Hello! An intro and a question...

Jonesinamilion

Good evening all,
Looking to get into riding a but more so thought signing up to a forum would help & motivate me.

Always had bikes as a kid then got back into it on a Specialized hardrock sport a couple of years back which I enjoyed. I generally tootle about on towpaths etc... But have been upto Cannock Chase a couple of times.

I treated myself to the below (btwin rafal 740) recently and intend getting out a lot more, only been out a couple of times but I already love the bike, it feels amazing.



my questions...

I want to ride at night in the coming weeks, nothing crazy just towpaths & railway lines to get used to the bike and get some fitness back(ex heavy smoker). I have a 850 lumen hand torch with a bar mount, will this suffice?

Secondly, my remote lockout sticks when releasing, possible causes?

Thirdly, I'm looking to do an organised / charity bike ride, preferably off road / tracks in the spring to give me something to aim for.. Midlands, Peak District, north wales maybe. Any suggestions?

I'll be sticking around!

rockmonkeysc

All remote lockouts are, without exception rubbish. They never last long.
Your light should be bright enough, there's only one way to find out.
Stay off the railway tracks unless you can out pedal an intercity

Jonesinamilion

Thanks for the reply.

No trains or track on these old railway lines... Just druggies, litter, murderers and doggers; I live in Stoke in Trent!

Put up with the remote lockout or is there anything I can try (works perfect when testing / stationary, just fails to release consistently when under load without bouncing on the bars or giving it a twist with the hand on the fork)?

Jonesinamilion

Thanks oxo; Seems like common sense, duct tape & helmet at the ready!

Edit. Bike was brand new in December but they made a right balls up of setting it up, forks on backwards and lockout wasn't even connected.

Jonesinamilion

Here is the spec of the bike, seeing as I know not too much about bikes I'd be interested in hearing your opinions (I'm thick skinned so feel free to be blunt!)?

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rafal-740-mountain-bike-id_8314897.html

The looks & weight of the bike are my favorite points so far... Coming from some suntour forks on my old bike these seem to actually help instead of hinder!

Clockworkmark31

Had the same problem with lockout always sticking on release. Required extra maintenance, good idea in principle but requires too much time. Keep it clean and well lubed.

As others have said with the light, a good head mounted light is preferable allows you to see before you commit.

Rides I can't offer advice on as I would like to do a similar thing, maybe lands end to john o groates off road?

codfather

I used to have a lockout lever on my Maguras. Was a complete nightmare at first but replacing the cable, opening up the lever and replacing the springs with stiffer units did the trick. Then I pressed the lever too hard and snapped it. Then I threw it in the bin. I do not lament it's demise.

BigAl

I've removed the remote lock-out from all my forks that I can

They're a waste of time, and if you're forks are set up properly, really not required

The Rookie

The trouble with that remote is that the spring return pressure is low, any crud in the cable at all and it stops working. It also uses a cheap cable outer with is perfectly designed for letting crud in and the location of teh exposed part of the cable (in front of the bars) ideally placed to pick up crud.

A better quality cable outer worked wonders on someone I ride with's bike, in conjunction with a taped on section of coke bottle to act as a crud deflector (and a fork mounted mini mud guard).

Jonesinamilion

Thans for the replies ladies & gents, keep them coming!... Worth trying a bit of ptfe based lube on the lockout?