Upgrading an old GT Pantera with front forks

[Targarama]

Wifey has a lovely condition GT Pantera. Its a really light bike with high quality components, but I'd like to replace the solid front fork with something newer with suspension. Are there different size stems, and what would fit?

This is the bike (I think): http://www.bikepedia.com/quickbike/BikeSpecs.aspx?...

[deadtom]

it might just be my laptop but there was no photo in that link.

from the spec listed though you should just need a fork with a straight 1 1/8th inch steerer tube and standard quick release (QR) dropouts

[Barchettaman]

Is this the bike?

[timnoyce]

I recently rebuilt a GT Pantera for a mate. It came with a seized old Rockshox Judy but ended up building it up with a rigid fork. Total cost of the build was £200 not including the donated frame. Was a nice bike to ride.



Thumbnail doesn't seem to work, but the link should.

[skibum]

Is the fork threaded? Can't tell from the picture, but if it is, then you'll probably need a new headset, 1 1/8th along with a new stem too. Fork wise I would limit to 80mm suspension travel otherwise the geometry and handling of the bike will be awful.

Have a mooch over at retrobike.co.uk - good place for advice and for buying items. Otherwise ebay is the best bet for the new forks.

[Targarama]

Thanks guys. Not sure if the fork is threaded or not, will look at the weekend.

This is the same bike:

[skibum]

Looking at your picture then the fork doesnt appear to be threaded and you can just get the forks (as long as the steerer tube is long enough).

What sort of budget do you have?

[Targarama]

skibum said:

Looking at your picture then the fork doesnt appear to be threaded and you can just get the forks (as long as the steerer tube is long enough).

What sort of budget do you have?

Not too much :-) Say £100 for some good secondhand forks, nothing too fancy. Plus any bits needed to fit.

[skibum]

Plenty of options on ebay at that price point. For example:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Manitou-Skareb-Comp-02-F...

As long as you go for 1 1/8th diameter steerer tube and ones with v-brake mounts you should be fine. You should be able to use the existing headset and stem too.

There might be some faff if you have to cut down the steerer tube of the new forks to fit. You'll also need to remove the crown race from the old forks and put onto the new ones to reuse the existing headset.

If you're not comfortable with that, then you might want to get your LBS to do it for you.

The key is though, if your stem is like the one in the picture you posted, ie it clamps to the steerer tube of the forks, then you've got a threadless headset and can get threadless forks (Which is the VAST majority of those available). If, however, your stem is like the one on the blue bike pictured and is on one piece that goes down into the headset, then you have a threaded headset and threaded forks - which means you would need to buy and fit a new threadless headset and new stem to work with threadless forks.