age. Luckily, it snapped on me when I jumped into some braking bumps and not from me plummeting back towards the earth.

I got hooked up with a deal on 888s and haven't looked back since. I don't trust 1 1/8th forks. Not because I think they wont hold up (experience tells me otherwise) but instead because I prefer the stiffness that comes with a true downhill fork.

 

[kidwoo]

See, THAT's what I'm worried about. Everyone's trolling about "dur dur dur you don't hit 30 foot drops dur dur". Of course I don't, but I hit 10 footers from time to time and they're smooth as. They'd be fine on a hardail unless you nose case the bejesus out of it, at which point any fork/frame would get pwned.

The braking bumps at whistler, on the other hand, are gnarly. Really gnarly multiplied by doing a bazillion runs a day = entropy.

Call me crazy, but I want -- nay, need -- to have confidence in the front end of my bike.

Honestly man, nothing but a monster t will do for you. I wouldn't take the chance that thousands of riders hitting shlt much harder than you and likely heavier than you have taken. I mean they're all fine and everything but just something about the fork that you get strikes me as different. I don't even know what it is yet that you buy but I'm sure it will be different. Monster t. No substitute.