Front suspension forks with steel dropouts
- Thread starter Rifle
- Start date
An alternative might be the ebikekit "C" washer kit that allows you to mount certain F hub motors setups on aluminum dropout forks:
http://www.e-bikekit.com/shop/index.php?p=product&id=97&parent=3
Not sure if these will work with your application tho...
http://www.e-bikekit.com/shop/index.php?p=product&id=97&parent=3
Not sure if these will work with your application tho...
FMB42 said:
I already have some. But I'm going to run at 48v w/ regen, and I'm not always good about checking my bike over very frequently and I don't have health insurance so I'm a little leery about putting it on anything but steel. It would be nice to be able to step up to 80mm of travel though. The other thing is I have Trek 820 frame, so a Suntour SR M is what the frame is built for. I think what will determine it is if a Suntour SR M shows up on ebay by the time everything else is ready. There's one on ebay now, but it's the crappy 50mm travel version.
SunCoaster
100 W
Out of stock, but this is steel:
http://www.choppersus.com/store/product/996/Fork-Suspension-26%22-Silver/
http://www.choppersus.com/store/product/996/Fork-Suspension-26%22-Silver/
auraslip
10 MW
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You know, I question the benefit of suspension forks. Bicycle suspension isn't made for high speed road use. Big tires at low pressures will probably give you as much comfort as a decent fork will.
I see my marzochi bomber as insurance against unavoidable potholes and and curbs. It doesn't substantially improve ride quality. It is fun on trails though.
I see my marzochi bomber as insurance against unavoidable potholes and and curbs. It doesn't substantially improve ride quality. It is fun on trails though.
dogman dan
1 PW
I tend to agree with that, My forks don't do a lot of moving on street rides, till you hit that unexpected speed bump or pothole, or get run off the road into the dirt by the 4 door one ton pickup. Then the 150 mm travel saves your butt. My normal route on the bike trail has these whoop de doos built into it for water drainage that can bottom out my suspension though. So I use my suspension heavily every ride if traveling 20 mph. Same thing applies to some places where bike trails cross streets and have crappy ADA curbs. You end up hopping a 3" curb on an ADA ramp designed for a curved sidwalk that was placed on a straight bike trail. 
So it depends, on how "off road" your roads ride like.
The other issue is that none of this stuff was built with riding with a 15 pound wheel or 20 pound battery in mind. So once you load up the bike with E stuff, the suspension is horribly out of tune. You might find your's works better if you play around with the tuning of your front fork some more. And fit is crucial. Too much out or too much in pressure on the forks can really make em bind, and not be very good on small bumps.
So it depends, on how "off road" your roads ride like.
The other issue is that none of this stuff was built with riding with a 15 pound wheel or 20 pound battery in mind. So once you load up the bike with E stuff, the suspension is horribly out of tune. You might find your's works better if you play around with the tuning of your front fork some more. And fit is crucial. Too much out or too much in pressure on the forks can really make em bind, and not be very good on small bumps.
Dave Sloan
100 W
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- Jun 22, 2009
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- 128
Bottom line is that if you need suspension then for a rear wheel drive you require good travel and good adjustment. For front wheel drive you need less travel and a beefier tire to take the shock of the extra weight of the front wheel. Ensure that the tube in the front tire can take more shock for hitting speed bumps. I bought a front drive wheel for my SunTour forks for this very reason. Not as sexy as doing wheelies with a rear wheel drive but it gets you around the off road places which is the safest place for any bike.
docnjoj
1 GW
+1 for rear suspension even with a hub motor. Particularly on a recumbent you get a huge benefit in crossing 4" drainage ditches and dips. My trikes suspension is not "plush" but designed for big riders with up to 50 kilo panniers. European touring. The small road grit and little bumps feel the same as a non suspended trike but the big ones really make the suspension work. I suspect this applies to 2 wheelers as well.
otherDoc
otherDoc
Well, my old bike was just one from Shopko, only had front suspension, and rough roads were jarring but doable at about WOT (27mph), but really rough ones would require me to slow down of course. The new bike I bought off CL, rides like crap even at less than 20mph on rough roads. It has suspension, but it looks very meager, so that's what I blamed some of the crappy ride quality on. But I'm also ditching that whole bike. Found a trek 820 frame in the right size on eBay, so I'm just gonna take the parts that didn't get smashed on my old bike and then finish the rest off w/ parts from a co-op, and a fork from eBay. The front suspension is just for those unexpected potholes. I don't care so much if it's a bumpy ride as long as the bike is/feels under control. I mean I'd occasionally take my old bike off road a bit, and found it to be pretty acceptable.
Question about the balloon tires: do they need to be run at a bit low psi to improve the ride a lot? Or do they improve it even at high psi's? Cuz with 30lbs of battery on the back rack, the one time I let my rear tire get low on air it got a pinch flat from hitting a huge pothole.
Question about the balloon tires: do they need to be run at a bit low psi to improve the ride a lot? Or do they improve it even at high psi's? Cuz with 30lbs of battery on the back rack, the one time I let my rear tire get low on air it got a pinch flat from hitting a huge pothole.
Dave Sloan
100 W
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Leave them at at least 45 lbs. Best gauge is to look down while you are riding and there will be a very slight outward bulge if the tires are at the right pressure. When you press down quickly on the shocks or release the bike from an inch above ground they should react with a slight bulge. Of course it depends on the tire but the shocks are the first to react followed by the tire on larger bumps. Remember that tires deform for control - especially around corners and over smaller objects - shocks are for the speed bumps / curbs that were not there yesterday!
docnjoj
1 GW
I run 50 lbs on all my tires since a trike has that additional problem of not tilting in corners. I have rolled a tire off the rim sliding sideways with low pressure. It is better with a 2 wheeler but I'm afraid the suspension still needs to be good and the tires kept at normal pressure for a safe ride. Just my 2 miliwatts worth.
otherDoc
otherDoc
The Mighty Volt
1 MW
Rifle said:
Zoom also make them, they come as stock on a lot of MTB's
auraslip
10 MW
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There will probably never be a fork made to fill this niche. Good forks cost good money ($300+) and if you're going to build a bike with a $300 fork, you're probably not going to use a front hub.
If you must use a front suspension fork with a front hub, you'll need to make some dual torque arms to replace the drop outs.
If you must use a front suspension fork with a front hub, you'll need to make some dual torque arms to replace the drop outs.
MadRhino
100 GW
Lemlux said:
Great, what a pleasure to dish the front wheel. :wink:
Any idea to make creative use of the freewheel?
The freewheel would be irrelevant for me, but some long distance trekker might appreciate having a spare. I have tunnel vision focus on using a 35mm Clte stator hub in front.
Are you asserting that a standard laced rear wheel hub would be eccentric in front and require non-standard dishing? If this is so, I agree that the appeal is diminished.
Are you asserting that a standard laced rear wheel hub would be eccentric in front and require non-standard dishing? If this is so, I agree that the appeal is diminished.
MadRhino
100 GW
A front hubmotor is centered, while the freewheel on a rear hub makes dishing necessary.
My question wondered if one needs to dish a front 135mm wheel any more than is needed for a rear 135mm wheel. If not, then the various respected vendors discussed on ES would not need to make mechanical change between what they do dish a front mounted rear hub than they would to dish a rear mounted rear hub.
MadRhino
100 GW
When you buy a rear hubmotor factory laced in a rim, it is not dished to fit your particular bike and setup, unless you are very lucky. In fact, you are lucky already if the wheel is true and tight out of the box.
Well, rear hub motors when wheels come dished to a certain spec that is considered normal.
It can be assumed that this will work on a front fork, but.. it may require some dishing if you buy a motor-wheel.
Anyhow the front motor versions of many motors are lighter due to less axle material needed, smaller cases, and magnets. You may want to just go the traditional way instead.
It can be assumed that this will work on a front fork, but.. it may require some dishing if you buy a motor-wheel.
Anyhow the front motor versions of many motors are lighter due to less axle material needed, smaller cases, and magnets. You may want to just go the traditional way instead.
dogman dan
1 PW
More recent versions of the 9 continent wheel are not dished much at all. So those would run fine up front on a pugsley fork.
