Full Suss through winter?

Bumps

My first post in this forum, and I was interested in how many people use their full sussers (and what they are if they do) through the lovely british winter.

I've got a 2007 Stumpy FSR and a 2000 Cannondale F1000SL hardtail (the latter nominally my winter bike) and I'm bothered about constantly trashing the pivots on the Stumpy by riding it through the lovely grinding paste mud where I live in hants.

Has anyone any experience of how often pivots need replacing if ridden all year round and likely wear on the shock, given its, erm, rather exposed placing.

Using the 'Dale is fine but I bought the Stumpy to be used and (after 4 months out due to injury since I bought it last April and 3 months away with work ) it's been used precious little. I want to get back out on the Stumpy and don't want to wait until summer, but not if I'm having to pay out hundreds for new suspension bits every year.

ride_whenever

It depends hugely on maintenance routines. |It is a MTB, keep it clean and it should be fine.

omegas

The pivots are a sealed cartridge bearings so with care when cleaning nothing should get in.

Riding in the dry summer with all the dust will grind parts up just the same as the muddy winter months so see no reason to not use a full sus in the winter.

The bearing pivot replacement kit is only £40 so it’s only a small outlay compared to the value of a stumpy if you change them as needed.

Oh and fit one of those little plastic shields to protect the shock.

Sir HC

Don't blast the bearings and pivots with water, even a garden hose has enough pressure to force water past the seals.

Get yourself a specialized mudflap to protect the rear shock. Avoid the shock covers, they just keep the muck in.

schmako

Took the Club Roost round the woods yesterday. Great laugh, well muddy/wet. Maybe should get some winter tyres, 2.1 highroller xc's can't handle winter. But yeah, i'm not too bothered what the weather is! Just dress appropriately.

ride_whenever

1.9" trailrakers, gets you through anything.

lost-time

Riden my Commencal 5.5.2 all through the worst of the crud so far and still running sweet apart from a few mis-shifts from the rear mech....

ride_whenever

SS, ran so muddied the cranks were sticky to turn, Still no miss-shifts though :P

FSR_XC

It's a mountain bike!

Half of the fun is the mud (and cold) of winter.

You learn a lot about the handling of your bike riding through the worst british weather.

saintadolf

bumps where about in hampshire do u live coz if its anywhere near the new forest i smypathies with you about the mud down one of my mates refuses to ride on his intense tracer in the winter and rides a single speed instead and ive just finished my single speed even tho the worst of the mud has dried out (a bit :shock: ) but should be fun with a fully rigid single speed:D nothing to go wrong:D

Jack Sprat

Put my full bouncer away until easter. Took my hardtail out today, one brake and newly singlespeeded it was awesome. I think the steep learning curve made it all the more fun!

Even if the bearings will survive the winter it is more fun and beneficial to go and mash about on a hardtail.

Jack

Bumps

saintadolf wrote:

bumps where about in hampshire do u live coz if its anywhere near the new forest i smypathies with you about the mud down one of my mates refuses to ride on his intense tracer in the winter and rides a single speed instead and ive just finished my single speed even tho the worst of the mud has dried out (a bit :shock: ) but should be fun with a fully rigid single speed:D nothing to go wrong:D

I live in the Meon Valley and he mud looks nice and friendly - it's just when you see it as dust in summer you realise that it's really grit and it's the worst stuff when it's mud. It just wears stuff away in no time at all.....

Thanks all for your replies. Got the shock mudguard already. Some interesting advice so far thanks

timberjack

my bike is the same as yours , i have rode it most weeks [ sometimes twice] since october 06 the bushings still seem fine just noticed today after doing the red at glentress twice my bottom bracket has got a little play in it and i replaced it 6 months ago so that could be down to muddy rides but as you say why have it if you dont use it