I have 140mm fox floats on my trail bike, and 100mm Rebas on my hardtail, and simply never feel the need to lock the front out for climbing, never have unlikely ever will, unless someone here convinces me I am making climbing harder than it needs to be. Under normal fireroad climbing, keeping a nice rhythym in a seated riding position, my forks just dont bob up and down, OK if I got out the saddle and grunted up a super steep technical climb then yes of course theyd be up and down like a fiddlers elbow. Sometimes someone will convince me to lockout on a climb and then say "see its much more efficient and easier locked out isnt it ?" and I respond with "nope, absolutely no difference to me"
So is it just me, am I missing something here, with all this lockout malarky ?

I know what you mean…..

I have a poploc on my 100mm Reba's and am sure I have nevre really needed the lock out…..

If I lock out my Revalations on my Voodoo it feels like I am riding a chopper despite being built for 130mm forks.

Hmmm

Not just you.

I never use it. Being a sit down and spin type climber I don't get bob so have no need. I haven't even bothered installing the remote lever on two bikes.

It's literally only you 2

christ ive got talas rlc and i dont adjust travel lock them out or even play with the dials 🙂

er 4

I use my talas lock outs – on the road sections – perhaps you don't do a lot of steep road climbs? If you do give it a go 🙂

Thats good, started to think I was weird 🙂
My point is sort of the fact that I dont feel like it feels wrong or like "riding a chopper" my point is that for me it seems to feel no different at all.
Is it likely because that I am 10 stone, and generally a smooth high cadence pedaller.

I've not had it before, I either don't notice or don't care about bobbing, I like climbing on my santacruz bullit with fox van 32's and 5th element. I think its personal choice, some people find the bob so distracting and frustrating that they have to have propedal/lockout etc etc, personally I don't care..

Never use it.

And when I do, I forget and leave it locked out for the descents.

I use it lots. I find it great (with a remote) for quick sprints up steep climbs or just for the road.

In fact, I have a remote lockout for the rear shock too which I love 🙂

never used it on my Reba teams – and didnt even order it on my Lyriks with DH spec damping.

i love lock out

On the old bike, I would regularly drop the front sus down to 85mm from 115 for steep climbs, as the front end would get really wander-y at 115mm travel.
On the new bike, I haven't really ridden anything steep enough to require dropping the front end down yet, and perhaps as frame is designed around that length fork, I won't need to.

With regards to lockout – I never use it for technical climbing, but I use the lockout often on road sections. If out on a purely road ride then I lock the fork out for the whole ride.

always lock out going up, and can feel it, more tiring, if I forget about it. What i don't do is playing with the negative pressure, I kept it to the same value from day one (fork is 4 years old now)

Firmly in the lock-out tent. Tend to climb out of the saddle and it's great (for me) to hold the front end steady. Really notice it on bikes without it. Not very rocky round our way though, if that makes any difference.

I wonder if the pro lockout brigade are fit and wiry hence all the leaping about as they climb, and the not bothered about lockout brigade are fat and slow and like to stay in the saddle.

Lets have a little survey, copy and quote the below with your name and status:

toys19: notbotheredaboutlockout fatsaddledweller

Ononeorange: Lovethelockout Fatandunfit
(see what I did there?!)

I wonder if the pro lockout brigade are fit and wiry

I used to be. I'm certainly not now 🙁 I still use my lockouts

Ononeorange: Lovethelockout Fatandunfit
(see what I did there?!)

Very good..

toys19: notbotheredaboutlockout fatsaddledweller
Ononeorange: Lovethelockout Fatandunfit
clubber: lovethelockout Iwontberudebutheclaimshesunfit

Other way round – fit light guys have a better chance of riding smooth and not bobbing the fork, surely? Whereas if you're built more for comfort shall we say you might cause a bit of involuntary movement?

I'm neither skinny not super blobby though. I think it is more a mentality thing.

I think its more about riding style – if you sit and spin you don't get bob. If you climb hills standing at a lower cadence you do. On one of my bikes I can hit a resonant frequency if I stand up and mash the pedals and get alarming bob but thats not my normal way of climbing

Been here quite recently, but if you practice watching your fork as you stand and climb it is surprising how soon you can get it not to bob. Not saying you should, just that you could.

Some of us sit and spin most of the time but like to be able to stand and gurn at times too and that's when the lockout comes in handy 🙂

I often wind the forks fown for a long climb, but only ever really used lockout 'because it was there' – never actually felt the need for it, even on a singlepeed.

never did lockout until my SS where its a real bonus especially on road/road like surfaces, still don't both on other bikes. med fitness, med speed, no big hills -in Devon! 🙂

I use it on the way to trail especially on road and on flat trails and going uphill lockout is great when not bouncy.

I also wind my forks down to 85-90mm for xc.

Lockout still has some soft rebound and you alter blow off compression too in case you hit something hard by accident.

IGMC…

dont use the lockout on my sid teams , infact i removed th remote lever about 3 months after i got the bike – i couldnt even tell you where it is right now infact. Dont miss it. That includes riding geared and SS on it .

I found if i locked the forks out going up a hill all that happened was i forgot to unlcok it or i got bounced off things and the front end came in the air !

The lever on my Rebas got bashed off in transit and ive not bothered to fix that either – no need

I hate lockout on forks. Had it removed on my Psylo's and SIDs. My new SIDs have it fitted but I'll remove it at some point.
On the other hand I love rear lockout. Maybe I'm just used to riding my Epic with it's auto lockout for lazy/forgetful people! 😉

Er, Elite(ish) racerboy here, no lockouts for me.

Got a set of Reba Races and have never used the lockout…quite frankly I don't even know (or care) if they have one..

never used lock out until i went single speed, now use it for every climb as i'm out the saddle and notice the bob a lot more

Use the lockout on my Van's 32 all the time. Also switch the ProPedal on and off on the RP23. Find that climbing is much much easier with the ProPedal and the suspension is more fluid with it off on the way back down.

Only drawback is forgotting to knock the lock out off on the front before a big descent – hard to do on the move on a Fox.

Neil @ Fawkes

Use it more now I have a bar mounted lever but it's really only on tarmac. When I do use it for climbing off road I do forget to turn it back on again!

Mediocre race whippet here, can't be doing with lockouts of any type, just want to pedal!

only on easy off road or tarmac

Yeah I don't bother with mine. How much could I get for a rock shox remote+top cap set up? My Pike came with it and I haven't wanted to use it so may as well try and sell if I can find a "normal" replacement top cap.

You'll have to take out the spring from the MoCo damper too, otherwise you can't install the crown mounted one and no one else can use your lockout!

I got 140 Rev air u turns on me hardtail and talas r on me full bouncer. I tend to drop the fronts on the talas on the climbs when I remember and find it makes a difference. With regards to the rev's though, I never bother, as you can't drop em on the go, which is a bit pap.