Suspension FAIL

mutznutz

Greetings all

I did some training yesterday with the nice guys at fullysussed (Jay came down)

Part of the training revolved around doing a manual over a jump and landing on a slope

Not having much practise I landed pretty hard on the front end, the whole thing compressed full travel and flipped me over, no big deal I landed ok so I tried it again, same thing happened but instead supermaned into the floor possibly broken / cracked some ribs plus the rest

Anyway as I couldn't adjust the shite forks in any way I came off a third time, when I get back on to bike again I'd like some different forks and go back to try the trail again

It's a carerra kraken 09 (unfortunately didn't look into my purchase very well), if anyone knows the size of fork I'd need I'd appreciate it. I'm looking at entry level rockshox to replace, any opinions on doing that or am I setting myself up for another fall? Pun intended

Regards

Andrew

cooldad

So what's on there at the moment?

thel33ter

XCR 120mm's.

mutznutz

Yeh sorry that would have been good to add hehe Suntour Xcr's as thel33ter said

The speed lock does something but the preload does nothing at all

cooldad

What's your budget?

mutznutz

Ideally sub £200 due to getting it past the finance department (or the wife as she is known)

cat_with_no_tail

My vote would be to go to 100mm and get some Recon Gold from on-one

YeehaaMcgee

Technique issue, not a fork issue.

supersonic

I agree - a new fork will compress the same, unless you lock it out or put so much pressure in it doesn't move - which defeats the object.

apreading

Yep - if you want to stop the forks getting full travel you will need a stiffer spring, not a better fork - as they will likely compress just as much. Fitting stiffer springs would cost too much money and not make much sense. Or an air fork that you can make stiffer by pumping it up but then it will be so hard that it wont absorb much impact.

Or you could get a downhill fork with more travel but your bike frame wont be suited for that.

I agree with the others, need to look at landing technique.

mutznutz

I am looking at technique hench the reason I was training with an instructor

I was looking for a fork that was more forgiving while I'm learning how to do it, I know that I totally suck

YeehaaMcgee

mutznutz wrote:

I am looking at technique hench the reason I was training with an instructor

I was looking for a fork that was more forgiving while I'm learning how to do it, I know that I totally suck

fork won't make a difference. Learn the technique, rather than learn to spend frivolous money, since it won't help in this scenario.

supersonic

A new fork will not be more forgiving though, especially an entry level Rockshox.

Yes there are better forks that will behave better over multiple hits, and are more adjustable, but this is a single compression and will perform very similar to any other fork unless you ramp the damping and pressures up very high

mutznutz

Ok fair enough I'll not waste my money then

rockmonkeysc

Sounds like weight too far forwards or not lifting the front wheel enough rather than a poor fork. Not great training, try a better instructor next time.

YeehaaMcgee

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Sounds like weight too far forwards or not lifting the front wheel enough rather than a poor fork. Not great training, try a better instructor next time.

To be fair to the instructor, some people are convinced they're following the advice, even though they aren't. It can take more than a session for it to sink in.
I've seen it plenty of times in snowboarding, where someone is convinced they're leaning forwards onto their front foot, but in reality if thye were leaning back any further, they'd be doing a tail press

rockmonkeysc

Shouldn't the instructor have explained that he was too far forwards and the suspension wasn't to blame?
I was fortunate enough to have been taught to ride jumps & drops by Chris Smith. Before even attempting and jumps or drops we spent a lot of time going over basic techniques on the ground. When I crashed he explained in simple terms why I crashed, we went over the technique on the ground again so I knew what I was doing before trying again.

YeehaaMcgee

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Shouldn't the instructor have explained that he was too far forwards and the suspension wasn't to blame?
I was fortunate enough to have been taught to ride jumps & drops by Chris Smith. Before even attempting and jumps or drops we spent a lot of time going over basic techniques on the ground. When I crashed he explained in simple terms why I crashed, we went over the technique on the ground again so I knew what I was doing before trying again.

Well, I was trying to politely hint that maybe he didn't listen to the instructor. But there you go.

mutznutz

As I said I know that I suck and I landed wrong and I'm obviously a total idiot for failing

What I was asking for was advice on shocks not reaffirming to me how much I suck even though I quite clearly do

Thanks for all the useful tips though I'll take a lot away from this

YeehaaMcgee

mutznutz wrote:

As I said I know that I suck and I landed wrong and I'm obviously a total idiot for failing

It's fine, it's very easy to think you're doing something right until you nail it, and then get that "ahaaaa!" moment.
As far as I'm concerned, the idiots are the usual suspects giving you various useless alleys to throw your money down.

rockmonkeysc

A set of Rockshox Recons would be a big improvement but they wouldn't have helped at all with your jumping problem.
http://www.flatoutcycles.co.uk/product/ ... mm_2011_S9
A bit over your £200 budget but a great fork at a pretty good price

steelie600

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

As far as I'm concerned, the idiots are the usual suspects giving you various useless alleys to throw your money down.

^^^^ Brilliant advice!!

mobilekat

Having had a joint lesson with my OH with Jay he is a good instructor, and would not refrain from telling you if your technique is the issue!!
He got me doing things I never dreamed I could, and helped us both loads!!

sandy771

I couldnt get anyone to recommend fullysussed when I asked about them on here (they are local to me). So I have booked a session with Jedi and will have to drive passed fullysussed and then on for another 250-300 miles to get to him.

I hope (and from what I have read expect) that if it is my technique that is wrong he will be able to see that this is the case and correct it before I crash for a third time, but then I would hope there would be some way of getting the technique dialed in before I crash the first

mutznutz

As I said it was my fault, not Jay's I landed too hard on the front

He taught me the right way to land and I messed it up

As I've been saying I thought it was shocks, I've been corrected, so thats fine

Northwind

mutznutz wrote:

The speed lock does something but the preload does nothing at all

It does, it just doesn't do what lots of people think it does. Preload changes the start point of the travel, that's all.

XCR's a perfectly decent fork as long as it's working right... Though they need a lot of TLC. Don't be down on your bike, it's a good bit of kit and great value. Most people struggle to get full travel out of the forks though- are you by any chance a larger gentleman?

Jedi

seen you soon then

mutznutz

Jedi wrote:

seen you soon then

Eh?

Northwind wrote:

mutznutz wrote:

The speed lock does something but the preload does nothing at all

It does, it just doesn't do what lots of people think it does. Preload changes the start point of the travel, that's all.

XCR's a perfectly decent fork as long as it's working right... Though they need a lot of TLC. Don't be down on your bike, it's a good bit of kit and great value. Most people struggle to get full travel out of the forks though- are you by any chance a larger gentleman?

13 1/2 stone if that's large?

Northwind

TBH i never got more than 100mm out of mine, at 10 stone, so if the spring rate is the same I'd've thought it should be about right for you. Are you 100% sure it's bottoming?

cooldad

mutznutz wrote:

Jedi wrote:

seen you soon then

Eh?

I think he's talking to sandy771.