Suntour CR-8 Suspension Fork Review

Suntour CR-8 Suspension Fork Review - Intro

Any one who has ridden ant type of suspension fork before would likely see these Suntour CR-8 Suspension Forks as inferior. They are. They are so so so cheap, how could they be any good?

I have not ridden a bike with suspension forks on it for 10 years, maybe 15. But recently I saw these on Ebay for £25 (Bankrupt Bike Parts) and thought "hey they have a long steerer tube" (300mm) , I'll give them a go.If you want a long axle to steerer tube top measurement then there is no cheaper fork.

I can safely say that these forks are an absolute game changer compared to rigid forks, and for £25 the quality is amazing. They are Heavey, they only have 50mm of travel, but they still work.

Suntour CR-8 Suspension Fork Review - In Use

I am so used to getting jarred wrists when riding on short stretches of off road that I found riding for 3 hours on single track (at a local trail centre) was really quite pleasant if you use suspension forks. Who knew?

The Suntour CR-8 Suspension Forks bottomed out twice, and they certainly don't have much dampening or anti-rebound but I was able to cycle much faster than normal over all sort of stuff that I would normal get off and walk around.

I used 2.25" Impac Trailpac Tyres. And they fitted OK, with about 5mm of clearance each side. Perhaps you could squash a 2.35" in there but not if you want any room for mud.

Suntour CR-8 Suspension Fork Review - Intended Use

I do not think these are designed of off road use. It says so on the stickers that is stuck on the forks. The fact that these forks have mudguard / fender eyelets is a bit of a give away.

Suntour CR-8 Suspension Fork Review - Features

LOL. Not many. But you can adjust the pre-load! Just flip off the cap on the left hand stanchion and you will find a slot for a coin, turn it to stiffen up the spring. 

 Looking at a spare parts manual for for these CR-8 forks, you will see they only have a spring in one side. Is this a bad thing? Well it is a design that is repeated in the XCT range which cost 2 times as much money. If you pay 3 times as much (XCM) you get 2 springs.

Suntour CR-8 Suspension Fork Review - Conclusions

If you are looking for cheap cheap, well made fork, that is springier than a rigid fork. Then you cannot go wrong with this one. It is not really aimed at mountain bikers, it is for comfort and it certainly provides that. The long steerer tube is a massive bonus and my main reason for the purchase. I am not racing anyone, and will not get a prize for getting anywhere fast, so I like to be upright, look at the view and chill.

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Illustrator Devon