Pike forks.

I Don\'t Get It

Question about Pitch Pro Pike forks. Back suspension plush, smooth, and marvellous, but front forks not supple enough at speed to absorb jarring on those irritating loose stone type tracks.

Shop opinions differ about altering the spring rates. I don't want to lose the good handling down steep rocky sections, just smoothe things up a bit. What is the informed opinion please?

JamesBrckmn

Which year pitch/ which year rockshox pikes? Do they have preload adjustment? Just get a softer spring.

I Don\'t Get It

Bike bought from Evans January 09, but 08 model. Forks have adjustments on each leg top, but how can you tell which year?

Raymondavalon

You can get stiffer springs for the Pike
I upgraded mine to the firmer spring as I weigh just under 200LBS, best £40 I spent in a while. I got the springs from TF Tuned

I Don\'t Get It

Raymondavalon, do stiffer springs enhance the plushness, or make the forks firmer? It's the lack of suppleness on stony tracks that jar my wrists, and which I want to smooth out.

Northwind

I think the Pitch got an OEM-spec Pike rather than the usual 426 retail spec but I have no idea what the difference is. Set up right, they should be pretty supple.

I Don\'t Get It

Thank's. I'll take them to a 'wired in' place, and pay to have them altered if necessary. It may be relevant that they seized up on a rocky ride a couple of months after I bought the bike, and the forks had to be returned to the importers and rebuilt. (Free of charge.) So for all I know they could have been altered or updated. Apparently there were quite a few failures of that model.

JamesBrckmn

try cleaning and lubing the stantions, but remeber to wipe off excess. some forks go stiff and firm if they haven't been lubed. If that doesn't work, send them to tf tuned

supersonic

What sag are you getting? Have you adjusted the damping?

I Don\'t Get It

Well I asked the shop (Evans - a very helpful mechanic who dealt with the fork rebuild by the importers without quibble) to adjust it to the softest setting on collecting the bike. It does have the full range of travel on compressing the forks, and the rebound is set O.K. His opinion was that they were just fine.

It's probable that I am the weak link (wrists hurt on stony track juddering). I rode a Carrera Banshee with very plush forks along stony tracks, and they were smoother, but the bike was much heavier.

If you think changing to softer springs may help, without spoiling the handling, I will do so.

RichMTB

Download the manual and experiment with the range of adjustments available to you.

Pikes are pretty plush so you should find a setting that works.

When experimenting only change one parameter at a time, that way you can observe if it has any improvement.

Another thing to consider is it may just be that you are riding faster on your Pitch, with a coresponding increase in how rough the terrain feels

bomberesque

with you sat on the bike in the attack position (@rse off the saddle, leaning forward a bit) the fork should sag 25-35%. If it sags too little, you need a softer spring, if too much, a firmer one.

unless it is a pike air? In '08 they still produced the pike air I recall, in which case you can adjust with a pump, coil needs the spring swapping out

Another indicator; do you ever bottom out the fork when riding? it's pretty normal to bottom out the fork once or twice in a decent day's ride, if you're not then the spring (or air pressure) may be too firm (or you're not riding fast enough ). If you're bottoming out more than that then perhaps it's too soft.

I have a '08 426 pike coil on one bike and I find it a very plush fork. OTOH, it's not a 10" DH fork and running around Afan or DH tracks all day will certainly lead to tired wrists at the end!

ride_whenever

When was it last serviced?

Sound like they need a bit of TLC, send them off to tftuned and get them set up for your weight.

I Don\'t Get It

Thank's all. NO they never feel to have bottomed out, or even topped out. NO they are not air forks. YES I always clean and lightly oil and wipe the fork sliders. YES it has always (after rebuild) felt as it is now, so not in need of strip and service.


It sounds as though they were fitted with strong springs, perhaps during rebuild, because the sag is only about 20%. By contrast, the Banshee air forks are much more supple at lowish air pressure.

I think, as suggested, I'm riding too fast (because the handling invites it) on lose stony tracks and suffering as a result. I will definitely change to softer springs after all the info gathered. Thank's all.