parabola

Question regarding the spring rate on the Marzocchi dirt jumper 4 front shocks. I bought a bike with these a few months ago, and find that even when I adjust the preload to its maximum setting, the shocks are too soft for my liking. I only use the bike for dirt jumping and so I want to shocks to be nice and stiff. Not really wanting to change the springs as its a bit expensive and I would rather buy a new shock. I've thought about fitting a spacer between the top cap and the spring, as I think this would increase the preload significantly but was thinking someone may have a better solution. Also the rebound dampening is non-existent, however I've heard of okes changing the oil to a more viscous one to increase the dampening. I took it apart this morning and from my initial observations it appears that the shock is coil and grease only and doesn't use oil. Can anyone shed any light on these problems, and possibly how I can fix them for cheap Thanks guys parabola2009-09-21 04:23:01

Dont bother with the DIY tubeless unless you are the kind of person who likes taking everything part and spending more time getting something to work than actually using it. You can get a stans conversion kit for R650 if you shop around and that comes with everything you need, plus its far less likely to let you down, and leave your tyre in a pool of sealant on raceday. Tubeless tyres are pricey at the moment but I recommend the Continental Mountain Kings UST they work well in the mixed conditions we have in Cape Town at least. Tubeless makes a hardtail ride much more comfortably as you can drop the pressures right down with no fear of pinchflats, plus the tyres just seem to corner better without the tube and liner inside. I just got mine so I'm still testing it, but I pulled out a mother of thorn after my last ride and after a few spins the tyre sealed lekker and lost very little air. parabola2009-09-09 07:09:21

Swerving off the dirt track I see to smoother pastures hey quickdraw bike looks really good but I know almost nothing beyond the aesthetics of these sleek and streamlined machines.

Take it apart COMPLETELY, clean out all the dirt, silicone spray on everything, wipe off the excess. Also clean the seat rails. You also need to put some of that copper grease (your lbs has it) in the seatube, and retighten the quickrelease. If this doesnt work replace the seatpost, those single bolt X Mission ones are a bit k@k I managed to break mine within a week. Get a good quality two bolt post like an Easton EA50 and it will treat you well.

That north shore stuff looks cool, that jump looks difficult even with two wheels! Must go check it out soon, been off the bike for a bit.

wow that is really nice, such a kief colour

Very nice Dylan, whats your ratio for Tokai?

Your inseam is more important than your height, some people have long legs! Just ride the smallest frame which feels right to you.

Agreed on point 1, pretty dangerous section, love flying over that little rise, and the rutted bit afterwards can be quite technical, definitely not an ideal place for an emergency stop. On numerous occasions I have seen close calls here, usually because the exhausted uphill rider is focusing on clearing the rise and not the collection of metal and rubber coming their way. With regard to point 3, love the little jumps as they help you go even faster! It is most annoying when you are forced to ride/crash off the track to avoid crashing into a rider going up just because they werent aware of you.

Hi Ryan I know its late, but incase you havent bought a bike yet, I saw one of these yesterday, one of only two in the country : 120mm fox suspension, full XT, Goes for around 23k, spec is slightly different from this pic. http://www.velomir.ru/tmp/120/ONE_TWENTY_HFS_3000_D_2010.jpg

Where those jumps at Bos? Do you still go to the UCT pump track?

Well done! The feeling is so awesome. Just keep doing it until you get it dialed, then you can start going bigger. A big help to me was to just relax, relax more than ever. I've yet to clear a proper set of big doubles but I'm getting there slowly! Doing this kind of riding will improve your trail riding in so many ways.

Automatic dropping seatpost? Extra weight, something else I'll break, and money I would rather spend on something else. Plus it takes less than 10 seconds to drop it and gives you a chance to stretch your legs after your climb

If its a long downhill singletrack, always lower the seat, but mostly because I ride a merida XC bike. If its only a short bit then I'll just ride it out carefully. Sometimes the shorts snag when you bring yourself back to an upright riding position. That being said my usual ride is Tokai so its saddle up going up, saddle all the way down going down. The legs ache by the time I get to the bottom but thats just extra strength training right?

Conti mountain kings are great for most off-road conditions, but wear out quickly on the tar. Plus they are pretty expensive at over R600 each for the UST's. I would also recommend a 2.4 in front and a 2.2 at the back, as the 2.2's are actually pretty skinny. Great XC tyres, I can really feel the difference in traction over my thin-walled IRC Mythos XC's. parabola2009-08-11 07:52:47

I just got the mountain kings UST and they are damn grippy, go for the 2.4 if you running it up front, the 2.2's are relatively skinny. For a winter setup (especially with all the recent rain) I'd run the Conti mountain front/Karma 2.1 on the back.

Cycle Factory in Montague Gardens www.cyclefactory.co.za

Its a steep learning curve and I honestly say Iv'e had my fair share of falls with clips and continue to do so. First thing you notice with clipless is that you can actually pedal hard when the bike is fluttering about, without worrying about your feet slipping off the pedals. On long XC rides I would'nt think twice before reaching for my clipless shoes and pedals. I find riding rough terrain on a hardtail downright dangerous on flats, and my shins have many marks to prove so. Your spend so much time shuffling your feet around that its harder to focus on whats happening in front of you. However I prefer riding flats when I'm just messing around on not-too-rough stuff, ie dirt jumping or just riding the street. But because I've been using the cheap-ass mosh pedals I make sure I wear shin guards otherwise those pins will do terrible things to your legs in a crash. parabola2009-07-20 04:14:30

I just got a set of XC717's built on XT hubs with DT spokes. Really nice wheelset, slapped on a set of Conti Mountain king UST 2.2's with a stans conversion kit. Payed a shade over R4k for the whole wheelset brand new. I think at the end of the day it matters how much you weigh really, I'm only about 65kgs so for me the 717's will be fine for trail riding and XC racing, although a bad landing with a heavier rider might render them into a shape not unlike a potato chip. parabola2009-07-06 04:54:23

If the dusty corner fairy eats them, they're the same as the spherical washers on the back of v-brake pads. My couch ate one of those tiny half-threaded m2 bolts from my shifter pod cover. I gave up after half an hour of turning it upside down and manically shaking it.

make sure you read the manual properly and follow the instructions step by step. You can also expect some frustration in getting the calipers aligned. But it gets easier with practice.

Juicy 5's!