Forks only compressing a little – any ideas please?

This bike is seeing very little use and today the forks were barely compressing. Not getting full travel at all. I tried to put my weight on them but they seemed very stiff.

Have looked at the manual and there is nothing to help. They were serviced within the last year. Haven’t yet checked the pressure. Feeling quite beaten up now!

Is it possible that due to the very cold conditions and bike not getting used that this could cause it?

As always, thank you so much. 🙂

Could be as simple as damping oil thickening due to the cold. What forks?

Which forks?

Used recently?

Stored upside down?

Do they have lockout?

Could be as simple as damping oil thickening due to the cold

Nahh. Not cold enough round here, not even close. 🙂 (CG is just up the road from me)

Elaine, if you want me to have a look at them, bring them over tomorrow evening if you like. Email me!! 🙂

I doubt it’s that cold (you’re in SE England aren’t you ?)

ROckshox cartridge failure ?

Thanks for replies.

DT Swiss with remote lockout. Always stored upright. Poor neglected bike. 😳

Have you tried fiddling with the lockout? Cable could be stuck if they haven’t been used for a while….

Pete – thanks for offer. Tomorrow I will clean bike (returned home in the dark today) but have never had a problem with these before. Will take a good look tomorrow in daylight.

Thanks again. 8)

Give the cable a good workout, get some GT85 in there if you can, but reading between the lines it sounds like under-use to me.

You know where I am. Don’t go throwing your money away in Mountain Trax, will you?

😀

Elaine, if you want me to have a look at them, bring them over tomorrow evening if you like.

See, look at that. What a truly top bloke Poddy is. For those that don’t know him; Peter will try and fix just about any problem you might have with your bike, just because he enjoys fettling, and is a lovely, kind person. 🙂

My pikes hydrolocked and had these symptoms. Percival poddofski, tell me more about your carbon456 and rocky descents? Is it like a short travel full susser?

From my previous experience with Pace remote lockout levers, and I guess DT will still use a similar design, the adjustment of the cable was quite critical so that would be my first point of checking, if cable has corroded, / got muck in it could be slow to release the lockout. Maybe try flicking remote switch betyween on / off a few times initially? and bounce front wheel on ground too
Same Pace forks also packed up in severe cold probbaly due to thickening oil, but it was -10c at time and up north 🙂

Percival poddofski, tell me more about your carbon456 and rocky descents? Is it like a short travel full susser?

No.

It’s like a long travel hardtail. 🙂

It feels ‘like a bike’ to me so far. It seems more forgiving at the rear but that could be the tyre change I did when I swapped the bits over from my 853 Inbred, but otherwise it’s remarkably similar to be honest.
In a nutshell: A bit lower at the front, similar length, similar handling, lighter, climbs better as it’s suits my 140mm Vanillas better, and a smoother ride.

But a FS bike it ain’t.

It’s a nice bike though. I’m chuffed 🙂

EDIT
That said, I’ve not done a rocky descent yet. Mostly XC. Mostly on ice!

Bugga I was hoping it’d be lighter AND have more give on the rear.