Have you seen the price of Fully Synthetic engine oil

For me it was just some i had lying around in the garage, there's only a tiny amount in each leg, it was convenient at the time.

No way would i go out and specifically buy 4 litres of fully synthetic to put a couple of table spoons full in some forks, that would be a little bit daft…

:-)

I'm thinking of servicing my Pikes soon so was browsing for information and found this guide on the Enduro Seals website. In step 31 they recommend using fully synthetic engine oil in the lowers, instead of the 15W fluid that Rock Shox recommend.
Has anyone tried this?

Yep, i used it in some domains i had last year, it was one of the guys at tft that recommended me to do it as i'd just ordered some new forks off them (month or so wait) and mine were leaking oil and i wasn't going to buy the expensive fork oil for it to just keep leaking out.

They worked fine btw, just as plush as before.

the theory is that suspension oil is meant for providing consistent damping; engine oil is for providing lubrication.

Think your getting slighty mixed up, the oil in the lowers is for lubrication only (and theres only a small amount in each leg) the damping oil is separate.

:-)

Riding DH thru a tight wooded section coming upto a jump. Can't really remember it too well but think i lightly clipped one tree on the right, fired me across to the left, hit a tree on the left with the bars quite hard, which spat me over the bars head on into the next tree which suprisingly didn't move. Knocked me out for a couple of seconds too.
Got airlifted as well because the ambulance wouldn't take me back up the rough track..

:D

j4ckal@live.co.uk

:D

I'm still off the bike and off work after crashing on the 20th june, fracturing my spine in two places and having 2 ti rods screwed to it spanning across 6 vertebrae (t3-t8) to stabilise it and a bone graft chipped from my hip, definitely not fun.

Snap with that date, except I ruptured my spleen, I'm off the bike for 6 months, how long are you off for?

Ruptured your spleen, how you manage that one?

6 months post op before i can ride full on dh too, so prob be next year eh :?

I'm off work until at least the end of september (lucky enough to get paid sick tho), prob start doin some gentle xc fire road type stuff then as well, only just managed in last couple of week to start using the turbo trainer.

You recovering well?

:D

ohhh, pics please.

I'm still off the bike and off work after crashing on the 20th june, fracturing my spine in two places and having 2 ti rods screwed to it spanning across 6 vertebrae (t3-t8) to stabilise it and a bone graft chipped from my hip, definitely not fun :lol:

But;

Character building I reckon.

Which is very true.

What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

:D

And is that a wig? Surely not his own hair.

I'm pretty sure its a syrup.

Had my small Bfe for about 8 months, love it, it takes anything i can throw at it (or throw it off).
Got a long thomson seatpost for it as well and do alot of all day rides on it, maybe a little short for proper all day stuff/climbing but i'm used to it.
140mm u-turn pikes on mine.
I may get some 160mm travel forks for it in the future and turn it into a proper dh hardtail.

:D

Cool 8)

Hi.
I may take it off your hands for the right price, been looking for a cheap full sus to build up whilst i'm erm recovering :lol:

Let me know how much you want fot it delivered to derbyshire. Save you the hassle of putting it on ebay eh.

No cracks or dents anywhere i presume? Just the cable rub in the pics? Is the shock ok?

:D

Tandem.

I think maybe you were the one whom started the 'offensive', basically you stated 'i'm a numpty and i was making excuses for my incompetence and over eagerness'.
No excuses or incompetence here i'm afraid, maybe a little over eagerness, but hey, we all get a little over excited from time to time eh.

I simply disagree with you and think that your attitude to crashing is wrong – you think mine is. Its a broad church.

Yep, true, hugs all round :wink:
Its all bikes and all enjoyment.

:D

Erm tandem at what point did i say she SHOULD be crashing?
You shouldn't 'aim' to crash, it's just at some point you will and be prepared for it.

I'm sorry but yes get used to crashing, embrace it, laugh about it, sometimes it hurts sometimes it doesn't!

That is what i said in my first post, and i'll stand by that and say that is good advice, because when it does go wrong she'll realise its not just herself that it happens to, realise its not that serious, and get on with it without denting her confidence too much.

How long you have ridden for is irrelevant, so has 'i have been riding before you were born i bet', grow up :roll:

I've been riding and racing 'proper' mtb for 14 years, everything from xc to dh to trials. So you've been riding for over twice as long as i have, does that make you 2x a better rider than me? somehow i very much doubt it, as i said years riding is irrelevant.

Carry on bumbling for the next 30 years along in your little 'comfort zone' protected bubble pretending that your 'pushing it' down your 'black run', but please DO NOT try and tell somebody new to the sport that they are not going to crash, the sooner they get used to that fact the better and more confident thay will become.

I will of been out of riding for 3 months, full on dh 6 months, no its not a success but definitely NOT a failure, i'll learn from it and come out of it a better stronger rider, all of that OT and no use to this thread.

Tandem, if you can't say something in relation to the OP then don't say anything.

All i have to say on the matter.
:D

Tandem.
Erm no i think you have missed the point somewhat.
Crashing is part and parcel of mountainbiking as are injuries, get over it.

Everytime we get on a bike we are taking a risk, being ignorant of this fact, and pussy footing around pretending your not going to at some point overstep the mark, as you are, is ridiculous.

Me, as well as several others on here were trying to point this out to the OP, not get some nonsensical reply from people such as yourself saying that this is 'RUBBISH' or 'macho bullshine'. Maybe you should be the one to 'get real'.
Excuses for numpties and incompetence? Hmm i do actually take offence to that comment, are you trying to make up for your incompetence then because you don't push it enough?

Not being afraid of crashing loosens you up on the bike, makes you more confident and enables you to enjoy riding more, fact. Nothing to do with being a 'wannabee DH racer' :lol:

Hence the reason crashing is NOT failing, it is all part of riding 2 wheels off road.

TBH i don't crash alot, but when i do i don't get up and think 'damn i failed', i think 'hmm that smarted a little, what went wrong there' and then learn from it. Its called progression.

And yes your right i did miss a summers (if you can call it that) riding and 2 weeks in whistler and spending 3 weeks in hospital laid flat out is definitely not fun.
But as i said its the real risk we pay for what we do, of course we don't crash on purpose or have any desire to hurt ourselves.

All the best.

Line choice becomes a bit more crucial.
Fit some decent riser bars, maybe bigger tyres.
Don't keep as much weight over the front as you haven't got the sus there to plough through it for you.
Oh and 'try' and be smooth.
stick with it you'll be a better rider for it.
:-)

Tandem.
Crashing is definitely NOT failing, it is part and parcel of what we do, and yes it is a by product of trying hard, pushing yourself, and not just bumbling along well within your comfort zone…

Failing to me would be going out on the on the bike day after day and not improving, not pushing yourself, if your happy doing that then carry on.

At least if you have crashed it means you've had a damn good go at it, and as i said before, sometimes it hurts sometimes it doesn't.
I've currently been off the bike and off work for 2.5 months due to injury and the surgeon says I won't be able to ride full on dh until december, but hey thats the price we pay for what we do.

I love mountainbiking in all forms and the feeling of being alive you get when pushing it 100%, it must be the best legal high there is :D nobody else feel like this?
And as PP said, step out your comfort zone or you won't learn anything.

Also it's nothing to do with 'macho bullshine' either, hell i'm scared of spiders, not very macho is it :lol:

BUT, you need to learn in the first place to control/unweight the bike properly without having your feet attached to the pedals, you shouldn't feel out of control with flats its all because your not controlling the bike properly, don't blame the pedals

Do not and never have understood this statement

What feenster says

Have been riding for over 20yrs.

I ride with guys who are probably way more skilfull than me re jumping/bunnyhoping/wheelying etc BUT they all fall off more than I do and are generally a lot slower than me anyway. If I am behind and they start all this wheelying/bunnyhoping I just end up blasting past them. Looks good but is way slower. ime ofcourse….I am more a wheels on the ground type of rider. Learn to control the bike first, jumping is only for those that want to, not a must do. I am in the dont/wont/cant category.

Trekster, i wasn't having a go, i'm just trying to get through how to be a skillful mtb'er the basics of bike control need to be learned first without the aid of clipless pedals and suspension.

Yes if you are just manualing/bunnyhopping/jumping down a trail for no reason then of course it will be slower :roll: (good fun tho!).
BUT to descend in a smooth and fast manner on any half technical trail all these skills need to be employed.

So during your riding you've never had to; get your front wheel up? roll off the end of a log? drop off a small rock (even as small as a few inch)? ride over some wet roots? ride through a rock garden? gotten some air, even accidentally?
All these stem from the basic skills of manuals, bunnyhops, unweighting and jumping, fact.
I don't understand how people say they can ride downhill fast if they can't utilise these basics, unless of course its on a smooth non tech trail. Also trackstands are nice to practice as they teach you balance.

Now clipless pedals lull you into thinking you are controlling the bike correctly, the unweighting should come from a down back and up movement on the pedals, not a straight pull up and bending of the knees as most spd users do.
To bunnyhop once the front wheel is in the air the height gained comes from the extending and pushing down of the arms (in effect creating a pivot point) then the unweighting of the rear as described above. When descending a tech trail this may only have to get the wheels a couple of inches off the ground, but it is, i would say, one of the most vital skills in riding downhill.

Maybe you should try riding with some faster riders on more challenging terrain and then you may start to understand the previous statement i made.

I also don't understand why it's of any relevance how long you've been riding either.
I've been riding 14 years, xc (yes with spd's 8O ), DH , 26 " wheel trials and even had a dabble with a road bike for a bit.
Doesn't mean anything tho, i'm still willing to learn off people wether they've been riding for 6 months or 30 years.

All the best and hope to see you out on the trails sometime.

:-)

Snap On.
Use them everyday at work and got a full set of metric and imperial ones for the garage, had 10 years of use and still going strong.

Or failing that halfords profesional, i've got some of their sockets and spanners, seem good quality for the money!

personally I think the faster you hit them the better, although that can be difficult on off camber stuff

Yep, use your speed to your advantage, don't even think about touching the brakes.
To stop sliding out you need to go as light as possible by unweighting the whole bike whilst going over the roots, and be prepared for the slide if it happens, you'll probably catch a rear end slide but if the front goes maybe not.
Oh yeh and do not stare at and become fixated by the roots, look well past them, don't touch the brakes, unweight, then u'll be over em before you know it :wink:

alp d'huez 2008

alp d'huez 2008

alp d'huez 2008

Alp d'huez 2007

And incidentally, we teach intro/beginners courses with – it's safer for inexperienced uriders trying new stuff, and it often means the technique is learned properly without cheating.

If you can't bunnyhop with flats, you can't bunnyhop.

Exactly the point i am trying to get across. Confidence in riding starts from the very basics. Get a hardtail, get some flats, and learn to bunnyhop, manual, trackstand etc. these are the basic's needed to be a confident mtb'er.
I can remember learning to bunnyhop from video's of jmc and hans rey, practicing it outside my house for hours on end, ahhh the good old days…!

Its too easy now for a complete novice to go into a shop, pick up a very good 5-6" trail bike for not much money (comparatively speaking). Whack some clipless pedals on, hit a trail centre then wonder why they're struggling when coming upto a small drop/jump/rock garden or whatever…

So get some flats, start with the basics and progress from there. Its very important that you ride with people of a higher skill (or as said get some coaching) or you won't improve.

:-)

I'll agree with a few others regarding the SPDs. Stick with them. I've ridden with them for a while now, and rode the other day with flats and felt completely out of control.

BUT, you need to learn in the first place to control/unweight the bike properly without having your feet attached to the pedals, you shouldn't feel out of control with flats its all because your not controlling the bike properly, don't blame the pedals :wink:

Same goes for riding a hardtail to begin with, it will pay dividends in your riding in the long run, through feeling the grip, unweighting, line choice etc etc.

:-)

Get some decent flats (DMRs)

Erm no, they're not a decent flat. They were maybe in the nineties but not now, far too thick and a much too small platform.
Try some penthouse flats or straitlines, kona wah wah's are a good shape nice and thin but my pedal fell off the axle after two runs 8O

Edit: start off on a hardtail.

Yes, yes, yes. :wink:

disagree. Dirt read like it was written by children unable to spell or correctly form sentences. At least the two above manage that successfully (ignoring the huck/rail/gnarly language of MBUK)

Too true.

Dirt is not a great read anymore, it was alot better 5 or 6 years ago. Maybe they do have a passion for riding but its a very poor magazine and become alot too 'mainstream' and far too many adverts, reviews that don't make sense etc etc.

In the mid 90's i used to love mbuk and mbi (remember that :-)) but i was in my mid teens! mbuk hasn't moved on since then tho, and is too focused on being cool and rad, man. again far too many adverts.

And back to the op's point, the last time i bought mbr i was dissapointed too, i did get a free helmet lock tho :? , how useful.

:-)

Pre jump into it, nose it into the transition, compress into the bottom, extend off the exit lip and get a nice little bit of air :wink:

Ride it a couple of times slowly first and build your speed up as they can look a little bit daunting, as most of the time your dropping in to them blind..

:-)

Hmmm, i'm afraid the only way to improve on your bike is to ride more and with better people. Try to feel comfortable/ relax around people of a higher skill than yourself and learn off them, it'll bring you on no end.

Speed is your friend, try to stay off the brakes a bit more, ensure you look well ahead up the trail not at your front wheel, if an object/hazard scares you don't stare at it or you will hit it. Relax.

I'm sorry but yes get used to crashing, embrace it, laugh about it, sometimes it hurts sometimes it doesn't!

If you are severely lacking in confidence get some nice big flat pedals, grippy shoes and knee/shin pads, you can bail when you want then :wink:
I believe people should learn to ride on flats first and on a rigid / hardtail not full sus, it teaches the basic bike skills that alot of riders are lacking…

Then theres the basic things like bike set up, ensure your happy with it eg. lever position (try them quite inboard so you just use one finger, the others stay on your bar then) tyre pressures, get some decent width bars, sus set up, drop the saddle when descending etc etc.

One last thing, yes it is scary, thats why we do it :twisted:

Get a grip, stop making excuses, and ride the thing…

I'm stuck in the second month of non riding due to crashing and fracturing 2 vertebrae in my spine, 2 ti rods 8 screws and a bone graft later and i'll not be able to ride full on until december.
I'd do anything to be able to 'get out and ride' at the minute but can't.

As said, you have the bike, you have legs, you can breathe, go ride!

All the best.