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Stuff Explained |
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Buying Info |
Hardtail |
Disc
Brake |
Forks |
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1 The
Main Pivot:
The swing-arm is attached to the frame via the
main pivot. It is usually the largest of the
pivots as it is subjected to the greatest
amount of strain. On a four - bar design the
shock has it's own pivots on a separate
linkage plate, which isolates the shock from
side - loading.
2 The Swing-arm:
The frame structure that connects the main
pivot to the rear axle.
3 The Rear Shox:
Most shocks are oil damped, but they can be
either coil or air sprung, depending on
whether you want maximum suspension
performance or weight saving. Air shocks for
lightness & coil for better travel.
4 Bearings & Bushings:
These lie inside the pivots and give the
suspension its smooth ,free motion. Bearings
give the smoothest action, but are more
expensive than nylon bushings.
5 Suspension Forks:
The travel of the forks should be similar to
that of the rear end, in order to give the
bike a balanced ride.
6
Spokes:
Stainless steel spokes are best, as they don't
rust. Butted spokes offer weight savings over
plain gauge ones. To tell whether or not a
spoke is butted, run the length of the spoke
between your finger and thumb - if it's butted
it should feel slightly fatter at both ends.
7 Wheel Rims:
Box section aluminium is rolled to form a rim.
Virtually all mountain bikes come with 26"
rims. That said, many dual / dirt jump bikes
are now coming with 24" wheels as they
accelerate faster and are stronger. Disc -
specific rims with no braking surface are also
becoming increasingly popular.
8 Hubs:
An alloy hub body spins about a hollow steel
or aluminium axle. Hubs usually come in 32 -
hole drillings but with manufacturers offering
custom wheel packages, don't be surprised to
find wheels with a lot less.
9 Disc Brake:
They come in hydraulic or mechanical versions.
Disc brakes offer superior braking performance
over rim brakes, as well as overcoming the
braking problems associated with riding in the
mud. Disc brakes are heavier and cost more
than V brakes.
10 Clip-less Pedals:
They attach the rider to the pedals via the
shoe cleat. They work in a similar way to ski
bindings and offer the most efficient
pedalling performance. Most bikes costing more
than £600 come with clip-less pedals as
standard. |
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What basic things do I need from a fork ?![ROCK-SHOX Judy TT [ one of many in there range]](rockshox_judy_tt.gif)
Regardless of the spring medium [usually
air or steel coil spring] any
suspension fork worthy of off - road abuse
should have oil damping with rebound
adjustment. External rebound is
preferable, but as long as it's
adjustable, the fork can be tuned to the
rider's weight and riding style. Other
adjustments are just a bonus. |
Do
I need a travel adjuster ?
Travel adjusters are not essential but
they are the future. Basically, they allow
you to customize the geometry of the bike:
less travel / steeper head angle for
climbing, longer travel / slacker head
angel for down-hills. A fork with a travel
adjuster will also enable riders with full
suspension bikes to accurately dial in the
match to the front and rear of the bike. |
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 What
about a lockout ?
O.K. but again not essential. If you do a
lot of road riding, then a lockout is the
best thing to have on your bike,
especially if there are hills involved.
Other than that, you are better off with a
well adjusted active suspension fork. |
 How
much travel do I need ?
About 2" to 4" for a X/C bike riding and
4" to 6" for a free-ride biking and 6" to
8" for downhill riding, If it has lockout
all the better. |
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Which makes a better frame, Aluminium or
Steel ?
![Stuff explained .... [Hardtail mountain bikes]](cannondale_f3000_sl.jpg)
The majority of modern mountain bikes are
made from various grades of aluminium,
it's light, non corrosive and cheap to
work with. Steel frames are still
available, but have been knocked down to
cheaper bikes or high end custom built
hard-tails Carbon fibre and thermoplastic
bikes are becoming more popular now too. |
Air
shock or coil shock?.
Air shocks are a lot lighter than coil
shocks with steel springs. Air shocks can
accommodate riders of different weights by
simply changing the air pressure settings.
Coil shocks perform better and are more
reliable as there is no air loss. But air
shocks are closing the gap in reliability. |
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