I forgot to mention that 100mm OLD would also be 10% stiffer for the axle and for the arch.I remember various fork and component engineers shaking...
I forgot to mention that 100mm OLD would also be 10% stiffer for the axle and for the arch.
I remember various fork and component engineers shaking their heads in disbelief when the industry decided to settle on 15x110 rather than 15x100. Spoke triangulation has always been better for front wheels than rear, wheel manufacturers seem to chase front wheel compliance.
I'm not sure that is correct when talking about the torsional stiffness because for a given handle bar / wheel torque spacing the fork legs further apart will reduce the force acting on them, causing a smaller deflection of each leg and a lower rotation angle of the wheel relative to the bars. This is obviously simplified but in general spacing fixings further apart improves stiffness, provided the hub and axle are stiff enough.
Something new on the way from EXT?P.S I have a 190mm air spring for a fox 40 available for anyone looking to lower a set for...
Something new on the way from EXT?
P.S I have a 190mm air spring for a fox 40 available for anyone looking to lower a set for their park / enduro setups 🙂 drop me a message if you’re interested
I put Oak levers on my Maven's last week and rode them over the weekend. I originally planned to buy the Freedom Coast levers because one of the owners there/at Better Bolts has always been overly nice to me, but I got these for a good price at my job so I can't tell you the differences between the brands. I ride gloveless as often as possible so I bought the Oak's mainly because of the dimples on the lever only to quickly feel like they're almost a little too abrasive for my bare fingers. It was cold out so I wore gloves all day, but really appreciated the hooks at the ends of the levers being pronounced so your fingers are locked when braking and they don't slip at all. And they look good.
This is pretty amazing news, where did you hear this from?
Somebody asked about fork dampers on Vorsprung's IG last week, and they said "sure", or words to that effect. I emailed Vorsprung asking if they could make a 38 damper, and they replied that Steve has designs started, there is no guaranteed timeline, but that they can likely make one that's cost competitive vs the GRIP X2 and Charger 3.1 dampers.
When I regained consciousness, I posted about it here.
Something new on the way from EXT?P.S I have a 190mm air spring for a fox 40 available for anyone looking to lower a set for...
Something new on the way from EXT?
P.S I have a 190mm air spring for a fox 40 available for anyone looking to lower a set for their park / enduro setups 🙂 drop me a message if you’re interested
From what I was told originally, he was interested in developing a complete fork. Steve said that the newer chassis out there are good enough to not make it worth their time to worry about a full package. It was about a year ago that he told me the fork cart was coming after the Tellum release, I've been patiently waiting ever since. I personally am not impressed with the charger 3 or the X2. I like my MRP V1 lift over both, and like my Ohlins TTX in the 38M2 over everything else.
Somebody asked about fork dampers on Vorsprung's IG last week, and they said "sure", or words to that effect. I emailed Vorsprung asking if they could...
Somebody asked about fork dampers on Vorsprung's IG last week, and they said "sure", or words to that effect. I emailed Vorsprung asking if they could make a 38 damper, and they replied that Steve has designs started, there is no guaranteed timeline, but that they can likely make one that's cost competitive vs the GRIP X2 and Charger 3.1 dampers.
When I regained consciousness, I posted about it here.
I hope they've considered total conversion sticker kits too. For those forks that no longer contain any OEM parts.
I'm keen to see how this does against the Lift when it's available. Having just worked out where to get one of those locally, now I suppose I'm going to wait a little longer!
15 and 20 mm axles with thicknesses of 1, 2, 2,5, 3 and 4 mm were compared. Thickness and diameter have an effect on torsion with USD forks, but still somewhat minor (roughly 10 % going from 10 to 20 mm with the same thickness).
While clamping width was tested I think the main difference was the stiffness of the 'dropout' as the whole assembly was bonded together. Ideally a system with realistic clearances would be simulated (and tested) to show real world differences as it will not be the same, even with pinchbolts clamping down on the axle.
FWIW, old 20 mm Maxles were interesting as they had expanding cones on both sides wedging themselves into the dropouts of the fork AND a step in the axle pressing the hub towards the NDS dropout (aligning the rotor every time) and possibly allowing some float in the dropout for the lower to run smoother. Come to think of it, do modern forks have more clearance in the bushings to offset this issue? @Dave_Camp any insights on this one?
The bushings are sized to give minimum friction without having to worry about customers complaining about bushing play. Obviously misalignment from an under or oversized hub width is going to cause more friction, but the tolerances on the bushings are TINY and the basic rule is make the clearance as big as possible without crossing into the warranty loose bushing danger zone.
I think floating axles are a small performance benefit, but I also enjoy the simplicity of the regular 15mm axle when I load a bike into the back of my car.
15 and 20 mm axles with thicknesses of 1, 2, 2,5, 3 and 4 mm were compared. Thickness and diameter have an effect on torsion with USD forks, but still somewhat minor (roughly 10 % going from 10 to 20 mm with the same thickness).
While clamping width was tested I think the main difference was the stiffness of the 'dropout' as the whole assembly was bonded together. Ideally a system with realistic clearances would be simulated (and tested) to show real world differences as it will not be the same, even with pinchbolts clamping down on the axle.
FWIW, old 20 mm Maxles were interesting as they had expanding cones on both sides wedging themselves into the dropouts of the fork AND a step in the axle pressing the hub towards the NDS dropout (aligning the rotor every time) and possibly allowing some float in the dropout for the lower to run smoother. Come to think of it, do modern forks have more clearance in the bushings to offset this issue? @Dave_Camp any insights on this one?
The bushings are sized to give minimum friction without having to worry about customers complaining about bushing play. Obviously misalignment from an under or oversized hub...
The bushings are sized to give minimum friction without having to worry about customers complaining about bushing play. Obviously misalignment from an under or oversized hub width is going to cause more friction, but the tolerances on the bushings are TINY and the basic rule is make the clearance as big as possible without crossing into the warranty loose bushing danger zone.
I think floating axles are a small performance benefit, but I also enjoy the simplicity of the regular 15mm axle when I load a bike into the back of my car.
What are your thoughts on suspension shops “sizing” bushings.
I’ve heard some people claim it’s mandatory if you want the fork to work right and I’ve heard others claim that it just makes your fork sloppy and loose.
What are your thoughts on suspension shops “sizing” bushings.I’ve heard some people claim it’s mandatory if you want the fork to work right and I’ve heard...
What are your thoughts on suspension shops “sizing” bushings.
I’ve heard some people claim it’s mandatory if you want the fork to work right and I’ve heard others claim that it just makes your fork sloppy and loose.
I know we spent thousands of dollars on precision ground sizers, go/no-go gauges and had countless sets of lowers sized, CMM measured, tested, inspected, dyno'ed etc and STILL had a lot to learn about bushing sizing.
BUT sizing the bushings bigger almost always makes the fork feel better, so if a shop does that and cleans/services your fork at the same time- it might be a nice improvement. It's just a company like RS can't gamble with over-sizing bushings. You'd have thousands of warranty forks to deal with. If a shop over-sizes a few customer's lowers not a big deal.
Also- if you can live with a little bushing play- the fork is probably going to be smoother.
This is simple physics and 100% an incorrect way to install a rotor, assuming they intend to use it to stop the bicycle while it's moving...
This is simple physics and 100% an incorrect way to install a rotor, assuming they intend to use it to stop the bicycle while it's moving forward and brake on the left side.
Imagine the force vectors a brake applies and the constraints of material. It's quite achievable to bend or fold a rotor. It's much more difficult to expand its outer diameter. And that's exactly the directions forces are applied when the rotor is installed incorrectly vs. correctly.
Not sure how that happened at the top level of the sport, but then I have worked at a "top" bike company and can't say it's the most competent industry I've witnessed
Happy to take the physics to a thread if anyone needs convincing.
Looking at some tech randoms on some random site, I see the rotor does have engraving on the outer side while being installed this way. As you'd expect on a correctly installed rotor.
I understand Brembo has quite a bit more history in designing brakes than I do, but I'd love to hear from the designer of this rotor. Last time I checked, physics applied to us all the same and the usual way to mount a rotor has a very good reason behind it.
I wasn't too sure where to post this so feel free to delete or move accordingly if it's in the wrong thread. Troy Brosnan's mechanic seems...
I wasn't too sure where to post this so feel free to delete or move accordingly if it's in the wrong thread. Troy Brosnan's mechanic seems to be double taping the rim. Once with the Dt-Swiss rim tape and then a layer of Gorilla Tape over the top?
What could the reasons be behind this? It looks like the DT tape is going from edge to edge so the Gorilla wouldn't be offering any additional adhesive. Is it a tape thickness thing? Never seen anyone double tape like that before.
One reason might be to prevent flats. I've only had 2 flats in the past year and a half, but both were from breaking a spoke...
One reason might be to prevent flats. I've only had 2 flats in the past year and a half, but both were from breaking a spoke, which then pushed back through the hole in the DTSwiss rim and punctured the rim tape. Regular rim tape (stans, mucoff, etc) isn't good against spoke impacts, but it doesn't leave residue when you peel it off like Gorilla tape. If combined, you get no residue, but also better resistance against spoke punctures.
110% on target. Pal had a spoke pop midway thru a 25mi ride and it went through the sealing tape. Bummer, but a tube held up for the rest of the loop. Week later on my way home same damn thing happened to me on my commuter. Got hip to the idea of the Gorilla Tape over sealing tape from another website. It does stop the puncture and the sealing tape is a treat to remove as compared to year old and sealant logged Gorilla Tape. Added bonus, it creates a better seal in the tire drop zone, so even well used and stretched out tires pop up with a floor pump.
I wasn't too sure where to post this so feel free to delete or move accordingly if it's in the wrong thread. Troy Brosnan's mechanic seems...
I wasn't too sure where to post this so feel free to delete or move accordingly if it's in the wrong thread. Troy Brosnan's mechanic seems to be double taping the rim. Once with the Dt-Swiss rim tape and then a layer of Gorilla Tape over the top?
What could the reasons be behind this? It looks like the DT tape is going from edge to edge so the Gorilla wouldn't be offering any additional adhesive. Is it a tape thickness thing? Never seen anyone double tape like that before.
One reason might be to prevent flats. I've only had 2 flats in the past year and a half, but both were from breaking a spoke...
One reason might be to prevent flats. I've only had 2 flats in the past year and a half, but both were from breaking a spoke, which then pushed back through the hole in the DTSwiss rim and punctured the rim tape. Regular rim tape (stans, mucoff, etc) isn't good against spoke impacts, but it doesn't leave residue when you peel it off like Gorilla tape. If combined, you get no residue, but also better resistance against spoke punctures.
I do a layer of rim tape I don't remember the exact width I got. It fits in the rim bed and covers the spoke holes. Then do a another layer over top with rim tape that covers the entire inner width.
What are your thoughts on suspension shops “sizing” bushings.I’ve heard some people claim it’s mandatory if you want the fork to work right and I’ve heard...
What are your thoughts on suspension shops “sizing” bushings.
I’ve heard some people claim it’s mandatory if you want the fork to work right and I’ve heard others claim that it just makes your fork sloppy and loose.
I know we spent thousands of dollars on precision ground sizers, go/no-go gauges and had countless sets of lowers sized, CMM measured, tested, inspected, dyno'ed etc...
I know we spent thousands of dollars on precision ground sizers, go/no-go gauges and had countless sets of lowers sized, CMM measured, tested, inspected, dyno'ed etc and STILL had a lot to learn about bushing sizing.
BUT sizing the bushings bigger almost always makes the fork feel better, so if a shop does that and cleans/services your fork at the same time- it might be a nice improvement. It's just a company like RS can't gamble with over-sizing bushings. You'd have thousands of warranty forks to deal with. If a shop over-sizes a few customer's lowers not a big deal.
Also- if you can live with a little bushing play- the fork is probably going to be smoother.
I honestly think Rockshox doesn't get enough credit for their attention to friction - everyone loves to talk about the latest dampers but those come well after the friction and the spring in terms of what actually matters. I noticed things like increasing the bushing length and carefully choosing bath oil viscosity (not too thick in most forks, but the short travel skinny leg forks get heavier oil) along with good alignment and clearances in the new forks. Fox still use very short bushings in all their models, plus I'm positive the oil channels they added in the lowers do more to let the oil drain down and around the bushings than to actually keep oil on them!
And I do agree its pretty much impossible for manufacturers to produce forks with "perfect" bushing clearance since a certain percentage will be big enough to make noticeable play which only leads to a huge number of complaints - especially when that fork has been sitting in a box for a month or 2 and the oil hasn't properly circulated again. The stack up of parts from the crown to lowers then hub spacing means it is a very fine balance but generally most forks are put together quite well in the last couple of years. While I personally prefer slightly more clearance I understand its not realistic for production and having been the warranty guy for a suspension brand in the past I know all too well how that goes
Fox forks were way too tight about 10-15 years ago and no one really called it out (apart from the damping being described as "supportive"...lol). They just blamed the kashima coating once that wore out when really it was because the air spring sucked all the bath oil and left a tight bushing running dry on the stanchion. But if bushings are the tiniest bit too loose then its called out IMMEDIATELY
I have run my sizing tools through pretty much every fork I've worked on in the last 6 years - but I spent a lot of time testing different sizes and understanding the clearances needed so I'm not overdoing it. With a lot of new forks now it basically just a clearance test if the tool goes through easily then I can be sure they are good enough and not going to cause issues for people. There are definitely a lot of sizing tools out there (a lot of the commercially available ones too....) which come in crazy big sizes like +0.15mm and thats a real concern if used in the wrong hands!
I honestly think Rockshox doesn't get enough credit for their attention to friction - everyone loves to talk about the latest dampers but those come well...
I honestly think Rockshox doesn't get enough credit for their attention to friction - everyone loves to talk about the latest dampers but those come well after the friction and the spring in terms of what actually matters. I noticed things like increasing the bushing length and carefully choosing bath oil viscosity (not too thick in most forks, but the short travel skinny leg forks get heavier oil) along with good alignment and clearances in the new forks. Fox still use very short bushings in all their models, plus I'm positive the oil channels they added in the lowers do more to let the oil drain down and around the bushings than to actually keep oil on them!
And I do agree its pretty much impossible for manufacturers to produce forks with "perfect" bushing clearance since a certain percentage will be big enough to make noticeable play which only leads to a huge number of complaints - especially when that fork has been sitting in a box for a month or 2 and the oil hasn't properly circulated again. The stack up of parts from the crown to lowers then hub spacing means it is a very fine balance but generally most forks are put together quite well in the last couple of years. While I personally prefer slightly more clearance I understand its not realistic for production and having been the warranty guy for a suspension brand in the past I know all too well how that goes
Fox forks were way too tight about 10-15 years ago and no one really called it out (apart from the damping being described as "supportive"...lol). They just blamed the kashima coating once that wore out when really it was because the air spring sucked all the bath oil and left a tight bushing running dry on the stanchion. But if bushings are the tiniest bit too loose then its called out IMMEDIATELY
I have run my sizing tools through pretty much every fork I've worked on in the last 6 years - but I spent a lot of time testing different sizes and understanding the clearances needed so I'm not overdoing it. With a lot of new forks now it basically just a clearance test if the tool goes through easily then I can be sure they are good enough and not going to cause issues for people. There are definitely a lot of sizing tools out there (a lot of the commercially available ones too....) which come in crazy big sizes like +0.15mm and thats a real concern if used in the wrong hands!
aren't you finding plenty of RS non ultimate to be tight in the bushing? Every time i'm hopping on a new bike or a demo bike everything that is not the older series still with the charger 2.1 feels like a stick, even with the damper fully opened, it just feels it doesn't move freely, While every fox always feels good, factory or performance it feels free to move and with better tolerances, am i just really unlucky or is that what you have experienced working on many forks?
What are your thoughts on suspension shops “sizing” bushings.I’ve heard some people claim it’s mandatory if you want the fork to work right and I’ve heard...
What are your thoughts on suspension shops “sizing” bushings.
I’ve heard some people claim it’s mandatory if you want the fork to work right and I’ve heard others claim that it just makes your fork sloppy and loose.
I know we spent thousands of dollars on precision ground sizers, go/no-go gauges and had countless sets of lowers sized, CMM measured, tested, inspected, dyno'ed etc...
I know we spent thousands of dollars on precision ground sizers, go/no-go gauges and had countless sets of lowers sized, CMM measured, tested, inspected, dyno'ed etc and STILL had a lot to learn about bushing sizing.
BUT sizing the bushings bigger almost always makes the fork feel better, so if a shop does that and cleans/services your fork at the same time- it might be a nice improvement. It's just a company like RS can't gamble with over-sizing bushings. You'd have thousands of warranty forks to deal with. If a shop over-sizes a few customer's lowers not a big deal.
Also- if you can live with a little bushing play- the fork is probably going to be smoother.
I honestly think Rockshox doesn't get enough credit for their attention to friction - everyone loves to talk about the latest dampers but those come well...
I honestly think Rockshox doesn't get enough credit for their attention to friction - everyone loves to talk about the latest dampers but those come well after the friction and the spring in terms of what actually matters. I noticed things like increasing the bushing length and carefully choosing bath oil viscosity (not too thick in most forks, but the short travel skinny leg forks get heavier oil) along with good alignment and clearances in the new forks. Fox still use very short bushings in all their models, plus I'm positive the oil channels they added in the lowers do more to let the oil drain down and around the bushings than to actually keep oil on them!
And I do agree its pretty much impossible for manufacturers to produce forks with "perfect" bushing clearance since a certain percentage will be big enough to make noticeable play which only leads to a huge number of complaints - especially when that fork has been sitting in a box for a month or 2 and the oil hasn't properly circulated again. The stack up of parts from the crown to lowers then hub spacing means it is a very fine balance but generally most forks are put together quite well in the last couple of years. While I personally prefer slightly more clearance I understand its not realistic for production and having been the warranty guy for a suspension brand in the past I know all too well how that goes
Fox forks were way too tight about 10-15 years ago and no one really called it out (apart from the damping being described as "supportive"...lol). They just blamed the kashima coating once that wore out when really it was because the air spring sucked all the bath oil and left a tight bushing running dry on the stanchion. But if bushings are the tiniest bit too loose then its called out IMMEDIATELY
I have run my sizing tools through pretty much every fork I've worked on in the last 6 years - but I spent a lot of time testing different sizes and understanding the clearances needed so I'm not overdoing it. With a lot of new forks now it basically just a clearance test if the tool goes through easily then I can be sure they are good enough and not going to cause issues for people. There are definitely a lot of sizing tools out there (a lot of the commercially available ones too....) which come in crazy big sizes like +0.15mm and thats a real concern if used in the wrong hands!
The first generations of Fox forks (both the OG coil 40s and 36s) were famous for excessive bushing play. They rattled like snakes, and Fox said they needed to be that way for them to have that buttery smooth sliding. A couple generations after they had to tighten the tolerances to quiet the rattling complains.
Was this mentioned here? SR Suntour are working with Rogue Racing to develop an electronically actuated shock. Pictures are from the pink website. Apparently the actuator is controlled by a software that reads the terrains and it acts on the normal compression circuit. The shock can be locked out too.
I hope they've considered total conversion sticker kits too. For those forks that no longer contain any OEM parts.I'm keen to see how this does against...
I hope they've considered total conversion sticker kits too. For those forks that no longer contain any OEM parts.
I'm keen to see how this does against the Lift when it's available. Having just worked out where to get one of those locally, now I suppose I'm going to wait a little longer!
I don't know, chassis is pretty big part of the fork that is staying stock 🤷🏻
I wasn't too sure where to post this so feel free to delete or move accordingly if it's in the wrong thread. Troy Brosnan's mechanic seems...
I wasn't too sure where to post this so feel free to delete or move accordingly if it's in the wrong thread. Troy Brosnan's mechanic seems to be double taping the rim. Once with the Dt-Swiss rim tape and then a layer of Gorilla Tape over the top?
What could the reasons be behind this? It looks like the DT tape is going from edge to edge so the Gorilla wouldn't be offering any additional adhesive. Is it a tape thickness thing? Never seen anyone double tape like that before.
I have used pretty much this setup to both minimize chances of the first tape being lifted of the rim when doing tire change and also to make it more durable/ less prone to rolling tire of the rim. And to be honest, it does that to such an extent, that once I wanted to remove the tire, there was just no way in hell it's coming of, three other people tried to peel the sidewall by standing on deflated tire on the ground, it just didnt budge. In the end 1 managed to peel it off using massive pliers (50cm). Needless to say, I'm running the same setup still, knowing I won't rip the tire of the rim in berms even if I get a slow puncture and loose some pressure is nice and worth the hassle once the tire change time comes. Some of you might remember Marschy using silicone sealant to glue sidewalks to the rim of Greg's wheels. This is more elegant and less time consuming I would say with result being pretty much the same. If I had to change tire few times during the weekend I would be less pleased though.
I honestly think Rockshox doesn't get enough credit for their attention to friction - everyone loves to talk about the latest dampers but those come well...
I honestly think Rockshox doesn't get enough credit for their attention to friction - everyone loves to talk about the latest dampers but those come well after the friction and the spring in terms of what actually matters. I noticed things like increasing the bushing length and carefully choosing bath oil viscosity (not too thick in most forks, but the short travel skinny leg forks get heavier oil) along with good alignment and clearances in the new forks. Fox still use very short bushings in all their models, plus I'm positive the oil channels they added in the lowers do more to let the oil drain down and around the bushings than to actually keep oil on them!
And I do agree its pretty much impossible for manufacturers to produce forks with "perfect" bushing clearance since a certain percentage will be big enough to make noticeable play which only leads to a huge number of complaints - especially when that fork has been sitting in a box for a month or 2 and the oil hasn't properly circulated again. The stack up of parts from the crown to lowers then hub spacing means it is a very fine balance but generally most forks are put together quite well in the last couple of years. While I personally prefer slightly more clearance I understand its not realistic for production and having been the warranty guy for a suspension brand in the past I know all too well how that goes
Fox forks were way too tight about 10-15 years ago and no one really called it out (apart from the damping being described as "supportive"...lol). They just blamed the kashima coating once that wore out when really it was because the air spring sucked all the bath oil and left a tight bushing running dry on the stanchion. But if bushings are the tiniest bit too loose then its called out IMMEDIATELY
I have run my sizing tools through pretty much every fork I've worked on in the last 6 years - but I spent a lot of time testing different sizes and understanding the clearances needed so I'm not overdoing it. With a lot of new forks now it basically just a clearance test if the tool goes through easily then I can be sure they are good enough and not going to cause issues for people. There are definitely a lot of sizing tools out there (a lot of the commercially available ones too....) which come in crazy big sizes like +0.15mm and thats a real concern if used in the wrong hands!
+0.15mm oversize would take some serious time and a lot of elbow grease to make I through the bushing that is in typical size range. I use + 0.1mm head on my boxxer, the lowers weren't too bad from the factory, but I still got decent workout from it don't it in the sunny afternoon lol. I don't think I would be even able to start the burnishing process with +0.15
Having some experience with burnishing in series production it's not something to do by hand... Using some kind of press to push the tool through and a fixture to ensure alignment should be the basis of it all.
Having some experience with burnishing in series production it's not something to do by hand... Using some kind of press to push the tool through and...
Having some experience with burnishing in series production it's not something to do by hand... Using some kind of press to push the tool through and a fixture to ensure alignment should be the basis of it all.
This guy makes makes burnishing tools and he recently showed his new helical self feeding option. Just hold the drill and let the tool do the work.
I'm not sure that is correct when talking about the torsional stiffness because for a given handle bar / wheel torque spacing the fork legs further apart will reduce the force acting on them, causing a smaller deflection of each leg and a lower rotation angle of the wheel relative to the bars. This is obviously simplified but in general spacing fixings further apart improves stiffness, provided the hub and axle are stiff enough.
Cheaper rear shock from EXT
Vorsprung are working on a 38/Zeb damper!
I put Oak levers on my Maven's last week and rode them over the weekend. I originally planned to buy the Freedom Coast levers because one of the owners there/at Better Bolts has always been overly nice to me, but I got these for a good price at my job so I can't tell you the differences between the brands. I ride gloveless as often as possible so I bought the Oak's mainly because of the dimples on the lever only to quickly feel like they're almost a little too abrasive for my bare fingers. It was cold out so I wore gloves all day, but really appreciated the hooks at the ends of the levers being pronounced so your fingers are locked when braking and they don't slip at all. And they look good.
The new Grip X2 damper is already superb. I’m curious how they could improve on it.
Maybe bring the shock retune tech from the Telum over to a drop in fork cartridge?
Looks like Jackson is using a remote pull off system on his goggles which he can activate with a button on his handlebars
Goggles: https://youtu.be/nYpi-M6LMp8?t=4
Remote: https://youtu.be/nYpi-M6LMp8?t=1449
here he comes...
This is pretty amazing news, where did you hear this from?
Somebody asked about fork dampers on Vorsprung's IG last week, and they said "sure", or words to that effect. I emailed Vorsprung asking if they could make a 38 damper, and they replied that Steve has designs started, there is no guaranteed timeline, but that they can likely make one that's cost competitive vs the GRIP X2 and Charger 3.1 dampers.
When I regained consciousness, I posted about it here.
What I heard as well.
From what I was told originally, he was interested in developing a complete fork. Steve said that the newer chassis out there are good enough to not make it worth their time to worry about a full package. It was about a year ago that he told me the fork cart was coming after the Tellum release, I've been patiently waiting ever since. I personally am not impressed with the charger 3 or the X2. I like my MRP V1 lift over both, and like my Ohlins TTX in the 38M2 over everything else.
I hope they've considered total conversion sticker kits too. For those forks that no longer contain any OEM parts.
I'm keen to see how this does against the Lift when it's available. Having just worked out where to get one of those locally, now I suppose I'm going to wait a little longer!
The bushings are sized to give minimum friction without having to worry about customers complaining about bushing play. Obviously misalignment from an under or oversized hub width is going to cause more friction, but the tolerances on the bushings are TINY and the basic rule is make the clearance as big as possible without crossing into the warranty loose bushing danger zone.
I think floating axles are a small performance benefit, but I also enjoy the simplicity of the regular 15mm axle when I load a bike into the back of my car.
What are your thoughts on suspension shops “sizing” bushings.
I’ve heard some people claim it’s mandatory if you want the fork to work right and I’ve heard others claim that it just makes your fork sloppy and loose.
I know we spent thousands of dollars on precision ground sizers, go/no-go gauges and had countless sets of lowers sized, CMM measured, tested, inspected, dyno'ed etc and STILL had a lot to learn about bushing sizing.
BUT sizing the bushings bigger almost always makes the fork feel better, so if a shop does that and cleans/services your fork at the same time- it might be a nice improvement. It's just a company like RS can't gamble with over-sizing bushings. You'd have thousands of warranty forks to deal with. If a shop over-sizes a few customer's lowers not a big deal.
Also- if you can live with a little bushing play- the fork is probably going to be smoother.
Looking at some tech randoms on some random site, I see the rotor does have engraving on the outer side while being installed this way. As you'd expect on a correctly installed rotor.
I understand Brembo has quite a bit more history in designing brakes than I do, but I'd love to hear from the designer of this rotor. Last time I checked, physics applied to us all the same and the usual way to mount a rotor has a very good reason behind it.
110% on target. Pal had a spoke pop midway thru a 25mi ride and it went through the sealing tape. Bummer, but a tube held up for the rest of the loop. Week later on my way home same damn thing happened to me on my commuter. Got hip to the idea of the Gorilla Tape over sealing tape from another website. It does stop the puncture and the sealing tape is a treat to remove as compared to year old and sealant logged Gorilla Tape. Added bonus, it creates a better seal in the tire drop zone, so even well used and stretched out tires pop up with a floor pump.
I do a layer of rim tape I don't remember the exact width I got. It fits in the rim bed and covers the spoke holes. Then do a another layer over top with rim tape that covers the entire inner width.
I honestly think Rockshox doesn't get enough credit for their attention to friction - everyone loves to talk about the latest dampers but those come well after the friction and the spring in terms of what actually matters. I noticed things like increasing the bushing length and carefully choosing bath oil viscosity (not too thick in most forks, but the short travel skinny leg forks get heavier oil) along with good alignment and clearances in the new forks. Fox still use very short bushings in all their models, plus I'm positive the oil channels they added in the lowers do more to let the oil drain down and around the bushings than to actually keep oil on them!
And I do agree its pretty much impossible for manufacturers to produce forks with "perfect" bushing clearance since a certain percentage will be big enough to make noticeable play which only leads to a huge number of complaints - especially when that fork has been sitting in a box for a month or 2 and the oil hasn't properly circulated again. The stack up of parts from the crown to lowers then hub spacing means it is a very fine balance but generally most forks are put together quite well in the last couple of years. While I personally prefer slightly more clearance I understand its not realistic for production and having been the warranty guy for a suspension brand in the past I know all too well how that goes
Fox forks were way too tight about 10-15 years ago and no one really called it out (apart from the damping being described as "supportive"...lol). They just blamed the kashima coating once that wore out when really it was because the air spring sucked all the bath oil and left a tight bushing running dry on the stanchion. But if bushings are the tiniest bit too loose then its called out IMMEDIATELY
I have run my sizing tools through pretty much every fork I've worked on in the last 6 years - but I spent a lot of time testing different sizes and understanding the clearances needed so I'm not overdoing it. With a lot of new forks now it basically just a clearance test if the tool goes through easily then I can be sure they are good enough and not going to cause issues for people. There are definitely a lot of sizing tools out there (a lot of the commercially available ones too....) which come in crazy big sizes like +0.15mm and thats a real concern if used in the wrong hands!
Found on REI's website - available 5/28 - is this a new XT Di2?
https://www.rei.com/product/215401/shimano-deore-xt-12-speed-rear-derailleur
aren't you finding plenty of RS non ultimate to be tight in the bushing? Every time i'm hopping on a new bike or a demo bike everything that is not the older series still with the charger 2.1 feels like a stick, even with the damper fully opened, it just feels it doesn't move freely, While every fox always feels good, factory or performance it feels free to move and with better tolerances, am i just really unlucky or is that what you have experienced working on many forks?
That is the Shimano STEPS eBike only Di2 derailleur, been around for quite a while but not much media on it
The first generations of Fox forks (both the OG coil 40s and 36s) were famous for excessive bushing play. They rattled like snakes, and Fox said they needed to be that way for them to have that buttery smooth sliding. A couple generations after they had to tighten the tolerances to quiet the rattling complains.
Was this mentioned here? SR Suntour are working with Rogue Racing to develop an electronically actuated shock. Pictures are from the pink website. Apparently the actuator is controlled by a software that reads the terrains and it acts on the normal compression circuit. The shock can be locked out too.
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I don't know, chassis is pretty big part of the fork that is staying stock 🤷🏻
I have used pretty much this setup to both minimize chances of the first tape being lifted of the rim when doing tire change and also to make it more durable/ less prone to rolling tire of the rim. And to be honest, it does that to such an extent, that once I wanted to remove the tire, there was just no way in hell it's coming of, three other people tried to peel the sidewall by standing on deflated tire on the ground, it just didnt budge. In the end 1 managed to peel it off using massive pliers (50cm). Needless to say, I'm running the same setup still, knowing I won't rip the tire of the rim in berms even if I get a slow puncture and loose some pressure is nice and worth the hassle once the tire change time comes. Some of you might remember Marschy using silicone sealant to glue sidewalks to the rim of Greg's wheels. This is more elegant and less time consuming I would say with result being pretty much the same. If I had to change tire few times during the weekend I would be less pleased though.
+0.15mm oversize would take some serious time and a lot of elbow grease to make I through the bushing that is in typical size range. I use + 0.1mm head on my boxxer, the lowers weren't too bad from the factory, but I still got decent workout from it don't it in the sunny afternoon lol. I don't think I would be even able to start the burnishing process with +0.15
Having some experience with burnishing in series production it's not something to do by hand... Using some kind of press to push the tool through and a fixture to ensure alignment should be the basis of it all.
This guy makes makes burnishing tools and he recently showed his new helical self feeding option. Just hold the drill and let the tool do the work.