photo courtesy Diane Ursu, Moronacity.com

In the previous article How to Ride Mountain Bike – Part 1 we talked about Training, how to select a suitable bike and Basic Techniques while riding a Bike. Now we will go in-depth and discuss about some of the riding techniques under different riding condition.

Riding Position

There are two riding position such as seated position and standing position otherwise called as “Attack Position” (neutral riding position). The Basic riding position is the standing position used when you approach any tight or twisty turns on technical terrain.

• Stand on the pedal, keep your butt out of saddle with shoulder and arm in relaxed position.
• Slightly bend you knees and elbow to absorb the shock bear by rough section of the trail. This will avoid any shock that pass on to your body.
• Do not crouch your upper body and try to keep your back straight at any riding condition.
• Keep your leg loose and do not hug your saddle with your thighs. Your arm and legs must act like a spring and should work with the suspension.

With the help of this riding position you can easily handle the bike well on corners and move the bike on any tough obstacles with great manoeuvrability. Seated riding position is used when you approach a flat trail or straight path but not so good when the trail gets technical and tough.

Braking Skills

Learn how to use the front brake along with the rear brake correctly and this is the best way to control your bike when driving at great speed. Do not use the front brake alone and this may throw you over the handlebar. The front brake gives a major portion of stopping power and it must be used properly along with back brake to slow down the bike during the steep slope.

• Simply practice on steep slope applying the front brake alone using one or two fingers and not whole hand.
• Do not stop the bike quickly by suddenly jamming the brake, you may skid the bike.
• Gently hold the brake with modulation instead of grabbing, apply consistent braking to have smooth stopping power.

The brake lever can be adjusted based on your reach (amount of movement) and feel (tight or soft). This way you can make it easy to reach the brake lever with just one or two fingers. You might come across a situation where you need emergency stopping when you see big obstacles on the trial while driving down the hill.

• Put your body weight on the rear wheel by going far back on the saddle, move back as much as you can and slowly apply the front brake to slow down the speed. You will not be thrown over the handlebar since, all your body weight is on the back wheel.
• Make sure you will not skid while descending because you may go out of control. You can safely stop the bike before hitting the obstacles down the hill but condition change when you drive on a wet trail. You need to be cautions when riding on a new trail.

Climbing Skills

Climbing up a steep hill is again a more fun in mountain biking also you need some skill to climb up the steepest hills.

• Ride a correct bike size with suitable cockpit length before you make up to the hill.
• Check your bike and ensure that the fittings are perfect otherwise you will have a lot of trouble climbing.
• If you use front suspension fork turn the lockout lever on.
• Change to a lower gear to make it easier to climb.
• Be seated and slightly bend your elbow, lower your upper body over the handlebar to put the weight in the front to give your wheels some traction.
• Keep your head down and pedal quickly to over come roots and rocks in the path.
• If you find difficult to over come some technical path then just stand up and pedal quickly, this will keep your momentum going up the hill.
• Save your energy for big push over any big obstacles near a short steep section, around a switchback or big steep.

Attempting Switchbacks

Three basic steps to be followed before you get into cornering:

• Keep your outside leg extended.
• Slightly lean into the corner to balance the weight.
• Stay in a neutral riding position and this will improve the tire contact with the ground.

Always be focussed on the exit point of the turn and slow down a little before the turn to have total control over the corner. Adjust your brake lever for comfortable reach to have more control over both the front and rear brake. This will improve cornering especially on switchbacks.

Basically you will encounter slow speed turns as well as high speed turns in the corner. When you attempt for slow speed turn:

• Take up easy way to pass the turn without any obstacles on the path.
• Be cautious over the wet trails.
• Down the gear before leaving the corner.
• When you come across sharp high speed turns:
• Take a wide turn as possible to have enough time to complete the corner
• Follow three basic steps for cornering as said before to avoid skidding.

Approaching Steep Slopes – Down the Hill

• While approaching a steep decent slow down the bike to shift body positions and put your body weight on the rear wheel by going far back on the saddle, move back as much as you can.
• Have a wide grip on the handlebar and use the brakes effectively to control the bike. Read the Braking section above to learn how to apply brake when driving down the steep hill.
• While going down the hill your speed will increase, this speed could be very friendly and helps to roll over any bumps. Be prepared getting back to normal riding position after a descent to avoid any crash.

Final Note

Practice-Practice-Practice, if you want to enjoy mountain biking then take time and practice some skills. Include some of the interesting skills in your goal such as jumping, bunny hopping, dropping in, perfect landing, hopping up, jumping a log, handling more technical stuff like rocks and roots. Ride a lot and have fun.

photo courtesy blog.compegps.com

If you are interested in exploring some adventurous sports then mountain biking must be in your priority list. It not only teaches you how to be in good shape but also train your body with much needed endurance. It is really fun to explore new trail and terrain stretches. Advanced light weight bike frames, suspension design, easy shifting gears and big fat tyres – makes it easier to try different terrain. Whether you are a beginner learning to try terrain riding skills, likes to try cross country or riding alpine singletrack, you must be in a good shape. You need to train your body to fully enjoy mountain biking. It does not mean only well trained person can ride mountain bikes. Once you get fit you can fully utilize the benefit of mountain biking.

Need Training

When you have been training keep yourself motivated by maintaining a training chart that look over your progress. This will help you to know where you stand and allows you to learn new skills to reach where you want to be. As you progress in your training you will eventually learn more techniques and skill-sets by repeated practice. If you want to start mountain biking do it slowly, first you need to train your legs and upper body and this can be achieved by two methods.

Climbing up the hills sitting on the saddle would strengthen your upper body and legs. You must also climb up the hill out of saddle to improve your training muscles of upper body. Try to increase your strength and stamina before you get fully in to mountain bike. Running up hills is one of the best training which will train you well and increase your endurance level that is much needed for full fledged mountain biking sports. Although it is a little difficult running is the best training to strengthen your legs and upper body.

Choose Your Bike

Mountain bikes are not as simple as you think, if you make a bad choice when selecting a bike then you will end up riding unsuitable rig. Your height and inside leg are the basic measurements which helps you to choose a mountain bike based on your height. Ride a suitable bike that helps you to do all sorts of riding you prefer. There are two types of mountain bikes such as Hardtail and full suspension mountain bike.

• Hardtail – It has front suspension fork and no rear suspension shock, helps to handle technical terrain.
• Full suspension bikes – Has both front suspension fork and rear suspension shock, helps to handle more technical terrain.

For Beginners

For beginners it is a big question what mountain bike to buy? It is always better to start with Hardtail bike because you will be less abused when you ride on rugged dirt roads and rough terrain. It is a true mountain bike for beginners and this front suspension fork bike is comfortable for shortest trip. Your wrists, hands, neck, shoulders and spinal cord will not get tired soon. Full suspension bikes are also more comfortable and give good control and traction on rough climbs and descents. They are heavier than hardtail bikes and need good maintenance. If you ride on consistent rocky technical terrain then you can start with full suspension otherwise it is not necessary.

Choose Right Frame Size and Frame Material

Choosing right frame size is very important and the measurements of your height and inside leg are the major criteria to decide on right size frame. Make sure your bike has enough stand-over clearance – the space between the top tube of the frame and your crotch. Frame material is another big choice that needs attention. Steel and titanium are the popular frame material for hardtail bikes. Steel is durable and tough, withstand tough ride. Aluminium is also another frame material which is stiffer but suitable only for full suspension bikes not for hardtail bikes.

Popular Wheel Size

29-inch wheels are most popular on both hardtail and full suspension bikes. Its stable and large size makes them a great choice for hardtial bikes which gives great manoeuvrability and speed. 26-inch wheels are the general option for better handling and normally used in all types of mountain bikes.

Basic Techniques While riding a Bike

1. When you are riding on a technical singletrack keep your focus on the trail not on the trees, rocks and bushes.
2. Always keep your eyes spotting over the obstacles and keep your head up and look ahead down the trial. Your bike wheel will follow wherever you look.
3. It is not necessary to hold your handlebar tight but at the same time have good control over the handlebar.
4. Slightly bend your arm to absorb bumpy trail and never lock your elbows or hunch your shoulders.
5. Keeping your handlebar lower than your saddle height is purely a personal preference and by doing so, you can get greater control over the handlebar.
6. Keep your shoulder and arm in relaxed position with loose grip over the handlebar so, that you can easily use your fingers to hold the brake lever and apply braking whenever necessary.
7. By lowering your seat post for about 1/2 inch, you can handle bumpy terrain.

if you are not feeling comfortable when following the above steps while riding the bike then you need to tweak some parts of the bike, specifically the stem length to have the fit of the bike. Most of the shop or amateur riders help you find a bike that fits you properly.

General Riding Tips

1. Keep your body weight placed uniform over both wheels to have good traction on the trial.
2. Ensure you maintain a moderate speed to get better handling around corners, up and down the hill, small obstacles instead of going slow and braking even for small obstacles.
3. Slow speed would not help you to hop over small rocks or when you could just roll over something easily when riding with good speed.

Continue… (How to Ride Mountain Bike – Part 2)

Niner SIR 9 is composed with strong steel structure and devoted solely for experiencing bigger wheels on singletrack. We all know that Niner is the only company fully dedicated to build frames for 29inch wheels, now they also started making quality components for 29er bike. Good quality steel is possibly the Ideal frame material for a 29er hardtail bike and Niner has used high end steel for SIR 9 with proven Bio-Centric bottom bracket design and custom style dropouts. This makes it a most versatile and a light weight bike that runs on either geared or single speed.

29er bikes always enjoy the status of giving a quality ride and turning any resistance into smooth ride. They can accelerate faster over any obstacles than 26in bike. But bigger wheels and longer fork with short head tube could create flex and make it difficult to find good tracking on trails. The flexi steel frame of any 29er bike is a natural tendency that reacts to any deep track in the ground. It may also raise a sharp creek sound while on climbs or when plucking on roots. But SIR 9 steel frame would overcome the issues that 29er bikes normally face. Niner has built a quality frame for SIR 9 which is capable of adapting to turning easily from one to another of various tasks. You need to follow Niner instructions for bike setup and ask their expert views on custom built.

Super Smooth Performance

Niner SIR 9 is the most versatile and popular bike in the market with key important features. It gives the whole benefit of smooth ride over any stuff that other bikes normally chattered through. With the long frame tubes, this mountain bike would make any rock filled ruts, long singletrack and front-hard trail into softer, it avoid any fatigue to your hands and body. With the option of setting up the bike with full gear would even add more speed and smoothness on the trail. It lets you to enjoy full speed on freewheel without pedalling.

The handling is very impressive and still you can gain full stability at any speed. This light weight bike is easy to control and manoeuvre around just about anything. When built with suitable components the bike would respond well in any section of the trail with true riding experience. This super smooth steel frame got all-rounder geometry suitable for all day adventure no matter what you fit in. If you are a trail rider and do little race then you need to look at a very stiff bike but not SIR 9.

This all-to-do bike frame is comfortable with small-bump damping fork system which is probably available in most forks. If you prefer to do little downhill with consistent big bumps, get the suspension fork, otherwise this mountain bike rocks in full rigid fork with single speed or geared.

Reliable Steel Frame

Niner wanted to make this mountain bike light, fast, flexible and comfortable enough for longer ride. They built the frame with Custom Reynolds 853 steel tubing, one of the finest steel frame structures built from size-specific tubes and posses light weight riding quality. Each size bike use different diameter tubes this means each tube are specifically tuned across different size range which gives perfect spring/strength balance. This muscular steel frame is suspension corrected with gusseted head tube and down tube. This allows you to use either Niner Carbon rigid fork or any fork between 80mm – 100mm of travel without any changes to the geometry of the frame.

The rear triangle of this steel frame feature full set of skinny ‘S’ bend seatstay and chainstay. The Chainstay has been slightly curved to maximise the tyre clearance, any larger tyres can easily fit. It also offers vertical compliances on rear wheel and makes for a comfortable feel over a long ride. The head tube is built to fit any standard headset size but Niner recommends Chris King headset for specific and tight riding feel. The seat tube is externally ringed for 27.2 seatpost length and the stainless steel head badge on head tube adds good look to the frame. The frame is available in Moondust grey and Kermit Green colours which look like a luxurious metallic paintwork.

Eccentric Bottom Bracket

Flexible Dropout System

Flexibility with Single Speed or Geared

Specific highlight of this mountain bike is the improved Bio-centric Bottom Bracket (EBB) design with clean downtube cable routing that allows the riders to easily switch between either single speed or geared. The replaceable dropout can also be used which gives the preference for any number of gear choices. It can also be easily removed when you ride the bike for singlespeed. Bio-centric BB weighs just 100 gms and it is the lightest bottom bracket available in the market that helps the riders to get perfect chain tension and vertical dropouts.

This functional chain tightening system gives perfect alignment to the crankset and there is no need to deal with disc brake to remove the wheel. This eccentric BB combined with relatively non-interfering down tube routing is a perfect system to take up chain slack. But it needs regular maintenance, when the BB gets into grit/dirt you need to clean it thoroughly with rubbing alcohol and fix it again.

Bike Setup

This 29er mountain bike comes with flexible dropout system; this dropout can be replaced with single speed insert or replaceable derailleur hanger that normally comes with the bike. Both these dropouts are designed and custom manufactured by Niner specially to be used in SIR 9 bike. This 29er steel frame is available with built kit option and you can choose between Shimano or SRAM drivetrain components. You can also customize your SIR 9 bike with Niner Carbon fork or suspension fork from Rock Shox or Fox; Wheelset option is also available. Frame only option includes the Niner Bio-Centric Bottom Bracket and both singlespeed and rear-derailleur compatible dropouts.

Our analysis

It is a long lasting, all-purpose hardtail bike which allows everyone to own high end steel frame without having to pay the premium of a custom build. Great steel makes for a very comfy ride and Niner has proved that in SIR 9.

This article would help you to find answers for all the above questions.

Things to be noted down

Few important things you need to know before you go for bike frame sizing is that how seat tube and top tube length would change your riding style and how stem size and handlebar height helps you to accommodate well in the bike. You can also get help from your local bike shop to find correct bike frame size at a cost. You must also check the manufactures catalog and website for more information about the bike frame size.

Bike Frame Sizing

Old Bike Frames

In earlier days it is easy to tell the correct frame size, just stand over the frame and if you find one to two inch gap between the top tube and your crotch then that is the correct frame size. In those days in order to differentiate the bike frame sizes manufacturers use seat tube and head tube length. This was considered the only difference between frame sizes, whether the bike was a 19″ or a 25″. But the top tube length remains the same only the height of the top tube varies. Taller person go for 25″ and smaller person go for 19″. Since the top tube length remains the same the taller riders puts the handlebar far away by using longer reach stem to adjust the riding position in 25” frame.

New Bike Frames

Now the mountain bike frames are proportionally sized that means they have shorter top tube in smaller frame and longer top tube in larger frame and there is no need to change the stem size. Although this proportionally sized bike frame proved good improvement in comfort it has become little difficult to choose right frame size because the frames are available with more size.

Bike Frame Size

How to measure a Bike Frame?

Every manufacturer has listed their own frame sizing but generally all those bike frame sizes are measured by seat tube length that varies from 13” to 24”.

Importance of Top Tube Length Measurement and Stand-over Clearance

The seat tube length is no longer an important frame dimension only the top tube length measurement is an actual way for a rider to choose from the frames which are available with more sizes. The top tube length has becomes an important variable to consider when sizing the bike. The general rule of having good stand-over height is always applicable when finding a correct bike frame size. But today you will find a lot of sloping top tube length and stand-over height variation in small to large frames across brands. At the same time you will find sloping top tube frames smaller than its actual size and it is just an illusion. So, you must also include top tube length measurement along with the stand-over clearance as a criterion when finding the correct size.

Stand Over Clearence

Small, Medium, Large Frame Sizes

Most of the riders would think that they still get the same good fit although they can choose from several different bike frame sizes. Yes, it is true because handlebar stem and seatpost are readily available in the market with the different configuration and sizes. You can easily fit the frame according to your height. But still small, medium, large frame sizes with different top tube and seat tube length with variation in handlebar position and stem length would have some effect on your riding style.

Factors that Affects the Riding Style

Long torso and short legs Syndrome and Vice-versa

Riders having long torso and short legs must choose a large frame for cross country or a trail bike. Shorten the stem a little and move the seat little forward to have comfortable position in larger frames. You can also get an acceptable cockpit and top tube length in big bikes such as Freeride/DH bikes without fixing long stem. Mostly medium sized frames from Freeride/DH bikes would better fit for you. if you have Height 5’6″ and 30″ inseam wants to ride a All mountain bike with 5” travel then medium sized frame would give you longer wheelbase and more stability. Normally All mountain bikes have steeper frame angles and enables the riders to enjoy both climb and descent. Larger frame with short stem would be much suitable for somebody having shorter torso than legs.

Choosing Bike frame based on your Riding Style

If you prefer to ride long travel full suspension bike over rough terrain choose the smallest possible frame with maximum clearance for safe ride – as long as the bike does not cramp you inside the cockpit and you can still stretch your legs. If you preferably like to sit upright like riding a cross country/XC bikes choose bigger frame that still provide you enough stand over clearance.

Bike Size Guide

Two important measurements such as rider’s height and inseam size play a major role in finding correct bike frame sizes. The following table is just a rough guide to know where you fit.

Just sit on the bike and go for a test ride. You can also find your comfort level by just sitting on the bike and pedaling backward.

DT Swiss XR Carbon Bike Air Shock

DT Swiss is a reputed company that makes detailed and reliable suspension for vehicles. XR Carbon is an ideal shock for XC racers and it is an extremely light weight bike shock covered with carbon fibre air can. It is a fully adjustable rear shock that comes with lockout and rebound adjust. If you are trying to build a light weight cross country bike in a hurry then this bike shock will truly help you save few grams on your full suspension bike. This weight weenie bike shock is 71 grams lighter than Fox RP23 but technology wise this shock has lesser control than Fox shocks. It weighs just 142 gms in 165mm of travel.

The latest version has automatic negative air spring setup for precise setting in air chamber to achieve better performance. DT Swiss XR bike shock is little expensive when compared to other shock with the similar performance and related feature. You are paying extra money for its lightweight structure and performance that gives extra edge for race feel. This light weight shock gives a firm feel similar to Fox RP23 when set to medium on low speed compression. The mount bushing is specially designed to avoid any damage caused by stress. The functional lockout lever has the ability to put the rear suspension locked out on the fly and delivers full power to the drivetrain without bobbling up the hill.

This titanium lever is placed at the front side of the shock and easy to reach but little fragile. This adjustable oil damping shock has remote control facility and the adjustment kit is totally machined to reduce the weight even further. The rebound adjustment has quite a wide range with red colour dial placed at the top. Though this adjustable bike shock is expensive it is worth considering for warrior/XC race bikes and it suits most of the cross country riders. It works best on bikes which are designed around DW-link, VPP rear suspension but does not suits single pivot bikes.

Manitou Swinger PRO DC Air Shock Suspension

Manitou Swinger PRO DC is an adaption of the previous model Evolver ISX-6 but it is made with different damping system called shim based damper. This damper gives adjustment on low speed and high speed compression. Normally swinger models are highly tuneable bike shocks with compact air canister. The new Swinger PRO DC is designed with easy to operate lockout lever and maintained the same features such as high and low speed compression damping with No tool volume adjustment facility. The other factor you can notice in this shock is the size of the bushing to accommodate suitable bolts. This air shock gives absolutely zero bob and performs well even in single pivot bikes. The shim based damping will also works well with horst link suspension design.

This bike shock gives greater control, even when set with smaller adjustments it gives big notice and ride like a trial bike. Only thing matter is that you need to fiddle around with volume/air pressure during the initial set-up to find the shock’s perfect spot. It is known to everyone that Swinger shock is little less sensitive to small bumps and you need to set the shock with proper sag setting and air pressure volume. You can make the shock as plush as you want or as stiff as you want by adjusting air pressure. The wider adjustments of this air shock provide the ability to adjust the progressiveness of the bottom out.

You can easily dial-in the beginning stroke and make them firm or supple with ease. There is no spiking in the mid-stroke and the active mid-stroke helps you to go for a long ride with comfort. It is little difficult to get some of the after sales parts of Manitou Swinger and most of the riders complain about Manitou manuals that still does not provide clear set-up procedure. So, you need to gather up the initial set-up tuned by some mechanics or from some other experienced riders. If you want to try a new shock in an old rig may be Swinger PRO DC would help you to achieve desired plush. Remote control is also available for rebound and you can also get custom spring curve and custom shim stack for precise setting.

Rockshox Monarch Plus RC3 Rear Bike Shock

Rockshox has made the New Monarch Plus RC3 shock with new damping system and named it as RC3 because it got one rebound and three compression adjust. This shock is more refined and can be tuned well to improve the small bump rides with the help of new solo air spring. Rockshox took an elaborate research and development on Vivid Air shock in-order to incorporate the same technology and improvement in Vivid coil shock. This helped them to create a better Monarch plus RC3 shock for all mountain bike. The refinement made on this bike shock is based on previous Monarch models and new Vivid air shock. The overall built quality of this shock can withstand the aggressive ride.

Even if you tune the shock for big hit it gives a smooth ride and soaks up all the terrain bumps. The new damping system with the solo air spring and air pressure chamber contributes to superior small bump sensitivity. This air shock comes with dual flow rebound which is nothing but an independent damping circuit to control the rebound speed for both beginning stroke (small hit) and ending stroke (big hit). This gives a good compression performance and recovers the shock quickly after big hit. The piggyback reservoir has larger oil volume when compared to Fox RP23. More oil volume withstands the heat and helps the shock to work on high speed on longer-travel trail bikes.

The shock suspension is significantly lighter than its competitors and plusher than Fox RP23. You will notice pedal bob while climbing even though you adjust the compression lever. The three position compression lever gives only a slight difference and does little to rectify pedal bob issue but it is very dramatic between full close and full open positions. Minimum and medium compression setting works great for fast decent and the maximum setting would do well for fire road climbs. You cannot expect them to perform like a propedal in Fox RP23 that gives no pedal bob. But this bike shock performs extremely well in downhill when compared to its rivals.

Fox Float RP23 Mountain bike Shock

Fox Float RP23 is the most versatile and popular bike shock. Its propedal platform and boost valve technology are the well known features among many riders. This bike shock suspension in much similar to Monarch plus RC3 in performance and features but does not come with piggyback reservoir for high oil volume. The new Float RP23 for 2011 comes with new damping system called Adaptive Logic Boost Valve technology and feature Kashima coat body to give greater control and small bump sensitivity. Adjustable propedal function of this shock gives wide range of compression tuning with close and open position including light to medium level. If you expect your shock to be more responsive, punchy at speed and little bit of climbing then you can adjust the lever to 1st or 2nd position.

The third position is fully opened propedal platform that makes the shock firmer and ride like hardtail. With the help of various compression tuning the bike can exceptionally perform well with consistent traction and best suits XC, Trail and All mountain ride in Britain. Fox has specially designed this air shock to deliver supreme small bump suppleness. The accuracy and sensitivity will never be missed at any point of the stroke. Rest of the features are similar to what you would have seen in the previous model, all the same tuning methods light, medium and firm, same boost valve tuning options and red colour dial rebound tune options.

It is not easy to tune this shock suspension without trail and error, further the pre-set of ProPedal compression damping with boost valve technology makes the tuning more complicated. Some beginners are not able to find sweet spot on this shock because it is difficult for them to tune and play around with air pressure. Propedal platform is the only highlighting factor in this XC bike shock and other compression speed and rebound adjustment has not been clearly reached to the rider’s point of view. The previous model with simple propedal adjustments with boost valve technology was less complicated but the new reversed logic of pre-set compression damping needs little time to get used for possible setting. This air spring shock weighs just 208 gms.

Fox DHX Air 5.0 Bike Shock Suspension

DHX Air 5.0 is a progressive and linear bike shock that best suits for freeride and downhill mountain bikes. First thing you will notice in this shock is the Kashima coating all over the body that improves the overall sensitivity to smoothness of the shock. It also allows the new Boost valve damping technology to work to the fullest and boost the small bump sensitivity. This mountain bike shock features a big volume Air Can that withstands the heat of the shock when subject to heavy rocky terrain ride. It also makes the shock suitable for long travel downhill bikes but it must be tuned properly to synchronize with freeride or downhill bikes.

This light weight air shock is almost similar to Fox Float RP23 in adjustments and even if you pump up the shock with excessive pressure it will never blows up. The Air Can has a volume adjuster at the bottom and it is an independent external adjustable bottom-out resistance. For better bottomless performance you must fine tune the volume adjuster and adjust the air pressure accordingly. It gives total control over the big hits and never bottom out easily. This progressive bike shock got wide range of slow speed and high speed compression tuning using propedal lever at the top which is easy to flip on the fly.

Rebound speed can also be controlled using the separate knob that provides good traction on fast decent. This linear air shock can be easily tuned to suit different freeride or downhill frames but it requires bottom out bumper and smaller Can to be fixed on the main shaft to avoid bottom-out at extreme condition. It works well with linear linkage suspension design frame but do not try in single pivot bikes. This bike shock is little expensive and need patience to find correct adjustment for a desired ride. It really encourages both beginners and amateur riders to try different riding style.

Fox DHX RC4 Coil Bike Shock

DHX RC4 is a new edition to the gravity oriented coil shock line from Fox. It is designed for a race circuit and named RC4 because this coil shock has rebound adjust and four compression range. It features independent high and low speed compression adjuster which can be easily tuned even wearing a gloves. Fox has increased the diameter shaft of this bike shock to allow lower internal pressure and to push more fluid inside the system for keeping consistent smooth travel. It is a pure race breed shock born in the race circuit and designed with big volume Air Can reservoir. A separate volume adjuster via air valve is provided at the bottom of the reservoir.

The same Boost valve technology which was found in past Fox DHX Coil 5.0 is used in this coil shock to maintain the ability to adjust boost valve for small bump sensitivity. Fox has slightly redesigned the boost valve position and they have strategically placed the valve above the volume adjuster that boosts the ability to control the bottom-out resistance to the core. The wide range of compression tuning helps the riders to tailor the beginning and end stroke. Unlike other shocks, you can actually feel the difference when you make any adjustment on the RC4.

The adjustment of this linear coil shock matches very well with different downhill bikes and you can easily tune the shock for world cup race level. You cannot find a propedal lever here because Fox thought it is irrelevant to such a downhill specific shock. This progressive coil shock excelled in its performance when ridden in Whistler and it never bottom-out on square edge big hit. Its all depends on how you setup the high and low speed compression. This shock suspension has proved not only in hard decent but also in jump trails, it gives necessary boost and quickly ramps up for big jump.

Manitou Revox PRO Mountain Bike Coil Shock

Manitou Revox design is based on past Swinger SPV coil shock and it is one of the most promising shocks ever built by Manitou for World-cup series. It is easy to set-up and any fine tuning can be easily done without any requirement of tools while out riding. Once you tune the shock with correct sag setting and fix perfect spring rate based on your weight, the shock would be more responsive and gives plush ride. This progressive shock is much suitable for all types of popular downhill bikes. You need to set-up the shock based on the instruction given by Manitou and the air pressure should be factory set to 130-140psi. Too much air pressure can cause stiction, lose of sensitivity and excessive ware of seals. We cannot say Revox is far superior to Fox DHX RC4 and Cane Creek Double Barrel but it is an effective shock with proven damping technology.

Tool-free external adjustment and the new intrinsic damping system are the highlights of this coil shock. Manitou was not popular until they have created Revox, It is extremely adjustable shock and does not bottom-out easily. It provides all the necessary traction on faster big hits and low speed bumps. Even at the high speed the shock is very controlled and felt stable, gives super smooth ride on square edged corners. Custom Shim Stack and Bottom-Out Bumper rate comes as an option and you can also choose between 250 to 650 lb for spring type in 50lb. Similar to all other favourite linear coil shock in the market Revox also feature rebound, low speed and high speed compression adjuster.

The damper shaft is fully finished with hard anodized material that gives long life for the shock. This bike shock is reasonably priced and much cheaper than Fox and Marzocchi. It provides more adjustments and better features for the price you pay. The damping system has in-built Stable Platform Valve (SPV) put in side the air chamber that creates pedalling platform. This platform valve will only open when the shock hits a bump and after absorbing the bump it is then returns to stable mode. Both small and large impacts can be controlled by adjusting compression speed adjuster. Additionally, bottom out adjuster with four position adjustment provide from firmest to the soft setting. Air pressure is applied via air valve at the bottom of the piggyback and it gives the ability to adjust for bottom-out resistance and control the SPV valve.

Marzocchi Roco RC World Cup Coil Shock Suspension

Everybody knows that non-platform shocks are good in plushness and provide better bump feeling but how far the non-platform damping design of Roco performs in bigger hit without losing rebound is the question. Yes, this highly adjustable coil shock does not have platform damping to mess up with low speed compression adjust. This coil shock is known for its smooth and buttery suspension action throughout the stroke. It is basically made for bigger hits and jumps. Marzocchi has put forth one of the best predictable damping system in this shock with simple external adjustments for fine tuning. It suits any bike frame and easy to bleed and rebuilt.

All the compression and rebound adjustments are only for high speed and they are super smooth throughout the stroke even if you switch off the bottom-out resistance. This shock suspension is much cheaper than other shocks in its class because it does not posses any modern platform functions which are commonly found in premium shocks. So, you can save some money to tune the shock rather than spending huge cash to buy specialised downhill/freeride premium shocks. This progressive bike shock nicely takes up big hits and handles the rough rocky terrain with ease; it turns the hucks/drops to jelly. You can quickly adjust the compression speed depending on the terrain and it is durable enough to take up any downhill or freeride ride.

This linear coil shock performs even better than DHX on every big hit landing and never bottom-out. It drives better than Swinger 6 way coil for plusher ride. No platform damping so, the sensitivity of the shock is high and gives amazing control. The shock feels super supple on small bump with quicker rebound and provides fast stutter bump sensitivity. You might quickly blow up on hard hits with other premium shocks but Roco does its job well and never fail to give plush ride. The high-speed compression and air valve adjust works perfectly for VPP frame design. Adjustable compression, rebound, spring preload and bottom-out resistance are all put together to give a long lasting downhill experience.

Rockshox Vivid R2C Coil Shock

This mountain bike shock is very versatile and has an effective compression adjust to try Downhill, Freeride and All mountain ride including lots of climbs. Preferably good air shock would do better climbing job but surprisingly Vivid RC2 would obey the rules and does climbing effortlessly. When the shock is set with low compression you can enjoy buttery smooth trail absorption down the hill. Mostly you can enjoy All mountain ride with the low speed compression. It is the effective compression adjustment that makes Rockshox Vivid RC2 shock more versatile. This simple linear shock is made with strong steel coil that provides good mid stroke and a solid end stroke. It also gives the ability to dial in beginning and end stroke rebound effectively.

This versatile coil shock gives greater control and quick rebound action when riding fast over the trail chatter and it rapidly responds to small bumps like rock gardens and roots. At the same time it also provides controlled slow rebound on big hits so, you would not have any bouncing or bucking when taking big landings. All this is possible with two rebound adjustments based on Rockshox own Dual flow technology. This bike shock uses air volume adjustment or bumpers (optional) to quickly ramp up the spring on hardest landing to avoid harsh bottoming out. Using just rubber bumpers for bottom-out resistance is seems to be a basic tool but it works for Vivid RC2. This shock does not come with high speed compression.

Although the rebound adjustment is a marketing gimmick, this effective coil shock has little more to offer and cheaper than Fox Shocks in its class, bomb-proof for the price you pay. It seems to be easy to setup the shock and has pretty neat compression adjust that works well for fast ride. But keep in mind that you need patience to test and fine tune the shock for different riding style. This coil shock is little heavy but you can buy Ti spring if you want to save on the weight. The Rockshox uses bigger spring with specific size and it is only available from rock shox, other branded coil will not fit.

Cane Creek Double Barrel Mountain Bike Shock

Do you need a shock that can be adjusted on the trial for different course of rides then Double Barrel does the job for you. This bike shock has wide range of adjust capabilities then any other shock in the market. It features multiple external adjustments that fulfil the need for different damping requirements on wide range of riding style. This coil shock has 4-way independent adjustment for both high/low speed compression and high/low speed rebound which suits most of the long travel suspension bikes. All these adjustments are independent to each other and there is no crossover effect. Two bleed screw adjusters are provided for low speed and two hex screw adjusters are designed separately for high speed. High speed setting needs 10mm socket to adjust and low speed setting requires a screwdriver to adjust the setting on the trail.

This valuable bike shock gives good traction on the ground when driven on fast descent in high speed corners. It sucks up all the braking bumps without diving into corners, usually in such situation bike would jack up the rear wheel. This progressive coil shock tracks the small bumps nicely when the low speed compression set relatively soft. The shock is very stable and feels no pedal bob. Unlike other shocks that are limited in their tuning range, Double Barrel can be adjusted in a usable range so, fine-tuning is very easy. But this rear shock will take some time to fine tune for optimum setup.

This mountain bike shock would make the rear end more stable and controlled over big hits and travel eating bumps. Double Barrel is a high quality shock which is handcrafted based on rider’s weight, suspension linkage of the bike and riding style. It is available with both steel and Ti spring and this makes the shock more valuable in the market. The design of this shock is based on Öhlins twin-tube technology that separates compression and rebound circuit with oil circulating all through the valve for optimum performance.

Fox 32 Float FIT RLC Bike Fork

Fox 32 Float FIT RLC fork has adapted to a new damping technology called Closed Cartridge Damping System. It has various advantages over other damping system and Fox has reduced oil capacity inside the cartridge in order to achieve light weight fork (new RLC version). This bike fork has improved spring curves that enable riders to utilize all the travel available. Fork maintenance is effortless, oil change and the other damping adjustments come very handy. Last year 32 Float FIT RLC model faced stiction problem that made it difficult to set correct sag but the new FIT cartridge fork has gold colour Kashima coating on stanchions for smooth feel and it eliminates most of the stiction. This Fox fork takes up a little time to get used to your sort of riding style in the beginning, normally all the new forks have this break in period. This lightweight fork is pretty stiff for XC use and feature versatile adjustability. It smoothly rides down the hill, consistently eats the bump and also rides well on single track.

Fox has made this mountain bike fork with simple setup and it is more responsive on technical terrain. It is little flexy but the kashima coating will ensure supple traction. FIT cartridge damping system really comes to help when the fork is ridden in very tough rocky section by giving total control. This Fox fork is suitable for XC and trail riding but cannot be compared with other tough terrain bike forks. It is available with 100, 120, 140, 150mm FIT RLC range and the fork is also made for 29” wheels with 80, 100, 120mm of travel. 15QR thru axle model with or without tapered steerer are the highlighting features. This bike fork is made with air spring and comes with all important damping adjustment such as lockout, low speed compression and rebound. You will get little pedal bob while climbing so, you barely use lockout function.

Good: Fox own new damping technology gives more control and good traction on the ground.

Bad: The fork is a little flexy and you might feel pedal bob while climbing

Also take a look at Fox 32 Float 140 RL Bike Fork.

Rockshox Reba RLT Mountain Bike Fork

Rockshox Reba RLT is an affordable bike fork which comes with impressive features such as motion control damping and dual air spring system. It is very well designed for 26”wheel with Lockout threshold and external floodgate at two basic chassis option such as 90-120mm Air U-Turn and 80/100/120mm Dual Air. The fork is appropriately built with plenty of options in between 26” and 29” wheel size. Yes, Reba RLT is also available for 29” big wheeled trail specific bikes at 130/140mm of travel. Big wheeled option is available only with 20mm thru axle and 1 1/8″ Tapered steerer. But, it shares all other standard features like dual air spring and available with standard Motion Control dampers or BlackBox Motion Control with or without threshold adjustments. This Rockshox Reba fork is also available as Reba RLT Ti model that has Blackbox motion control damper and dual flow rebound damper.

Both the Reba RLT and Reba RLT Ti models feature high speed compression circuit, Lockout threshold and Air U-Turn adjustments. Rock shox wanted to make this mountain bike fork for aggressive riding so that it can take up any cross country trial seriously. They have updated the fork with 20mm Maxle axle and post mount disc brake that proportionately increases the stiffness and chassis strength. Standard 15mm axle is still available for 26” wheel that is suitable for average riders. With tons of adjustments, you can fine tune the small bump compliance even when you are not using the full compression. With the help of dual air chamber, fine tuning is pretty much easy and it can be done nth number of time to suit your riding style. It is basically a light weight fork that gives buttery smooth ride.

Good: Easy fine tuning, tons of adjustments and dual air chamber that give plush ride. Fork is also available for 29” wheels.

Bad: Many adjustments sometime make the riders confuse and they need to spend some time to learn the adjustment curve for better ride. Not suitable for beginners.

Rockshox Revelation RLT Bike Fork

This mountain bike fork is lighter and has good torsional stiffness. It comes with all essential damping adjustments such as lockout, compression, rebound and floodgate. The pressure adjustment in the air spring enables the riders to tune the fork specifically for trail/terrain. The damping system of this fork makes your job simple. You can easily change the travel from 150mm to 120mm by just turning the dual position air lever on the fly. This action would change the spring rate and compensates the needed sag. It quickly drops 30mm of travel and makes the fork better for climbing. Getting back to 150mm would slightly change the head angle and feel supple on the ground.

This Rockshox Revelation is a dual position air fork which is a solo air system and despite being an air spring, this fork is really plush. It comes with very linear spring and the fork can also be lowered to 100mm using internal spacer. This bike fork comes with low and high speed compression control and rebound adjust with floodgate. The combination of floodgate and compression control completely avoids bobbing but with floodgate set fairly open the fork quickly reacts to small bumps. Motion control damping system of this fork gives buttery smooth ride and it is more responsive to rocky terrain. It is easy to bleed or rebuilt and works flawlessly.

By combining with fine tuned RP23 rear shock, the bike will go more agile and acts as a fast accelerating rig. Rockshox Revelation RLT is also available as RLT Ti model. Instead of standard motion control, RLT Ti model comes with BlackBox Motion Control damping system and it feature Dual Flow Rebound. This Rockshox fork is available with two option 15mm or 20mm maxle axle and has strongly built chassis option 130/140/150mm Dual Air and 120-150mm Dual Position Air.

Good: The fork can be easily controlled on the trail using many adjustments. Light weight yet more stiff and easy to use dual position lever to change the travel. Riders who are not familiar with Fox forks can try Rockshox Revelation.

Bad: This fork is meant for serious riders and it is little difficult to understand the instruction given in the fork for perfect tuning.

Magura Durin Race Bike Suspension Fork

Magura Durin Race Bike Fork is made with 32mm stanchion and promises to offer stiff XC performance. As chassis built with 80/100/120mm travel options, the fork is impressively trail stiff and race light. It gives predictable point and shoot handling on rocky filled sections. This bike fork gives stable ride while steering and applying the brake through the turns and corners. More responsive in the sharp turns and handles the ride well through technical sections, noticeably better than any other forks in its class. Durin Race well defines the reputation and quality of Magura and it is a very durable fork which has been built to last longer.

This mountain bike fork is equally compared with Rockshox forks and it has similar suspension action which is not bad. Magura gives a clear weight/pressure recommendation for riders of different size. It’s a kind of race fork that readily takes up bigger stuff without any harsh bottom-out and rattling noise inside. It is made with Dynamic Lockout system (DLO²) which offers progressive spring rate for better ground control. This lockout system is much better than conventional lockout systems. Magura Durin Race bike fork is also available with RCL Remote Control. Rebound damping can be adjusted through the knob provided at the bottom and the lockout dial (DLO²) is at the top. This bike fork can be controlled well at high speed runs using Albert Select + platform damping system.

Magura uses shorter 80mm travel specific stanchion and this makes the fork a lightest option available under short travel all-rounder class of forks in the market with similar stiffness and performance.

Good: Magura provides good after sales service. This fork is controlled well on the trail and gives impressive stiffness on the run. The 80mm is one of the best short travel all rounder fork and it is light weight in nature.

Bad: Not much

DT Swiss XMM 140 Twin Shot Mountain Bike Fork

For those who always look for Fox forks, DT Swiss offers the most reliable and performance oriented fork at affordable price range. This bike fork effortlessly takes up large bumps with its new Twin shot damping technology. You can easily control medium bumps and at the same time the fork is more responsive to smaller bumps. It provides industry standard stiffness and you will not feel any flex even if you go down with 9mm thru bolt on the front hub. This DT Swiss fork provides 15mm thru axle system and it perfectly matches with the fork for heavy weight riders. Strongly built chassis with torsion box magnesium lower legs gives added strength and 140mm of travel is really light weight.

The 1.5” tapered aluminium steerer tubes gives needed strength for controlled steering. This mtb fork is basically an air spring system with positive and negative air chamber featuring one common adjustment valve. The negative spring will automatically adjust according to the trail and gives a very plush ride. Does not have many adjustments but Twin shot damping technology would take care of all controls and gives better traction on the trial. It provides rebound and external compression adjust with lockout (three mode select provided by lever). This air sprung fork is better suits for endurance racing and trail ride. It is equally compared with the performance of Rockshox Revelation and Fox 32 Float forks. The fork is extremely smooth and gives a very little stiction after long ride.

Good: Twin shot damping technology and auto balancing spring system with positive and negative air chambers are really impressive. Not many adjustments and simple to use, even beginners can try.

Bad: Not a versatile fork but lighter and simpler to use.

Fox 36 Float 180 FIT RC2 Bike Fork

Fox 36 Float is a high end mountain bike fork with high quality Kashima coated stanchions. These stanchions give smoother ride and do not provide any stiction. Fox 36 Float is a light weight 180mm travel fork option available in the market under All mountain and Freeride ride category. It takes up anything you can throw at it and extremely versatile. With proper choice of spring rate, this bike fork will not bottom out at any cost. It has all the big hit capabilities and one of the stiffest fork with Fox own FIT cartridge damping technology. The fork needs high maintenance and the stanchions/bushing wears out soon when used in downhill bikes. To avoid such worn-out condition Fox has increased the durability of the upper legs with the help of Kashima coating.

It is all about quality of the Fox and workmanship of coil spring that makes this fork expensive in its class but you get what you pay for. The new FIT damping technology puts all the adjustment in strategic position and the riders need little practise to get used to it. Rebound adjust is placed at the bottom and high/low speed compression adjustment is given at the top. The lower leg provides post style disc brake mounting facility with 20QR thru axle system. It is strongly built to give extended stiffness for precise steering.

Previous model face small bump compliance but now the Kashima coated stanchions improve the fork sensitivity and easily take up small bumps with supple action. Both Rebound and compression adjustments give wide range of option to dial in the fork for desired style of riding. This fox fork weighs nearly 2.33 kg which is little bulker than other long travel air forks but most of the riders love coil fork for big hit.

Good: Lot of improvements made in 36 Float 180mm fork and it gives inspiring ride.

Bad: Expensive

Marzocchi 55 Micro Ti Bike Fork

Marzocchi 55 Micro Ti is a new kind of fork manufactured with Titanium spring. It is basically an air fork with different internal setup compared to previous model that was based on TST or AKA forks. Previous model faced many problems with small complications and few forks also had factory defects. Now the new 55 Micro Ti fork is very simplified and built with sturdy chassis. The essential adjustments are strategically placed for easy reach and the fork gives plush ride out of the box. This mtb fork has got much better damping than before and feature air volume adjuster for simple dial in to suit your riding style. Marzocchi has added Titanium negative spring in this fork to overcome the initial stiction and it actually saves more weight.

This bike fork is 120gms heavier than the Fox 36 Float but you will never notice it. Its modern damping technology is still more responsive in aggressive riding and noticeably stiffer. Performance is better than Totem and stiffer than Rockshox Lyric fork and priced equally to Fox and Rockshox forks. The fork provides good traction with zero flex and the rebound spring is sensitive to small bumps. The stanchions are fully nickel plated similar to Kashima coating found in Fox 36 Float and they can hold up the aggressive riding better than Fox even after 10 months of hard riding.

This Marzocchi fork comes with 160mm of travel and the damping is based on closed cartridge system similar to Fox. It features volume adjust that easily helps to control the compression curve. Proper volume adjustment and setting correct pressure is very important to avoid bottom out feel. The lockout lever and compression control with rebound adjust gives wider range of dial in option for quality ride. This air fork is featured with QR20 screw through version which is considered to be better choice for more aggressive riding.

Good: Improved damping technology, Titanium negative spring and performs better than many reputed forks in the market. It is a reliable fork and its performance is equally compared with other Fox forks.

Bad: A Little heavier than the Fox 36 Float and priced equally to Fox and Rockshox.

Rockshox Argyle RC Dirt Bike Fork Suspension

If any one asks which dirt jump bike fork is best then almost all the riders would say get a Rockshox Pike or Argyle 318 or Manitou Gold Label. But Rockshox stopped manufacturing Pike and Argyle 318 is now available as Argyle R, RC and RC2 version. Manitou Gold Label was very famous fork liked by many dirt jumpers but it is not in production anymore instead Manitou produce ‘Circus’ 80-100mm jump bike fork. Argyle RC is a coil fork comes with decent price range. It is built with same Pike chassis and its 80-100 of fork travel is totally in control and predictable. This mountain bike fork is suitable for everyday use and solid for dirt jump, street and trail.

It comes with all the important external adjustments such as low speed compression, external rebound and preload adjust. All these adjustments are more than enough for most of the rides. The compression adjuster gives different set-up requirements and could be easily turned to a lockout position. Whether you are riding in a BMX track or jumping in the woods the external spring pre-load adjuster would effortlessly compress the spring for desired style of riding. We cannot say Argyle RC is a stiffer fork but versatile adjustments would help you to achieve the required setting.

This Rockshox fork runs on popular motion control damping and the sturdy 32mm stanchions with aluminium steerer gives steadfast ride without unnecessary noise in the fork. This Argyle RC line-up fork also comes with slopestyle option at 140mm chassis that gives good precision and smooth landing. This shorter travel fork comes with 20mm Maxle Lite through-axle system which is quite excellent for traction. This type of fork is better suits jump bikes which are used for everything from 4X to skatepark.

Good: Sturdy built quality and has all the important external adjustments for wide range of setting. Best suits for everyday use like dirt jump, street, trail, skatepark and 4X.

Bad: We cannot say it is an ideal stiffer fork and need little effort to compress the spring using external spring pre-load adjuster.

SR Suntour SF9 Epicon RLD 15QLC Mountain Bike Fork

SR Suntour SF9 Epicon RLD is an entry level bike fork, reasonably priced and has value for money. It is manufactured under SR Suntour brand name and known for low maintenance features. It satisfies ‘All mountain’ ride and comes with 140/120 mm of travel. This bike fork got interesting features and cost half the price of high performance bike forks and perform twice as good. It is highly tuneable air system fork with preload adjuster. Hydraulic remote speed lockout and rebound adjustment cartridge are the standard features of this fork. It is a stiffer in its class with zero stiction from the start and available with 15mm Q-lock system.

When set to suitable air pressure, the fork can perform well in rough trials and absorbs medium to big bumps. This mtb fork does not come with separate compression adjust but both the rebound adjust and remote lockout eliminates the need for compression adjust. You can make use of air pressure adjust which is easy to use. The air system gives more control and performs well at higher speed with small bump compliance. This SR Suntour Epicon suspension fork is not meant for tough terrain but suitable for normal off road trail riding.

It is one of the reliable forks in the market compared to Manitou and Rockshox forks. This new fork is strongly built with Magnesium monocoque lower legs and has alloy stanchions tube. The stanchions are gold anodized to give maximum plush ride. The steerer tube is made up of alloy material and tapered option is also available. Suitable for post mount type disc brakes with only 160mm rotors but you can also extent up to 185mm of disc diameter.

Good: Affordable fork and suitable for All mountain and trail riding. Strongly built chassis with remote lockout and rebound adjust.

Bad: Not suitable for aggressive riding.

Manitou Minute Pro Bike Suspension Fork

Manitou Minute Pro is one of the reliable forks with superior damping technology that requires less maintenance. Do not think that only Fox and Rockshox have good reputation in the market. There are also other forks from well known brand which are equally perform as much in the expensive line of forks. It feature highly adjustable coil/air spring and used for XC/trail ride. The major highlight of this mountain bike fork is its platform adjustable dial that makes it different from other forks. This fork can take up aggressive riding and withstand any tough trail with its strongly build chassis and good seals. You no need to service this fork often like other high end forks. The upper section is filled with aluminium steerer and strong crown technology which gives more strength.

20mm Through Axle and 1.5 Tapered AL Steerer comes as optional, the fork weighs 1657g/3.65lb which is a little heavier then other fork in its class. It’s a highly tuneable fork featuring Absolute + (ABS +) independent damping system with both low and high speed adjust. By correctly dialling in the ABS+, the fork can provide better quality of ride. Manitou Minute Pro fork suspension is available in two version such as Pro and Expert. It gives good choice of selecting from lighter to firmer coil spring for wider weight range i.e. riders who weigh from 140 to 210lbs. With the availability of firmer spring mountain bike riders who weigh more than 210 lbs can set proper sag.

This bike fork has a versatile and hybrid coil/air spring that quickly responses to platform dial additionally you can also pump more air into the chamber to make spring tighter. The fork needs regular maintenance on seals and bushes when you use it for tougher ride. Some time you will end up replacing bush but all Manitou forks comes with replaceable bushings. Low speed compression damping using ABS + would effectively avoid any pedal bob and brake dive. With proper sag and air pressure setting the fork gives better bottoming control.

Good: Reasonably priced and perform like a high tech fork with superior damping technology. Better seals and comes with replaceable bushing for low maintenance.

Bad: Initially this fork will not respond to small bump and you need to dial in the platform with correct setting to avoid such problem when climbing.

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