This $130 MTB Air Fork works great until it doesn’t

Videos 2 weeks early • Exclusive articles • Discussions • You’re in control!

(Direct upgrade for factory Trouvaille Derailleur)

The Snake Pit Metal Collection

Music in this video is from

[phonetech]

I put one of these forks on my 12 year old son's bike and it has worked flawlessly for his riding. Most spring forks are too stiff for light riders, this fits the bill perfectly for them.

[AntaresSQ]

Might be a good idea for the next iteration of the Smeasher to put the weight into some sort of a guide to ensure precise falling and hitting in the same spot

[benzi_]

The BOLANY brand of fork here in the Philippines is considered a joke of a fork (arch breaks easily, stanchions breaking in half, very hazardous, etc.) -- ppl here tend to lean towards the Suntour Epixon or Manitou Markhor .. or if futher in a budget, the XCR Suntour fork non air, coil version (those 3 i recommend for the walmart bike you bought recently heh)

love watching your vids!

[SlowDelSol]

I love these budget builds and I’ve ran many of the typical budget parts myself but the fork is something I definitely recommend saving up for a good entry $200-300 name brand fork.

[GCho]

This fork is basically a meme in the Philippine biking community.

[damonvanopdorp]

I"m so glad that you will be giving Suntour products a decent run in future videos instead of beating on their least expensive offerings. That seems important for educating new riders.

[zackaryschwindt]

To really make the Kent trail ready you should put a PNW dropper on it

[danmorgan]

Love how Seth kept the dork disc on in keeping with the bike's roots.

[Katastra_]

When you settle on a 'this is good enough' upgraded build of this bike, you should total it all up and see what you can find on the new and used market around that price and see how they compare.

[taylordarion]

I miss the trail building videos!! When are we gonna see more of that?

[BenAlaux]

As this is a budget build, I think it would be interesting to make a cost rundown at the end, to get a reference vs other entry bikes from major MTB companies. (Edit : typos)

[NocturnOwl]

I use to have one of those generic air forks, one thing is for sure, if it has the same compression switch same as yours then it is definitely a generic "rebranded" air fork which doesn't last long. You can check every generic fork in the market and you'll see that they all have the same compression switch and built. They just change the sticker brands 😅 But yeah they are good for kids bikes which doesn't get that much beating. Now I upgraded to Suntour XCR airfork which is quite known for durability and it works very well. Thanks for the good and honest review.

[nzo_]

Here in Philippines,
the Bolany forks are cost around 2, 000 Philippine pesos higher, ( almost like 34 US dollars higher ) but there is alot of rumours that it can break easily around the crown arch.

[zethjugos]

Just like you mentioned, the suntours will bend bcoz they have steel steerer tubes which is also why they are heavy, they will bend but it will allow you to get home...those balony forks tho have been known to snap at the stanchions...i am not sure tho if they have addressed that issue with these new versions. The prices are also a lot different, the balony retails for around $80-90 here in Asia...the xcr air around $120 but i guess shipping them to the US is more expnsive than frpm Taiwan to us neighbor countries

[tracymcmanus]

Dude, your cinematography on this video was awesome. You could definitely make some cool short films in the future!😉

[riccochet]

The Bolany fork might not be a good choice for extremely technical, tough downhill like you put it through. BUT, for the price, it's probably good upgrade for someone doing light XC and mostly green trail riding. I'm sure it soaks up the bumps a lot better than a spring fork.

[DarkFeedFPV]

Seth putting his life on the line to test a 130$ amazon fork for us 😂

[TrailFeatures]

10:40 Seen this before on cheap air forks. If there isn't a wiper sponge to keep the seals lubed up the friction is going to eat the seals. Would not be shocked if other things are going on but that's at the top of my list. I'd head the advice from Philippine riders commenting on this video and pass on this fork. MTB is HUGE there and they do know what they are talking about when it comes to building a solid bike on a budget.

[PatrickTheGreat]

I just put that Microshift derailleur on one of my bikes, and it has been fantastic! If you are just a weekend warrior who does primarily intermediate riding, save some money over the Shimano/SRAM alternatives and look at Microshift.

[betterthannotgoodmtb]

I'm sure you may have already encountered the YT channel Project Farm, but if you haven't, I believe you could pick up some more test ideas. Thanks for your efforts to help us budget minded riders make choices that are ultimately safe!