New Front Forks

[ayrshiredude]

Hi,

Just joined the group and hope I have posted this in the correct place. I have a Ridgeback Arcus 2 Ebike (https://www.ridgeback.co.uk/ridgeback-arcus-2-varrb21930) which I am really enjoying. I bought it last July and, from going from very seldom going out on my old bike, have done nearly 3000km so far.

My issue is the front suspension forks (ZOOM 188D LO 63 mm) are sticky. My original dealer keeps saying they are just cheap forks and can't expect anything much from them. I have spoke to another dealer who thinks they are not working correctly. After watching some videos on Youtube, I took them apart and the inside of the Stantions are worn on one side. I originally planned to clean them but they were pretty clean. Unfortunately on putting them back together I managed to damage one of the seals. So I think I need to change them. Now I understand that these are probably the cheapest front suspension avaliable so am looking for some advice on what I could change them to.

The majority of my riding is on cycle paths or roads, however I do also do a bit of off road cycling on gravel or forest paths which can sometimes be muddy or rocky, though not mountain biking obviously. Could anyone suggest what would be a suitable upgrade for my front forks?

Thanks

 

[cyclebuddy]

Welcome!

The specification for your bike on the Ridgeback site does say 63mm travel, but the image looks like there's more than 63mm. Are you sure yours are as the specification says they should be?

The usual budget fork you'd expect fitted at about that price of e-bike is the Suntour NEX 63mm. Other Ridgeback e-bikes slightly higher in price have that one fitted and it's used a lot by many makers. It's a good reliable budget fork IMHO, although you could spend a lot more for an even better one.

 

[soundwave]

id have a look on ebay for a old fox air fork as new ones will brake the bank

 

[vfr400]

Decent suspension forks for 700c with a disc brake are pretty rare. You could look for some 29" MTB forks, but they normally have more travel, like 130mm, which will lift the front of your bike by about 2". If your bike feels a bit small for you, that could be an advantage, though there's no guarantee that it won't affect the handling.

 

[ayrshiredude]

the only info I can find on the actual fork is whats on the attached pic. does that help?

 

[cyclebuddy]

The main difference between the 188D fork specified and the 187D you have fitted is that the 188D are slightly beefier in both stanchions and legs. Neither are Zooms finest catalogue items IMHO. The only Zoom fork I've ever owned was more akin to a pogo stick than a suspension fork: The Suntours, whilst still budget items, are IMHO notably better... See Ridgebacks X2 e-bike, which is about £300 more than your Arcus 2, but has the Suntour NEX 63mm fork. I would have expected a NEX even at the £2300 retail your bike cost. Cube (among others) fit NEX's as standard on even cheaper e-bikes.

 

[wheeliepete]

This company have various Suntour forks at great prices, assuming you have a threadless stem on your bike.

suntour nex forks | eBay

 

[ayrshiredude]

found this from the link offered by Wheeliepete. ANy thoughts on these?

700c SUNTOUR NRX REMOTE LOCK OUT COIL SUSPENSION FORK 1 1/8” 300mm DISC BLACK | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 700c SUNTOUR NRX REMOTE LOCK OUT COIL SUSPENSION FORK 1 1/8” 300mm DISC BLACK at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

the actual model is: SF13-NRX-D-DS-RL-COIL-700c. They state that Fork numbers start TF0006 but not really sure what this means. Also not sure what the thing dangling from it is, any ideas?

for about the same price there is this one which is an E rather than D:

Suntour NRX-E DS RL-R Lite Suspension Fork Remote Lockout 63mm Black 700C | eBay

Suntour NRX-E DS RL-R Lite Suspension Fork Remote Lockout 63mm Black 700C.

www.ebay.co.uk

Would this be a decent pair to use? Can get a set new for £85 + postage