Fork lockout musings/bodging – cable pull/thumbies/gripshift

Pretty much just because I enjoy playing around with bikes, I’m toying with ideas about fork lockouts. I was thinking that a low profile gripshift might actually be a very neat way to do it. Or otherwise a small thumbie. Anyone know what the cable pull for an RS poploc is?

Also, suggestions on a low profile gripshift? I seem to recall that the older (eg original Xray type) gripshifts were smaller than the current models

(as an aside, while googling I found people have been using poploc remotes as front shifters for doubles – interesting idea…)

No fellow bodgers about today?

the old pace lock outs for the hollowforms were nice

Yeah though they were very short cable pull as I recall.

Whats wrong with the Poploc?

Poploc’s ok but I quite like the idea of a gripshift…

oh and I might want two on a bike (fork and shock)

I’ve tried a thumbshifter, works quite nicely and gives remote variable compression adjustment. It does stick out quite a bit from the bar though so would be vulnerable in a crash.
A grip shift would be nice and low profile but you’d need a lot of bar space to fit everything in.

That was kind of my thought – at present, poploc is on or off. With a gripshift, you could, depending on the cable pull, tune the compression damping.

Anyone know the cable pull of a poploc then?

Bar space could clearly be an issue though I’m sure that older GSs were shorter than the current ones.

Why don’t you just use an an adjustable compression pop loc?

if you could find an old raleigh chopper gearchange that would look propper niche on the top tube

That was kind of my thought – at present, poploc is on or off. With a gripshift, you could, depending on the cable pull, tune the compression damping.

Is that how they work though? Aren’t they either ON or OFF? Are all shocks and forks progressive like that?

as an aside, while googling I found people have been using poploc remotes as front shifters for doubles – interesting idea…

Doesn’t work very well, not strong enough.

Yes you can use a thumb shifter instead of the rockshox remote. You get kinda adustable compression. Mate did exactly this with some rebas.

Is that how they work though? Aren’t they either ON or OFF? Are all shocks and forks progressive like that?

Yeah, it works exactly the same – the remote version of the damper is basically just the same as the non-remote version but with a spring.

adjustable compression poplocs still only have two settings but you can adjust how much compression it has while in the unlocked position.

I love bonkers idea’s like this!
Give me call at the Evans Suspension Centre tomorrow and i’ll tell you much cable pull a pop-loc has 🙂

it’s OK I’m home and have one here to measure 🙂

so, a poploc remote pulls approx 20mm of cable.

a front shifter conveniently also pulls a near identical amount.

so, in theory a front shifter with trimming (eg not just 3 positions) would allow fine tuning on the fly.

boink