Suspension forks - heading to Morzine in 2 weeks. Help!

Neil A

I’m agonising over a bike-related issue which I was hoping you can help out with given the forum's collective knowledge of the local terrain around Morzine….

I’m going to be taking my Santa Cruz Heckler. It’s running with Saint brakes and strong DH wheels with Rock Shox Pikes.

So, the forks - They’re plenty strong enough but only offer 140mm of travel. Do you think this is going to be a limiting factor on the trails we’re likely to be riding when we’re there? I’m wondering if a quick upgrade to some Marzocchi 55 RVs might be wise as they have 160mm travel and larger 35mm stanctions.

Thoughts?

nicklouse

keep the pikes they will be fine.

Anonymous

Neil A wrote:

I’m agonising over a bike-related issue which I was hoping you can help out with given the forum's collective knowledge of the local terrain around Morzine….

I’m going to be taking my Santa Cruz Heckler. It’s running with Saint brakes and strong DH wheels with Rock Shox Pikes.

So, the forks - They’re plenty strong enough but only offer 140mm of travel. Do you think this is going to be a limiting factor on the trails we’re likely to be riding when we’re there? I’m wondering if a quick upgrade to some Marzocchi 55 RVs might be wise as they have 160mm travel and larger 35mm stanctions.

Thoughts?

What are you riding? If you're going to be ragging the DHs, then rent a bike there. May as well do a proper job of it. Be aware that DH there MEANS DH. Not "trails that descend".

If you're just going to be riding casually, then the pikes will survive, but you will be killed (more) on the braking bumps (than if you had an enormous fork at the front).
The 55 RV is one I'd avoid, honestly.

Richie63

I got some Fox 36 vans and stuck them on a spesh enduro worked a treat but went through all the travel quite a bit of the time ( as you should ) and thought I was under biked for some of the wilder stuff I was doing so built a proper DH bike for this year.

Unfortunatly looks like I don't have the time to get out this year

Neil A

Interesting, a real variety of opinions (as you might expect)

In the UK I've ridden Afan, Brechfa and Cwmcarn a number of times. I'm pretty much at the mercy of the guides and people who run the chalet (FlowMTB). I'd like to be able to tackle the bigger stuff and I'm happy to be able to ride the DHs at only 80% of my theoretical max speed if it means I'll be £350 better off! If on the other hand the Pikes are going to be a real handicap I'll get some bigger forks

Anonymous

They won't be a handicap, they'll just slow you down a lot, and possibly kill your arms!
I just don't understand why you'd want to go on a DH riding holiday, and not go properly nuts.

nicklouse

Keep the money in your Pocket while out there hire a full on DH bike and enjoy it for a day or two.

the Pikes are very capable. All a longer travel fork allows you to do is to think less at the same speed (presuming the fork is OK) Or to think more and go faster. But if the fork is poor then you will be thinking more and going slower. Go with what you know. maybe get a service of fork and shock done first though.

Neil A

Thanks all.

There seems to be a huge variety of riding on offer so I'm not strictly on a DH riding holiday.

I think I'll just wing it and hire a big rig for a few days if I feel I need to.

FBM.BMX

I just got back from the alps and was riding the "proper" downhill black runs and some gnarlier unmarked stuff. i was base camped in morzine.

I used pikes.

I just found the limiting factor were braking bumps. there was one mega downhill berm i did rode in the main morzine red which was too braking bump ridden to enjoy, but then the braking bumps were too much for a very capable friend with fox 36 vans @ 160mm.

140mm was enough for me to tackle the downhill stuff, any rough or rooty sections i would just jump or skim over.

I never felt under forked until I hit the mainstream runs such as the main red in les gets, going from the top under the lift, all the way into les gets. The braking bumps ruined some runs and i felt a little more fork would have solved the problem.

But then the black or off piste runs weren't braking bump ridden and i felt 140mm was more then comfortable. it kept a lively, poppy character that i like.

basically every red run gets ragged not too scary for the unskilled, not too tame for the skill, they get ridden hard and become infested with braking bumps. Every blue/green/black was relatively smooth.

If you're going to hit mainstream runs, a little more would be worth it for comfort, but not the difference between having fun and not having fun, you will have fun. if you're planning on riding more stuff you find off the signed trails, you'll be happy with 140.

bennett_346

Interesting topic, im heading to Chatel in the summer on a Pitch with 140 pikes and 150mm at the back, and im fully prepared to just take things a bit slower because speed isnt everything to me. Sounds a pain about the braking bumps mind.

prb007

Rag it til it falls to bits, then rent,
that's pretty much what i did last year and the year before.
Won't take my own bike next year tbh,
£70 for new tyres
£40 - worth of brake pads
Blew my Pikes (£75 for new cartridge)
Trashed my back wheel - £30 for new Halo rim
£40 for new rear hub
factor in the cost of taking the bike on the plane
and I'll be renting a lapierre froggy or similar
and not worry about consumables and bringing
my bike home in bits in a carrier bag :shock:
And yes, the stutter-bumps are a royal pain in the @ss!

bennett_346

prb007 wrote:

Rag it til it falls to bits, then rent,
that's pretty much what i did last year and the year before.
Won't take my own bike next year tbh,
£70 for new tyres
£40 - worth of brake pads
Blew my Pikes (£75 for new cartridge)
Trashed my back wheel - £30 for new Halo rim
£40 for new rear hub
factor in the cost of taking the bike on the plane
and I'll be renting a lapierre froggy or similar
and not worry about consumables and bringing
my bike home in bits in a carrier bag :shock:
And yes, the stutter-bumps are a royal pain in the @ss!

Hmm, i don't think im as harsh a rider as you are lol. I'm easy on bikes, i ride slower than most people and only weigh 10 stone.

Anonymous

In our week there, we knackered two sets of 888s, a set of 55s (no surprise there), an Intense Socom, a GT I-drive DH and two sets of Hope brakes. It's a rpetty brutal place.

Like FBM.BMX, the more "novice friendly" runs are actually physically harder on the bike, because unprepared people are freaking out and braking far too hard on the bends, leading to inncredible braking bumps. We rode the French nationals track, adn the old Super Morzine whilst we were there too, and whilst they were much tougher technically, they were just rooty and rocky, and were actually less harsh that the braking bumps!

I suppose one thing to bear in mind is that you hit those braking bumps going pretty damned fast.
On Pleney, there's a steep descent into a left hand flat out berm, called "10%" (I think), and the braking bumps on the bottom of that make it practically unrideable at speed

bennett_346

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Like FBM.BMX, the more "novice friendly" runs are actually physically harder on the bike

Duly noted

Neil A

FBM.BMX wrote:

I just got back from the alps and was riding the "proper" downhill black runs and some gnarlier unmarked stuff. i was base camped in morzine.

I used pikes.

I just found the limiting factor were braking bumps. there was one mega downhill berm i did rode in the main morzine red which was too braking bump ridden to enjoy, but then the braking bumps were too much for a very capable friend with fox 36 vans @ 160mm.

140mm was enough for me to tackle the downhill stuff, any rough or rooty sections i would just jump or skim over.

I never felt under forked until I hit the mainstream runs such as the main red in les gets, going from the top under the lift, all the way into les gets. The braking bumps ruined some runs and i felt a little more fork would have solved the problem.

But then the black or off piste runs weren't braking bump ridden and i felt 140mm was more then comfortable. it kept a lively, poppy character that i like.

basically every red run gets ragged not too scary for the unskilled, not too tame for the skill, they get ridden hard and become infested with braking bumps. Every blue/green/black was relatively smooth.

If you're going to hit mainstream runs, a little more would be worth it for comfort, but not the difference between having fun and not having fun, you will have fun. if you're planning on riding more stuff you find off the signed trails, you'll be happy with 140.

Thanks very much for this reply - very useful info

miss notax

I am also off the Morzine with Flow in 2 weeks

For what it's worth I will be on 140mm forks - i'm not into mental DH trails, more technical xc, so i'm confident that these will be fine. I rode Verbier a few years ago (again, techy xc not DH) on 120mm forks so anything is possible.....

Have fun and maybe see you out there!!

bennett_346

miss notax wrote:

I am also off the Morzine with Flow in 2 weeks

For what it's worth I will be on 140mm forks - i'm not into mental DH trails, more technical xc

Same, but im also gonna try out some of the park stuff in Chatel, and the infamous cow shore: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZMVyFHNGs8#t=01m31s

miss notax

That's hilarious

(I say that, but I would clearly be one of the people riding off the log (after the cow ) covered in mud!)

I'm looking forward to lots of sunny singletrack, but am packing my full face just in case I get persuaded to try something a little more daring

prb007

Full face = full on
plus as much tupperware as the heat will allow,
it could mean the difference between going hard again
the next day or going home!

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Sear ... ssure+suit

craker

I took my 75mm hardtail with the intention of not doing the DH trails. That failed as I followed my mates about on their rented DH rigs. TBH I wasn't noticably slower than them but I was running my tyres really soft and kept on getting pinch flats. It was unrideable when I put the pressure up.

There must be a local place renting out hardtails with mechanical disk brakes to cheapskates, there were a few of them about. One does suffer looks of derision from the DH biker fashion police if you don't quite look the part though.

Anonymous

mr_si, that's probably because you've gone to somewhere centered around pretty damned full-on DH riding, with a wholly inmappropriate bike!

Neil A

miss notax wrote:

I am also off the Morzine with Flow in 2 weeks

For what it's worth I will be on 140mm forks - i'm not into mental DH trails, more technical xc, so i'm confident that these will be fine. I rode Verbier a few years ago (again, techy xc not DH) on 120mm forks so anything is possible.....

Have fun and maybe see you out there!!

We're there 9-16 July!

I'm really in 2 minds now as no doubt that on any trails that are more technical and pedally I'm going to be absolutely fine on my current set-up

miss notax

Aww, we fly out on the 16th!!

Have fun whatever bike / setup you end up riding

craker

yeehaamcgee wrote:

mr_si, that's probably because you've gone to somewhere centered around pretty damned full-on DH riding, with a wholly inmappropriate bike!

Yeah I spose its like turning up at a trail centre on a supermarket bike without a helmet. You might think you're having fun but there's a lot of folk looking at you thinking, 'there's an accident waiting to happen'

Full face helmet & pressure suit is the only way to go at these places.

Anonymous

yep. A lot of the "old hands" will also probably be bemoaning non DH riders ruining the flow of the courses by creating insane braking bumps everywhere.

bennett_346

yeehaamcgee wrote:

yep. A lot of the "old hands" will also probably be bemoaning non DH riders ruining the flow of the courses by creating insane braking bumps everywhere.

Ah they can get screwed, who needs a dh bike these days anyway

Chalky76

i'm all for hiring when you're out there. If you add up the cost of getting your bike out there and the damage you'll do to it over a few days riding, then i think it levels out. When i gave my bike back after our first trip out there, all i remember thinking was 'thank god that's not my bike'. And last year was no different.

Plus you get to try out something a bit different on proper terrain!?!

Neil A

I just accidentally slipped and ordered a set of 'Zocchi 55 RVs.

Whoops :oops:

Anonymous

Whoops indeed. Nevermind, there's a great bloke working in Dert in Morzine who will fix them for you.

Neil A

Thanks, constructive :roll:

Anonymous

Well, it's too late to be constructive, you've already ordered them.
I suggested it might be a bad idea early on.