Kid XC race bike
I have a 1996 schwinn homegrown. It's a lightweight build, and the frame fits my child reasonably well, but it has a rigid fork. Im considering adding a Manitou Markour 100mm fork. I realize this will make the head tube effectively slacker, but it will also slacken the seat tube and raise the BB. The original HA is 71.5, with an extra 37mm of travel, that should translate to 69.5 HA. Is this a bad way to spend my money? It seems like a similar weight, sub 25 lbs hardtail would be very pricey where as this fork would be less than $300. My rider is short, so a 26" wheel still seems like a good idea. We are riding on rolling midwest XC trails with roots and rocks. Im open to tire recommendations as well.
Posted Jul 31, 2023, 5:49 PM UTC
13
You're spending at least twice what the bike is worth on the fork. That bike also will not accept a tapered steerer tube, do that fork will not fit.
there is a straight steer option on the fork.
Yup. Good point. One thing to consider about this compared to modern bikes is really how much they've change in terms of geometry. If getting a newer bike is reasonable for you, that's something I'd do instead of putting money into an almost 30 year old one. However, that's simply my opinion. What you're looking to to may make it more capable, but it'll still be way behind a more modern bike.