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

how did it go with the fork on the bike? i always take mine off so i can twist it around and stuff. i don't remember the damper being too difficult to take out, but putting the bushings in then putting the upper back in, that was tricky and thought i was gonna break stuff.

also, i was a little risky using a wire coat hangar, dont do that lol. i should have gone to home depot and got a wooden dowel or something. dont wanna scratch the inside.


ive been using a garmin 520 for awhile. sounds like you guys use more functionality for the computers than i do. i mainly use it to see what time it is, and pretty much only on road or gravel bikes. putting your route on there and having it preset does sound nifty though. im the one stopping at like every intersection wondering which way i should be going. the 520 does pair with my wahoo tickr and seems to be a little more accurate than my garmin vivosmart that ive been using for maybe 4 years now. its all just to track and log for me, less about using it during the ride.

 

I have the garmin 530 as well. The 830 woudl be nice for touch screen but since I'm mostly mountain biking, the computer lives in my pocket so id on't lose it on any of the rowdiness. I should probably get a proper mount for it on my topcap or something. I do have it attached to my gravel bike handlebars though. and it gives me tons of info and trail warnings about any abrupt changes in gravel mode.

There's an initial bit of setup to get it to what you like and it's a bit involved to do it but once you figure it out, it's pretty nice to have all the info's. I also got a chest heart rate monitor. very good info to have as well.it can tell how hard i've pushed and how long i have to rest after a ride. do I follow it? not always. lol.

The battery hasn't been a problem for me though. I can use the computer for I think a week or two before charging. it's rated for 24 hours. That is, unless you keep the screen on. which i don't.

 

all the new ones come with trailforks on it now.

 

I can't seem to get mine to link up with Trailforks. It's been a challenge since I bought it. It shows the map but does not have any of the trail names.

 

huh weird. I mean, i think mine shows the map but not always the trail names. i have to zoom in and out to see the trail names. which is a hassle because the buttons aren't really nice. this is wehre the touch screen would be nice.

try...updating the device? not sure what's going on.

 

We’ve been messing with it for a while now. The guy I ride with has the same 530 and his connects to TF. He’ll have trail names popping up but mine often does not. Just an annoyance for now, I don’t go way off grid so it’s not a huge deal, if I went on a long trek, I’d spend the time to figure it out.

 

Yup, make the tricky job of getting around the adjustment rod on the damper a total non issue.

 

It worked well just holding a 15mm socket on the damper side and giving it a good bang...

 

this is what I do.

 

Eventually I’d like to aquire the proper tools and knowledge to complete my own fork/shock servicing. For now I just tuck tail and head to the LBS

 

i did. i followed the lost co's vid on youtube to do a lower service for a fox 36, did the service, and my fork seems to be working again. but now i got a zeb. do i order all the different oils for a rock shox fork and do the service again? idk. if you have multiple forks of the same brand with the same oil sure. idk what the cost would be to have it done at a shop, but maybe its the same? its not really hard if you have the tools, but getting the tools costs a little. i got the special tool for fox 36, and extra oils, but will i do it again or just swap the zeb in and get a super deluxe coil for the rear? then id have to start riding in hawaiian shirts and shuttle everywhere if i bring out that bike

first world problems i guess

 

Not sure and I could easily google it, but how often to you guys service your suspension? Seems like there is the preventative side and do it once per season, then there is the 'oh man, something feels off, better get it looked at' side.

 

The cost likely varies per shop, and what job is being done. My LBS is about $100-$125 for basic lowers/seal replacement on a fork, and roughy $100 for an air can service.

Definitely cheaper in the long run to buy the necessary tools. Moreso if you run a given suspension model/or brand for extended time. I tend to hop around a bit from bike to bike so servicing suspension isn’t a frequent job for me. Nonetheless, a skill I’d like to eventually learn.

Yea I think the general rule of thumb is yearly or once a season. Different manufacturers have different suggested intervals. Mileage per rider per season is not a constant variable so YMMV.

 

I ignore the manufacturer's recommended service intervals. If the fork is sticky or is seeping oil past the seals, I do a lower service. Once the fork starts feeling harsh, I bleed it (or, I send it to Push to get it tuned to my weight).

 

Same. Seals once it feels bad and damper service when the compression stops working

 

I hit about 450 miles on this, well over the recommended 50 hours I’m sure as I’m not going that fast..

I watched this video to do it, because it takes its time and it is made to seem that it’s the girls first time doing the service as well so It’s easily explained.
https://youtu.be/q5ttvg9PgkU

 

idk. this is a good video, but i would say get the seal driver instead of the nut loosener thing they use for the bottom of the fork. just use the socket trick. much easier and you probably already have it. more important to get the seals in flush than loosen those nuts.

also. wear closed toe shoes in the shop? they were required when i worked in a shop. they said socks too, but ehh

no cycle the compression every 50 psi as you pump the fork back up? to keep the positive and negative chambers equal?

she does ask the questions that come up when you're doing the service though.

 

Socket trick is great until/unless you bend or damage the adjustment rod on the damper then you’ll immediately wish you’d spent a few bucks. They can be had for cheap if you look around.

The benefits of having bought your kids a 3d printer. Seal drivers.

 

wouldnt those long nut looseners be more prone to bending something? since they are longer they have more leverage?

 

Yes, don’t hit the long “Fox” tools straight there’s more side force than not hitting a shallow socket on the side.

However, these are “what if” statements and I doubt you’ll bend it just hitting it with force you believe is required to break the seal.