Heresy! Fork Float (2007) bit skitty...say it ain't so...

mikef2

Question for your guys, feel free to pile on after this statement....

2007 Orange 5 Pro, Fox Float 32 140mm as wot came with the bike back then, Hope pro hubs, DT Swiss rims.

...heres the killer statement....front end handles like a pig..

Ok...I can hear the wails of anguish from here.

Thing is, I've always felt the front end to bit a tad 'wandery' esp compared to various mates bikes (Nomad, Remedy, Pitch..yeah I know more freeridey but this is the Orange 5 I'm talking about...faster than a steam train, leaps tall buildings in a single bound etc etc).
Played with air pressures. Had fork serviced. Changed 3 sets of tyres - Nevagels (ugh) Fires and now Nobby Nics (best so far). 2 rims, now on a DT Swiss E540. Hope Pro2 XC hubs. Even put a CK headset in it. Still the front end goes walkabout, much more than I'd like.
Is it me..well, I'm certainly no expert, more average bit overweight weekender, but...the Nomad/Remedy etc I can ride much better. Main problem is low bump sensitivity - it hates Cannocks pebbly single track for example! Big stuff it seems ok on, but corner on a hardpacked cobblly corner and its aXse clenching stuff.
So I'm thinking, new forks....coils, or maybe a set of Pikes if I can get them or an old Vanilla (gotta think about steerers etc on the newer stuff?)

So thing is people....anyone else out there want to air a dirty secret about 2006/7 Fox Floats, or does it sound like there is something of a Friday afternoon build somewhere in it?
Right..pile on, tell me how crap a rider I am etc etc

joshtp

wandery up or down hill?

up hill will likely because of poor technique on your part, or poor set up, like too many spacers, or something

downhill, well thats more open to debate... could be over soft pressures though.

as for the small bump feel... make sure the compression adjustment is fully open, and your tyres are running a sensible type of pressure, like 25-30 psi. and make sure you have the right amount of sag, 25-30% is good.

mikef2

Thanks for reply JoshTP

Uphill not a problem as I'm barely above walking speed then...ahem...
Steep downhill not a problem as the forks seem to wake up and work well then..in fact they are quite excellent in that department.

There is not a seperate compression adjust on these Floats, its the basic (R?) model that came with the bike. So its down to the amount of sag...and I've had seriously low and high air in the chambers to see what that does. To get sensitivity you end up with a 50mm travel fork, heh!
Tyres are run soft as I dare for same reason, around 32lbs, I adjust for conditions like we all do...too soft at Afan and its snakebite hell.

Rebound adjust is all there is on this fork, and again I've had every speed of rebound in the book. I do tend to prefer my rebound slower - don't like pogo sticks, but its not in 'pack down' territory.

Was thinking maybe stiffer axel as I'm still on QR's & hence new forks.

But....I've read a few reports of people complaining about sticktion (spelling?) on Floats in the past...its almost like they don't want to move until they hit something they think worthy, hence the 'knocked off line' trait on those little pebble singletrack at Cannock.
Strangely I don't notice a problem coming down Whites and the forks are moving all the time..its more level singletrack cornering & off camber stuff., and again, on my mates bikes (Pikes/Manitous) I don't get the problem.
Wierd innit. BTW..my mates think its squirrly too.

getonyourbike

Try some Fork Juice

sofaboy73

there just a bit like that unfortunately. had a set of the 2008 floats and they were the same, good on the bigger stuff, but difficult to get going.

Never found them sketchy while cornering though.

few things i found helped. Drop the fork oil weight in them can remember what they were and what I changed it to, but 40 wt rings a bell (could be completely wrong though).

before each ride i used to put some light weight lube around the top of the seals.

poss lower your stack height / run the bars lower - will prob stop the sketchyness on the corners

I used to run mine at approx 35% sag

make sure the foam o-rings in the lower legs get a regular soaking in float fluid (see fox web site for how to).

having said all of that, they were a little 'twangy' an would get knocked off line, personaly felt they weren't stiff enough. Eventualy upgraded to the newer fit dampers with low speed compression adjustment and bolt through - like night and day in the difference

mikef2

Sofaboy - yep I think they are. Its strange, because its Fox, I think there is a reluctance in the community to admit they may not be perfect? I figured something was wrong, & could not believe the Orange was a 'bad handling' bike...so it had to be front end.
So I think I'm going to bite the bullet and swap them over for something else.

Having been a couple of years out of it (no..not at HM's pleasure..) I'm still in Vanilla / Pike mindset. I guess things have moved on now?

Trouble is, the last thing I want to do is splosh a load of dosh on a set of forks that are no better....after all Fox Floats have a good rep!

So guys.....any reccomendations?

mikef2

If anyone is interested (maybe marketing dept at Orange & Fox...) I bring you news of developments on this issue.
Ok...went to 2 LBS's, both of whom wanted to sell me a new bike or new forks etc but I could tell had little interest in the issue really. Third bikeshop was a revelation (Bikeyard in Leamington Spa) because not only did they ask loads of questions and were genuinely keen to see if there was a problem, they also volunteered to take my bike for a few days, spin it on the local trails.

Bearing in mind the guys used to race at very high level, this was great news, as I was going mad.

So a week later I get my results......yes the Orange 5/Fox combo is very light on the front end..but...thats A GOOD THING. What I was feeling as a nervous trait they absolutely loved. Yep...its me not the bike. Basically I've bought a racehorse when maybe I would be better served by a carthorse. Seriously though, the guys at the shop were great, they told me not to waste money buying forks etc, the bike is what it is, and the real remedy is to learn to love the race style handling. Or if not, swap to something more sedate. DH racer guy said he loved the fact that you can feel everything and throw the front end around.

So Mr Orange & Mr Fox...you make good stuff...and sometimes old blokes who should know better can't handle it, heh heh. Anyway, thought it was only fair to post this in case I had put anyone off the bike earlier.
Guys at the shop are going to teach me how to ride...

getonyourbike

well done on finding a great shop it seems, the really good ones are few and far between.

CharlieH

I can second "fork juice" for stiction problems. I use it on my HT marzocchi's and my spesh fsr fox forks. Both now feel super plush