WETHEPEOPLE HELIUM FORKS 2008
Posted by Henry on 13.11.2007, 22:49
The last pair of forks i bought was in 2002. It was a pair of S&M Pitchforks weighing in at approximately 72lbs and so strong the blunted Wolverine’s claws when the fiend tried to alleviate me of my bicycle. 5 years later, and I’ve only just been persuaded/bullied into purchasing some new forks because I have a student loan now so I can buy things and get into debt at the same time. Hurrah! After much deliberation, I settled on the brand spanking new, hot off the press Wethepeople Helium forks.
First things first: technical jargon. Here are some numbers to quote to your mates when you’re at the next boyscouts meeting so they’ll think you’re the coolest kid on the block:
Blades : 12 3/8” (314.4mm)
Offset: 25mm
Dropouts: Lasercut, 5mm, 4130 CrMo, heat-treated
Topbolt: Highest quality 7075-T6 topbolt plus washer
Weight: 952g (2.09lb) (w/ topbolt)
Forks are the most important part of your bike, in the sense that shit forks will snap which will result in a trip to the dentist/hospital/morgue or all three depending on the severity of the injury. I’ve always been sceptical of light forks, working on the basis that ‘how can they be as strong?’ but the amount of technical advances that have gone into these forks is amazing.The laser cut dropouts cut out dead weight, strengthen the fork and look snazzy too, though the last point is the least relevant. The blades of the fork are tapered, which makes for a neater looking front end, again helping further reduce weight without compromising strength.
Notably, these forks shed over a pound off the front end of my bike, and as rear-end kissing as this may sound, the difference is astonishing, The 25mm offset makes the forks more responsive than others, which suits my riding well. I’d probably recommend 25mm to street riders because for nose-bonk type manouvres it feels rad. They also come in 35mm, which suits trails or flowier park riding better.
These forks show just how much Wethepeople has stepped up their game since the release of the Excalibur forks all those moons ago. Minimal graphics seals the deal for me, and I opted for the gun metal colour way, though they also come in reliable black and loose cannon green. Retailing at around the £85 mark they definitely wouldn’t be considered an expensive fork, and given the amount of forks you get through a year is (hopefully) not too many, it is a jolly decent price and could well save you eating shit when those rusty things jammed in your headtube snap the next time you hop a kerb.
Check out Wethepeople for more info and the like.
Peace and fucking. Believe.