Learning how MTBs work: Cotic Soul

I like the price point of these :

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mavic-crossride-disc-mtb-wheelset-2015/rp-prod127008
**sounds like I wouldn't need adaptors here?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mavic-crossride-mtb-wheelset-2017/rp-prod154017

do you or BN have used MTB wheels you want to sell me?

Soz, I've never even owned a 27.5 mtb wheel :-)

yet...

Half a kilo extra on the front and rust-prone stanchions is not something I'd want to take for the sake of a £55 saving.

More like 300g. Rust prone? Not sure where you get that from. BSO steel forks rust, sure, but RS? Google image search shows nothing but the wildly corroded mag lowers are good craic.

There's a reason that Merlin Reba is cheap - it's stuck in a travel mode that nobody wants. You can change the spring, but by the time you've done that you've spent more money and discovered the damper needs doing too.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/reba-travel-increased-knocking-at-the-top-of-stroke

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/fulcrum-red-power-hp-27-5-centre-lock-wheelset/rp-prod157062

lighter than the mavic cross ride...and 60% OFF!

I run a GX shifter with a NX derailleur (and direct mount GX1400 cranks) on my M800 commuter and that works like a dream. The NX shifter is a bit flimsy but the RD is quite good!

As for paint, fluo fade and rainbow mirror decals please, or raw and fluo deacals. :)

I see your points, but having handled a set of those nickel-coated stanchions (from a Domain) I would not want them anywhere near my bike. Not as slippy as the top-spec stanchions either. Also necessarily they don't have as large an internal diameter, so it's not the same damper as a Reba and being smaller I would doubt it performs as well.

I wouldn't snub the fork if it was supplied with the bike, but if it was my money I'd still rather the Reba, and put a bit of effort in if I wanted to up the travel down the line.

But let's agree to disagree. They'll both still do the job of bouncing in a controlled fashion after all

There are also these, which are heavier but wider (but you'd be stuck with the 10sp freehub, so only Shimano or SRAM NX cassettes)

https://www.merlincycles.com/mavic-crossride-mtb-wheels-2016-88174.html

Certainly a good price. Doesn't mention them being tubeless-ready, so you might want to decide if you're going to be doing that.

Things against for me would be:

Tubeless?
Straight-pull spokes - not a deal-breaker. Just not a massive fan
Rim width - personally would look for internal width of 21-25mm for general XC/trail riding ( the Fulcrums are 24.5mm external, so would be around 19mm internal )

This horror was leant up against my poor bike on the train. Just look at those stanchions!

These are not the forks you are looking for!

What about the X-fusion stuff?

Doesn't mention them being tubeless-ready, so you might want to decide if you're going to be doing that.

@r_mash the cheaper Mavics might be a pain to get going tubeless should you want to do that. The spendier ones will be a breeze with UST certified rubber.

I recall seeing some cheap X-Fusions in my lbs, I might go take a look

Been very pleased with my X-Fusion fork, but it's my first new sus fork in about 10 years, so can't really make any direct comparisons.

Yeh, mavic 2016 crossride says it's tubeless ready but as someone pointed out, it's probably a bit of a faff.

or these maybe?
https://www.merlincycles.com/pro-build-chosen-hub-alex-volar-trail-wheels-275-82074.html

It's all getting a bit too spendy if I end up going with a £300 wheelset. If I get this new contract then I can just hit go...we haven't even gotten around to group! eep.

Alas, all the X-Fusions have gone. But there are these nice Fox 32 Factory forks for £300 that used to be on the owner's bike... #justsaying

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Sometimes I think -- why not cut at the arms of my road bike fork, throw in some builders insultation, tape it together and go? ...

#budgetmtb

Forks are ridiculous. This is why I've ridden rigid for 5 years.

29"?

27.5"

This. Well sort of this. Why not just get a rigid fork for cheaps and ride for a bit before buying what you find you'll need?

Rigid is great. Or not, depends how 'extreme' you want to be.

+1 on rigid forks. Don't know what's available in 27.5 though.

They look kinda basic, but decent value for £165. No weird proprietary spokes, and decent width rims.

When I read the single 5-star review I kept reading it as 'sexist rims'...

I tend to have as much fun with lockout on as I do off. Sometimes I forgot to turn it off after riding to the trails, it takes half an hour til I start to think "front ends a bit stiff today"...

Disclaimer: MTB is ten years old

'sexist rims'

Make about as much sense as "sexiest rims" tbf

"sexiest rims"

I have those. With aaallll teh stickrzzz