Lookin to get a new fork on a norco atomik 07

[stinkblot]

Heya people,
I am thinking of getting a new fork on my 2nd hand norco atomik 07.
I have a couple or reasons...
1) current fork feels way too heavy, I know it is dh/fr oriented but it just feels like a brick is attached to the end of each arm, punishing.
2) there is a max/min sticker on the stanchions and even on min I have very little clearance over the top tube. Needless to say this is some cause for concern re: testes the bike has a "s" sticker on it but those canadians must be freakin huge and I am only 5'6"
Was wondering if there is a fork with maybe 160mm travel or has adjustable travel that would be better for me?
I don't mind single or dual crown
Am new to f/r and dh but am quicly gettin addicted to what is on offer. That being said i need something forgiving... if that exists
My understanding is limited but was lookin at the 07 66ata for sale on here, am attracted to its lighter weight, and adjustable travel. However I have read on mtbr that it is a pain in the asse to get the settings right. I am very mechnoob/ lazy and want something that is low maintenance so I can just ride as much as possible.
Any suggestions?
Lookin to spend up to 800.
Can boxxers be set to 160 - 170?

[3viltoast3r]

1. I am assuming you have triple clamps (from your boXXer question at the end of the post).....Generally they are around an extra kilo at the front of the bike.....By going for a single crown you lose a fair bit of weight, sacrificing front-end-stiffness and if you stack alot you may pull a hoze from your hydro brakes..which can become a costly exercise.....

2. Im not sure what you mean by this but i assume your talking about the lower crown hitting the down tube? Dont worry 99% of forks will clear steerer tube/downtube junction

Your bike's geometry is engineered with a 200mm travel fork in mind.....Generally they have large axle to crown length's. Putting a 160-170mm fork will entirely whack out your geometry, giving a steeper head angle, screwing around with BB heights etc etc.........Basically it will make your bike feel lame and clumsy.

A Marzocchi 66 would be adequate if you want to go single crown......BUT be aware that early '08 models with the 'complicated' models had some issues.....I think it was mainly in the 55 TST dampening system but its all been sorted out now........

A perfect fork would be a rockshox totem, It has super beefy staunchions so its very torsionally stiff and it has the same axle-crown length as a boXXer, so that mean your geometry will be exactly the same. The totems had some issues with the 2-step air systems etc etc but RS seems to have kinked out all of their issues as well but as far as i know the solo air and the coil versions dont have too many problems.......My preference would be to go the coil version.....Cheap, simple, reliable, good performance.

Realistically any 180mm fork will suit (without stuffing your geo) but IMO the totem is the best option. Other long travel single crowns include: zoke' 66, RS totem/domain/lyrik, Manitou travis SC.....But the 66 and the totems are your best bet.

For the set-up of your fork it really is a matter of personal preference. When some people say it a PITA to set up a fork, they spend many hours adjusing with air pressure, spring rates, rebound, oil weights, oil levels, etc etc but really its a matter of 'Just ride' and making sure your fork isnt stuffing up your performance........Really it's not too hard. If you buy an air fork, you can adjust to your hearts content by using a shock pump or if you get a coil you can just buy a spring that suits your weight and 'set and forget', which IMO is a much better thing to do. Setting up a fork should be a chore, KEEP IN MIND: If it aint broke, dont fix it!

[stinkblot]

Cheers for a great reply, am thinkin of going to the 2007 66ata because of price
They are available 2nd hand on this forum and apparently when they work they are great - The owner tells me this is the case. Unless someone stumbles across this and has a totem coil for sale.
I think the super t is 170 - 185 and in my mind how could 1.5 to 2.5 make THAT much difference?
However, don't want to find it out the ultra hard way. To be honest my riding is far from great, I am dropping off 2 - 3 feet at the moment but wanna go higher, who doesn't? Just wanna be confident that the ground isnt going to swallow me up becasue the bike failed somehow.


See my thread on 66sl ata vs totem coil.