Karate Monkey with ECR fork

[unitdrop_forge]

My Surly karate monkey worked great for a bikepacking setup and has been a superb bike all around:


But my hose-clamps-and-water-bottle-holders-with-bits-of-innertube fork storage was sometimes finicky and difficult to use.  It was also damn cheap!  I test rode an ECR...and it was sweet, damn sweet!  I just can't fathom paying more for a bicycle than I did for my motorcycle, but it definitely got me thinking about ways to bridge the gap.

Custom Ti fork like Troy S[consonants]___'s Muru fork?  Some ultralight plastic toy fork?  A fat front setup?

To split the difference amongst various options, I replaced my Karate Monkey fork with a new ECR fork I snagged off ebay.  The only geometry change is adding 5mm more trail.  As a bonus, I don't have those annoying Gen1 canti mounts interfering with my tires, and now I get to have lower fork mounts!  Coupled with some of the blackburn outpost cages, it's a great setup that didn't set me back far in the wallet.

Despite all the weird combinations of gear choices I've seen on KMs, I couldn't find one with an ECR fork.  So, in case anyone else is curious, it works great, bike feels a bit more stable, and no regrets on my part.  Downside is probably a slight reduction in offroad snappiness, but I don't rail downhill on this bike.



Maybe instead of a Karate Monkey it's a Pack Monkey now?

[nathanfrechen]

Also, just because I know it's been done - the stock KM fork (circa 2013, blue) will fit a Knard on a Velocity Dually rim with no issues. Handles great.

[_atk]

I've been running an ECR fork on my Monkey for about a year now, it's been great! Didn't notice much of a change in handling with the ECR fork, the Jones Bars however... now I'm annoyed I didn't pick up a set sooner!

[unitdrop_forge]

Nathan - good point, I didn't mention that both forks have 3" tire clearance, so no change there.  Though, those canti bosses really were irksome trying to stuff 2.3" rubber on P35 rims through.

_ATK - I'm not alone!

The Jones are pretty amazing; I have the WTB Dirt Drops on mine.  Much more usable than woodchippers with a usable area in the bend, but not quite as relaxed as the Jones.  Unfortunately, I've never been able to find another set.  My long haul trucker has a Soma Eagle's Nest - basically an H-bar knock-off. 

This is why Karate Monkeys are the tinkerer's dream...

[cjdunn]

A little off topic here but... I just did my first trip on my Karate Monkey with Jones H-loop bars and I'm not totally sold on the bars.  Did you change your stem length for them?  I can't seem to get comfortable.  It seems like I'm putting too much weight on my hands compared to the almost flat bars I was running before. They are ok for climbing but flat and downhill I feel like I'm really leaning on them.