This $130 MTB Air Fork works great until it doesn’t
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- čas přidán 8. 10. 2022
- In past videos, we tested the $399 Kent Trouvaille, a Walmart bike that looked impressive. Along the way, we have been upgrading parts on the Trouvaille to get the best possible result for the least amount of money. See that series here: • Kent Trouvaille
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Introducing the $130 "Bolany" fork on Amazon. We've been calling it the Balogna fork. Will it perform on the trail? Today we find out. Get it here: amzn.to/3RQTgT0
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(Direct upgrade for factory Trouvaille Derailleur)
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I put one of these forks on my 12 year old son's bike and it has worked flawlessly for his riding. Most spring forks are too stiff for light riders, this fits the bill perfectly for them.
is it really worth for 130$ ? I thinking about that.
@@EkskaliertHD better get a used rockshox recon rl or reba
@@cezarh5473 used cost about 200€ but my Budget is lower
@@EkskaliertHD save a bit more, its worth it
@@cezarh5473 ok thanks buddy
This fork is basically a meme in the Philippine biking community.
ano ibig sabihin?
Yup. Maybe because a lot of these forks had some issues. Saw lot of vids last year from facebook where this forks getting broken even they are just using it on pavement.
Some users tho doesn't even experience this. Knew some people using them for a couple of years but still works perfectly fine.
Might be some factory defects or what not. But we will never know.
Maybe the company listened to the feedbacks/review made the forka a little bit better.
But, at the end of the day we should invest to a little bit more expensive forks that proved them selves over the years. Buy cheap, buy twice
Bolantoy quickrelease yung crown
@@ericibanez2225 don't gamble with safety nga naman,
To be honest pag ako sumasampa sa bike na naka bolany fork makita ko pa lang yung crown nya parang ayaw ko na pumedal at grabe yung flex nya at lumalagitnit pag pepreno ewan baka nasobrahan sa pagpapagaan at gusto gayahin yung design ni Fox
Bolantoy haha
The BOLANY brand of fork here in the Philippines is considered a joke of a fork (arch breaks easily, stanchions breaking in half, very hazardous, etc.) -- ppl here tend to lean towards the Suntour Epixon or Manitou Markhor .. or if futher in a budget, the XCR Suntour fork non air, coil version (those 3 i recommend for the walmart bike you bought recently heh)
love watching your vids!
Epixon for the win! I love the fork it's pretty light has great rebound and was a screaming good deal
Bolantoy pork
true bolantoy
I saw someone from philippines mention the weapon tank 35 budget fork, are they any good?
@@ilsot1 weapon are fine but , makesure the knobs on the axle tighten enough during riding specially on trails ,, sometimes its easy to lose , if youre riding is so aggressive then none of the two is the best for you , those fork can survive but it won't go too long
I hear $130 fork. I’m buying now.
Damn get a better job
@@RealMTBAddict whoever said I had a job
@@lucaspaytowinbroski7993 lol you just told on yourself. So who is supporting you? Mom/dad or the government?
@@RealMTBAddict is that your problem?
@@dm8941 Lol come get a job where I work. Once you get past the pain you'll make decent money. But you need to have skills to get money.
Is that your problem? No skills?
Might be a good idea for the next iteration of the Smeasher to put the weight into some sort of a guide to ensure precise falling and hitting in the same spot
Also to be a fair test, the weight not to fall off a fork, and bounces multiple times on the other. On the other hand, the fork get the forxe on the axle, not on the bottom of the lower.
Why not connect a rope to the axle, run the rope up through a pulley and have the weight on the other end of the rope, creating a constant pulling force on the fork, allowing for much more precise measurements
Yeah honestly I’m surprised he is still doing a test this same way again considering how flawed it is lol.
Also, the impact should be directed precisely on the dropouts’ using the axle/dummy hub as it’s the wheel that would be impacted in a crash. The steerer should be clamped as close to the crown as possible to simulate where the frame stops flex.
guide rails
Love these videos with the budget bike! Definitely interesting to see you ride it and upgrade it. Great work!
To really make the Kent trail ready you should put a PNW dropper on it
I just put a Brand-X Ascend II 27.2mm on mine, love it so far. With a seat post adapter sleeve and the external cable routing it was super easy to install.
@@therealandrewlund same
No need, that bike is already a panties dropper
I"m so glad that you will be giving Suntour products a decent run in future videos instead of beating on their least expensive offerings. That seems important for educating new riders.
I love these budget builds and I’ve ran many of the typical budget parts myself but the fork is something I definitely recommend saving up for a good entry $200-300 name brand fork.
I couldn’t agree more. I have the coil version and my rebound damper poked through my lowers resulting in a deadly crash. I then had to ride home with a fork that was going a bit extra than it’s travel. I tightened the bolt and it’s gone away. Definitely recommend some threadlocker for the bolt.
I chose to run a Rockshox Judy on my budget bike and would recommend that to anyone. But when I did it 2 years ago it was $170... I think they are now running for over $200.
@@alexbarker7511 I don’t think you know what deadly means
@@TraviNomotion might be deadly depending on the trail it fails on.
@@0xsergy it has to be actually deadly my understanding is if a crash was deadly he’d be dead so he wouldn’t be writing this comment
I love that you take the time to investigate these. Btw when you say the SR Suntour can be left in the backyard for 10 years... some of their new forks degrade very quickly under normal use, stuck wheel axles because of rust are common after a few weeks.
Honestly pretty excited to see you build the Kent up. I have a similar bike I am building up for friends to ride and needs alot of the same type of upgrades.
I have a set of those Suntour forks on my trike and they’ve saved my wrists from so much pain. My trike, while fully suspended is a Land Cruiser, it’ll do asphalt and dirt roads with corrugation but won’t do mountain trails but that’s okay since that isn’t what I built it for. I’ve had these Suntour forks for 2 years so far and I’ve had zero issues with them.
They’ve definitely got my stamp of approval for a budget set of forks
Love this series on the Kent Trouvaille....and upgrades.
Dude, your cinematography on this video was awesome. You could definitely make some cool short films in the future!😉
I love all the Kent stuff. I'm trying to get my kid to pick one up so we can follow along with your upgrades. It's looking pretty sweet already.
Thanks for giving us your imputs about low cost bikes and parts for those who want to enjoy the trails but can't afford a better hardware... now this Kent Trouvaille will be almost at the same level and configuration my GT Avalanche 2020 has, with the XCR32 .. I like the bike the way it is right now, but I'm looking forward for your impressions!
Best regards from Brazil, I love your channel Seth!
Sweet work there. I really enjoy your videos. Thanks.
Good to see the xcr air. I've been running it for 2 years on an upgraded rockhopper and it's been fantastic
Amazing videos, thank You for the detailed part reviews !
Hell yeah, the trade-in program rocks for the air-fork upgrade. Did it for my old Fuji and it feels pretty damn good.
LOVE your videos! Prob some of the best editing too!!
Love how Seth kept the dork disc on in keeping with the bike's roots.
I rock the Zoom brakes. They've been flawless for 2 years with regular maintenance
Love your videos Seth 💙
Just like you mentioned, the suntours will bend bcoz they have steel steerer tubes which is also why they are heavy, they will bend but it will allow you to get home...those balony forks tho have been known to snap at the stanchions...i am not sure tho if they have addressed that issue with these new versions. The prices are also a lot different, the balony retails for around $80-90 here in Asia...the xcr air around $120 but i guess shipping them to the US is more expnsive than frpm Taiwan to us neighbor countries
Keep up the good work Seth
Excellent vid Seth! I hope Walmart are watching this and put all these components together on a new bike for less than we can buy them all individually for 🙏🏼🙏🏼
That Snake Pit shirt is the first youtuber swag that has actually tempted me. Well done!
The production quality on this video is amazing
Always is
Seth, I threw one of these Balogna forks on the wife's Diamondback Lux and it stayed for less than 2 miles around the neighborhood. During normal light braking to slow down for a 4 way stop, the fork lower and upper juddered uncontrollably. I did a full tear down and rebuild thinking it was maybe just a loose top cap or seal somewhere. Nope. Just terribly fitted seals. Returned and threw on a $200 Manitou Markhor. Completely day and night difference for the better.
that bologna will be perfect for me currently...im glad you did this, im gonna get one
I just put that Microshift derailleur on one of my bikes, and it has been fantastic! If you are just a weekend warrior who does primarily intermediate riding, save some money over the Shimano/SRAM alternatives and look at Microshift.
Great info on the forks, now i'm thinking of buying a Kent and using it on some local trails that aren't too gnarly. Good budget ride .
Just went hiking in Pisgah for the first time this weekend! Was awesome to experience your neck of the woods, so pretty especially this time of year.
Love the fact that Seth is using mm as a unit of measurement. Much more scientific and accurate, not to mention easier to understand.
When you settle on a 'this is good enough' upgraded build of this bike, you should total it all up and see what you can find on the new and used market around that price and see how they compare.
Then try to sell the Kent.... See how much you lose.
Just buy quality 2nd hand, you can resell it for what you payed
You can already get a decent Trek for right around what he has already spent on upgrading this Walmart special.
@@Durwood71 I just bought a 2013 Trek 4900 in very good condition for $400, even the suntour SR XCR forks were in great condition, Avid Elixir 1 brakes that i had to replace the lever blade for $3 each a new FSA chain $20 and new tiers $75. My son loves the bike, overall very happy with the purchase.
Hi Seth I have the same fork as you do and for the long term review is the lock out is not the best but that all of my complaints now the lock out is not working but so far it's still good af after 2 years I only service it once
I use to have one of those generic air forks, one thing is for sure, if it has the same compression switch same as yours then it is definitely a generic "rebranded" air fork which doesn't last long. You can check every generic fork in the market and you'll see that they all have the same compression switch and built. They just change the sticker brands 😅 But yeah they are good for kids bikes which doesn't get that much beating. Now I upgraded to Suntour XCR airfork which is quite known for durability and it works very well. Thanks for the good and honest review.
Excellent B-Roll in this video 🙌🙌
Ty for the video Seth n_n Love the Ken trouvaill videos lol
Those Bolany, ZTZ, Lutu, and Bucklos forks seem to use the same parts. I had a Bucklos air fork for my 90lb son. It was smooth out of the box, but it got lots of stiction after 1 trail ride. I tried regreasing the stantions but that only helped for a really short time. The stiction is even too much for little kids and exasperates the small bumps.
If going budget fork, go for the Suntour air fork. My old Epixon is still working flawless and smooth as ever...I did regrease the stantions and oil the foam rings and put 5ml of oil in the air chamber. It feels smoother than my Rockshox 35 Gold.
ive had 2 of these bologna forks and they are a great cheap upgrade but the magnesium lowers arent very strong on one of the forks I snapped off where the quick release skewer goes but that was after some jump trails and rocky downhill they're a great cheap upgrade for a light to intermediate rider
That final xcr 32 came with my bike, I thought I'd swap it straight away but 18 months later and I can't fault it, rock shox equivalent would be a little lighter but can't fault the performance!
Im glad to hear you're still liking the zoom breaks. I just picked up the one's you linked on amazon for my girlfriend's Liv tempt we bought her this past summer for about $600
Thanks for commenting you have been selected among my bicycle winners🎁
Great video as always! I bought the 26" 120mm travel version of this fork a while back and was able to roll up small logs and even curbs with ease. Great for all but the gnarliest jank, but maybe not for jumping.
Love to see these budget builds. Not all of us can afford 5k bikes every 6 months like you see all of these people doing. I myself have done a VERY similar build on an old DB hardtail and I DO ride it on just about everything except large jumps. My budget air fork has held up at bike parks and everywhere else. Very impressed with the difference between it and the suntour coil that used to be on it. That coil fork was junk and failed almost immediately (or maybe I'm just too hard on it). If I have one complaint about the budget fork it is this, the amount of flex it has when doing extreme riding scares the hell outta me. Granted, I do not have some tremendous amount of experience with a bunch of different forks like Seth to know how much flex is considered "normal". If you are riding greens then a budget air fork is a great upgrade for you. But if you are doing more blues and blacks then I would strongly suggest getting something maybe a bit more expensive that HOPEFULLY will be stronger, even though I myself have done these with my budget air fork and it didn't kill me... yet... Pray for me boys 😆
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Love the content and some great trails. Might run into you one day on them!
This is a scam don’t reply
I enjoyed the “Seth you should use a snatch bolt” part… I didn’t even make the thing and I was annoyed with all the “experts” that showed up in the comments of the “making of the shmeasher“ video. You could be dropping an apple down on these things and you’d still be MY hero ;)
Here in Philippines,
the Bolany forks are cost around 2,000 Philippine pesos higher, ( almost like 34 US dollars higher ) but there is alot of rumours that it can break easily around the crown arch.
omsim
So buy something that doesn't break.
@@RealMTBAddict well it's just rumours,
@@RealMTBAddict
No such product m8, anything will fail if given the right conditions ..................
If you're on a budget but needs a durable and good fork go for suntour it ain't gon let you down
Starting out in MTB, my first trail ride destroyed by cheap coils. So I bought a Bolany air fork. It actually did last I guess a few months. I started getting better at mountain biking but the fork was a clear limit. Being very gentle with it and constantly maintaining.
One day I decided all caps are off, I'll send it throughout the entire 4km trail. I did (with only one little jump as it's mostly an XC trail). It came out no good at all. It doesn't lock anymore, it barely compresses and when it does it just snaps back up. I tried to look into fixing it, but the cost of fixing it is so close to buying a new one I ditched the fork entirely for an SR Suntour Epixon.
The SR Suntour Epixon, right off the bat, is definitely a waaaaaay, waaaaay superior fork than a Bolany. Not to mention insanely easy maintenance and if anything goes wrong parts are so easy to find. Plus shops are familiar with it and it does have official support.
TLDR, go straight for an SR Suntour Epixon or RockShox Recon I guess... skip the Bolany because you'll just end up going with an Epixon or Recon in the end. My Epixon have been going strong even with some jumps and red trails for 5 months now with no real maintenance required yet and still feels as good as it started with. Same for my friend's Recon as well.
As this is a budget build, I think it would be interesting to make a cost rundown at the end, to get a reference vs other entry bikes from major MTB companies. (Edit : typos)
this isn't a budget build anymore. He'll have an $1000 bike before he's done with it.
We all fall down and get hurt emotionally, but only Jesus understands your pain. Follow him and he will fill your heart.d
Jesus is my Fox Shock
2:19 Oscar is so deep in thought right there, maybe "I can't put up with his suspension shenanigans any longer, i mean look at this"
Seth! I have had that fork on my bike for 2 years. I bought it mid 2020 to get me through the season. I wish I could send you my bike to review. It’s the mega budget bike
Great and useful video, thanks A LOT!
May I give you props for the purple ano cable end on the kent?
Judging by the grey streaked through your beard and head...
We shed some blood in the same late 80s to 90's mud... purple ano is the symbol of OG.
I really like this series
Took that fork to a jump line (was a broke highschooler) after 3 fun laps, it bottomed out and locked out permanently on the 4th lap . Ended up getting thrown over a berm and tacoing my rim that cost more then the fork… it was during covid and one of the only forks you could get but definitely learned my lesson
I waited 3 weeks for an update on the Kent was worth it👍
I'm running a Himalo Drift on my shitbike. Its kinda impressive how passable the cheap stuff is getting now. I swapped out pretty much everything on the department store frame I bought all for less than an entry level hardtail and it performs better than the few I've tested. Probably won't last as long as good quality stuff but honestly the building, servicing and testing out these things is more fun than just regular riding lol.
Today I covered over 8,000 km with this shock absorber. Go for it without servicing. I only cleaned the shavings with a cloth and sprayed some silicone from above onto the seals. After winter riding, the gold anode began to come off the leg where the fork works. But it's not the fork's fault, it's the snow and salt on the roads. I have it installed in a 500w electric bike. My weight is between 75 and 80 kg. The fork also survived many trips with panniers and luggage on the handlebar. For this price, if it falls apart, I will gladly buy another one just like it.
Seth putting his life on the line to test a 130$ amazon fork for us 😂
He's not the hero we deserve...
@@gieco9583 but the hero we need
$130.00
@@ScottTheBot07 lol
That was a great vid! My son rides my old ‘Trek 3500’ bike (the fork has had it’s day). I may look for a new fork for it. 👍
I love how you kept the dork disc on there. haha
Just in case nobody has meantioned this, the zoom hydraulic brakes, these are the same ones that come on many higher end electric scooters. When I was doing research and looking at options, these are the exact ones that came on most, and are on the one I ended up picking up. This is a scooter that can do 64km/h, front and rear suspension (though it's only basic coil suspension with no rebound) and duel motors.
Love the channel, birthdays on the 12th!
Dude!! Bennett Gap on a Walmart hard tail!! Seth, you're a beast!!
love your videos hope you have great day!!!
I threw one of the bolany forks on my wife's bike. She just uses it to ride around in the neighborhood and with our son on some dirt paths. Replaced the completely seized sr that was on it. I tried to service it but it did not budge at all
Love the videos!
my canyon stoic came with one of the beefier xcr's and its handled everything I've thrown at it although it might be a bit heavy it definitely gives me more confidence than the cheap amazon fork i had on another bike
I thought I'd be swapping mine straight away but really can't fault it
@@jonnyboi2536 same here
i have an XCR too and it's a great fork, it's bulletproof
I miss the trail building videos!! When are we gonna see more of that?
Rewatch some old videos. They are still entertaining a 2nd or 3rd time!!
They built a whole bike park and never filmed the build
We’re gearing up for something big!
@@BermPeakExpress I'm so excited
@Oye nothing stopping you filming it and uploading it. I'd bet you paying someone 4 weeks wages to film it would've paid for itself in watch time within 4 weeks. People will watch paint dry if its shot on a nice camera
Yup Seth is about to be a Professional Cross Country Bike racer
To keep with the budget upgrades, I think you should buy some CST BFT 2.4’s on it. Should help a lot with grip 🤞
Love these video wonder what is next for the bike
Oscar munching down grass to help Seth mow the lawns, very thoughtful of you buddy.
That suntour XCR fork is a great option. We have them on a few of our rental bikes and they are bomb proof. They will do thousands more km that the coil suntour without any servicing and still work like a dream.
Bro my Suntour XCT 30 fork is inconsistent in terms of performance. Sometimes it feels too stiff while sometimes it feels perfect. I actually didn't service my fork for about a year but when I did, I found out that the stanchions were wearing out near the seals. Also, within few days of service my fork feels too stiff.......any solution?
The kent is dope with the amazon fork and all the other upgrades. You've made the best out of the "worst" parts. Cheapest dropper next?
Bennet's Gap is a excellent choice for fork testing!
That first drop hurt my soul! 😂
Number 1 Channel ever!
You’re definitely working under laboratory conditions. This is science at its finest.
Cant believe no one else picked up on this but the reason the Bolany deformed less on the smeasher test was that it is a longer fork. It was hitting the table underneath easier than the Suntour. It also appeared the majority of the hits it was getting hit higher up on the lowers. Combine these 2 things, and it is no wonder it deflected less.
My first fork upgrade on my axum was the xcm 120 factory off of a trek. Pretty solid, imo, for a coil fork, under a heavy rider. I thought a bucklos 120 air, this fork with different stickers, would be am upgrade. It really wasn't. That xcr however... my polygon came factory with the 120mm xcr 32. And I love it
Dude I love the t-shirt design. I’m going to pick up a sweatshirt forsure!!
I got my Manitou Mattoc, new for about 250 Canadian Fantastic for for that money!
4:10 I swear the beat and his words had me thinking he bout to spit some fire
I think there is still a problem with the smasher rig. If you look closely at the slow motion you'll see the fork deflects enough to actually hit the base, which will stop the steering tube or the stanchion to bridge? connections from bending. If the clamps holding the fork where higher off the floor board I think both forks might come off a lot worse.
The Bolany fork being much more flexible would likely hit the base sooner and spring back with equal force applied compared to the suntour, but if it was allowed to move freely, it would likely deflect to failure on the first hit.
Love the shirt 🤘❤️
The Bolany fork might not be a good choice for extremely technical, tough downhill like you put it through. BUT, for the price, it's probably good upgrade for someone doing light XC and mostly green trail riding. I'm sure it soaks up the bumps a lot better than a spring fork.
I have KRSEC fork on my Felt and its horrible. It bends in every direction and feels like its going to snap! Getting a new fork but thats only my commuting bike so i "should be safe" Chinese forks sucks big time!
Stop rationalizing Chinese crap.
the problem is most people dont stay just riding greens, so either its gonna fail, or you need to buy a new one anyway and youre down 130 for nothing
looks great for kids though
This is actually one of the more common budget fork here in the Philippines and also the Montainpeak X1 fork
That SR Upgrade program is amazing. I used it with my Trek Marlin to upgrade from the XCT to the Raidon with Remote lockout for only 200 bucks
Don’t reply it’s a scam
We need to see a running total of the upgrades.
I'm a bicycle courier on a Cannondale ebike in Europe and use a Bolany 110 for city riding and delivery work, much better or lighter than the stock 70mm m3030 and an XCM30 fork i've had in the past. I've used it on some very bumpy bikepacking trails and exploring and it's held up incredibly. However it does bottom out on some high curbs and I would definitely not use it on any trail that will put it under stress just because of the longevity of the parts, they are definitely lower quality than more expensive forks I've had.
Great video !!
its great to see the smeasher back😁
900k soon 🤩👏🔥
I have one of these. Not a super gnarly rider, and keep my wheels on the ground. It performs great. I do use an oil to lube/clean the seals one-in-a-while.
Another enjoyable and informative video, thanks crew! Nice relaxing music at 4:05 🙂
I have a bit weird question: can a cheap budged fork likewise XCM30 itself be reconfigured into something better anyhow (like air, oil or better coil system at least)?
I dont think so, if you want to convert it to air, its not designed to do so, its not compatible. But if you service your fork then it will be definitely better!
Very interesting series, been following since the beginning and def interested to see how that "upgraded" Suntour fork performs compared to the Balogna. Since I know this is a popular series, I think after the fork upgrade, you should put on a nice set of reasonably priced, wider rimmed wheels, something in the i30-35 range and maybe try fitting some 2.6" tyres in that thing, especially in the back,