Salsa Firestarter Fork Review - Intro
A lot of the nicer MTB frame nowadays come with geometry to match a high travel suspension fork. If you want to then fit a rigid fork this limits you options, as you will need a long fork, to match the sagged height of your suspension fork, so as to not alter you head angle and relative saddle / bar height. You can see Thorpy's Guide to Rigid Forks for more detail.
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| Used here with 26" wheels. Ideal for emulating long travel forks. |
Salsa Firestarter Fork Review - Ride
The fork visibly flexes as you ride, and has a lovely soft feel to it. I do not ride hard or fast, so I can not tell much more than that. My main requirements are that stuff is strong and comfortable, and the fork is certainly both of those.
As the pictures show I was using this fork with 26" wheels with 2.35 tires. It did not feel odd in any way, and I think the fork is good quality.
Salsa Firestarter Fork Review - Length
One of the best features of this fork is the 300mm steerer, but if you are listening salsa why not make this 400mm. Combine this with the axle to crown length of 483 and the whole fork is 783mm long, which is not a million miles away from the Thorn Forks (Mt Tura / Nomad), which measure in at around 830mm combined.
Salsa's "Enabler" Fork has a 350mm steerer, which would be nice, but the drop out spacing =130mm.
Uncut this fork will provide a ride that is considered up right for most.
Salsa Firestarter Fork Review - Mounting Points
There are mounting points everywhere, but not for low riders. There are 6 bolts holes (all supplied with M5 hex bolts) which are to be used with "Anything Cage Mounts". These are like giant water bottle cages in to which you can strap stuff like dry sacks or stoves.
In the arid expanses of the US I can see this being a OK, if rather clique concept. But in the UK. Everything would end up covered in mud for 60% of the year. Not Ideal.
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| "Classic" Fender / Mud Guard & Pannier Rack Mounts |
Disk Brake Mounting point is present with rotor sizes up to 203mm accepted.
It is a bit of a faff using huib brakes with this fork, as the stanchions are so wide, but I doubt whether many will be doing this.
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| "Trendy" Anything Cage Mount Points |
Mudguards or fenders can be mounted, but you will require some kind of fudge to bridge the mounting point at the crown. On my 26" wheel this gap is large, but on a 29 inch wheel or a 27.5+ it will be less of a problem.
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| Bodged Torque Arm Mount for Hub Brake. |
Salsa Firestarter Fork Review - Salsa Blurb
- 100mm Suspension Corrected CroMoly fork
- Suitable for Fargo and El Mariachi, and many others
- Specifications*Steerer type: 1-1/8" straight(300mm)
- *Axle to Crown: 483mm
- *Fork Offset: 45.0mm
- *Stem Clamp Diameter: 28.6mm
- *Crown Race: 30.0mm
- *Wheel/ Tire Compatibility: 29 x 2.4" max. tire fitment (but I had no trouble fitting Surly 3.0 tyres)
- *Disc Brake: 51 mm I.S. Mount, 160 mm rotor Min, 203 mm Max.
- *Fender Mounts:yes
- *Rack Mounts: at Droput and Mid-blade*
- Water Bottle Mounts: Anything Cage mounts of front of fork
- *Dropouts: Stainless steel, forward facing
- *Front Axle and Hub Info: 100 x 9 QR
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| Usual Warning |
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| "Dropper Plate" for Mudguards Required |
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