Rear shock and front QR advice.....

miss notax

Hello

A couple of (unrelated!) issues with my bike....

Firstly, my rear shock is making a weird WHOOOP noise when it's being compressed. I don't usually notice it, but riding the descent at Cwmcarn yesterday even Notax could hear it riding close behind me :oops: As far as I know it's working ok.... Is this anything to worry about?

By the way, although my bike was only built last summer the frame and shock had been sitting around in a store room since 2007 - so I could well believe it if some seals or something in the shock had degraded over the years. But surely then it wouldn't be working? Not sure if it's a bike shop job (to see fi anything's wrong), or off to Mojo for a full service?

Secondly, my front (Hope) QR is somehow tightening up over the course of a ride..... I know actually tightening itself is impossible, so how come I can do it up when I put my front wheel on at the start of a ride, but at the end I genuinely can't manage to undo it :oops: And it's not just me being rubbish - others have observed this too! I don't know how I could manage if I got a puncture and had to take my wheel off mid-race or something :?

Anyway, any thoughts on these would be appreciated!

nicklouse

shocks do make noises. it could be that a seal is in need of some lube or it might just the damping valves working.

it does depend on what the shock is........

Hope Qrs have been know to self loosen so i guess it could be possible for them to self tighten.

Fit shimano for no problems.

miss notax

It's a Fox Float RP3 shock (I think i've got that right!). Pretty sure the rear shock never made any noise on my old bike, although i'm probably riding harder / faster than I did with that bike....

Interesting about the Hope QR's, will get some Shimano ones. I want them to stay precisely as I have tightened them - not to self loosen or tighten

cooldad

I had a QR explode on me once. Don't think it was actually tightening, I think it was the cones loosening.
Or was just rusty and rubbish.

Anonymous

I've had hope QRs do that too. Seems they just get grit in them during a ride, which then seizes them up.
I've also had them loosen.
Utter garbage.

miss notax

yeehaamcgee wrote:

I've had hope QRs do that too. Seems they just get grit in them during a ride, which then seizes them up.
I've also had them loosen.
Utter garbage.

Ah, well i'm sorry you found that too but a bit pleased that it's not just me being feeble after riding! The boys have struggled to undo them afterwards, which is why i'm concerned if I get a puncture by myself I literally would not be able to get my wheel off to fix it.... :evil:

Are Shimano skewers the way to go then? What type?

nicklouse

any. from Deore up.

Anonymous

Any shimano ones are good. The all-enclosed cam keeps them smooth.

In the meantime though, here's a pro-tip for you...
Take your seatpost out, and use it as an extension bar ont he hope QR.
I had to do that several times, even though I'm the kind of monster than will occasionally strip threads on wheelnuts by mistake.

miss notax

Great, cheers guys

bails87

Also, you don;t need to take the wheel off if you're repairing the puncture. Just 'unbead' the bit of tyre where the puncture is, take the damaged bit of tube out, repair it, and put it all back in.

And get Shimano QRs, they're grrrrreat!

Anonymous

:?
Quite often, I will have abso-fuggin-lutely no idea where the puncture is without taking the innertube out and examining it.

cooldad

Probably easier just to take the wheel off, that way you can sit comfortably in a pile of mud in the rain while you fix it.
I think it's the rain that causes punctures.

Anonymous

Aye, you're probably right.
Although to be honest, I usually only head out for the mud-sitting. the mountain bike is just the method I use to get there.

miss notax

Ok, possibly a dim questions alert here, but I take it that skewers are standard sizes front and rear? I have a standard wheel set up so as far as I know it shold all be standard - if there is such a thing?!!

Anonymous

yes, QRs are standard.

miss notax

Cheers