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I have on occasion forgotten to release a lock out or return my fork to full travel before a descent. While the obvious solution may be not to engage the lockout nor drop the travel, sometimes such things are handy on climbs.
I'd quite like something to help me remember when I've done such things, so I can remember to undo them before it becomes awkward to do so. Something on the bar that can be flipped between two states - "remember to release the lockout" (e.g. a red thing) and "everything's fine" (e.g. a green or black thing).
My initial thought was something like putting a releasable zip tie onto the bar when the lockout was on, but then it'd get put in a pocket when the lockout was off, then forgotten, then lost. Instead something that stays on the bars in both states seems preferable. It should be easy to switch it between states but it shouldn't be prone to switching states or rattling when things get bumpy.
My best idea so far is to dig out the mount from an old Cateye bar mount with a cam lever, like this:
[img] 
[/img]
Then paint one side of it bright red, and maybe the other side green. It would be simple to release the cam and spin it around when I engage/release the lockout.
Has anyone got any ideas for a better but similarly simple and easy to implement system? Other than improving my memory or not faffing around with lockouts and the like, that is!
[i]not faffing around with lockouts and the like[/i]
+1 🙂
Carry a rape alarm and switch it on every time you lock out your forks?
or a set of these on your bars?
[img] 
[/img]
Fully rigid bike.
Without being rude are you looking for a solution to a problem that doesn't exist? Don't get me wrong, we've all done it, but you only need to forget a few times and everytime you then put your lockout on you should then be thinking "I need to turn it off again".
The last lockout I used was on a pair of Suntour forks and the lever pointed in different directions if it was on or off so quite easy to tell. I'm not sure having it painted red or green would have helped.
Do you have the same problem remebering what gear you're in as you head towards steep hill? Should become intuitive. Is lockout something new that you are getting used to? If so it may (should) become second nature over time.
I have on occasion forgotten to release a lock out or return
^ stop doing that
slightly less nobbish version:
It'll become second nature, pay special attention to it for a few rides and get int the 'habit' of glancing/checking you're unlocked before the rocky stuff and it'll stop being an issue pretty quick.
I've done it too, but only about once or twice a year, and chances are that's the same time I would have forgotten to flip my marker-device-thingy over too.
Are your lockouts bar mounted?
Um..... if you forget to switch the lockout on and off how are you gonna remember to switch your reminder thing? You just need to get into the habit of doing it surely?
Leave them unlocked?
I thought I was the only one. The scary thing is when you don't notice!!
I want scream-deactivated lockouts; so when you're about to fly over the bars because you forgot to unlock your forks it does it for you automatically 🙂
It could be grunt-activated too for going uphill...
you could strap a little rubber strap LED light (something not bright) to your bars and turn it on when you are locked out.
I generally find I get to the top of climbs and then remember about the lockouts which shows ho much I really need them, the exception is on a tough or relentless climb when I notice bobbing or front end wandering (fork reduction) and think to reduce them.
That said I did used to like stopping my 100-130mm revs to 100mm on the c456 for tight twisty singletrack as it made it responsive and a bit of a handful (in a fun way) on little down pointing sections.
I'm sure I saw a device that connects dropper switch to lockout switch on here in the last few weeks
edit: http://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/The-Hub,2/AutoShock-Linking-Your-Dropper-To-Your-Shock,9104
The e:i system is utterly brilliant in solving this, just set it to auto and away you go. Shame it's only on bling spec lapierres and haibikes, and not available aftermarket 🙁
Personally, after once doing 3/5 enduro stages with my rear shock locked out, I just leave everything fully open all the time.
Surely you'll eventually get used to seeing the clamp on your bars and forget to switch that, which would mean you'd forget to switch your lockout. So then you'd need a second clamp to remind you about the first clamp which reminds you of the lockout.
Maybe fit a red flashing light that you can turn on and off.
It's not a common occurrence, but when it happens it's a bit annoying. The act of switching the lockout (or whatever) on and when it needs to go off can be so long apart that my occasionally unreliable memory completely fails me on the matter. For example I have sometimes dropped the travel on my forks to make it easier to fit them into my car, then I've not remembered until some point partway through the subsequent ride. Or engaged pro pedal at the start of a long fire road or road slog then forgot about it at the top.
Actually, if I used the various lockouts/pro-pedal levers/travel reduction dials more often I probably would become more disciplined about remembering to use them! However I don't but those rare occasions when I do can be for things like long alpine climbs followed by long descents, where forgetting about them can be a bit of a pain in the arse.
If my fork/shock controls were bar mounted they'd probably be easier to remember about, and also easier to adjust on the fly. But they're not. I thought that something easily visible from the saddle would help train me to stop forgetting about them. I am not looking for a solution to a ride destroying problem, just wondering whether anyone has any ideas for a little tweak that may prove occasionally useful.
Reminds me of this
The scary thing is when you don't notice!!
I've had some of my better descents when locked out by accident..
Don't most forks have blow out thresholds these days anyway?
OP - get one that does. Problem solved.
Indicators on motorbikes don't auto-cancel
I had a real problem with remembering to turn them off once doing the turn. If you forget it's an immediate fail in a test
My instructor succintly said if you can remember to turn them on you can remember to turn them off
[It's still easy to forget every now and then though]
pfftAvoiding forgetting to turn off lock outs/travel reduction/etc before descents
What about when you commit to a road gap or super booter and realise you're on the wrong fricken bike?
Now that's a problem!
Indicators on motorbikes don't auto-cancel
Mine do 😛
Rachel
Indicators on motorbikes don't auto-cancel
Same as with pro-pedal....just leave them off 🙂
rocketman - Member
What about when you commit to a road gap or super booter and realise you're on the wrong fricken bike?Now that's a problem!
Well in my case that'd all get sorted out when I wake from the [url= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnic_jerk ]falling dream[/url], as that's the only time I'd be trying a road gap on any bike!
I have forgotten to turn ETA off on Marzocchis a few times, which isn't recommended when tackling long sets of steps - each impact pushes the forks further into their travel and you end up with the forks compressed to about 30mm travel.
I used to have ETA? written on the bars in marker pen to remind me, but now I don't have any ETA forks anyway, so the problem is solved.
[i]My instructor succintly said if you can remember to turn them on you can remember to turn them off[/i]
You soon get into the habit of constantly pressing them off, as the consequence of having them on at the wrong time could be fatal...
Jared Graves' mechanic glued the shock lever into the open position last season on his Yeti.
Perhaps this might help.
http://www.redthumbreminder.com/
Apparently, society has become so dumb... that people need to be reminded not to text whilst driving....
could also work for lock-outs.
Give it 5 years and I reckon that there will be a version reminding people to breath and reminding them that walking in front of trains isn't a good idea.
What has the world come to!
Otherwise.... Can i recommend that every time you forget to lock-out, just get a mate to hit you with a stick? Couple of days riding might see you a little bruised but you will never forget to flick that little lever again.
Try it a different way round, rather than trying to remember to flip it before you descend, flip it at the top of the hill.
You can remind yourself on the way up, treat it as a reward for topping out. Easier that way than trying to remember as a flat trail gradually gets steeper, faster and more technical. You've got other things on your mind by then.
Motorbike indicators thing - what made the difference for me was thinking of it as part of the turn/manoeuvre, rather than something that had to be remembered after it was done with. If that makes sense?
superstu isn't far off on this one.
From a sports psychology point of view you have created a pathway in your brain linked to a particular action. At the moment this is linked to a strong negative emotion (annoyance/frutration) because you only realise you have forgotten to unlock or reduce travel after you need it. Unfortunately this emotion of "ah darn" (or whatever you curse of choice is) over-rides other thoughts and actions, and then reinforces the pathway. You need to create a new path linked to a positive emotion. You are suggesting doing this by creating a visual reminder but you can train your mind (all Jedi like) to create a new pathway.
If you overtly make a point of saying "I have locked my forks out. Unlock at the top of the climb" keep repeating it and then, importantly, actually unlock your forks you have created a new pathway in your brain to remind you to unlock your forks. The paths in your brain are like walking through a field of long grass, new paths are faint at first and need to be repeated until they are well worn and easy to walk along. You may well need to practise this outside a pressure situation (just riding along instead of a drop after a climb for example) but the more you do it the easier it will become.
Of course this could all be mumbo jumbo and you just need to buy a massive flashing light and turn that on too.
The fun part is, once he notices it, he obsesses about how long it's been wrong for, and it can retroactively ruin descents from hours, even days before.
Get Ian Potter to follow you around and shout at you. PADS ON, SHOCKS ON
Rather than the crappy Cat Eye light mount that you are proposing why don't you buy a fork remote lock out lever, fit it to your bars as if it were attached to the forks and when you lock your forks out you could put the remote in the locked out position and when you unlock them then you move the remote lever to mimic the unlocked position . 🙂 😆 
Remind yourself by coming up with a relevant battle cry that you turn to your companions and shout loudly before every descent - e.g. "LOCK AND LOAD MOTHERFU oh wait I forgot to turn my travel adjust knob"
Once I did remember mid jump that the forks were locked and fortunately had a bar mounted lever. The floodgate would have saved them but I suspect I would have been in a heap on the floor.
Buy a bike with suspension design that doesn't require lock out at the rear. Learn to climb without being out of the seat and/or bobbing for the front or the need to reduce travel. Then you can leave the silly switches alone.
I've had no lock out or travel adjust for years except now on some Pikes but I'm so used to climbing with no issue at all regardless that it's not a problem. Even on my 170 travel Lyriks on the Nomad (VPP makes the rear a non issue with pedal bob. I've got climb switch on the CCDB Air but I just don't notice a difference on climbs and I forget to switch it off if I use it, so I don't).