New Fox rear suspension

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

Quoted message said:

Has any of tried the new 2004 Fox rear shock with the Pro Pedal Dampening. It's supposed to filter
out any rider induced bob while pedaling. I think they're offering the same thing the Specialized
Epic with the Ergo Brain offers. Any insight?

I haven't ridden it yet but believe it's supposed to compete with Progressive's 5th Element stable
platform shocks. There are no adjustments to fiddle with (Fox's selling point) so you take what you
get. The 5th is 5 way adjustable (6 if you count spring preload like Manitou does) and the
adjustments really work. The Ergo Brain is more of an automatic lockout that doesn't open up until
after the first hit. It rides like a hardtail until you slam a bump and the valve opens up allowing
the shock to work for the next bump (assuming there is one).

Mike

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

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

Has any of tried the new 2004 Fox rear shock with the Pro Pedal Dampening. It's supposed to
filter out any rider induced bob while pedaling. I think they're offering the same thing the
Specialized Epic with the Ergo Brain offers. Any insight?

I haven't ridden it yet but believe it's supposed to compete with Progressive's 5th Element stable
platform shocks. There are no

adjustments

Quoted message said:

to fiddle with (Fox's selling point) so you take what you get. The 5th is

5

Quoted message said:

way adjustable (6 if you count spring preload like Manitou does) and the adjustments really work.
The Ergo Brain is more of an automatic lockout that doesn't open up until after the first hit. It
rides like a hardtail until you slam a bump and the valve opens up allowing the shock to work

for

Quoted message said:

the next bump (assuming there is one).

Mike

I've got a Specialized Epic with the Fox fork and rear shock (Specialized sent dealers the Fox fork
separately as a no-cost upgrade from the Manitou Skareb Comp fork). Mike's last statement isn't
quite accurate... the inertia valve opens on the bump and the shock works on that bump, not opens on
one bump and the shock works on the next bump. I think that the typical inertia seat belt in an
automobile is a reasonable example in reverse... stop quick enough and the inertia mechanism stops
the seat belt from moving on that stop, not on the next stop. The seat belts wouldn't be much good
in an accident if you had to wait until the next accident for them to work... much the same with the
Fox rear shock!

BTW, it was this new technology that finally convinced me to buy my third mountain bike... bobbing
with full suspension and having a bouncy rear end with suspension in the front only just didn't
appeal to me. After having ridden full Reynolds, full Campy, tubular clad road bikes and a decent
hardtail Mountain bike for years, it was hard to convince me it was worth upgrading from my old
mountain bike. I had the first mountain bike for a year, the second one for about 20 years (with a
lot of upgrades and maintenance over the years) and now the Epic and a Specialized road bike.

John

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

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

Has any of tried the new 2004 Fox rear shock with the Pro Pedal Dampening. It's supposed to
filter out any rider induced bob while pedaling. I think they're offering the same thing the
Specialized Epic with the Ergo Brain offers. Any insight?

I haven't ridden it yet but believe it's supposed to compete with Progressive's 5th Element
stable platform shocks. There are no

adjustments

Quoted message said:

to fiddle with (Fox's selling point) so you take what you get. The 5th

is

Quoted message said:

5

Quoted message said:

way adjustable (6 if you count spring preload like Manitou does) and the adjustments really
work. The Ergo Brain is more of an automatic lockout that doesn't open up until after the first
hit. It rides like a

hardtail

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

until you slam a bump and the valve opens up allowing the shock to work

for

Quoted message said:

the next bump (assuming there is one).

Mike

I've got a Specialized Epic with the Fox fork and rear shock (Specialized sent dealers the Fox
fork separately as a no-cost upgrade from the Manitou Skareb Comp fork). Mike's last statement
isn't quite accurate... the

inertia

Quoted message said:

valve opens on the bump and the shock works on that bump, not opens on one bump and the shock
works on the next bump. I think that the typical

inertia

Quoted message said:

seat belt in an automobile is a reasonable example in reverse... stop

quick

Quoted message said:

enough and the inertia mechanism stops the seat belt from moving on that stop, not on the next
stop. The seat belts wouldn't be much good in an accident if you had to wait until the next
accident for them to work...

much

Quoted message said:

the same with the Fox rear shock!

BTW, it was this new technology that finally convinced me to buy my third mountain bike... bobbing
with full suspension and having a bouncy rear end with suspension in the front only just didn't
appeal to me. After having ridden full Reynolds, full Campy, tubular clad road bikes and a decent
hardtail Mountain bike for years, it was hard to convince me it was worth upgrading from my old
mountain bike. I had the first mountain bike for a year, the second one for about 20 years (with a
lot of upgrades and maintenance over the years) and now the Epic and a Specialized road bike.

John

I think we're two examples of different impressions of the Epic I've heard. I'm coming more from a
downhiller full plush bike perspective and you're more hardtail, road bike. I didn't like the
hardtail/locked out feeling of the epic and wasn't interested in giving up a plush ride for pedaling
efficiency. I did give it a test ride on a real trail and it just didn't do it for me. I guess it's
more what you're used to. Compared to what I normally ride that was the impression the inertia valve
gave me. I like the Progressive system more in that I can feel it resisting pedaling forces, putting
more power to the wheel, but it is still active.

Mike

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

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

"whahoo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
> Has any of tried the new 2004 Fox rear shock with the Pro Pedal Dampening. It's supposed to
> filter out any rider induced bob while pedaling. I think they're offering the same thing the
> Specialized

Epic

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> with the Ergo Brain offers. Any insight?

I haven't ridden it yet but believe it's supposed to compete with Progressive's 5th Element
stable platform shocks. There are no

adjustments

Quoted message said:

to fiddle with (Fox's selling point) so you take what you get. The

5th

Quoted message said:

is

Quoted message said:

5

Quoted message said:

way adjustable (6 if you count spring preload like Manitou does) and

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

adjustments really work. The Ergo Brain is more of an automatic

lockout

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

that doesn't open up until after the first hit. It rides like a

hardtail

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

until you slam a bump and the valve opens up allowing the shock to

work

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for

Quoted message said:

the next bump (assuming there is one).

Mike

I've got a Specialized Epic with the Fox fork and rear shock

(Specialized

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

sent dealers the Fox fork separately as a no-cost upgrade from the

Manitou

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Skareb Comp fork). Mike's last statement isn't quite accurate... the

inertia

Quoted message said:

valve opens on the bump and the shock works on that bump, not opens on

one

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bump and the shock works on the next bump. I think that the typical

inertia

Quoted message said:

seat belt in an automobile is a reasonable example in reverse... stop

quick

Quoted message said:

enough and the inertia mechanism stops the seat belt from moving on that stop, not on the next
stop. The seat belts wouldn't be much good in an accident if you had to wait until the next
accident for them to work...

much

Quoted message said:

the same with the Fox rear shock!

BTW, it was this new technology that finally convinced me to buy my

third

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

mountain bike... bobbing with full suspension and having a bouncy rear

end

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

with suspension in the front only just didn't appeal to me. After having ridden full Reynolds,
full Campy, tubular clad road bikes and a decent hardtail Mountain bike for years, it was hard
to convince me it was

worth

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

upgrading from my old mountain bike. I had the first mountain bike for a year, the second one
for about 20 years (with a lot of upgrades and maintenance over the years) and now the Epic and
a Specialized road

bike.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

John

I think we're two examples of different impressions of the Epic I've

heard.

Quoted message said:

I'm coming more from a downhiller full plush bike perspective and you're more hardtail, road bike.
I didn't like the hardtail/locked out feeling

of

Quoted message said:

the epic and wasn't interested in giving up a plush ride for pedaling efficiency. I did give it a
test ride on a real trail and it just didn't

do

Quoted message said:

it for me. I guess it's more what you're used to. Compared to what I normally ride that was the
impression the inertia valve gave me. I like

the

Quoted message said:

Progressive system more in that I can feel it resisting pedaling forces, putting more power to the
wheel, but it is still active.

Mike

Mike,

You're onto something there... the downhiller "ride" is exactly what I wasn't looking for! Where and
how I ride makes uphill efficiency more important than downhill comfort--I'm old school "stand up
and hang your butt out" on the down hill stretches and am more interested in making it down safely
than I am in hitting 60 mph...

John