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A few questions...

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Mountain Bikes
Published
25 August 2003
Last activity
4 September 2003
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Dubi
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  1. Hello all, This is my first post here, is there a faq from this newsgroup somewhere, somekind of
    guideline?

    I have just bought my first good bike, my last one, a portuguese 200 bucks supermarket bike, did
    brought me a lot of fun, but after one of those babies was stolen (yes we had two of them), I bought
    my wife a better bike from a big french sports store, and then I could really feel the difference a
    better built product with better parts makes.

    Now I have some questions,

    I want to use this bike as a fitness tool, on tours with a little "rock and roll" (The plan is to go
    to the alps when it gets warm again, april/may 04) and possibly some small triathlons and "adventure
    races". My choice after reading a lot, was a hardtail around 1000 bucks with good parts

    Regarding the brake system, it's a "magura julie" disk brake, on the first tour, it impressed me how
    nice they worked, very smooth, but then I started thinking, is it maybe too much? V-brakes are
    lighter, efficient, plus I can repair them if I have a problem in the middle of nowhere. Is this
    really an issue? At some point if I feel the need I can always replace them and the weels, can't I?
    The fork and frame have the places for vbrakes too.

    Another thing is how do I work with the fork, a Duke xc, it has an adjustment for the rebound speed,
    what's good for what?

    I have some concerns about the maintenance of those parts, I'm thinking of keeping my old bike as a
    learning ground for bike maintenance, maybe I can find a workshop, so I can take care of some things
    myself. I have read a lot about it lately and have learned many interesting things. Any thoughts
    about that?

    If you are still with me, thank's and sorry for the long post, the main reason I decided to dive
    into MTB is because I used to work as a rafting guide and used to kayak several days a week, now
    I live 700 km away from the next rapid, and I needed something to replace/incorporate to that,
    in order to stay in shape and closer to nature. Mountain-bike it is, and it has a lot in common
    with kayaking!

    Thank's for any thoughts,

    Dubi

  2. "Dubi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    Hello all, This is my first post here, is there a faq from this newsgroup somewhere, somekind of
    guideline?

    Bomba the faq's, but I don't know the address of the top.

    Quoted message said:


    I have just bought my first good bike, my last one, a portuguese 200 bucks supermarket bike, did
    brought me a lot of fun, but after one of those babies was stolen (yes we had two of them), I
    bought my wife a better bike from a big french sports store, and then I could really feel the
    difference a better built product with better parts makes.

    Now I have some questions,

    I want to use this bike as a fitness tool, on tours with a little "rock and roll" (The plan is to
    go to the alps when it gets warm again, april/may 04) and possibly some small triathlons and
    "adventure races". My choice after reading a lot, was a hardtail around 1000 bucks with good parts

    Regarding the brake system, it's a "magura julie" disk brake, on the first tour, it impressed me
    how nice they worked, very smooth, but then I started thinking, is it maybe too much? V-brakes are
    lighter, efficient, plus I can repair them if I have a problem in the middle of nowhere. Is this
    really an issue?

    IMO no. As long as you do a thorough pre-ride checkup, you shouldn't have any problems. Magura's are
    generally reliable.

    At some point if I feel the need I can always

    Quoted message said:

    replace them and the weels, can't I? The fork and frame have the places for vbrakes too.

    As long as you have the bosses and proper components, yes. The question
    is: why bother? The Julie disks aren't all that heavy, unless you're a gram counter.

    Quoted message said:


    Another thing is how do I work with the fork, a Duke xc, it has an adjustment for the rebound
    speed, what's good for what?

    That adjusts how fast the fork rebounds after compression. Faster rebound (less damping) is good for
    smooth trails, while slower rebound is better for rough trails. Faster doesn't suck up bumps as
    well, but resists bob more.

    Quoted message said:

    I have some concerns about the maintenance of those parts, I'm thinking of keeping my old bike as
    a learning ground for bike maintenance, maybe I can find a workshop, so I can take care of some
    things myself. I have read a lot about it lately and have learned many interesting things. Any
    thoughts about that?

    Guinea pigs are good...

    Quoted message said:

    If you are still with me, thank's and sorry for the long post, the main reason I decided to dive
    into MTB is because I used to work as a rafting guide and used to kayak several days a week, now I
    live 700 km away from the next rapid, and I needed something to replace/incorporate to that, in
    order to stay in shape and closer to nature. Mountain-bike it is, and it has a lot in common with
    kayaking!

    Thank's for any thoughts,

    Dubi

    Welcome.

    --
    Cameron

  3. Quoted message said:

    Hello all, This is my first post here, is there a faq from this newsgroup somewhere, somekind of
    guideline?

    Courtesy of Bomba. Don't mind all the typo's t-online.deambfaq.htm

    Quoted message said:

    Thank's for any thoughts,

    Dubi

    You welcome and welcome to the friendliest Newsgroup on the net.
    --
    Slacker

  4. Slacker said:
    Quoted message said:

    Hello all, This is my first post here, is there a faq from this newsgroup somewhere, somekind of
    guideline?

    Courtesy of Bomba. Don't mind all the typo's t-online.deambfaq.htm

    Quoted message said:

    Thank's for any thoughts,

    Dubi

    You welcome and welcome to the friendliest Newsgroup on the net.

  5. Cameron said...

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    Another thing is how do I work with the fork, a Duke xc, it has an adjustment for the rebound
    speed, what's good for what?

    That adjusts how fast the fork rebounds after compression. Faster rebound (less damping) is good
    for smooth trails, while slower rebound is better for rough trails. Faster doesn't suck up bumps
    as well, but resists bob more.

    Huh? Slow rebound is the last thing you want on a rough trail. The fork will pack up and bottom out
    easier. Too much rebound damping will also make the ride unnecessarily harsh. The best use for
    rebound damping is to compensate for spring rate and preload, or air pressure in the case of an air
    shock. If you have stiff springs, high preload or high air pressure, the fork will naturally rebound
    faster than with softer springs or less air pressure, hence rebound damping to keep the fork from
    kicking back too much. Rebound damping settings are also a personal preference thing, but generally
    you want less rebound damping instead of more for the suspension to work its best. You can use
    rebound damping to fight bob, but in my experience this is much more of an issue for rear shocks
    than forks. Besides that it is a tradeoff. Lots of rebound damping is great for fighting bob, not so
    great for downhill sections or rough sections.

  6. "P e t e F a g e r l i n" wrote...

    Quoted message said:
    Slacker said:

    You welcome and welcome to the friendliest Newsgroup on the net.

    Oooo, you just used the F word! I don't think Bomba is going to appreciate that.
    --
    Slacker

  7. Slacker said:

    Oooo, you just used the F word! I don't think Bomba is going to appreciate that.

    Definitely. It goes against my christian fundamentalist beliefs...

    --
    a.m-b FAQ: t-online.deambfaq.htm

    b.bmx FAQ: t-online.debmx faq.htm

  8. bomba <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    Slacker wrote:

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    Oooo, you just used the F word! I don't think Bomba is going to


    appreciate

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    that.

    Definitely. It goes against my christian fundamentalist beliefs...

    Quoted message said:

    ',;~}~

    Shaun aRe

  9. "Shaun Rimmer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...

    Who's Christina and what's her fundamentalist belief?

    - CA-G

    Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!

  10. Shaun Rimmer said:


    Carla A-G <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    "Shaun Rimmer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:


    Who's Christina and what's her fundamentalist belief?

    How the hell should I know?!?!? Never met a Christina in my life.....

    Shaun aRe - ......least not one that wasn't corrupt to the core and a dirty rotten [censored] into
    the bargain.


    I knew a Christina once, but I never saw her fundament

    Martin

  11. Dubi said:

    Hello all, This is my first post here, is there a faq from this newsgroup somewhere, somekind of
    guideline?

    t-online.deambfaq.htm - looked after by Bomba and a good read - gave me a good
    laugh for the weekend.

    Quoted message said:

    Regarding the brake system, it's a "magura julie" disk brake, on the first tour, it impressed me
    how nice they worked, very smooth, but then I started thinking, is it maybe too much? V-brakes are
    lighter, efficient, plus I can repair them if I have a problem in the middle of nowhere.

    I doubt both will fail at the same time and unless somewhere really weird I would expect you should
    be able to limp home with one.

    P.
    --
    Paul Matthews [email hidden] hepcats.co.ukhepcats.co.uk

  12. Shaun Rimmer said:

    How the hell should I know?!?!? Never met a Christina in my life.....

    Shaun aRe - ......least not one that wasn't corrupt to the core and a dirty rotten [censored] into
    the bargain.

    Got any phone numbers?
    --
    Paul Matthews [email hidden] hepcats.co.ukhepcats.co.uk

  13. "Super Slinky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    Cameron said...

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    Another thing is how do I work with the fork, a Duke xc, it has an adjustment for the rebound
    speed, what's good for what?

    That adjusts how fast the fork rebounds after compression. Faster rebound (less damping) is good
    for smooth trails, while slower rebound is better for rough trails. Faster doesn't suck up bumps
    as well, but resists bob more.

    Huh? Slow rebound is the last thing you want on a rough trail. The fork will pack up and bottom
    out easier. Too much rebound damping will also make the ride unnecessarily harsh. The best use for
    rebound damping is to compensate for spring rate and preload, or air pressure in the case of an
    air shock. If you have stiff springs, high preload or high air pressure, the fork will naturally
    rebound faster than with softer springs or less air pressure, hence rebound damping to keep the
    fork from kicking back too much. Rebound damping settings are also a personal preference thing,
    but generally you want less rebound damping instead of more for the suspension to work its best.
    You can use rebound damping to fight bob, but in my experience this is much more of an issue for
    rear shocks than forks. Besides that it is a tradeoff. Lots of rebound damping is great for
    fighting bob, not so great for downhill sections or rough sections.

    Chill out! I was giving a very basic answer. Obviously it depends heavily on the specific fork/shock
    being used. And I didn't say 'turn the damping all the way up'. That would make it feel dead and
    unresponsive. I have my Psylo set smack in the middle.

    --
    Cameron

  14. "Dubi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    In article <[email hidden]>, "Cameron"

    Quoted message said:

    "Dubi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    Hello all, This is my first post here, is there a faq from this newsgroup somewhere, somekind
    of guideline?


    Quoted message said:

    snip<

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    Regarding the brake system, it's a "magura julie" disk brake, on the first tour, it impressed
    me how nice they worked, very smooth, but then I started thinking, is it maybe too much?
    V-brakes are lighter, efficient, plus I can repair them if I have a problem in the middle of
    nowhere. Is this really an issue?

    IMO no. As long as you do a thorough pre-ride checkup, you shouldn't have any problems. Magura's
    are generally reliable.

    Quoted message said:

    snip<

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    Thank's for any thoughts,

    Dubi

    Welcome.

    Thank's for the answers, and sorry for all the namecalling generated by this thread! 🙂

    Happens all the time. Apologizing around here can get you flamed....

    Quoted message said:


    Apart from any visible wear and fluid leak, what else should I look for when doing a thorough
    pre-ride checkup of my brakes?

    Aside from the usual all over checks like bolt torque, damage, etc, the only thing with those disks
    is to periodically measure the gap between the pad tabs while sqeezing the lever. Or just removing
    the pads and visually inspecting them for wear. But depending on the type of material they use, they
    could be good for a year or so.

    Quoted message said:


    Dubi
    --

    Email is fake, sorry, have lost too many accounts to spam...

    I live in a state where spam is illegal. Obviously won't stop it, but it has slowed down
    considerably. On one account I had several years I was receiving about 15-25 junk emails a day!

    --
    Cameron

  15. Carla A-G said:

    Who's Christina and what's her fundamentalist belief?

    Aguilera, and I fink we all know what is her fundamentalist belief. Aiiie.

    --
    a.m-b FAQ: t-online.deambfaq.htm

    b.bmx FAQ: t-online.debmx faq.htm

  16. <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:
    Shaun Rimmer said:


    Carla A-G <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    "Shaun Rimmer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:


    Who's Christina and what's her fundamentalist belief?

    How the hell should I know?!?!? Never met a Christina in my life.....

    Shaun aRe - ......least not one that wasn't corrupt to the core and a


    dirty

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    rotten [censored] into the bargain.


    I knew a Christina once, but I never saw her fundament

    Martin

    Couldn't afford the price huh?

    Shaun aRe

  17. Paul Matthews <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:
    Shaun Rimmer said:

    How the hell should I know?!?!? Never met a Christina in my life.....

    Shaun aRe - ......least not one that wasn't corrupt to the core and a


    dirty

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    rotten [censored] into the bargain.

    Got any phone numbers?

    Yup! +44 1254 51212

    HTH, HAND!

    Shaun aRe

  18. Cameron said...

    Quoted message said:

    Chill out! I was giving a very basic answer. Obviously it depends heavily on the specific
    fork/shock being used. And I didn't say 'turn the damping all the way up'. That would make it feel
    dead and unresponsive. I have my Psylo set smack in the middle.

    Sorry, dude, but your answer was just flat out wrong and everything you said was the exact opposite
    of how rebound damping actually works. I thought I was being polite and restrained. You have noticed
    the tone of some of the other posts here haven't you? Just to recap:

    1. On a rough trail, you want as little rebound damping as possible (fast rebound) without the fork
    kicking back or acting like a pogo stick.

    2. You can fight bob by increasing rebound damping (slower rebound). This is good for climbing or
    long smooth sections of trail or road riding.

    If you have your rebound damping in the middle position, try backing it off some and see if your
    ride is plusher. It can make a big difference.

  19. "Super Slinky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    Cameron said...

    Quoted message said:

    Chill out! I was giving a very basic answer. Obviously it depends heavily on the specific
    fork/shock being used. And I didn't say 'turn the damping all the way up'. That would make it
    feel dead and unresponsive. I have my Psylo set smack in the middle.

    Sorry, dude, but your answer was just flat out wrong and everything you said was the exact
    opposite of how rebound damping actually works.

    And yet we generally agree.

    I

    Quoted message said:

    thought I was being polite and restrained. You have noticed the tone of some of the other posts
    here haven't you? Just to recap:

    Dude, relax! :-)

    Quoted message said:

    1. On a rough trail, you want as little rebound damping as possible (fast rebound) without the
    fork kicking back or acting like a pogo stick.

    That's where we partially disagree. In my experience, faster rebound works best especially when
    riding fast, steep terrain. Obviously you would want the rebound to keep up with terrain changes.
    However, on relentless up and down type trails that have constant roots and rocks going both up and
    down, a little extra damping helps the tires roll over without bouncing off or hanging up so much.
    Mainly where the grade and trail doesn't accommodate high speeds. But both need to be balanced to
    the type of trail and fork/bike. Riding over a big root into a steep descent with way too much front
    damping is a recipe for an endo. And riding a very rooty flat section with little damping will cause
    a loss of momentum when the front rebounds faster than you are crossing the obstacles.

    Quoted message said:


    2. You can fight bob by increasing rebound damping (slower rebound). This is good for climbing or
    long smooth sections of trail or road riding.

    Not really and issue for me, since both my trail bike and brand new FR/DH (!!) are FS. I usually try
    to stay seated. However, riding my trail bike uphill on roads I prefer less damping. It gives the
    fork a somewhat stiffer feel, since my hands spend more time at the same level. But on rough trail
    climbs, I prefer more damping because it allows me to climb over obstacles with less momentum loss.

    Quoted message said:


    If you have your rebound damping in the middle position, try backing it off some and see if your
    ride is plusher. It can make a big difference.

    Already experimented on my trail bike. I have it set in that position because I like it. My new '03
    JrT has internal rebound, but after my first (real) ride I was quite happy. Of course, that may be
    just the difference between a Marzocchi and a RockShox.

    --
    If I crashed into a tree and nobody was around to hear me scream, did I really make a sound?

    Cameron

  20. Cameron said...

    Quoted message said:


    "Super Slinky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    Sorry, dude, but your answer was just flat out wrong and everything you said was the exact
    opposite of how rebound damping actually works.

    And yet we generally agree.

    I guess I missed that part, but what the hey, I'm an agreeable person.

    Quoted message said:

    Dude, relax! :-)

    You underestimate my state of relaxation.

    Quoted message said:

    That's where we partially disagree. In my experience, faster rebound works best especially when
    riding fast, steep terrain. Obviously you would want the rebound to keep up with terrain changes.
    However, on relentless up and down type trails that have constant roots and rocks going both up
    and down, a little extra damping helps the tires roll over without bouncing off or hanging up so
    much. Mainly where the grade and trail doesn't accommodate high speeds. But both need to be
    balanced to the type of trail and fork/bike. Riding over a big root into a steep descent with way
    too much front damping is a recipe for an endo. And riding a very rooty flat section with little
    damping will cause a loss of momentum when the front rebounds faster than you are crossing the
    obstacles.

    No disagreement there. If you are bouncing off anything because of rebound, then you need more
    damping. And I would never claim that any setting is going to be perfect for every situation.

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    2. You can fight bob by increasing rebound damping (slower rebound). This is good for climbing
    or long smooth sections of trail or road

    Quoted message said:

    Not really and issue for me, since both my trail bike and brand new FR/DH (!!) are FS. I usually
    try to stay seated. However, riding my trail bike uphill on roads I prefer less damping. It gives
    the fork a somewhat stiffer feel, since my hands spend more time at the same level. But on rough
    trail climbs, I prefer more damping because it allows me to climb over obstacles with less
    momentum loss.

    You lost me here. How does FS make bob not an issue? I also don't understand how less rebound
    damping can give a fork a stiffer feel. But I'm not riding your bikes, so I won't argue about it.
    The last sentence makes some sense because if the fork is packing up you will have effectively less
    travel, which is a good thing going up hills. But what you really want is something that actually
    reduces travel, like the Marzocchi ETA adjustment offers, or a lockout. I think part of our
    communication problem is that you are talking about forks and when I talk about combatting bob, I am
    speaking mainly about rear shocks. That is where the bob fighting action is. Rear shock bob robs
    serious amounts of acceleration and top speed and can make you seasick spinning on the small ring.
    That's why we have Brain shocks, SPV, VPP, NRS etc.

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