Wobbly forks

[EdwardH]

Over the past year or so I have built up a Titus El Viajero frame for bikepacking and long days out; with various parts from the garage and doner bikes. Everything works great other than a very recent and rather nagging feeling I have about the forks which are Fox Factory SC32's, with 100mm travel.

Up until my most recent trip away, everything has been OK and I didn't really notice anything untowards with the forks. That is until fully loaded for a week away (all previous trips have been log days out, one-nighters or some "soft-packing" with my partner who refuses to "tent" and therefore with minimal additional weight).

When fully loaded the day before heading away while riding up and down the street checking things felt OK, I noticed that under braking the forks flex a fair amount. As this was the day before heading away there wasn't much I could do about it other than hope I didn't snap them, bend them or some other such thing. This in turn led me to ride everything with much more trepidation than would be usual (which might also explain the lack of crashes ).

In the end the forks worked as would be expected and no bending or snapping was experienced.

However (there always seems to be a "however"), during the ride my mind often wandered to 120mm, lightish weight alternatives.
I weigh 80 Kg, bike and kit came to 30 Kg, this is around 5 or 10 Kg below what I can figure is the weight limit for the fork.

Any Ideas out there for potential replacements?

[Bearbonesnorm]

Sounds like a case of worn bushings ... assuming there are bushes and the lower itself doesn't act as the bush?

[Lazarus]

I assume your chance of snapping some suspension forks [ with a non carbon steerer] are pretty low

Best check is front wheel against a wall and push if you get movement find out from where
As stu notes bushes [top of the fork where the stanchions slide in and out of the lowers] is most likely cause

[EdwardH]

The whole fork flexes, though the most flex is in the crown. There is no movement in the bushings (that's fairly easy to spot). Holding the brake and pushing forwards everything from the crown down flexes. Turn the wheel 90 degrees and do the same and there is no flex. I've even had the wheel out and clamped the axle, put a straight edge down the side of the fork and it bends.

Perhaps this happens on the burlier forks I have on my other mountain bikes, only I haven't noticed on these forks. The Factory 32SC is their light weight cross country race version and perhaps such flex is normal. Afterall, it does come in at 1.3 Kg. Whatever it is, I spent a week dialling things back and taking everything cautious because I was paranoid about something breaking.

[riderdown]

I'd just go to a decent LBS, show them the issue and ask "am I going to die?"

[Alpinum]

Yeah, I'd say the flex is normal.
2013-2016 I had a bike with Fox 32's and even unloaded, I found them annoyingly flexy, especially riding the bike as if it was full enduro bro.

I can imagine the step cast versions are even flexier, since they're also much narrower than the regular versions.

If you find the flex doesn't interfere with your riding, I wouldn't worry about snapping them and happily ride on.