Kinesis Cyclocross Forks and 29er Tires (WARNING: If you are not a bike mechanic, this post is going to even more boring than most!)
Okay, this is one of those posts which I'm putting out there just in case someone needs the information I've gathered through trial and error. Trust me; you can't find this stuff out through the normal channels.In the picture above, there are three different Kinesis cross forks. Two of them have a 1-1/8" steerer, the other has a 1" steerer. One of the 1-1/8" forks is disc and cantilever, the other two are canti-only.
These are the two 1-1/8" forks, the newer disc-compatible on the left.
Why do I have all of these? And, more to the point: Why am I showing them to you?The black 1-1/8", canti-only fork has clearance for 29er mtb tires (2.2" width). We used it on Dan McGrady's bike until he bought a disc-compatible fork for his On-One.
Neither the canti-only 1" nor the newer design disc/canti 1-1/8" forks will run anything bigger than a 42c to 45c tire.
So, if you are trying to build a disc-equipped, non suspension-corrected 29er, the Kinesis fork will not work (although a Surly 26" mtb fork will work, and has the correct axle to crown length for non-suspension 29ers).
Yep, it's been a long hard row to hoe...
So, if anyone searches Kinesis fork 29er mtb on Google, I hope this comes up and saves them some aggravation, time and expense.
x
posted by Jon @ 7:10 PM
5 Comments:
I have a schwinn Criss/Cross frame and fork from the early 90's the steerer on the fork is 1" threaded and it is canti only.It'll fit 29X1.8" bontragersand probably 2"ers if I had any to try, but the frame will not and unfortunately I killed the chainstays on said frame trying to beat them into submission the Jon Grinder way.Sorry Jon,anyway one of the stays cracked;I may be able to braze it up but is it really worth it on a dumpster frame?I'll probably just use the fork for something else.
If you are not a bike mechanic, this post will be not as interesting as some others. Noted. I will have shawn read it and give me a synopsis.
:P
Jon, what are your criteria for choosing a frame to retrofit with 29ers?
getinlost: Mainly, long chainstays and horizontal dropouts. With the axle all the way back in the dropouts, and 18-1/2" chainstays, the frame will require a minimum of "massaging" to clear the bigger tires.
I was able to get 29x2.0 tires in my Stumpjumper frame, but I could not come up with a 1" steer tube fork which would clear them.
Really, though, those bikes are much more easily converted to 650b, using the original fork. You just have to adapt the brakes to the larger rim diameter.
My search for a 29er fork, recently, was for my upcoming all-rounder project. I simply was looking for a ~430mm axle to crown fork which would accept 29er tires, as I don't want the suspension-corrected fork leg length.
Wow, my answer to your question is wordier than the actual post!
i have a '98 cx bike i love, 700c. i just recently broke the 1" Alpha Q cross fork so bought a new cx bike. now i want to convert my old bike to a front suspension "700C-er". Can i use a 29er suspension fork or how do i adapt a 26" fork to 700C? i want to have both wheels be 700C (but i might live with the front being a 29") thanks gary
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home