All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

I'm glad it didn't!

I paid $100 for a crusty unridable bike just to get that hub, and for all I cared, the rest of the bike coulda looked like this!



That's a famous bike BTW.
Count Chopula from Chicagofreakbike.org.

He drags spares, onboard air tank, and it looks like a big battery that powers the hub motor or something.
I wonder if it has regeneration?

I told my 4WD buddy I wanted to build a huntin' buggy, then I sent him this pic.

 

Schenectady Central Park, Colonie Town Park, North Bethlehem town park are all great suburban trails, Gurney Lane, Kalabus Perry, Daniels Road, Luthers Forest, Thatcher Park, Grafton Lakes, The 909, Elm Ridge, Bennington Area Trails and apparently some new trails to check out near Saratoga…Tupelo trails, just opened Saturday! Wow, that’s a lot of trails and I’m sure I forgot some…all within 1:15 or so and all on trail forks.

 

I got a Schwinn Racer for Christmas when I was 8 years old, first bike (yes, I too am a senior citizen). Trust me, a kid crashing and throwing the bike down on the right side can destroy that shifter chain pretty quickly. I grew to hate Sturmey Archer. Decades later I worked in a bike shop and adjusted a few; no visible change in 50 years and I finally figured out they work pretty well.

 

That chain is definitely their Achilles heel. They're a bit of a bear to open up, clean, grease, and adjust, but you rarely ever dispose of one. They just work. And when they don't... You make them work.

I grumble every time one comes into the shop. I grumble when I spend a couple of hours on one losing money with our "basic tune up" price. But it's satisfying to send the customer home with that old thing working like it did on day one.

 

Bike maintenance question, how often do you guys have your (Fox) forks and shocks completely rebuilt including the damper? I'm good about the lower leg and bushing/seal services but was wondering about the damper.

 

Can't tell you the last time lol

 

Well, here's what Fox says:



My estimate is that equates to about every 1000 miles. Yearly is a bit crazy unless you are reaching that 1000 mile mark. I've rarely owned a bike long enough to put 1000 miles on it. I'd say that if it is working OK (not losing air, damping feels fine) and you've kept the oil and seals in good shape, you could go longer.

 

There should be another check box, 'When you buy one used with unknown use'

 

lol

ive done 1 lower service on my fox fork, and that was mainly because i needed to repair the stanchion from a scratch.

maybe this will be the first time i send my suspension off. who can really say

 

Timely topic, fork legs draining right now. I try to do a good inspection of the bushings when I’ve got the lowers off but I don’t think I’ve ever had to have Fox bushings replaced. Guess I sold it before due.

Rock Shox is a different story. I’ve had bushings replaced on those and done fluid swaps on charger dampers. Pretty easy with the bleed kit given it’s closed system design, prob the only RS feature I prefer over Fox.

 

Lower service/wipers n' seals depends on annual mileage and how well the stanchions are cleaned/maintained.

I've recently (past year...) started using a product called WPL Forkboost that essentaily moisturizes your inner fork seals/sponges in between lower services. I'm applying Forkboost by adding a couple drops around the lower seal and cycling the fork until it thins around the stanchion...then wiping the residual off. Been applying about every 90 days riding roughly 2-3X a week. I might also be an OCD stanchion cleaner after each ride...



Similar to others posting here, I've not had occasion to need a cartridge rebuild...either not owning a fork long enough or not riding hard enough to warrant the service.

 

Yeah, I wipe my stanchions off, put a little Tri-Flo above the seals and cycle the fork up and down a bit. If it has been a while, I'll turn the bike upside down for a bit to let the foam rings get some oil before I ride. Probably overkill, as they likely would get lubed up over the first few bumps. I may not wipe the frame down, but I'm a bit anal about making sure moving parts get attention after nearly every ride. Breakdowns due to poor maintenance annoy me.

The one guy I used to ride with that broke down the most was a mechanical engineer. He also needed the most help fixing things. Makes you wonder . . .

 

Mechanical engineers amirite?

 

This does not go well with Fox Transfer Dropper posts. After about a ride it gets all sticky and won't go up all the way.

 

Best fluid to use on the stanchions and fork seals/sponges is the same fluid you use in the lowers. If one does their own lowers they would have it on hand. There is also no chance of contamination or breakdown. Clean the stanchions, drip a few drops under the seal, cycle the fork (take it for a sidewalk bouncy spin), whip it clean, repeat cycling the fork repeatedly, and whip it clean. Like your chain, the cleaner the better or it gets gunked up and collects dirt.

 

Like your chain, the cleaner the better or it gets gunked up and collects dirt. Ideally it would be the same fluid as the post uses.

 

I’ve been using that WPL stuff also on my forks and dropper. It seems to do pretty well. Just a little around the base after a wash, cycle the suspension, then wipe clean.

 

REI recently got the Big Agnes Copper Spur bikepacking tents back in stock, online anyway. Ended up ordering one since I had a pretty good amount in my dividends balance combined with a gift card. The tent and foot print would’ve been about $700, ended up getting it for $330.

I’m excited to finally give bikepacking a try! Probably gonna start with some weekend trips close to home until I learn what I need/don’t need.

 

Obviously, to each their own. Not sure about “contamination” as that can happen with any product designed to enhance dampening/lubing seals and attract dirt. I’m assuming you mean contamination that could break down the sponges or internals of the fork seal. I suppose time will tell on my FOX 36.

WPL is an alternative, not an absolution for sure.

 

If you are going to pull the seal back and squirt some in, I'd think it's advisable to use what they put in there. Keeping the stanchions and dust wipers clean and not dried out is what I shoot for, just takes a little lube to do that. I've got plenty of shock oil on hand.

I think my mechanical engineering buddy kept most of his fluid on his stanchions.