[Closed] Full Suss why do we bother?

My Turner Sultan is fine.

My edit is fine

Whyte have lifetime warranty on bearings

I've ridden my Camber through 4 British winters and am still on the first set of bearings.

I rode my Anthem in the mud, wind and rain last week. Seems to be ok for the experience, same as it has been for the last 4 years...

you're doing it wrong

My 5 is fine...

Doing it wrong as in???
As for Whyte lifetime the devils in the detail!

My hardtail is fine.

My 5 is also fine.
I love mud.

Orange 5 for the win then?

Yep and old ones are cheap now.

Or a 4 or alpine

My trance did a good few years of mud without any issues.

My spectral has been fine through 3 winters although it has had a bearing change and a bit of TLC

oldfart - Member

.....or do we just have to treat them like pampered snowflakes and wrap them up in a warm cocoon until April

I don't know anyone who does this. Just ride the bloomin' things. Quick rinse down (or not) after a ride & ready for next time.

My 2 (3 winter old) VPP Santa Cruz’s and their lifetime bearing warranty, that I haven’t had to use yet, have been fine.

My 18 month old Specialized FSR Ebike, still fine

My DW link Pivot is just coming into its first winter, but has been ridden in all sorts of filth so far, also fine.

So, lots of bearings, no problems....

What issues are you having?

My Five doesn't struggle

Must admit my Anthem is put away in the loft until next summer.
Needlessly it seems.

That's it I'm going riding (it was a bit tongue in cheek mind

Just fit new bearings at the start of spring.

What do bearings costs ,i think its 50 quid for my bike, and thats oneof the more expensive ones.

Hardly a big deal is it.

My KTM Scarp is fine, 2000km of all weather riding on one set of OE main pivot bearings isn't bad if you ask me. They're a whole £20 for Max Enduro ones and about an hour to change.

Hardly a trial once every year or so.

My 2010 Anthem is fine, as is my 2005 Hustler (still on original bearings) but I do ride the anthem much more. My hardtail is also fine but the Anthem is the go to bike at any time of year.

Must admit my Anthem is put away in the loft until next summer.
Needlessly it seems.

My (2007) Anthem only comes out in the winter!

tomhoward
Issue is ongoing Creak/graunch that so far 3 different bike shops haven't been able to nail down , all have different opinions none of which ever solve it permanently? After 2 years of trying gets a bit wearing .

This will be my first winter with my new full sus, I plan to not wash the frame and other parts too much and just keep the fork, shock and dropper stanchions clean after each ride and then clean the drivetrain lightly after each ride with a proper degrease every other or 3 rides. See how it holds up. Will prob give it a full wash every month, I dont want to be blasting extra water or muc off into the bearings

5 is the only answer. Mine's going good after 10 years with one easy bearing change 😀

I hear you oldfart, you are not alone. doesn't matter the make, i go through frame bearings like cups of tea.

No issues here. Just ride. Previous Oranges would give me years from a pair of bearings. This will be my first winter with a multi-pivot bike, so we'll see.

And why do we bother? Because parts of the country are pretty rocky.

I'll still be washing my FS though. I think that grunge can build up around bearings which ends up forcing its way into the seals. Cleaning with a hose currently cos my jetwasher has packed up.

@ Oldfart & daver27 - what FSers are you riding?

daver27 a lone voice in the wilderness! Process nerve love the bike but.... Think bearings are a red herring tbh my mates Process just had its first bearing change same year as mine I reckon they work for ages with worn bearings just seems the favourite place to start looking with mystery noises!

Yep, Five's and Heckler's ... Had a 2004 Heckler that became my winter full sus, bearings lasted forever (now sold) my 2011 Heckler will be the new winter bike, bearings are good on that but I got a replacement set just in case from SCUK - filled in an opline form and they were here in a few days. Single pivots are great UK bikes, sadly Heckler no longer sold 😥

Where do i start...

Norco Sight 1 26 2013
Norco Sight Carbon 2014
Saracen Ariel x 650 2015
Mondraker Dune XR 650 2016
Santa Cruz Hightower CC 2017

To be fair, the santa cruz has only had 2 bearings fail in 200 miles and sure enough lifetime warranty had a new set wing its way to me free of charge in 48 hours. the rest of them are still smooth, but still, the rest have all failed within 6 months, some within a few weeks of purchase (mondraker) resulting in cracked frames and mucho warranty. I am not alone either..

A wash down with one of those hozelok ‘wheel brush’ hose attachments keeps mine clean enough after most rides.

Single ring really makes life so much easier now.
With the 5 there's just nowhere for the mud to collect now.
I love mud.

First thing you should do is upgrade to enduro bearings, they do last longer in our crappy weather.

Don't jet wash, just use a hose and bucket (sponge and brush).

mine are never jetwashed and only hand washed with water, no detergents or cleaning products.

hardtail is all set for winter now anyway

Then of course there's a rigid fat bike. All the comfort and zero maintenance.

love the "3 winters and my bearings are fine" comments.

Bet they are not.

My five would feel rough after 1 winter (cheap though). Although i guess it depends on your grease and what your riding in.
16 months on the liteville but wow they are expensive in comparison.

darrenspink Enduro Max fitted in June bike shop used Loctite when installing them (see my other thread) as this was the Only way? to fit them properly! In fact the Loctite has been responsible for some of them failing.

What have you been riding? No problems with any of the single-pivot Oranges I've ridden through 18 Yorkshire winters, with virtually no care or maintenance apart from a quick hose down and spray the chain with GT85. Latest Five is continuing the tradition. Had five single-pivots and changed about 4 sets of bearings in 18 years, and I ride around 8 hours a week on average.

I don't bother. I've only got a hardtail now, and I've not been on that since August 😕

south downs, Surrey Hills, Afan, Bike Park Wales. mostly South Downs and Surrey Hills though.

Agreed with andybrads comments about '3 winters and fine' guaranteed they are just held together with dust and hope.

Issue is ongoing Creak/graunch that so far 3 different bike shops haven't been able to nail down... After 2 years of trying gets a bit wearing .

Could be your knees? Being an old fart and all...

Thanks for the vote of confidence Scott 😀

Never wash the bike during winter (or summer for that matter)

Before the next ride, just wipe the dried dirt of the fork stanchions and shock body, and oil the chain . If you can be bothered removed the large clumps of dried mud from the frame and wheels.

😆

love the "3 winters and my bearings are fine" comments.

Bet they are not.

A mate thought the bearings on his Commencal were fine till it went in for a service. Turns out the bearings are seized and appear to have been for some time, especially since he's been chasing a creak for months. The inner bearing race has worn a nice groove in the linkage bolt. Now waiting for a new one from Commencal, along with new bearings.

single pivot mafia 8)

I've only got one bike and it's a full susser...... Maybe I should stop riding in the winter!!!

I wasn’t aware that the British summer was that different from winter.

Issue is ongoing Creak/graunch

Are you aware of the issue with plastic suspension bushes creaking on 2016 Kona Process models? I understand that metal bushes are available as a warranty replacement.

https://m.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomments/?threadid=174141&pagenum=2

My 134 sounded like this:

I greased the bushes and it went away for a few months, but it's just come back so I'll be chasing the metal replacements.

Just debating a bearing change on my Jekyll as it faces its third winter but I'll probably wait until Spring as I'll be mainly riding rigid for the next few months and saving the Jekyll for great days.
The only problem is that creaking PF BB. Grrrr.

tilly dog Kona UK are involved guy mentioned what you said mines a 2014 so should have metal ones but he put some new metal ones in with the new bearings mine doesn't sound like that video!

Destroyed a set of Turner bearings in 2 winters. Getting sick of replacing jockey wheels. Currently rigid singlespeeding and about to build up a winter version of that for Ridgeway plugging - constant mud and grit even destroys rigid single speeds!

It’s not the frames/bearings/bushings that I worry about in crap weather, it’s the drivetrain and air suspension.
If things get soggy I tend to drag the road bike out. Or single speed with old bombers or the old Turner with Coil rear, Bombers front and SLX drivetrain.

I can go years between services on the open bath forks, I don’t think the coil Van rc has been opened once in 18 years.
Modern stuff is too needy.

I hear you oldfart, you are not alone. doesn't matter the make, i go through frame bearings like cups of tea.

+1

I clean and repack frame bearings every 3 months or so, with current bike and previous. It's the same story for both, if I wanted to keep them running buttery smooth I'd be replacing every 6 months or so. As it is I get 8-10 months out of a set of bearings.

Add in to that headsets (~10months) and BB's (last one lasted about 6 months with 2 stripdowns and regrease)

It's all just a bit of wear and tear in it.

Turner Czar 10491 miles - 4 Winters
Turner Flux 5381 - 3 winters.

But they've still needed maintenance.

Gratuitous 5 and mud pictures.[img] [/img]

My old Stumpy was ridden all year round for 8 years without a single service on the suspension. It was fine.

My newer Stumpy is now 2 years old and not the slightest issue. It gets hosed down every now and again and perhaps a bit of lube. Nothing else.

Its odd how some people claim their full suss bearings are fine after x years of riding in all conditions, and others (like me) need to change bearings every 12 months.

I guess its due to one of the following:-

1. riding in different locations
2. People not riding as much as they think they do ( I dont ride as frequently as most, and my bearings are shot after 12 months)
3. lack of rider sensitivity, ie people thinking their bike is still fine after numerous years, but really if they put new bearings in, it would be a night and day difference.
4. Maybe their bearings really do last forever, but I cant believe it , having had 3 full suss bikes over the last 10 years, and them all going through bearings at a similar rate.

Anyway - who cares - I know my bearings are shot after about 12 months, they cost £50 to replace, and its no big deal.

Its odd how some people claim their full suss bearings are fine after x years of riding in all conditions, and others (like me) need to change bearings every 12 months.

Depends quite a bit on the bike I reckon and the forces you put through the frame.

Also whenever bike wear is being talked about, consider geographical location. Different rocks in different parts of the country produce different soils and mud with very different properties.

Not the old "Full Sussers can't be used in winter" chestnut again.........

[img] [/img]

Go on,give your bearings a treat. 😉

Reminds me, need some grease for the Zerks.

Is there one full Suss out there that is bombproof for our riding conditions

That Deviate on the front page has potential...

My 2011 5 is also fine. It gets hammered round The Dales & NYM, It's had one bearing change, I'm overweight & I rarely wash it. (apart from the drivetrain)

Debating whether to get rid on my 650b plus bike and invest in a full sus,but it will have to be my only ride throughout winter slop and in to summer.
The bike I'm looking at is a Specialized Camber - what are these like for bearing replacement, etc?

LRS bearing last forever, originals on an 07 and 04 frame.

Not sure on the 98 frame as someone else is riding it.

I don't baby my Hightower or Defy. My road and mountain bikes are year round. I have no winter bike or summer bike. Never had a bike that needed care through the winter. Light hose down after every ride.

Love mud. Replace parts on my hardtail all the time. Always wonder about these 'long time' reviews where nothing fails.

My full suspension bike: bike through evil mud as well. But pamper the suspension bearings. Water bucket and brush. Before I ride I peel off the dried dirt from the suspension bearing locations. Then I spray plenty of silicone onto them. Not for lubrication.
But the water/mud/dirt crap doesn't like the silicone? Doesn't creep into the gaps?
Full suspension silicone woodoo.

andreasrhoen bloke from Kona suggested using silicone spray as well , are they all the same ?

Use right now cheap silicone spray from the hardware store.

Before I used silicone spray from NIGRIN (called silicone hybrid or so). This was the better spray - but can't get it any more.

In summer dust conditions I don't use the spray. Dry dust sticks to the spray as well and might make things worse.

Silicone is not a great lubricant - means I use other stuff on the chain.
But water and mud doesn't like to creep and stick on the silicone. I guess that's the voodoo behind the suspension bushing thing?
Winter time: silicone on these spots before every ride...

SC & WHYTE LIFETIME bearing warranty only covers the bearings not the labour so they will supply you bearings only not fit them or pay to be fitted

pretty pointless considering oe bearings are pretty avg.

I've just ridden all of mine how I want to and never had a problem with any of them. On the infrequent occasions they want a bearing it's usually quick, easy and cheap. I can do every bearing in my remedy in under an hour, frinstance, with no special tools for IIRC £30. But of course it never needs them all done at the same time.

(Oh OK, Cotic Hemlock you get points off for the horst link pivots, which were a pain in the cock and needed done a little bit too often because they were so small. But even then it was an absolute nonissue)

OTOH today I took the rigid out around kirroughtree and now I need a new foot

Sell the bike and get something else OP.

Preferably a hardtail or an Orange.

They lasted as well as on anything else, but got bored of changing 10 bearings on my giants, so went single pivot with an orange. Would be happy to take a bit of a weight penalty for some oversized bearings to make them last longer.

One of the potential problems with cheap ball bearings:

The bearing seal is pretty good in keeping the grease in the bearing but lousy in keeping water and moisture out. Once moisture is in the bearings they will rust quickly - and sooner or later seize...

Possible that some mountain bike manufacturers use higher quality ball bearings for the pivots?
Most will use the (very) cheap stuff of course.

Or: are there really higher quality ball bearings which don't rust (in the "inside" when flooded with water)?