Fork Suggestions for Stumpjumper Hardtail

[HBeric]

I am thinking of dusting off my old 1999 Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper hardtail to occasionally ride on racy, xc-style trails like the Fullerton Loop, Chino Hills, etc. The bike is in excellent condition and is very light and nimble, but the stock fork, an 80mm Manitou Carbon SX, is awful.

Anyone have any recommendations on a good replacement fork for this bike? As I will probably only ride this bike occasionally, I don't want to drop $700 on a new Fox fork... at the same time, I don't want to downgrade a fairly blinged out bike (for its day) either. The fork will need to have mounts for v-brakes, probably should maintain the 80mm geometry and probably should be an air setup (not sure if elastomers are even used anymore).

Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

Eric

[onegymrat]

A nice, light fork may be a Fox F90RL. I had this fork on an '06 Stumpy HT (although geometry different than yours) and it was wonderful. The extra 10mm shouldn't throw off your geometry at all, and may help slow the twitchy steering. Try your local bike shop for a take-off at a nice price or ebay listing. I picked up an F100RL off ebay 1.5 years ago and it's been flawless ever since.

The reason I suggested this fork is not only because it's an exceptional piece of work, but most riders with "upgraditis" will ditch this OEM product for more travel, which means you may be able to get this at a super price.

[ODB]

Some of the Rebas have v-brake mounts. Scour eBay. Good luck.