2021 Marin Bobcat 3 Upgrades: Making a great beginner bike better with a new air fork!

[@doripanda]

Just purchased the Recon forks through your store, can not wait to upgrade my Bobcat!

[@BikingRoots]

Awesome! Thanks for the support and purchase. Will get it shipped out tomorrow for ya!

[@doripanda]

@@BikingRoots absolutely! Thank you for making these videos 🙏🏽

[@doripanda]

@@BikingRoots you guys are the best! My forks came today, can not wait to put them on my bike this weekend 👍🏽

[@BikingRoots]

Awesome man, appreciate it. Have fun

[@dabmanbatman2935]

Would those forks work on the bobcat trail 4?

[@BlueKnows]

I reckon the best thing about the bobcat trail 3 is the ither colorway. Awesome bike even before an upgrade, just remember to take a few mil off the seatpost

[@BikingRoots]

Thanks for the comment. Yes, seat post is always very long on these and not much room!

[@joeyfal]

I just bought this bike (my first) but the 2020 model year. So as I start my journey, I’ll follow yours!

[@BikingRoots]

Congrats on the bike! I think you’ll have a fun time with it. Where have you been riding?

[@joeyfal]

@@BikingRoots For the most part very tame trails as I get more comfortable with the bike. Still discovering places to ride here in San Antonio!

[@BikingRoots]

Oh nice! We love San Antonio. We’ve ridden at McAllister Park a few times, fun trails!

[@jimbobrust]

I also have the 2020 model in the uk and love it. I don’t think they changed it for 2021?

[@78SOM]

Same, great bike, I look forward to the drivetrain upgrade video

[@patchesthejaybird8431]

Haha the turtle! That reminds me of a box turtle I removed from Bluff Creek trail in Oklahoma City, years ago when I was there for a few weeks. Fun! There are no turtles where I live, I do miss them, as well as the toads... now the Ticks, nope don't miss those at all! That Rockshox Judy looks like a great upgrade for those on a budget. I'm old enough remember when the Judy was a top end fork I Rockshox lineup. I think it had an elastomeric spring as well as a coil, rather than air. These new ones, despite being lower end, are probably much better! Amazing value.

[@BikingRoots]

Thanks for the comment and for saving that turtle at Bluff creek! Yes, I’m old enough to also remember when the Judy was was the top end! I had a triple clamp Judy DH on my GT bike back in college. Worked well actually! Take care and I like the Jaybird!

[@patchesthejaybird8431]

@@BikingRoots We have a few Stellars Jays that visit our yard, and I find them to be very interesting birds. Thanks, and good rides to you too! Nice to see you out riding with your son. I need to do that more myself.

[@Abailey5071]

Love a good shock upgrade 🙌

[@viruchamp]

Waiting for the next video 😀

[@BikingRoots]

thanks, coming soon!

[@dennislarosajr7320]

I put a markour on my bike, awesome upgrade. The air forks makes a difference

[@BikingRoots]

Thanks for sharing. Yeah the Markour is a solid fork as well. I’ve used them on many different bikes. Good luck with it

[@brettm.1115]

I like my Rockshox Recon fork. Much better than the 90s Rockshox Indy xc Elastomer shock I used to have.

[@BikingRoots]

Nice! Glad you are liking it. Yes, I remember the ol Rockshox Indy! Ha. My first fork was a used Rockshox Mag 21 air fork back in like ‘97. Good times

[@grimaceg1253]

LOL you must have cleaned all the spiders out for us. We were out there Sunday and no spiders.

[@BikingRoots]

Ha! You’re welcome!

[@timleavitt9103]

why yes yes we did they are all still in my helmet...

[@OptimusCrime_69]

I bought myself a dropper seat post first on my jamis divide 29, next upgrade will be the rock shox judy

[@BikingRoots]

Nice, congrats. Yeah, your bike will be good to go! Have fun

[@ArkyYangon]

Thanks for the video! Very informative👍 Question if I may. This Bobcat is 120mm fork bike right?? Is it ok to install 100mm fork?? I'm thinking about doing the same too😊

[@BikingRoots]

Thank you and good question. Yes the bobcat has a 120mm fork in both the 27.5 and 29” version. The Rockshox Judy unfortunately only has a 120mm in the 27.5 version (which is what I installed). For the 29er you’d have to do only 100mm or potentially try and find a Recon or a Manitou Markhor in 120. You can go down to 100mm though and it is totally fine and doesn’t change the handling much. I’ve done it a few different times. Your head angle steepens a bit and lowers your bottom bracket but otherwise should still feel fine. Hope it helps

[@ArkyYangon]

@@BikingRoots Thank you so much for telling me! I've been searching all over if it's ok to make that conversion but now I feel confident to go on with it! There's some 2022Bobcat 4 coming into a near by shop soon, I'm definitely gonna purchase it😊 Looking forward for you future videos🎉

[@RLICGNT]

Awesome video. Thanks for the information. Do you know if the wildcat trail 5 has a straight or tapered tube?

[@BikingRoots]

Wildcat Trail 5 has a straight steerer tube (as all bobcats and wildcats do). So if you go to a tapered fork, you’ll need an EC44/40 (I believe) external cup adapter. Most tapered forks though also need a 110mm wide boost thru axle which the wildcat 5 has a 100mm thru axle. Problem solvers makes some boost adapters that will work OR you can do a problem solvers thru axle to quick release adapter and then just throw a quick release on it. Hope it helps!

[@RLICGNT]

@@BikingRoots Thank You!

[@ImCoolLikeThat]

Thank you, I've been thinking about getting an upgraded fork, but couldn't figure out what to go with.

[@BikingRoots]

No problem! Hope it helped and let me know if you have any questions

[@ImCoolLikeThat]

@@BikingRoots when you take apart the crank set, could you film how you're doing it? I'm trying to figure out how to replace it with a 1x but I don't want to take it apart without having a plan. I wanted to try to do it myself, but I'm a beginner.

[@JuanRodriguez-wx9sq]

Not all Sutour forks are terrible. There are good budget options like the SR Sutour Epixon air fork.

[@BikingRoots]

I know, they have some nicer stuff in the high end. Low end though I personally dont care for them. Their rebound is sub par (at least the ones Ive tried)

[@rodgallardo7123]

Epixon is good but lockout is always the prblem...

[@mrjamieholloway]

So I did pretty much the same upgrade on my 2018 Marin bobcat trail 5, but the fork I bought was tapered. I picked up a Rockshox Judy silver boost fork with 15 mm thru axle for 70 euro on FB market place. I then bought a EC44/40 headset kit for 25€. Basically I needed to covert my bikes head tube from straight steerer to tapered using this kit. The top would be 44/28 and the bottom would be 44/40. You need to remove the old bearing cups, and replace them with the new cups and bearings. Then I needed to change my front wheel, as the bike comes with none boost QR hub. I found the exact style front rim, but with boost spacing. Rival 30, 27.5 with 15 mm thru axle and the same centre lock disk mount for around 40€. It already had the tubeless tape installed, so I simply had to change tyres and I was good to go. I also bought a new thru axle for around 13€. So the entire conversation cost me 148€. I decided for this option as I need to replace my front wheel Anyway. Has anyone used the Triple 8 external dropper posts which cost around 90 euros? Are they ok?

[@BikingRoots]

Thanks for sharing your upgrade! Sounds pretty sweet. Yeah if you already need a wheel and find a good deal on a tapered fork, that is a great way to go. We’ve done a couple upgrades like that on Bobcats but it gets pricey for most people. The majority just want a lighter fork without changing too much. Have fun with the bike and thanks for sharing!

[@mrjamieholloway]

Ye, would of been way easier to stick with the straight steerer, luckily I was able to do it inexpensively. I was considering a mullet upgrade, but then just decided to stick with the 650B setup.

[@curiositycatalyst2929]

@@mrjamieholloway did it make any significant difference or straight is also ok ,, and what about the squarebottom bracket will changing it to hollwtech will make any difference is it anyway good in peddaling efficiency

[@mrjamieholloway]

@@curiositycatalyst2929 upgrading my standard Marin Bobcat, made a noticeable difference. However I would probably have approached it a little differently if I did not have to change my front wheel. Since I had to change my front wheel, as it was damaged I went for the boost option. However, there are many good deals online for older none boost straight steerer 120mm travel forks. Rockshox Reba, Pike, and fox 32 factory forks that you might be able to pickup for a good price. In that situation, you would not need to change so much. However if you cannot find a fork that is straight steerer, and want to go for the tapered option, then changing the headset cups will be necessary. There is no massive advantage by changing it, just that it would give you more options. What I did like about the reverse headset cups I got, is that it comes with a straight steerer adapter in the set, So I can technically run a straight steerer fork, or a tapered fork. amzn.eu/d/dkQKhm4 So in my situation by changing the fork, I have saved a lot of weight on the bike, and I have an entry level fork which performs a little better and it didn't cost me an arm and a leg. Regarding the bottom bracket you can look at upgrading to Hollowtech 2 BB52. Just note that if you are going to be running a 1x10 speed setup, then you will need to adjust the spacers in the bottom bracket, to get the chain line correct. I found the best option to run 1 spacer on each side that is provided in the kit. Remove the 3rd spacer. If you are running a 11-42T setup that should be okay, but if you want to run 11-46T, you will need to put some spacers between the crank and the narrow wide chainring. I am using around 4mm spacers, but it will depend on the crank you choose, and the thickness of the chainring. I am also using a spacer behind my cassette to bring it out a little. At the end of the day, chain line in my opinion is just trial and error. You can get 170mm hollowtech 104BCD cranks online for around 30-40 Euros. There might be a Shimano option that isn't too expensive. This is the one I bought, and it comes with a 32T narrow wide chain ring included. a.aliexpress.com/_mLZ9dLw I have also removed the quick release at the back wheel, and replaced it with a bolt on 10mm axle.

[@robin.vision]

Good one, I have the same bike with 29"

[@BikingRoots]

Oh right on! Done any upgrades yet? Not that you have to just curious

[@robin.vision]

@@BikingRoots no upgrades done yet, in future I'm planning to put a dropper post, also air shock and 1x drivetrain.

[@BikingRoots]

oh right on. Yeah it’s still fun stock but nice to have the option to upgrade some things on it down the road. Take care

[@localbadboys5457]

Im switching the fork on my bobcat to a 120mm recon. So hopefully she’ll be good😂.

[@BikingRoots]

Oh you answered my question I think. Sweet, you’ll like the recon for a good budget air fork

[@jamesgoffjr.7167]

Hey man really love all these videos! I recently bought a Marin palisades trail 2 which is pretty similar to the bobcat trail 3 but mine came with a 100mm rockshox Judy silver tk coil spring (not the air Judy) which is pretty nice but I was wanting to upgrade to something with more travel like 120-140mm, do you know if the air Judy would be much an improvement for me or should I aim for a recon? Thanks

[@BikingRoots]

Appreciated the comment and compliment, glad you found some use from it. I would say price it out and see since lately I’ve seen some pretty good deals on the Recons which have a compression damper (so you have some in between compression adjustments unlike the Judy), also the Recon is a bit less flexy (has 32mm stanchions vs 30). Regarding the travel, you may be limited though. What’s your wheel size? Rockshox for whatever reason only makes the Judy and Recon in a 100 and 120 in the 27.5 size. 29ers are limited to 100mm of travel. I wouldn’t recommend going over 120 since it can change how your bike handles and how it was designed and tested. Hope that helps some

[@arnodolisandro]

Hi amazing videos, what are the differences between the bobcat and wildcat? thanks

[@BikingRoots]

Appreciate it! The only difference is the top tube dips lower on the Wildcat (as it is designed more for women in mind) although I’ve had some kids get it because of the lower standover height. Components and everything else is the same on both. I’ve had women choose the wildcat and some choose the bobcat. Sometimes just comes down to the color options. Good luck!

[@darikfrye91]

What 1X drivetrain are you thinking of going with? I just picked up a Bobcat Trail 4 and am looking to upgrade the drivetrain ASAP!

[@BikingRoots]

Thanks for the question. I’m going very inexpensive with this build, so I will be doing the Microshift Acolyte system. It’s an inexpensive, but still a good quality derailleur w/ a clutch. I’ll probably do the 12-42 cassette (they have a 46t as well), and use their shifter (you may be able to still use the shimano 8 speed shifter but haven’t experimented yet with it). The 4 piece groupset is like $96. I’m then going to use an inexpensive tapered Suntour narrow wide crankset. Trying to do the 1x conversion for $150 in parts. It will be coming soon on the video, maybe not the next video but one after. Thanks!

[@ImCoolLikeThat]

@@BikingRoots if we wanted more range would you recommend the box prime 9, or a 12 speed? I'm debating saving up and getting either a prime 9 (obv upgrading the crank set and bottom bracket) or the sram nx eagle dub group set.

[@marcov9808]

Great video! I have a 2020 Bobcat 5 suntour coil with straight tube and thru axle. Do I have any options for an air fork with both thru axle and a straight tube? I cannot find anything online with that combo..

[@BikingRoots]

Thanks for the comment and questions. Ah yes, we’ve face that issue before and is actually one of the reasons at my shop we didn’t order as many Bobcat 5s. Great bikes but yes the thru axle with straight steerer is very difficult to find. I believe the last one I did, I ended up doing a rockshox recon (tapered) with a headset adapter EC44/40 and I believe the front axle on the hub is 100 so I did a boost adapter on the recon to fit with the hub since recon is 110 boost. The other option you have is to get a Judy or a recon with a straight steerer and then find an inexpensive QR wheel up front. Unless you can change the hub caps to quick release. Actually that would be the easiest… hm let me double check and see if they sell some QR axle caps… sorry I’m typing and thinking!

[@marcov9808]

@@BikingRoots thanks for the info! It's good to know that I can upgrade. I'm definitely gonna have a shop do the work

[@pcilohead]

Did you stick long with the Judys? How’d it go for as long as you had it? Coming from the stock suntours on the 2022 Marlin 6 and am looking for a better fork. Fair priced Judy came my way. Should I get it? Just riding a mix of road to intermediate trails. Thanks for the time.

[@BikingRoots]

Hello, thanks for the comment and sorry for the delayed response. Still have the Judy on this bike and it’s being used in our rental fleet now. If you aren’t a big person and as you mentioned ride road and intermediate trails, than the Judy will be just fine. If you are bigger or just need a stiffer fork, the Recon is another option (at a higher price point though). With the Judy you’ll get more response out the fork and shed some weight. We have both available to ship in our shop. Let us know if we can help!

[@pcilohead]

Never new how much weight those coil forks had. Lovin the Judys so far. More power to the channel.

[@SideEffectsSkate]

I got my 2021 bobcat trail 3 for $540 around Christmas time last year.

[@BikingRoots]

Oh sweet, great price. Hope you are enjoying it

[@awokeone7997]

What air fork would you recommend for a kids Specialized Riprock comp with 24" tires?

[@BikingRoots]

Good question. I’d consider the following: Manitou Markhor 26er 100mm. I’ve used this on my son’s old bike and it worked pretty well. Very light and good upgrade over the heavy suntour coil that hardly moved with his weight. I believe (but need to double check) if you can add an additional spacer to it to bring the travel down to 80mm. This would help prevent it from being too slack and raise the bottom bracket and standover height which sometimes can make a difference. Another I would consider would be the rockshox Judy 27.5 100mm. It would be a bit taller and more slack but could work. Manitou J unit is a higher priced but nicer fork but would require some additional steerer tube adapters, new wheel or wheel adapters to make it work. I’d probably go Markhor. Good luck!

[@trillion_mtb67]

K that's fine😂 because my bike is a 120mm per travle and the rockshox Judy is 100mm cus I didn't know you could adjust it 😅

[@BikingRoots]

Yeah unfortunately stock they only offer 29 version in 100mm but you can do an air spring swap. 27.5 they sell both travel options

[@tylercarpenter4329]

Will a 100mm fork work? my bobcat 29er is stock with 120mm fork. I mistakenly bought a 100mm rockshox recon fork. I feel like the bike is kinda big any ways. Im 5'11" Is there any drawbacks or safety concerns riding the 100mm?

[@BikingRoots]

No worries at all. We've done a few Bobcats w/ 100 since Rockshox at least in the past didn't offer a straight steerer, quick release 100mm axle fork in 29 with more than 100mm. They did for the 27.5 (120 or 100), but not in the 29. In the past for those wanting to stick with 120, we've done a modification to the manitou markhor fork which you can make 120 for 29ers. To answer your question though, you'll be fine, no real changes in riding feel or geo.

[@itziks9887]

You wrote you're going to upgrade to Microshift ACOLYTE 8 speed. Do you know if the rear wheel on this bike supports upgrade to 11 speed cassette ?

[@BikingRoots]

Thanks for the comment and question. Yup going to acolyte probably this week (got behind on videos). Yes you could go to an 11 speed with the HG freehub body found on this bike. I believe I’ve also done a 12 speed eagle for a customer on this a while back as well. Good luck

[@itziks9887]

@@BikingRoots Thanks for the valuable information ! I appreciate your time and help in making these videos !

[@xamuth]

What would be the best recon vs markhor?

[@BikingRoots]

Good question. Recon has 32mm stanchions, the markhor has 30mm stanchions. The recon has a compression damper and I believe the markhor has just open and lockout. Either one will work fine but I’d probably lean towards recon personally

[@arnodolisandro]

What do yoy think about the Poligon Cascada 4 2022 I am a beginner.

[@BikingRoots]

Cascada looks like a fun bike for basic neighborhood riding and light trail riding. It is similar to the Wildcat 1 model. If you can budget the extra money for a Wildcat 3 (or Bobcat 3), you’d like the drivetrain and the frame better. They are also tougher if you are intending to go on more aggressive trails. If you aren’t than the Wildcat 1 or the Cascada 4 would be fun. Just something to think about

[@goranchalovski8347]

Would you upgrade the tires from 2.25 to 2.4 the rims are 25 mm inner width?

[@BikingRoots]

we've done it before on bobcats but it is a tad too big. I'd probably stick with 2.2 unless you just really want bigger. yes I believe 25mm inner width

[@goranchalovski8347]

@@BikingRoots Thanks i would stick with the 2.25 widths of tires

[@BikingRoots]

@@goranchalovski8347 sounds good. Yeah we just had a customer want to do maxxis forekaster up front and rekon in the back (2.4). Didn’t look too bad so it could work depending on the tire

[@majapashit666]

Hi i also riding the bobcat 3 but the black one. When riding on a gravel stone surface my chain always make a loud noise bcoz its soft. How do u fix that? Thanks

[@BikingRoots]

Hello, thanks for the question. You said it makes a loud noise because it is soft? Is the chain bouncing? What gear are you on in the back?

[@doztacos8913]

How is the bike off trails stock. I was thinking of buying one as a city bike. Please let me know. Thanks.

[@BikingRoots]

Yeah would make a perfectly fine city bike with a lockout so you could stiffen it up on the road. Then if you decide to go off road, much more capable than like a hybrid for example. Good luck!

[@doztacos8913]

@@BikingRoots thank you Sir. 😊

[@WrekLz_MTB]

If you don’t mind me, asking what trail is that..?

[@BikingRoots]

Timberlane trail in NW Houston/Spring area. Great beginner trail. I film there a lot because it is a little quieter than some of the other trails

[@curiositycatalyst2929]

Please help me out with bobcat trail 4 or estrada 5 ,, i want good frame that can withstand tough use and also is good xc bike

[@BikingRoots]

Thanks for the comment… I’m not familiar with the Estrada 5. Who makes it? Regarding the Bobcat, we’ve had some customers jump and ride pretty hard on that frame (bobcat 3) which is the same frame for the 3,4, or 5. It is a tough frame and we’ve never had any frame issues or warranty claims on them in the 3.5 years we’ve sold them and they are our 2nd most popular bike we sell. I’d say they are tough and perfect for trail or XC use

[@curiositycatalyst2929]

@@BikingRoots so should i go with bc 3 or bc 4 as i also want to do up climb , is 1×9 enough ( can it go 45 degrees in inclination) for that or should i buy bobcat 3 and upgrade 1× 11 after wards and how much squared tappered makes difference against hollowtech

[@BikingRoots]

@@curiositycatalyst2929 I’d say if you don’t climb for a long period of time with really steep climbs than a 1x9 is plenty as you can get an 11-46t cassette. If you do have a lot of climbing, than yeah going to a 1x11 will give you smaller increments in your pedal speed which can help if you climb a lot. I’d go with the 4 probably personally or go to the 5 if you want 11 speeds.

[@joen3992]

Now that you've upgraded the forks. Spend the money on a quality set of wheels. Mavic with Novotech hubs will set you around $300. Lighter and stronger than the garbage that come on Trek Marlin and Marin bikes. Better investment and nicer ride than a drive train.

[@BikingRoots]

Yeah I’ve used some Novatech hubs and wheels on some other bikes in the past. They were ok but for me a drivetrain was what I felt I’d get more bang for your buck on which is what we did in the next video. Maybe in the future I’ll try another wheelset. Thanks for the comment though and good luck

[@daboiz6574]

hi, waht soze frame and wheels is that?

[@BikingRoots]

Medium 27.5 wheel. I’m 5’8 but have shorter legs so fit better on the 27.5 than the 29, but everyone is different

[@swales3511]

Would this work on a giant talon 3 2022?

[@BikingRoots]

Yup! It will work find on a Talon 3 either the rockshox judy or the recon. Just make sure you get the straight steerer and quick release version which we have on our site available to ship

[@swales3511]

@@BikingRoots ok thanks

[@Smegma_pirate]

Front derailleurs aren’t bad if they’re not crappy… Shimano does a good job making derailleurs… maybe you’ve heard of them?

[@BikingRoots]

Over the years I've been riding I've had a few high end shimano derailleurs. Yes they work much better than the cheap ones but they are still one more thing that goes out of adjustment, has cable stretch, etc. I do not miss them at all. Yes Shimano does make some nicer derailleurs as well which I've used on various bikes.

[@mehDOGIESRATS2222]

You could make it just a single speed for jumping , probably not good for climbing tho lol

[@BikingRoots]

Ha! Yeah that would be fun but yes not so good with the climbing lol

[@jurisx85]

After the fork, the dropper has to come. Don`t really care about chainslaps on the drivetrain.

[@BikingRoots]

Thanks for the comment. Yeah, I hear ya but it doesn’t bother me as much as the chainslaps and shifting issues on occasion, but that’s just me! May do the dropper after the 1x conversion

[@chentez1]

What trail is this? Asking for a friend… 😂

[@BikingRoots]

Timberlane trail in spring, tx. You can find it on trail forks. You can park at the north parking lot where they have a kids play area and then take the paved path in for a bit. Fun beginner trail. Not a ton of miles but still fun and less busy than others

[@DrumsNWheels]

Great video! I was just wondering, can I install a 140mm/130mm suspension on the bobcat trail 3 frame?

[@BikingRoots]

Maybe a 130, I wouldn’t go 140 since I think the geometry would get out of sorts and be too slack and the bottom bracket too high. Never tried it though

[@DrumsNWheels]

@@BikingRoots I thought so too. Thanks for the input. :) I'm planning to get a 130mm Recon for my bobcat trail 3

[@wowowwowow7660]

i am 80kg, can this bike handle my weight?

[@BikingRoots]

Yes, easily. We’ve had much bigger people on them and they are fine. I can’t remember doing any warranty frames on these over the last 4 years. Good luck!

[@wowowwowow7660]

@@BikingRoots alright cool, thanks 👍

[@localbadboys5457]

Fork on this bike is ass. Already squeaking like crazy. Had it 2 days.

[@BikingRoots]

The stock SR Suntour or the Judy that we upgraded it with?

[@Ryan-yi6su]

Dude you should grow a massive mustache!

[@BikingRoots]

Haha that’s hilarious and not the first time I’ve heard that unfortunately. My bro in law also says I should. I would look ridiculous lol

[@Ryan-yi6su]

@@BikingRoots I just purchased a bobcat 5 2022 Covid price, 🤨 I've always wanted to try marin As for mustache Giver I find it's always fun to change it up

[@BikingRoots]

Nice, congrats on the Bobcat! Yeah, I’ll think about the mustache… probably not lol

[@RavingNut]

Could have been worse, you could have hit all them spider webs in Australia.

[@BikingRoots]

Ha! Yeah that is true. What kind of spiders you got there?! I can imagine they are bigger and more poisonous!

[@RavingNut]

@@BikingRoots, if you are unluck there is a spider called a golden orb weaver. They ha e been recorded before eating adolescent snakes and catching small birds in their webs. Other then that you could come across other spiders in webs from thumbnail size to about full thumb lengths in size. Lucky most are not aggressive, unless you tick them off... riding through one might do that.

[@BikingRoots]

Oh no way. I think we have those here in Houston area! We call them Banana Spiders and their webs are super thick. There is a trail near the coast famous for them and the webs are so thick they will move your handlebars! Freaked me out and I haven’t been back since! Yours are probably bigger though! Take care and stay spider safe!

[@ItsMorbinTime03]

I got Suntour aion fon my marin for only 180$

[@BikingRoots]

Oh nice! Where did you find it?

[@ItsMorbinTime03]

@@BikingRoots It was on sale at small online store. Probably because this was a 100mm version for dj's. I adjusted the travel by taking out the spacers to 120mm. One flaw of this fork is negative chamber. It's coil spring and for me 60kg or 130lbs I had to buy soft spring. I also wrapped it in soft insulation to stop it from banging inside. Now with everything dialed I think its great fork, but I wouldn't recommend it for any beginner that is afraid of taking things apart. I had to buy new wheel and headset too. At the end it turned out to be around 250-280$.

[@BikingRoots]

right on, well it should be a good fork and hope you enjoy it