MTB fork questions.

'68 Fastback

How are ye now?
I'm planning to take the two old MTBs in my shed and transfer the good stuff off them onto a nice new frame to make one decent trail bike for my grand return to mountain biking.
I'm going with the new Pace hardtail but have to get a new fork as both of the ones i have are too short.
Looking through CRC I've realised that my once vast and all encompasing knowledge of suspension forks has been rendered useless by modern technological advances.

I recon I'm looking for something with 120-140mm travel. I think I'd like a 20mm axle. I like the idea of a lock out or DT swiss' launch control but it comes at such a price, is it worth it?
I'm about 12 stone/75kg. Not the most aggressive rider but would go for durability over weight if it comes down to it. Happy to spent a bit(about 400/500)
What would anyone reccommend?

The BOFH

Pikes FTW, the Marzocchi 55 have some maturing to do.

Morgan

I'd go for a Rockshox Revelation - it ticks all the boxes 100-140mm travel, 20mm through-axle. Would suit the Pace frame perfectly.

A lockout is extremely useful if you like to stand while climbing. If you sit and spin on the climbs you can get away without it.

blorg

Only a beginner but I would not be without my lockout. Incidentally makes it a hell of a lot easier to cycle to the trails if you ever need to do that. Or winter cycling in the snow where you need something with a MTB's tyre width.

boomdocker

+1 Rockshox Revelation

superb do-it-all fork.

wind it down for climbing and tech singletrack

wind it up for descending

RS Pike also worth a look

kona

-1 for rockshox, they have severley dropped in quality last year, they were giving out free forks to make up for them putting the wrong seals in the toras and darts. their lockouts seem to be made of cheese:mad:
Maybe this year they will have adressed the problem but id doubt it.

Id go with marzocchi, but they are very expensive for what your getting, ive had 6 sets, MZ comp,DJ pro, All mountain 1, 2, 1sl, drop off 3s, never had a problem with them my friend got a new set of 66s they are solid as a rock, but ive been reading this years havnt been up to scratch.

20mm axles are only there to give you a stiffer/stronger front end, considering the QR versions are cheaper, unless you are gunna push it on the bike QR would be fine.

t0mm

I have never heard of Rockshox being bad recently. Marzocchi on the other hand, since moving their production to some other cheaper factory to save money (they are a few million in debt) have been know to have problems across the range, some even leaking oil out of the box. These problems have been adressed so they should be fine now but I'd still be weary.

Rockshox Revelations are good, but they are midground forks and so are built to a price. Not really noticable but they have a certain amount of flex when compared to the stiffer pike version. Pike are the longest serving model on the rockshox line (with the exemption of darts, which they stopped, then started making again), which says something about their popularity. They come with lockout and can be adjusted easily, 95-140mm IIRC. The coil version should be fine for your weight, but if you plan on getting any heavier, ie 80kg+ then I would consider putting in a heavier spring, depending on how you like your suspension.