[Closed] "It climbs great with the fork at 100mm and descends great wound out to 150mm"

TALAS or the Bombers version innit
CLick compress done only rockshox have the uturn

Yes.

Hope that helps.

my mate has a pro pedal shock and stops every 3 mins to change it from up to down. Needs a remote lever. Although I stop pretty often to adjust my saddle.

I've got a Pace RC41 with launch control - just slap it down at the bottom of a climb and it does the rest.

I've got some Durin Marathons which have 40mm of travel adjust via a remote lever, so no need to stop! 80-120mm range though rather than 150mm.

I've perfected the art of adjusting U-turn while riding

Can I mention Bionicon?

I put on my lock out for climbs then forget about it until the bottom of the next descent. I'm spending today looking at carbon rigid forks.

Yep I happily wind my U-turn's down (whilst riding, there no need to stop), on all three sets I've had (two still on bikes), and even used to use the ETA on my bombers. Then when I get to the top, whilst getting my breath back I unwind them.. simples

Used to use the U-Turn on the Reba's fitted to my old bike as it made a massive difference to the feel of the bike on steep, long climbs.

Hardly used the TALAS on my 2010 Stumpy as the geometry doesn't really require it.
I used it in Spain a few times earlier this year on long climbs but more because I had it, than I really needed it.

I did find I used to forget with the ETA on my bombers. It was one reason the launch control appealed - it switches itself off when you hit a bigish bump.

I read this a lot. Are people seriously stopping to wind their forks in/out every time they encounter an incline? Or are we only talking about long descents/ascents here?

No, not at [every] incline: Only ones that are particularly long and steep.

Generally though: I tend to ride my Lyriks at 160mm the vast majority of the time.

I can never be arsed adjusting the uturn on my pikes or domains.

My 150mm bombers don't have any uturn type shizzle and can't say I miss it.

I have u turn forks on my bike ( got because I wanted to put long forks on a frame not designed for them and wanted to try out different lengths)

I find I almost never remember in time to wind them out for descents and if I do I forget to wind 'em back for climbs - so they are at the wrong travel half the time at least

I have more or less decided to leave them at 105mm where the climbing and handling is OK and forgo the extra travel on the DHs.

I do with the Revs on my Soul, leave them at 110mm most of the time, wind them out to 140mm when going down anything thats longe\rocky\steep enough to need it, handles great at 140mm down this sort of stuff so its worth 30 seconds of winding.

Hmm, I guess that makes me a luddite then! I must admit, when posting I was thinking primarily of the Rockshox U-turn system, which is about the slowest to adjust.

Personally, when I get to the top of a climb I just want to keep on going. So any travel adjust requiring me to stop is probably out of the question.

I did have U-turn on my old forks, but found that I just left it at the sweet spot the whole time.

In fact, I have an aversion to stopping in general. And i'm probably also influenced by the weekly group rides, when there's no time to do stop/adjust your fork either.

I have a Bionicon Golden Willow and I adjust it all the time.
Pressing the button and tightening the angles up for up hills makes a fair difference. It's like having an extra range of gears.

[i]I'm spending today looking at carbon rigid forks.[/i]

On a Yeti? 😯

Vanillas here. Used to have Pace Launch Control gubbins, but the 575 doesn't need it.

DezB I don't have a yeti!...I'm building up a race ready giant xtc.

On my trail FS I have Pikes that are set at 135mm all the time, u-turn is probably stuck tbh. If I use the pop-loc I forget about it, most of the time I seem to be quicker with them rigid 8)

I've got Lyriks with all sorts of controls and a rear with pro-pedal and never touch either on a ride.

If I did, I'd invariably have them in the "up" setting when going down and the "down" setting when going up.

Mind you, I leave my seatpost in the same place all the time too. 8)

Yeti... I run RC31s on my XTC... 'tis faaaast

I think alot of people on here need to either buy a fork suitable for their frame, or learn how to ride with the right technique.

I've got 130mm U-turn Revs on one of my bikes... only bother to wind them in for really steep granny forcing gear climbs. Don't have to stop to make the adjustment it's quite managable whilst riding along.

Kev

Keva - Member
Yeti... I run RC31s on my XTC... 'tis faaaast

Cheers Kev, my only concern is that I'm building up the same size frame as you ride, although I'm 5" taller.... at least it'll be light!

I have Uturn Pikes on my hecker - I only use it if the climb is proper steep

A few years back I had a Marin Rock Springs, the one with 4-6mm quick release adjustable rear set-up.

It was brilliant for the first couple of rides, then the novelty wore of and the lever never moved again.

Yeti.. I bought mine from a mate who's about 5'7"/8". you should be alright, just !

[i]DezB I don't have a yeti![/i]

WHAT? A Skoda then?!

I used to wind them down all the time but I bought a car with a bigger boot so no need any more.

First time externally adjustible travel forks became availible, a bunch of us got them and we stopped to wind them up or down pretty much everywhere ... for the first few rides, then we all pretty much left them at full extension and got on with our lives.

DezB I do have a skoda. It's a dream to drive, but I can't adjust its suspension settings 🙁

I've got 66's which take about 15 turns to wind down, it all depends where I'm riding, if there's a load of climbing then I'll turn them down, similarly if there's a lot of downs I'd have them wound out, if its a lot of undulation I tend to leave them where ever they are (usually around full travel, but I run them with 30% sag anyway)

fit and forget, its the way forward.

Went through a phase of adjusting forks but soon grew tired of it. Use the lockout on my Revs a lot, & the Pro-Pedal on the shock.

I must learn to ride with the correct technique though.

Waste of time IMO. I'd never pay extra for adjustment on a ride. The only time I use the fork lockout or pro pedal on the rear is riding to work on road. Technique whilst off road prevents most bobbing, and weight transfer whilst seated enables you to climb

Not all the time but for steep stuff I do. It depends on the bike but it means not settling for a compromise, my Hemlock'll climb fine at full length but it'll climb better at 120mm so why not? The Mmmbop's the same, with a short stem on it's slightly wandery on the ups at 140mm so it's either a longer stem which'll impair the descending, or an adjustable fork.

It's not like it's any bother at all to adjust, even with uturn it takes a few seconds and you can do it on the move.

Had Marzocchi with eta, Sherman with travel adjust and u-turn pikes... but the best forks I have used are Floats... no travel adjustment is the best.

My experience. Great idea on paper and might work for steep flat climbs but add in rocks and waterbars and its pedal strikes ahoy. Add in forgetting to turn it off or catching the eta or lock out lever on undergrowth... lots of swaeing.. so for me less is certainly more when it comes to this stuff. Fit and forget is the best.

I used to wind my pikes in to 110mm for climbing and general singletrack, then wind out to 140mm for descending. I thought that 110mm made it easier to climb but I recently did a few loops of the lower cliff climb/descent at cannock and coming to it from Stile Cop, my fork was already wound out to the full length without me realising to put it in "climb mode". I managed to clear the whole climb (never managed it all the way before) and effortlessly went round the switchbacks. On the second attempt I put my forks in to 110 and couldn't get round the switchbacks which ruined my "flow". So now they're just at 140 all the time.

We don't have any climbs that are both steep and long in this country.

TandemJeremy - Member

I find I almost never remember in time to wind them out for descents and if I do I forget to wind 'em back for climbs - so they are at the wrong travel half the time at least

God that sound so familiar. I find that it's easier to leave the TALAS on the mmmbop at 130mm as I otherwise forget to adjust the bluddy thing.

Surrounded By Zulus - Member
We don't have any climbs that are both steep and long in this country.

Don't we? Where do you live because they do round my way. I have a climb which is 100% rideable which is a good 30 minutes non stop with no descent during that. It climbs about 500M.

Although mine have u turn, i adjust my travel by increasing/decreasing the sag by either shifting weight forward on climbs, or off the back on descents.

Other people i guess like to use the adjustability of their forks because they can. Not really a big issue as many ride groups stop at the top or bottoms of sections to re-group, share the banter, compare wounds, etc.

140 Revs on a Blur Classic here: Rides much better at 110 for everything except aggressive downhill where the longer fork comes to its own!
Can adjust U-turn on the fly, but TBH I have to wait so long at the top of climbs for everyone else to catch up, that it's a great device for whiling away the time! (this could be a big porky actually..)

druidh - Member

"TandemJeremy - Member

I find I almost never remember in time to wind them out for descents and if I do I forget to wind 'em back for climbs - so they are at the wrong travel half the time at least"

God that sound so familiar. I find that it's easier to leave the TALAS on the mmmbop at 130mm as I otherwise forget to adjust the bluddy thing.

Do you think its an age thing? 😥 😳 😉

although not fast or special or anything, I find I can have a good time and handle most stuff with Rebas at 115mm on a hardtail in North Wales. I lock 'em out on a smoothish climb. I've never ridden a big bouncy bike. I'm still happy 🙂

I love adjustable forks, I really don't see how it's a 'hassle' to stop and adjust, much less if you can do it on the fly.

It reminds me of those snowboarders who used to say that they used Flow bindings in order to 'save time' at the top of lifts. Woo! 5 seconds saved.

Rock Shox Pike 454 Coil U-Turn on a Commencal Ramones 2 hardtail here.

Ive had travel adjust forks in the past but quickly decided that they were a poor substitute for proper technique. IMO it's better to adjust your riding position to suit the gradient and that way your bike always feels the same so hopefully you end up more in tune.

Fox Float 120mm, always the same height always the same saddle height. Seriously you don't need to be stopping to do these adjustments, you've just been suckered in by the marketing bollox. You dont find motorcyclists or drivers stopping to change suspension on motorway slip roads. OK you might but they are nobs.

Oh, I should have said, it does depend on the bike. Some just feel crippled with a short fork. But others, like my Soul and Hemlock, are designed so they ride well with a short or long fork so you're not choosing "Low but crap", you're just choosing one of the bike's 2 "moods" if you like.

djglover: "Seriously you don't need to be stopping to do these adjustments,"

That's absolutely right, because you can do it on the move. Think it's you that's been suckered tbh, have you actually used one of these things?

Slowrider: "Ive had travel adjust forks in the past but quickly decided that they were a poor substitute for proper technique"

Why not combine the two? This is like saying "Why get a light bike, just get fitter?" Why not get a light bike AND get fitter?

I have Pikes and use them at 120mm for most stuff. I only wind them in or out if I know I've got a long climb or descent so they're the dogs I think.

Lyrik U-Turns transform my Bullit going uphills, without taking much of the edge of the descents, compared to 888s. Makes a perfect bike for the Dark Peak, where there's hardly any flat riding to catch it out. What's not to like?

If I forget to wind out my forks I notice immediately as soon as I start to descent, because the bike feels totally wrong! Having said that I mostly ride with them in a middle setting and only wind them in for something particularly steep and technical.

But I do really miss my Pace Launch control - it was ace, and automatically released when you went downhill and hit a bump.

[IMG] [/IMG]
😀

I have pike u-turns on one of my bikes. I wind the forks up and down pretty frequently and I don't need to stop to do this!

Has anyone mentioned that it's not all about climbing and descending? The change in head angle can make the bike handle better for fast trail centres, steep technical trails or tight twisty wooded singletrack.
I've had U-Turn and Talas forks in the past and I gave up adjusting them during a ride as I always forget to adjust back. They were however useful for adjusting the handling for different trail types.

Have had U-turn forks on 3 different frames. DaveHinde - wrong match of fork and frame but the U-turn made it bareable on the climbs. 1st generation inbred, always dropped to 85mm for road and climbing then out to 100 for everything except tight twisty stuff when it was back to 85. Second generation inbred just ran the fork round at 100mm very rarely put it out to 115mm. Used the lock out a lot. New forks, been running around at 120mm, has a lock down and lock out never found the need for either yet.

I just figured for me U-turn has run its course as bikes and forks have move more to how I want to ride.