Nuffy

The last update to RockShox’s Pike, Revelation, Lyrik, and Yari forks was just a change to the C1 air spring with a new foot nut and seal head. I believe this was done as a response to complaints from users that their forks were sagging into the travel and so had less travel than advertised. A 160 mm fork might have been sitting at about 155 mm at rest, for example. RockShox has touted the revision as providing a higher ride height and no wasted travel or dead space. However, suspension specialists (such as Chris Porter and Vorsprung) have pointed out that the C1 seal head creates a smaller negative air chamber, resulting in a less supple start to the travel and less small-bump sensitivity. Their recommendation seems to be to stick to the B1/B2 seal head and enjoy the better grip and sensitivity at the top of the stroke, and stop obsessing over the travel markings on the stanchions. Based on my understanding of how the system works, it’s the longer foot nut of the C1 version that extends the fork out so it has more travel and is riding higher. It is equivalent to fitting a slightly longer air shaft. I can only hypothesise that the seal head was revised in order to reduce the negative air volume so that the fork cannot be extended deep into the negative travel to the extent that insufficient stanchion and bushing overlap become an issue. Is anyone able to confirm this, or correct me, please? If I am right, does that mean that one could use the longer C1 foot nut to get the higher ride height, but combine it with the B1/B2 seal head for the large negative chamber, provided that the fork is not already at the maximum travel for that model? So with a 160 mm air shaft in a Lyrik and a 140 mm air shaft in a Pike this should be fine, and would give the advertised travel but also the superior performance of the larger negative air chamber? Any clarifications, corrections, or references to further reading or explanations are appreciated!

I got mugged on that bridge too, but it must have been about 10 years ago now. There were two guys. They asked for my phone and the money in my wallet, but when I took my phone out they agreed with my description of it as “a piece of ****” and declined to take it. Thankfully they didn’t ask for my bike. They didn’t produce a firearm, but said they had one. They said they were just out of prison and needing money to get started with a new life.

I agree with most of what’s been said, but will add that there are some distributors that are a lot more understanding and helpful to the small players and newcomers. Start with them and build from there. Some of them offer more obscure brands and niche products that might help you distinguish yourself in a very competitive market. Keep working on building those relationships, and eventually you’ll either realise it’s not going anywhere or hopefully have something that you can show to the other distributors and get noticed. Network within the industry as much as you can through whatever means you can, even if it’s not directly related to the retail side. Emails will get ignored, so you’ve got to have another reason for a brand or distributor to pay attention to you. Because there is such demand at the moment it might seem like a great business opportunity, but you’ve got no chance of competing against the established players for product, so you’ve got to be in it because you love the sport and industry and can offer something that your target market appreciates and will pay for. Good luck!

I would love to hear feedback from anyone who has tried one, and see some photos of it installed on a bike.

Thanks, that’s a great idea. Unfortunately they don’t have it in their online store, and so I submitted an enquiry, but the supplier hasn’t brought it in either and doesn’t have stock. So it looks like that’s a dead-end. I’ll follow up on some of the other options.

Thanks for the replies. Yes, it is for MTB, for a friend. He wasn’t so keen on getting high-rise bars, but I’ll discuss it further with him. I’ll also see if I can locate a BBB stockist who can help, or contact them directly to see about making an order. I couldn’t find an online shop for them. Otherwise we may need to resort to ordering from an overseas online store, which is not our preferred option but is not out of the question. I may also place some Wanted ads.

I’m looking for a steerer tube extender, preferably new from a supplier who can post within SA. Something like this from Rose or this from BBB would fit the bill. Alternatively, any suggestions for getting a higher bar position without purchasing a new fork with a longer steerer tube? Higher rise bars might help. I’m worried that any stem that has that much rise would also increase the reach too much.

This made me chuckle. I built that trail, and yes, there’s a good reason it’s called that. We were working at a rock section near the Karkloof end and saw a huge puff adder in the leaves a few metres off to the side. It slowly made its way into a hole near a log. Then the next day we were back, and we were clearing two lines around the rocks. After sweeping both sides one of my helpers discovered what was probably the same snake hiding in the little island between the two lines. We’d been working less than a metre from it for more than fifteen minutes without noticing. When finally disturbed it again moved slowly off to the same hole. It was very docile, and I’d be surprised if it actually bit anyone. But that was years ago now! Anyone seen it since then?

Thanks fellas. I’ve moved back to Zim now, so I’ll see if I can find the tool here, or make one myself.

Thanks KDEE. I must apologise for the rant above. In the case of the Shimano one I just needed a good amount of lube on the chain. Doh! It seems to be running nicely now, and I’ve got a spare one and a spare ACS one, so hopefully they’ll last me a while. I managed to find the tool at one shop, Greg Minnaar Cycles, but it’s R395. For that plus the freewheel I could get a new cassette hub, so I’m going to try making one instead.

Thanks for the reply, Cyclocross. Maybe I got a dud. It felt really bad right out of the box, before it had a chance to get dirty. As for removing it, I think you really need a vice to put the tool in. Then you “drive the bus”. I wouldn’t want to try it with a spanner either.

I’m having great difficulty finding a decent freewheel/sprocket for my singlespeed. The first one was noisy but worked, the sprocket ring on the second one snapped in two, the ratchets on the third one wore out in a few weeks and it started jamming, and my brand new R230 Shimano one is noisier and grindier than all of the others. As well as this, none of the bike shops I’ve tried can sell me the tool to remove them. Does anyone know where I can get a decent replacement (16T & 17T), or can anyone recommend a brand? Where could I get the tool? To be clear, I’m talking about a standard English-thread screw-on BMX-type freewheel. And aside from being told to get a cassette hub instead, I’d appreciate any advice.

Good question. There seem to be high end carbon forks around, but there's not much of a range available easily. Too many people are so easily seduced by suspension, so I suppose it doesn't make sense for bike shops to stock rigid forks that most people would see as a really low-end part. I got mine second hand. Good luck!

I broke three suspension forks on my jump bike in quick succession and then went rigid (a steel Planet X fork) and haven't had any problems (though it does limit my offroad options a bit). I would certainly recommend it for commuting. Anyone who thinks you need a suspension fork for riding off pavements isn't doing it right. Just look at what ol' Danny Macaskill can do on a fully rigid bike.

Oh dear. Now you've got me dreaming about my spin in Jonkershoek yesterday. I should be working…

Go singlespeed! I love my singlespeed on the singletrack. There's none of this worrying about gears and missing shifts or chain suck or bounce, and most of the time my 32/16 ratio is pretty spot on. It forces you to be smooth and consistent, staying off the brakes as much as possible so that you won't have to grind up the next incline. And when you start spinning out you have to pump the bumps and turns to get speed, which gets you in the rhythm and makes it smoother and faster than pedalling could. Singletrack is best ridden at a steady, smooth pace rather than stopping and starting all the time, which is exactly how singlespeeding forces you to ride. But assuming you're not actually going to go singlespeed, my advice would be to use the middle ring and try to stick to a middlish gear at the back, focussing on keeping a smooth steady pace with as little shifting as possible. Make the trail work for you, and use your legs and upper body to pump and flow.

Are there any Zimbabwean mountain bikers on The Hub? Anyone know what the MTB scene in Zim is like these days? I'm a Zimbabwean but have been living in Cape Town since I came here to study in 2005. I'm thinking about going back to Zim in the next year or two, but am completely out of touch with the scene. Are there still regular social rides in Harare? And races? And are there any decent bike shops around, or do people import parts from SA or Chain Reaction or somewhere else?

You import Cotic from the UK?! Ooooh! I wish I had known this six months ago. Mind you, I would probably still be saving up. Do you have a website or price list?

My feeling is that people are doing things with steel that haven't been done before, such as using big heavy duty forks on old hardtails that were designed for short XC forks. It looks like the standards apply to all frame materials, but the inherent flexibility of steel frames mean they fare worse in the tests than frames of comparable strength made from other materials. But it seems that frame builders like Brant Richards (who co-founded On-One and has since started all sorts of other projects) have been making the necessary changes anyway in recognition of new demands on the frames and current trends, and, as Kiwi pointed out, the frames are passing with no problems. But that's all I know from a quick trawl of the web, so if anyone else has any more information kindly share it, won't you?

No references as far as I can see. It was just mentioned on an Orange P7S bike test. The frame had got heavier in order to pass the test, apparently. A quick google yielded this year-old forum post: http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/cen-safety-regulations-and-the-demise-of-the-steel-hardtail

I've just come across this is the May 2010 issue of What Mountain Bike mag: "The new European CEN frame safety standards have hit steel frames harder than any other material. Even frames that have been totally trustworthy for years have now had to gain significant weight to pass…" Anyone know anything more about this? Has it had a big impact? Are we going to see (or have there already been) big changes? Will this affect all frames being produced worldwide? As a fan of steel I'm a little concerned… (I realise I may be a bit behind the times here, but I'd appreciate any enlightenment on the subject.)

I flippin' love singletrack, and almost won't consider doing a race if it doesn't have a large amount of it. I agree: it is very frustrating getting stuck behind a muppet (I got stuck behind a motorbike in the tiny bit of singletrack at the end of the Dirtopia 70km), but it certainly beats the open roads. You just have to use your cunning and skill to pass people. At the 24 hours of Weisenhof I was worried about it, but most people were very happy to let me through and it wasn't a problem. It helps if there are short open sections to break it up. And hey, if it gets more people into the sport I don't think it can be a bad thing.

Hi there Just wondering if anyone has any feedback on the RST Titan fork. It looks like pretty good value for money, but I don't want to get something that I might have to replace in a year. Any RST service agents in the Cape Town area? Access to spare parts? I'd appreciate any feedback.

Ah, sounds simple enough. Thanks!

I feel like a proper rookie asking this. I've been riding for many years, but am only now looking for some cleats and shoes (I've never been this much into XC). A lot of the shoes I've looked at have rubber sole covering the cleat area that looks like it's supposed to be cut away. Does one just go at it with a sharp blade? Are there threads underneath into which one bolts the cleat? Would all MTB shoes have the same system? (I am aware that different pedals use different cleat systems, but do they all connect to the shoe in the same way?) Anything else to be aware of?