The most popular MTB fork you (probably) know nothing about
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- čas přidán 10. 02. 2024
- In this video we do a deep dive into SR Suntour's entry level coil forks. It seems many of us started out on one of these, yet few outlets have done a deep dive into them. I'm not affiliated with SR Suntour in any way, but though it would be interesting to put this information out there.
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dude these entry level products you talk about is so refreshing compared to all the copy paste MTB content out there on youtube that literally every single other channel does.
Very much so! Most have their heads in the clouds and can't imagine talking to or at lower level cyclists.
They make you fell bad to ride your entry level bike
This! When this notification popped out and I saw main topic - I knew it will be good🤩
@@felipenavasDon't worry about other people. Just get better.
I'd like to see more one-ride reviews of the slightly-modified Pivot Switchblade :D
You are the first human being to ever make a bike fork, rhododendron analogy. Congrats.
it was philodendron
its like you called coil fork an air one
It's common knowledge coil forks are like philodendrens and air forks are like rhododendrons. Easy mistake.
@@in2deep41 Obviously
@@statom985 He said it was a philodendron, but I think it might have actually been a pothos?
Hahaha rhododendron, philodendron, pothos... who's counting anymore?
I really appreciate this video. While working in a shop, so many of us ended up with the high end Suntour forks on our rides and we learned not to turn our noses up at the lowend Suntour stuff. As often as we had basket case cheap mtbs in the stand, these forks were not among the things we were fixing. Truly an underappreciated brand in cycling here in the us.
I think every bike under $1K has these forks on them. Slamming them is nonsense. These forks get people into mountain biking.
And like Seth says, those forks on the bikes being worked on never get serviced, even though a little tlc would revive many, at least the ones not left out in the rain-although I’ve experimented with a couple lost causes with surprisingly adequate results. Follow-up episode?
@@slantedorbitIt's a shame, they need to be serviced specially after riding on rain. The steel rots with water and that's something you don't want happening in your forks or springs. I've seem them break because of that.
That’s cus they are disposable bike products. I get them in a pack of ten online.
low end suntour forks are complete trash.
plastic components,
warranty warns againt wheelies.
fitted on the worst cycles you can buy
As a Bike Mechanic, THANK YOU for shedding light on Suntour. Most Folk come in thinking they need a ferrari of a bike but in reality they need to start on a honda si. Really refreshing to see that even lower end components can still get you outside and having fun.
oh yeah? where do you work?
are you willing to put your face on camera and say that you think the xcm is a good fork and that you are a bike mechanic?
then i can make a break down video to explain how wrong you are? lol
@@netcoms197 who linearized your deionized water
@@55yxalaG good job on wasting both of our time
@@netcoms197 only someone who believes in tetrahedral planar methane would say that 🤔
@@netcoms197 Really refreshing to see that even lower end components can still get you outside and having fun
I swear Seth can do a better job of explaining the details of a product, than the actual paid workers at the company.
@@netcoms197 gr8 b8 m8 i r8 8/8
@@netcoms197 you're trash, kid. I rode entry-level SR Suntour for 10 years, they are everything that was said in this video.
no shit bro its a 50 dollar fork@@netcoms197
they were paid by suntour to adervtise this poor quality product, are you really that naive or is thsi a fake comment?
the xcm fork has plastic components under load, its designed to fail and be upgraded via the "suntour upgrade program".
free info for you -
"seth" is the person employed by this youtube channel to speak into the camera.
its not just 1 man saying what he likes about products on his own channel.
@@netcoms197 touch some grass
$100 off a trade-in... Most valuable advice I've gotten on CZcams in a while. I'm about to turn my old hard tail into something interesting, and I was going to scrap the old one since it's leaking oil
yeah good idea upgrade from a broken trash suntour, to another suntour, that wil be a great idea.
suntour make budget beginner tranh that is on all teh cheapest bikes you can buy, to try and force beginners into an "upgrade",
@@netcoms197 those aren't even words. try again.
@@netcoms197 without them, the cheapest bikes you can buy would be more expensive.
@@netcoms197 yeah everyone you've probably ridden is trash. Like Seth said, they have a full line even air forks. You just don't typically see those as you only know them for their budget offering. I don't have a brand allegiance and don't pay for style. I'm sure they have something that will work for a fun bike I might use a few times a year
@@netcoms197 you didn't watch the video and that's ok, I believe "Seth" @9:35
I just “rebuilt” one of these on my son’s GT XC bike. It works great when it’s cleaned and lubricated. We also threw on some Shimano disc brakes for $60. The bike really functions well!
@@netcoms197pogo stick is better than baseball bat (carbon and bolany) so they are better than baseball bat in my books 💀
@@netcoms197 I have an XCT and for my leisure use is not that bad, tho for any competitive use obviously they are not built for. It's like trying to use a Stock Corolla against a GT3 Porsche.
@@netcoms197you don’t know what you are talking about.
@@netcoms197 I get trolls exist and why, But you are failing badly at it dude lol. Literally trashing a bike fork to death? Gigidy. But on the subject, The XCM is really not that bad! It's robust, and it does the job for casual riding, simple as that.
@@netcoms197 Im from germany, im not a native englsih speaking person, but i see that u r the troll here. Just from the likes of the comments we can get that ^^ so mr troll pls stop trash talking, thanks.
I love how he introduces different mtb info in a more entertaining format
@netcoms197 still introducing more information about mountain biking no matter if sponsored or not.
@@Verbot819 bad information, sponsored by suntour.
so extremely bias, andf dishonest.
and deceiving for clueless beginers like yourself.
@@Verbot819 bias unreliable information.
sponhsored by teh companies that produce teh low quality products.,
you really dotn have a clue what youre talking about, so go give suntour your money, go go
This is SO MUCH BETTER than all the rest of MTB Tech youtube videos on this platform, Ive heard about electronic shifters, new air springs and carbon wheels 10 times too much, this is much cooler and more interesting
Thank you for publishing videos that are always interesting and informative. I'm watching from Japan and I'm always looking forward to your videos.
I replaced the XCM on the Merida Big 7 (27.5inch) hardtail XC bike (88,000yen/$588） with a Raidon, the same SR Suntour. The reason is that I wanted to know what air suspension is. I'm very happy with the fact that it's much lighter than the XCM, and you can adjust the sag according to your weight, adjust the rebound and remote lockout.
I think that the same XCM, but with a damper and a lockout, is a very good product. However, since the legs are iron, I replaced it with a slightly higher-end Raidon (air suspension fork with magnesium legs). Still, I keep it instead of throwing it away, because I might go back to XCM someday. If it's an XCM with dampers and lockouts, and the legs are magnesium, you might still be using it. (It would be best if Raidon's magnesium legs could be used as they are for the XCM)
As Mr. Seth's advised, I first replaced the drivetrain of the Merida Big 7 with a Shimano Deore 1×12 (XT with a 165mm crank only) and replaced the brakes with Shimano hydraulic discs instead of mechanical discs. The fork replacement is after that.
Eventually, I bought a Marin Bolinas Ridge 2 with a low standover height and have been riding it with the fork and drivetrain ported from Merida. This Marin is very fun to ride. I only run on the road beside the irrigation canal and the path in the rice paddies, so the Raidon was enough. According to the instruction manual, the limit for jumping seems to be up to 60 cm.
From the SR Suntour Axion on XCO World Champion Tom Pidcock's Pinarello bike to the XCM on the entry-level bike, I don't think the SR Suntour forks are bad.
And as a Japan person, I also like the fact that the name "Suntour" has been preserved to this day.😀
In Japan, as in the United States, SR Suntour also provides parts for rebuilds and provides videos explaining how to maintain them. Maintenanse is very easy. Yesterday I disassembled and cleaned the Raidon, applied new grease to the negative spring and poured 80wt of silicone oil inside the air piston.
I think this video is a very professional review that evaluates the excellence of XCM from various angles.
楽しそう! Sethさんがすごいですよね。田舎でマウンテンバイクしては夢見たい。まだSuntourがあるけど、日本でもっと乗りたい。
Watching your content is so useful for someone like me who does not know a lot about MTB and also cannot afford to buy a lot of parts
@@netcoms197after giving more than one pair of sr suntour forks a lot of serious abuse, I can positively say, you’re wrong. Always better to say nothing than to speak without knowing what you’re talking about…
Ive extensively ridden the higher end Suntours and man, ppl really need to give them more credit, cuz they are MUCH better than one would expect. They are seriously impressive and not only "for the price"...
Tom Isted and Sam Reynolds ride SR Suntour forks. Isted is a Crankworx guy and both of them ride Darkfest (Reynolds being the guy who runs it of course).
NONE of us are going to abuse Suntour forks more than them. 😆
@@dvs620 oh good to know, didnt know that, i'll look it up
Think about your family, don't be stupid, spent a couple extra dollars on the Manitou or a Rockshox, Suntour are not safe to on a mountain bike, none of them
@@bassw1758 lol, ok kid
@@bassw1758 You riding anything crazier than Crankworx or Darkfest? Because Tom Isted is. Dude backflipped a 120ft, on Suntour forks. Rides Crankworx events, on Suntour forks.
Maybe stop telling everyone you don't know what you're talking about. Because NONE of us are going to push their forks the way he does. Sam Reynolds too.
Thanks for doing all the research on the OT Ridge (and continuing to talk about it). Your enthusiasm for that as an entry level bike has sealed it for me. I know almost nothing about mountain bikes, but hearing and seeing you return to it time and again makes me feel like I'm not going to be cussing my choice in 6 months. Thanks for the great channel and keep it up!!
SR Suntour's XCO forks (with air spring; vs XCMs that are coil) are also a great lighter-weight alternative for entry-level bicycles.
there is also the xcr air which is also an air fork, not sure how this compares to the xco.
@@SimonBauer7 i can say about xcr air that if your weight is less than 50kg you gonna struggle to put right amount of air in it, everything above no probs
XC...... O?
@@szolekxxx You can exchange the coil negative springs for a lighter spring rate and it will allow you to adjust the air side for a rider in the 45 - 55 kg range.
@@SprocketsLLC at this point we were thinking about upgrading it, it's not a perfect fork
My kona big honzo came with these forks and I've ridden the hell out of that thing without any issues. It got me into mountain biking 2 years ago and now I'm gradually upgrading parts. Cool to know that Suntour offers the upgrade option. Will definitely check that out. Great vid!
The content a lot of consumers need to see. I have been testing a few different forks (some for bike brands and some for suspension brands) and my feedback on SR Suntour lineup is similar to yours Seth. The XCR 34 130mm Air is still on my trail hardtail (I oiled the foam rings and added 5cc of 10wt oil in the lowers) and the fork is incredible for the price. Also running Raidon 34 130mm on my 120mm "downcountry" and it is comparable in performance to my Fox Rhythm 130mm. I have a Fox 36 on my big bike and swopped it with a Durolux for testing. The Durolux needed some fine tuning - oil weight being the main reason, I dropped it substantially for more small bump compliance and sensitivity / faster rebound. And its been great. I've also tested plenty of cheap chinese forks and risked life and limb to push them to the limits and can not recommend one of the one's I've tested so far.
Dude! These deep dives are one of the reasons I love your videos! You are so inspirational!
Almost 9 years into mountainbiking as a main hobby, I'm still running an SR Suntour XCR32 coil fork with a rebound adjuster that I bought back in 2017. It's been through quite a few XC races and lots of just weekend trail riding to this day. I service it at least twice a year, and recently I replaced the coil with a new one, feels better than brand new now. It is heavy but it gets the job done.
I can remember drilling holes and putting bolts in some El cheapo forks for people at work who preferred non-functioning shocks after theirs stopped working on Huffy's and Pacific bikes.
I don't use shocks anymore but when I did I used Manitou and Rock Shox for maybe $350 back in the 90's
This is refreshing, especially when you have other channels that say I reccomend this fox fork, its only like 900 bucks. Yet seth is talking about forks from the 100-200 dollar range.😊
Really appreciate the info on Suntour forks. I upgraded to a full suspensions this winter. But I am keeping my Norco XC for peddling heavy adventures and it has a suntour fork with a lockout. And now I know a lot more about it.
I serviced a couple of those last year. And they are super great to do so. Also Suntour's help is superb. My kid had a bike from Decathlon (2020) and they had ordered it with the stiffest spring. So I emailed Suntour's help and they gave me the part number for the softest one and we changed it. You don't need a stand, just a help from your kid. Next time I had a problem with the other one, disassembling it (a pure novice and an old fork). And send them some pictures and they helped me again. And those were XCM 100, and XCE 80 forks from 2015 and 2020. I got the special tool to open the upper legs for ~3 Euro and you need a 9mm (I don't even remember) wrench for the nuts on the lower legs and that is it. We did it on the bike. Maybe a flathead to remove the rubber seals on the top. Seals and plastic bushings (this is the service set) cost around a 10 for a set and you need some fork grease. It makes all the difference, you can do it for the cost of a Starbucks and you do it with your kid inside your home - priceless.
After we serviced them I started noticing them all over the city for cheap and mid spec bikes and most folks that I have asked never did anything on them, ever, for years.
Everything has its purpose and those XCM and XCE are just great for the city jungle and light off-road.
I love that after almost 6 years I have watched EVERY SINGLE EPISODE that Seth puts out and I’m still entertained. I go back once in a while even and watch some oldies just because.
Me too
thsi video is sponsored by suntour,
this channel is a profit mnaking business, that is paid what to say.
@netcoms197 Lmao stop saying this under every comment. Just because you meat ride fox doesn’t mean you can keep spreading nonsense under comments
Seth, no matter if you're sponsored or not by the product company. Your videos are very honest and trustworthy. My son and I are both subscribed and always look forward to your videos.
My son really wishes he could ride some of your trails, but we are from the uk and would be one hell of a road trip 😂. Keep it up seth one of the best mtb channels you tube has.
Rob and alfie
Truly under-appreciated brand. This suntour brand is so good, especially for beginners, and they also have hi-end product
stop lying teh xmc is trash, and every mtb rider knows it.
the design is plastic trash.
disposable junk from a terribel company
@@netcoms197plastic... the fork is metal mate.
@@SimonBauer7 the fork has plastic internals, and we are not mates
the xcm is junk, and you are stalking my comments to attack me for telling teh truth.
lets talk face to face about it of youre so affected
This was good. Enjoyed seeing the reasonable expectations put on beginner hardware and I'm actually inclined to look up a fork for an old MTB that my dad uses.
did not find your channel because of all the entry level /ozark trail content, but man the longer Im here the more I appreciate you doing videos like this.
Excellent video. Very informative. You are one of the best bike related content creators out there. Thanks so much for sticking around.
Started with a Rockhopper with a Suntour just like the one you have. Now I am obsessed with riding and have fox factory 36 and a float x2 on a Devinci Marshall. I’ve always been the kind of person to buy a cheaper frame and upgrade as I go. It’s just fun to nerd out on bikes and makes me feel like a kid again. I miss my TJ Lavin Fatboy with the Terrible 1 sprocket and a chain thick enough for a motorcycle. Snafu pegs and Alex Triple wall rims. You get the idea! Thank you Suntour for getting me into a healthy and rewarding sport!!
Your content has been giving me ideas for new videos and I have been watching your videos
For years thank you for keeping the videos 😊
I started mountain biking on the same Suntour forks. It got me out on the trails and now I’m hooked!
This channel keeps getting better and better... Thanks Seth!
I have been away from your content for over a year - WOW What a great review and study of these forks! Thanks for making mine a refreshing return
I would love to see a build using inexpensive, bomb proof products like this fork and those Shimano hydrolic brakes you're so fond of. Thanks for all the sensible, inclusive content!
I love it so much when you write a bike products like a type of fork or derailer or any type of product and give it the goods and bad
I ran a Xcr for years until upgrading and it did way more than I expected.
This puts a whole new light on the SR Suntour forks I had on old MTB's
Seth, thank you for putting together such an informative video, you are a true hero for the MTB movement, keep it up with the great job you’re doing.
I used to ride a 2019 Specialized Rockhopper Comp, with Specialized tuned Multi-Circuit Damping. All that to say it was fitted with this damper cartridge. It worked REALLY well. I was very happy with.
I saw service interval of 10 hr somewhere in literature when I was researching how to service. A basic service is just some disassembly for re-greasing the moving parts. There is no oil in the fork, and should NOT be. Lubrication is provided by a layer of 'light' grease (such as Slickoleum) and is not hard to do. Otherwise, wiping dust off of the uppers after use, avoid forcing water into the seals,... these forks are fine for some light trail riding, gravel rides etc especially if the coil resistance reasonably matches the rider weight and actual use. I think it's not unreasonable to just use use use until the fork is having sticking issues etc and then deciding to upgrade the fork or the entire bike. If that's not a reasonable option for a user, maintaining the fork with periodic re-greasing just might achieve a respectably long service life :)
I have an SR Suntour suspension seat post because of my lower back problem and it works amazing.
Really like your ’geeking out about a random specific thing in mtb’ videos 😊 I'll never look at these forks the same way again
As always, an instructional video, putting aside trends and focusing on what really works for real bikers.
Great video, as always Seth. It's good that you give some time for those of us on cheap bikes. I've had 600 miles out of mine without problem. I'm sure they don't perform as well as the expensive air forks, but as someone starting out, these have been ideal for me.
I bought an MTB in the early 2000s and I have never serviced the RST fork, it still works like a charm.
A fork never serviced works like a junk. All suspension forks needs servicing.
@@dtibor5903if you put my 15 yesr old unserviced Suntour fork againat the same one brand new, there is barwly a difference. I have had much higher end forks. These OEM suntours are built to go on cheap bikes that are assumed will never be properly serviced. Dont get the inside wet. Dont store it outside in the sun.
Been using sr suntour for years, honestly, for winter rides you can’t beat them, they take a beating like you wouldn’t believe and keep on ticking. If you take them off your bike to upgrade, keep hold of them, they definitely come in handy, I speak from experience.
Great video. I serviced a set of suntours on a used bike and I was impressed how much better they worked.
Good video! The coolest thing is the SR Suntour $100 discount! I upgraded my entry level bike path rated XCM fork to one of their much better Raidon air forks, and it was easy and painless! I have since moved on to much better bikes and forks, but this upgrade is awesome for those new to the sport, as I was 10 years ago when I did this.
I had to buy a set of SR Suntour forks because they were the only ones I could get to fit my old 26" MTB. All SRAM/Fox etc. second hand around me were battered and broken! They're awesome!
It’s so smart to have a upgrade program .
That way you keep people using your brand . Fun vid
I work at Walmart now and I sold one of the $300 Ozarks a few weeks ago. The customer loves it!
When I buy bikes for my growing kid or my wife, those forks are something I am looking for.
I know that they are really durable, they work properly, are easy to maintain and, most of all, the manufacturer provides parts, even for old forks. This is really invaluable. Without the right parts, it is bound to degrade and your are bound to redo it all too often.
A well maintained XCT will provide a fun to ride bike to my daughter until she outgrows it.
Also a big thanks to your channel. It's thanks to your flip bike videos that I actually started disassembling and maintaining our bikes.
To this day I daily ride a Suntour 32 on my 2014 Cannondale. Every day I wonder how good a Pike or Fox 34 would be but they are too expensive for me. I can ride on with peace of mind now 😊
It's a pleasure to watch your videos!
Go try a bike at a bike shop? *
Ive got rockshox zeb but I really think fox feels a lot more sensitive and moves better over bumps
this video was sponsored by suntour,
its crazy to see how easily manipulated people are
as long as someoen on youtube who is sponsored by suntour says good things about suntour then thats ok
never mind the fact that these forks are the cheapest most useless forks possible, and their internal design is complete nosense, with plastic components.
they are designed to look like a suspension fork, but they provide no true suspension, it is a gimmick that people who don't know beter just go along with
its like the emporers clothes kind of suituation.
I swapped mine out for a set of fox 32 second hand forks. Obviously the ride was better, but the suntour sr forks are good forks. I kept mine and won’t get rid of them, they’re great forks and are fantastic for winter riding, less maintenance and excellent reliability.
@@netcoms197did Suntour break your heart at one time. You talk about Suntour like an ex-girlfriend/boyfriend . Give it a rest mate; not everyone has unlimited funds to spend on a mountain bike. Start your own fork company and put Suntour out of business if they are so bad. 😂
@masada1829
sunrtoutr xcm fork is poor quality,
this video is sponsored lies.
your coment is nonsense/time wasting
A couple of years ago I hit the side of a car at 23mph, my front wheel was totaled and the suntour air forks bent back at the steerer. Thought the forks were completely gone too but they weren't. I bought a cheaper set of spring forks and took the lowers and the air cartridge from the accident fork and put them on the new cheaper one and it works great! They really are tough!
I love simple and cheap Bikes and parts from a certain quality Level - Shimano and SR Suntour have great components!
Thanks so much for covering them!
I'm almost at 2000km with my Talon 3's XCE fork (mainly road riding) and the only "service" I've done so far is clean/wipe the stanchions with an oily rag. No problems so far except it can be squeaky at times, but that usually goes away after some time during a ride.
As for actual service intervals, Suntour does does have a general fork manual which says every 50, and every 100 hours/every year.
I wager every 1000km would be a good time for servicing for gravel/road riding, and I might get mine service when I reach 2k.
Thank you for this deep dive into something we didn’t know about, but definitely will benefit knowing. Thanks Seth!
Appreciate the thoughtful videos on entry-level equipment 👍
Dude I am so stoked you are doing the off road games and with Rudy. One of my favorite mountain bikers and one of my favorite off-road guys this is going to be freaking epic man. I can't wait to see you wheel some gnarly ass courses on four wheels instead of two!!!! Good luck buddy don't roll the Rudicon!
1. Great video with good information. I may never use one of those forks, but it is interesting to know.
2. Two different mentions to Kyle Warner - and well deserved!
Observable Universe...this guy knows about everything. Another great video Seth. Love this Channel.
Wow, really good video. Appreciate the deep dive on a really common fork! I did a video on the same fork, and got about 100 views, really shows who the professional is here!
Thanks for this !! Most of the Bikes’s at our shop have these no complaints here .
Please do a deep(er) dive into higher-end suntour stuff like the Durolux and the Rux. Been riding a durolux for 5 years with minimal maintenance and, other than the weight and an ever so slight difference in travel smoothness (compared to a zeb) I could not find any faults in its functionality and reliability!
Thank you for your research and down to earth informative videos.
The first ever video I watched on your channel was about how easy it is to service them!
Fell in love with your character immediately. :D
Excellent video Seth. Suntour forks are so under rated. Yes the cheap models don't give great performance but are certainly an upgrade on a rigid fork. Their higher end models are actually really good. I couldn't actually notice a performance difference between my aion forks and a set of fox ones costing 3 times as much.
I'm going from one end of the spectrum to the other. I'll be replacing the coil XCM32 on my first bike with a Fox Factory 34 this week. Can't wait to see the contrast.
I replaced my entry level Rockshox coil fork with a Fox Factory 32 recently and it’s amazing how plush that fork is. I never knew a fork could make that much difference. You’re going to love it.
Switched from bike with suntour fork to one with fox 34 factory, it's night and day difference in terms of performance and plushness if you set it up correctly. though i hate the fact that you need to service it pretty frequently. i had that suntour fork for like 2 years and never did a service on it and it always had the same performance, however i do notice drop in performance on fox after many hours of riding.
Thanks Seth. I have a XCM fork on my trainer, commuter XC bike. I didn't know about the trade in program or the availability of parts. I have tried getting mine serviced. Only one bike shop near me will work on them and they charge an arm and leg to do the spring. They also say, I can't get new bushings they aren't available. Thank you for the information Seth , it has been a big help.
thanks for the great content and the education you give to the masses.
You’re certainly making me feel a lot better about the XCT 30 on my Trek Marlin.
same lol
This is a really cool video! I appreciate what I learned. It's pretty darn cool that Suntour incentivizes customers to upgrade!
Great video, thank you! Would love to see a video about how to service a fork like this. Your content is always so good, entertaining and educational, thumbs up.
i have a xcm 120 120mm travel , using it from 3 years till now love it
I have the XCT 30 currently, I did very hard off-roading yesterday with random big chunks of stones, pothole roads, and half-destroyed gravel roads that suspension took like it was nothing
Yes, it is a little less comfortable but That thing is made to last and to take abuse.
Brilliant video. Love the respect for components at the lower end of the industry.
Perfect timing, I was about to service my XCM for the first time!
Great video! The no nonsense insight into this was great
Congrats for such a deep dive which, as mentioned below, no one else does. My experience with XCM 30 vs XCT: The XCT came on my 2017 SPZ Rockhopper 29. A piece of sh*t since the begining: Extermely slow, it works much more like a rigid fork than anything else. Then I bough a twin coil spring XCM and I'm just loving it: Its terrain reading is way better than the rockshox judy coil on my other (1 year in service) bike, it costs 1/6 of its rockshox equivalent and, as you mentioned, it's pretty easy to service.
The cons I found during its 18 months in service so far: If you use grease on it, it demands full service on a monthly basis. The good news: That frequency drops drastically if you use a good chain wax to lube the upper legs and no grease at all on the seals. Another con is its very low resistance to corrosion. I live at the coast, in the Northeastern Bazil, where climate is pretty much like Forida (umid and hot) but it's also very salty. In my city you can see the salty fog on the beach. While my rockshox showed after no service at all, just a few stain dots, XCM30 looks like a jaguar skin, with stains as large as a thumb in the chromed uppers. YET, once lubricated w/ chain wax (I use squirt), it rocks! High frequency terrain reading (hungry horse rib gravel raods for instance) pretty much like an air susp and full travel on XCO/Bike parks. Back on the XCT, I initially thought its slow backtravel was caused by the cartridge. Removed it for a test and... no change: Its seals and heavy spec spring are the cause of the annoying issue. One thing I had to do on my XCM during one of the servicing times was to remove some material of those white plastic caps at the end of the springs. For some reason they started frictioning so hard to the lower leg inner that the fork nearly got stuck mid travel. That grinding operation caused some lateral play but not a big deal. For the equivalent ot USD 70 (in Brazil, aka the taxland) I have a great fork.
Glad to learn more about my fork, I just upgraded it this week with a Marzocchi Bomber z2!
I dare to say that people upgrades to air forks not because the adjustability, because most won’t know how to adjust it properly, but for how smooth it feels an air fork. BTW not long ago I bought a Rockshox Judy Silver 120 mm travel with rebound adjustment for under 150€.
Most people who upgrade their bikes do it because they feel their current setup is holding them back or they rode another bike with the setup they desire. It's good for the industry for people to try different products and it's good for the serious rider to make the investment to see if the products improve performance. I raced down hill in NORBA for 7 years and I went through several frames, forks, and brakes in that time. Had those awesome Risse upside down forks on my modified Super Vee with 8 inches of rear travel LOL
suntour manufacture disposable trash
nothing about their product is good for the consumer.
the cycle industry is disgusting, it is designed to rip off stupid people and its going to get worse
This video is great. Thanks for covering the entry level kit most people actually ride :)
Had those SR Suntour XCR fork, w/coil preload, lockout & rebound adjust at the bottom... Much better... I prefer the XCR. 😎👍
Got the same, it actually ain't that bad👍
@@mike78bassmanify yep, cheap fork, easy to service. Good performance for entry level forks... And some XCR are air forks. Not bad for the price. 😊👍
@@Emz_Jhaye Mine came with the bike, and had very little expectations for it, but was pleasantly surprised. Same with the Tektro brakes.
Seth I did enjoy this video, I did learn something and I was entertained! Excellent video, and as others have said it is refreshing to see fun deep dives for products that "ordinary" humans can have. Thanks again :)
This video make me apreciate more my suntour fork, and reminded me to clean it.
No surprises here, just another quality, engaging and educating video from Seth.
I remember back in the early 90's when purchasing my first decent Mountain bike it came with the standard non suspension forks. I spent another £200+ on a pair of RST forks ( can't remember the model ) but after a couple of months of being used almost everyday the bridge connecting the forks cracked. Did manage to get them replaced and even got a free upgrade but after selling the bike a couple of years later i stuck with RockShox that never let me down.
My entry level hardtail has an XCM with adjustable rebound like you said! Works great when you get it dialed in for your weight. Thanks tonyoue vidoes i know it doesn't have a tapered steerer tube but hopefully I can still upgrade it one day with a lighter air fork cause yea it is heavy!
Very informative info on forks , it’s the small things that count . I believe you have achieved that
Keep up with the awesome content
Perfect timing!!! I've been thinking I need to pull my Suntour fork apart and service it before I decide to drop a bunch of cash on a fork when the prices are so high.
Thanks for this information. I was talking to a friend about needing to do something because of the clunking noise in mine.
I Upgraded my first bike, which came with spring shocks, with Suntour air shock forks as they were a lot cheaper than Rockshocks or Fox shock options, and they are pretty decent airshocks, they do the job pretty well.
I could watch Seth go on those nice forest trails all day, those shots are made so good.
I think you're the only person to say anything good about these forks. I think they are brilliant as they are, in my experience, indestructible and very easy to work with; a beginner rider like my younger self would never have had a suspension fork even mildly good were it not for Suntour. I've heard others say "they're heavy and they have no tech and they use springs instead of air" without realising that is the point.
A nice clear concise explanation as to why Suntour forks are so prevalent
Probably will never own a fork like this one. But your video is very refreshing and I learned something about the bike industry and this kind of forks. So thanks (again)!
Nice review of the tech. Suntour has been around for a VERY LONG TIME, and clearly, they know how to build something so important as a fork to be safe. For anybody looking to add front suspension on a budget, I would recommend their Epixon air fork over the spring forks however. The cost difference is minimal, but the performance leap is significant along with the weight reduction. (And it is also readily available with a relatively long straight steerer tube.)
There are some amazing budget forks on the market, I had to replace my 2018 fox 34 performance elite and was worried about budget forks but after trying out the 2020 rockshox 35 gold out for a few months I'm blown away how good it is, it is better than the older fox but has slightly less adjustability but it's got more than enough for most riders
Cheers for the great effort in the research.
I've always felt a similar way about the X-Fusion O2 Pro shock. It comes on so many budget full sus bikes but is a totally solid piece of equipment and gives solid performance.