Why are my Pikes bottoming out?

Rich25
Rich25 Posts: 231
edited August 2009 in MTB general
I've had my Pitch Pro for only 9 months and im convinced my Pikes need looking at. I have tried all sorts of permutations with the rebound and travel. When its on full travel I can sit stationary on the bike and push them to their extent without much difficulty. Ruined my ride at Stainburn today as kept stopping after every hit. Any ideas?

Comments

  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,673
    how much sag have they got?
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,136
    are they coil?
    you may need a stiffer spring.

    are they air?
    you may need more air in the fork.
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • RealMan
    RealMan Posts: 2,166
    1. How much do you weigh.

    2. What type of pikes are they - air, coil, year, model etc.

    3. Have you noticed anything unusual - oil leaks, weird noises, etc.

    4. Have you actually taken them to a bike shop and asked someone to look at them

    5. Has they always been like this, for the whole 9 months, or is it just recently they started doing this?
  • Rich25
    Rich25 Posts: 231
    1.84kg
    2.Coil...08/09
    3.none they have been fine so far
    4.not yet!
    5.just recently!

    Cheers!
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,673
    so how much sag are you getting?
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • RealMan
    RealMan Posts: 2,166
    Take them to the bike shop then, sounds like a fairly complex problem.
  • Raymondavalon
    Raymondavalon Posts: 5,346
    Do your Pikes still have compression and lock out?
    If not, read this Thread on a well known issue that the Pikes have had in the past..

    My bike has Pike 409s and I weigh just over 92 Kg, no issues with mine although I am tempted to buy a heavier spring from TF Tuning
    The Bouncer
    The Shaker
  • Rich25
    Rich25 Posts: 231
    good shout.yeah the lockout has gone.to my lbs then!
  • Duffer
    Duffer Posts: 379
    ...so, how much sag? :lol:
    Bespoke steel Hardtail
    Bespoke trail 'Susser
  • RealMan
    RealMan Posts: 2,166
    Duffer wrote:
    ...so, how much sag? :lol:

    lol.
  • Stuey01
    Stuey01 Posts: 1,273
    You are too fat. :lol:

    If it is a coil and it has just started then you have probably snapped the spring. Take it out and have a look.
    Not climber, not sprinter, not rouleur
  • Raymondavalon
    Raymondavalon Posts: 5,346
    Stuey01 wrote:
    You are too fat. :lol:

    If it is a coil and it has just started then you have probably snapped the spring. Take it out and have a look.

    Read the entrire Thread including the link I Posted.
    He has a failed motion control unit, a well known factory assembly issue with the Pike 409's and he's not the only Memeber to have had this issue, I've seen multiple Threads on this very issue.

    So, no snapped springs, no "phat boi" jokes.. it's a failed MCU...
    The Bouncer
    The Shaker
  • passout
    passout Posts: 4,425
    They are broken and need fixing.....I'd be off to the LBS or the place that supplied them.
    'Happiness serves hardly any other purpose than to make unhappiness possible' Marcel Proust.
  • Rich25
    Rich25 Posts: 231
    Taking them to Evans in the morning, probably to be told a load of rubbish but I can only hope
  • dave_hill
    dave_hill Posts: 3,877
    And....how much sag again???
    Give a home to a retired Greyhound. Tia Greyhound Rescue
    Help for Heroes
    JayPic
  • Rich25
    Rich25 Posts: 231
    dave_hill wrote:
    And....how much sag again???

    No idea mate, never bothered setting it. They have worked perfectly up until the last week or so.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    Rich25 wrote:
    dave_hill wrote:
    And....how much sag again???

    No idea mate, never bothered setting it. They have worked perfectly up until the last week or so.
    measure it then, it's not that hard. You even have the measurements along the stanchion.
  • Stuey01
    Stuey01 Posts: 1,273
    Raymondavalon wrote:
    Stuey01 wrote:
    You are too fat. :lol:

    If it is a coil and it has just started then you have probably snapped the spring. Take it out and have a look.

    Read the entrire Thread including the link I Posted.
    He has a failed motion control unit, a well known factory assembly issue with the Pike 409's and he's not the only Memeber to have had this issue, I've seen multiple Threads on this very issue.

    So, no snapped springs, no "phat boi" jokes.. it's a failed MCU...

    calm down princess, it was a joke.

    And thanks for the condescension, didn't realise you were all knowing, but hey you live and learn eh?
    Not climber, not sprinter, not rouleur
  • Rich25
    Rich25 Posts: 231
    measure it then, it's not that hard. You even have the measurements along the stanchion.

    I might be wrong but I was under the impression that the coil spring isn't as easy or even worth tuning as it will hardly alter its performance that say just adjusting the travel. In comparison to the air sprung Pike of course.
  • yoohoo999
    yoohoo999 Posts: 940
    have you checked to see if the spring is definitely still in the fork?

    my mates took mine out for a laugh once, it took me ages to work out what the heck had gone wrong.
  • bomberesque
    bomberesque Posts: 1,701
    It's tright that you can't adjust it much (at all on the pike?) but it will tell you whether you have the correct spring in or not. Pikes standard spring is for riders upto 75kg, iirc so 80+ (like me) you may need to uprate the spring a notch. I have the standard spring and weigh 85 kg. for normal riding this is fine but if I chuck it hard at stuff then I bottom out pretty constantly, which is why I'm planning to get the spring uprated after the service.

    OTOH, sounds like your primary problem is the damping curcuit is damaged so get that fixed before making any spring decisions
    Everything in moderation ... except beer
    Beer in moderation ... is a waste of beer

    If riding an XC race bike is like touching the trail,
    then riding a rigid singlespeed is like licking it
    ... or being punched by it, depending on the day
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    Rich25 wrote:
    yeehaamcgee wrote:
    measure it then, it's not that hard. You even have the measurements along the stanchion.

    I might be wrong but I was under the impression that the coil spring isn't as easy or even worth tuning as it will hardly alter its performance that say just adjusting the travel. In comparison to the air sprung Pike of course.
    Regardless, if you measure the sag, and find it's sagging way too much, then either the spring is too soft, or it's damaged.
  • dave_hill
    dave_hill Posts: 3,877
    Rich25 wrote:
    I might be wrong

    Correct.
    Rich25 wrote:
    but I was under the impression that the coil spring isn't as easy or even worth tuning as it will hardly alter its performance that say just adjusting the travel.

    IF you don't spend time setting sag or tuning a coil spring, how can you find out if it is the correct weight for you?

    Don't forget that nearly all downhill forks are coil-sprung - the likes of Hill, Peat, Barel, Minnaar et al spend hours tuning, retuning and testing their forks to get the best results.

    Granted, a coil spring doesn't have as much adjustment as an air spring - which is why you need to swap grades if your fitted spring is too hard or too soft for your preferred settings.

    The Fox Van Rs on my Orange came with a soft spring - even with maximum preload set the sag was way too much for my indelicate carcass - a swap to a harder spring allowed me to dial in the correct amount of sag without the fork bobbing whilst climbing or bottoming out on big hits.
    Give a home to a retired Greyhound. Tia Greyhound Rescue
    Help for Heroes
    JayPic
  • t-bone-king
    t-bone-king Posts: 48
    Just to clarify, sag is how much the fork goes down when you perch on the bike ready to attack. Should usually be around 25-30%.

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