Elastomer query

gary said:

i don't wanna upgrade to gas or oil, as i commute inner city, but also go
single track & off road up hilling, so elastomer forks are better.

Not wanting to upgrade is fine but the logic you present is badly
flawed. If you do single track and off road climbing, air or sprung
forks are much much better than elastomers.

Tony

in message <[email hidden]>, gary

(') said:

Hi all
I have a pair of elastomer forks, but can't find anywhere that supplys
them, i don't wanna upgrade to gas or oil, as i commute inner city,
but also go single track & off road up hilling, so elastomer forks are
better.

Elastomers are not better, for any purpose. They're the
bottom-of-the-market el cheapo solution and do not do anything well.
They're not tunable; they're not fade free; they don't work in the
cold; they have a short service life. Air shocks are better all round;
coil springs are better for low maintenance or high stress
applications.

Quoted message said:

Does anyone know of where i can get these in South Yorks area
& can anyone explain the colour grade with elastomers, mine are pink &
light blue!

Depends on the make.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

... a mild, inoffensive sadist...

just thought that as a i don't hit the routes fast & don't downhill, it'd be
better to stick with elastomers, i'd love a pair of air compressed forks,
but feel that if i got new elastomers, i'd be ok! anyone know where i can
get some!!!!, in Sheffield!
Tony Raven <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

gary said:

i don't wanna upgrade to gas or oil, as i commute inner city, but also

go

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

single track & off road up hilling, so elastomer forks are better.

Not wanting to upgrade is fine but the logic you present is badly
flawed. If you do single track and off road climbing, air or sprung
forks are much much better than elastomers.

Tony

gary said:

just thought that as a i don't hit the routes fast & don't downhill, it'd be
better to stick with elastomers, i'd love a pair of air compressed forks,
but feel that if i got new elastomers, i'd be ok! anyone know where i can
get some!!!!, in Sheffield!

What make? Try J E James and if they can't help they might be able to
point you towards who can

Tony

In article <[email hidden]>,

Simon Brooke said:

Elastomers are not better, for any purpose.

I'd have to disagree there. For cheap forks that are mostly maintenance
free, elastomers are usually less hassle than air or coil + oil damping.
Elastomers done right have enough damping that you then don't need messy
oil or flaky air damping systems. Up to say 70mm travel they're fine.
After that, if you're using the travel then they stack up to quickly.

Performance wise though, elastomers have certainly been passed but given
the choice of an elastomer based fork and an air or coil fork for
commuting or touring, I'd take the elastomer fork or better still a
rigid one.

They're the

Quoted message said:

bottom-of-the-market el cheapo solution and do not do anything well.
They're not tunable;

Yes they are. You just stick softer or harder ones in. Or drill holes in
them. ;-)

Quoted message said:

they're not fade free;

Huh? That's why they are used. The natural hysteresis of them means they
stack up after a while but for lighter use they're fine and capable of
rebounding back within a reasonable time.

Quoted message said:

they don't work in the
cold;

See above - stick softer versions in in Winter.

Quoted message said:

they have a short service life.

A couple of years usually. Less hassle than oil/air forks IME and much
easier to service as most forks you just unscrew the stack, swap some
bits of rubber around, smear on some grease and you're done. No messing
with pumps or syringes full of oil and old spokes.

Quoted message said:

Air shocks are better all round;

Except for long term reliability and get you home dependability.

Quoted message said:

coil springs are better for low maintenance or high stress
applications.

You've still got oil damping to contend with and that IME is more hassle
than plain elastomers. It's worth the hassle if you're concerned about
performance but otherwise not.

Shaun

in message
<[email hidden]>,

Shaun Murray (') said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Simon Brooke said:

Elastomers are not better, for any purpose.

I'd have to disagree there. For cheap forks that are mostly
maintenance free, elastomers are usually less hassle than air or coil
+ oil damping. Elastomers done right have enough damping that you then
don't need messy oil or flaky air damping systems. Up to say 70mm
travel they're fine. After that, if you're using the travel then they
stack up to quickly.

Performance wise though, elastomers have certainly been passed but
given the choice of an elastomer based fork and an air or coil fork
for commuting or touring, I'd take the elastomer fork or better still
a rigid one.

Well, there you are. If you really need suspension you need air; if you
don't really need suspension, rigid is better. I see we're all agreed
then.

Simon, who has recently spent a fortune to upgrade his Cannondale from
steel-sprung Lefty to air-sprung Lefty, and doesn't regret a penny.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Morning had broken, and there was nothing we could do but wait
patiently for the RAC to arrive.

Hey Shaun, you've convinced me that for what i need my bike for & less
hassle, the elastomers will do for now!
Cheers
Gaz
Shaun Murray <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Simon Brooke said:

Elastomers are not better, for any purpose.

I'd have to disagree there. For cheap forks that are mostly maintenance
free, elastomers are usually less hassle than air or coil + oil damping.
Elastomers done right have enough damping that you then don't need messy
oil or flaky air damping systems. Up to say 70mm travel they're fine.
After that, if you're using the travel then they stack up to quickly.

Performance wise though, elastomers have certainly been passed but given
the choice of an elastomer based fork and an air or coil fork for
commuting or touring, I'd take the elastomer fork or better still a
rigid one.

They're the

Quoted message said:

bottom-of-the-market el cheapo solution and do not do anything well.
They're not tunable;

Yes they are. You just stick softer or harder ones in. Or drill holes in
them. ;-)

Quoted message said:

they're not fade free;

Huh? That's why they are used. The natural hysteresis of them means they
stack up after a while but for lighter use they're fine and capable of
rebounding back within a reasonable time.

Quoted message said:

they don't work in the
cold;

See above - stick softer versions in in Winter.

Quoted message said:

they have a short service life.

A couple of years usually. Less hassle than oil/air forks IME and much
easier to service as most forks you just unscrew the stack, swap some
bits of rubber around, smear on some grease and you're done. No messing
with pumps or syringes full of oil and old spokes.

Quoted message said:

Air shocks are better all round;

Except for long term reliability and get you home dependability.

Quoted message said:

coil springs are better for low maintenance or high stress
applications.

You've still got oil damping to contend with and that IME is more hassle
than plain elastomers. It's worth the hassle if you're concerned about
performance but otherwise not.

Shaun