Author: nate collins

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Night Riding: New Adventures on Familiar Trails!

MTB Night Riding New Adventures on Familiar Trails

With the upcoming time change and winter closing in the day light hours riders have a couple options for weekday rides. (or, if you’re like me and ah, socially challenged let’s say less busy riding windows!) One is to get up early, although sometimes that light window is short too. The other is to find trails that allow night riding and check out why so many of us credit night riding for improving our riding as well as being a great adventure.

First, let me admit, 10-12 years ago I really did “night” rides pretty frequently. Now, mid forties, my “night rides” tend to be “rides in the evening in the dark”, home and in bed at my normal time! But the adventure and riding is still great…

MTB Night Riding: What do I need?

One of the beauties of MTB night riding is it really doesn’t take much more than you probably have for adventure riding days anyhow.

What’s on my quick list? Well let’s take a quick look.

Night Riding Tips and Setup from BikeCo details in write up below

MTB Night Riding Lights

It had been several years since I’d been night riding a lot. Amazingly, or – rather not amazingly I suppose, lights have gotten less expensive, much lighter / smaller and WAY brighter.

I feel like the modern lights in “low” are brighter than my previous lights on “high”. It’s a much more confident feel both up and downhill with the greater lumens at your fingertips.

Two Lights: Helmet & Handlebar

You’re going to have a better experience with a pair of lights. There are a handful of reasons for this.

Top of the list: Riding with two lights at different heights and different angles provides more definition of the trail. With a single light shadows are cast that don’t always easily define what it is you’re looking at. Having a second point of light provides better definition of what’s in front of you – especially downhill.

Night Riding Tips and Setup from BikeCo Two Light Advantage

When descending I prefer a more powerful headlight and slightly less, or maybe equal handlebar light.

The brighter headlamp provides improved vision when you’re looking “down” trail. Your helmet’s light has a better angle for casting definition in most conditions as well.

Setting Up Lights for MTB Night Riding

Getting your lights “right” takes a little bit of trial and error.

Some things to consider include the angle, total light output, trail and speed.

You’ll need to be able to see far enough down trail to ride at a fun pace. Often, especially if you’re climbing first, you’ll find your lights are aimed a little “low”. This is why you see lights mounted further “back” on helmets than you might expect. In order to get the light cast far enough ahead most mounts require being towards the top of the helmet. This also helps with weight balance.

More is more, until it’s too much… You don’t want to “wash out” the trail too much. So you might not run at full power, or you might aim slightly “high” or “low” and maintain the ideal view area with slightly less powerful light.

I remove the visor on my helmets – you don’t have to do this, but, with the light mounted further back the visor can create an extra shadow to deal with. If the visor comes off easy I just pop it off for night rides.

Helmet Headlight

Generally I suggest this to be the more powerful light – but – if you have a really large light you probably don’t want that weight on your head. You can get a lot of lumens in a compact package these days so it isn’t typically an issue either way.

Climbing: When climbing I use the headlight in the low setting to provide enough light at climbing speeds while saving some battery.

Descending: I run the helmet light at or near full power. While you might find this can “wash” your vision if it crosses with a bright handlebar light but there are advantages of having the extra lumens when you’re looking downtrail before the handlebar has crossed into that direction.

Handlebar Light

My personal setup is currently “same-same” both in the 1200 or 1300 lumen range. Recently I rode with an old friend who showed up with a huge lamp with extra batteries mounted to his bar. Part of me was super jealous of ALL the light. But, given that we’re doing usually just quick loops on a trail we’re familiar with I still prefer the small package lights. Having “same-same”, or at least the same mounting technology also makes it easy if you need to swap them back and forth.

Climbing: I tend to climb without my handlebar light on. I figure this saves some power and gives you a bit more of the “I’m out here” feeling which I like.

Descending: like your helmet light it may take a bit to find a good setup. I’m messing with these new lights trying to balance power, cast and wash out. I don’t have a real “here’s where you should be” feel yet on it. With SO much more light than what I’d been familiar with I’ve been trying different things to see if using a brighter setting, aimed “lower” gives enough light cast while improving the definition. I think my next ride I’ll try mounting the light under the bar to see if I can get a “steeper” angle on it and see what that does to the cast effect.

The long and short of it – familiarize yourself with the lights and their capability. Then find what you feel works best for you!

Other Night Riding Go-Tos

MTB Night Riding Tips and Tricks Warm and Comfortable

Night riding can take a lot of different forms – and you’ll see many of them out on your local trails.

While there are the guys smashing out the full cardio attack it’s much more of an “event” ride for most riders.

So, how do you stay comfortable on these rides? Well, by staying comfortable…

MTB Night Riding Comfort Tips

Rider Type 1: (my brother) Don’t sweat, cause, sweat will make you cold. I can’t argue with the logic here at all. If you’re this rider it’s also likely you’re in the faster part of the group – which – means you’ll end up waiting more… So you need to have enough gear with you to ensure you’ll stay warm at the check in points.

Rider Type 2: (me) You’re going to sweat. Maybe a lot. Maybe even if it’s cold! I bring an extra jersey so at the top of the climb I can get out of the wet, gross, clingy thing before I descend and force a bunch of cold air through it onto my skin! Really makes a huge psychological difference and reset for me.

Extra Clothes? I’m somewhere in the middle of true minimalist and over packing survivalist. You really have to assess where you’re comfort level is. If it’s real cold I’ll pack an extra layer – and I’m happy to carry it even if I never use it because, knowing I had it in case of a mechanical or whatever brings me some peace.

Extra Tools? See above right? During the day I’ve gotten bad – I carry plenty of water and maybe a multi-tool. If I have to walk out I chalk it up to part of the adventure I suppose. At night I do bring more spares as I don’t like the idea of hiking if I can avoid it in the dark… (I’ve gone solo a couple miles up on the San Juan shuttle back in the day – and the lack of being able to get on the bike and “go” even if it was in the wrong direction wasn’t a great feeling I suppose)

Extra Protection? I seldom wear body armor these days. Most of my loops are on the mellow side and I ride solo a lot so I’m not typically pushing into a “yard-sale” level of get off. But, at night, the body armor definitely comes out.

Body Armor / Knee & Elbow Warmers!

While I’m not pushing night riding hard enough to have frequent crashes the element of surprise does come up more when you can’t clearly see everything. So a pair of compression fit knee and elbow pads puts just enough extra between me and the trail so I feel better.

Also – even if you don’t “crash” at night you have more moments where the bike might be tossing around under you. Knee guards with a bit of protection, especially on the insight of your knee, can take a big bike slap from a gnarly bruise you have to deal with to a simple “thud”.

Best of all at night, particularly this time of year, the modern “slim” body armor with compression fit provides a nice warm option. I figure why wear knee or arm “warmers” when I can get that as well as some additional protection with my G-Form Rugged 2 knee or Sam Hill Lite Elbow pads…

MTB Night Riding: It Makes You Better

There are a lot of reasons I get out to night ride. Adventure (bet most your co-worker’s don’t have a more fun story to tell about that night right?). Social (good to get out with the guys and blow off some steam after work). Cause it’s hard to schedule all the fun in so little daylight (enough said eh).

But night riding also will improve your MTB skills.

You’ll learn to let the bike “float”. At night you can’t see every single thing your bikes’ going to come across. So you learn to let the bike eat up the stuff you maybe didn’t see while you stay focused down trail to deal with the upcoming terrain. These are confident bikes these days – put your confidence in them a bit and your riding will improve.

Don’t fight for the “exact” line. Your lines are gonna change up at night. It will help you better deal with the unexpected. Example? Well, there’s a couple corners on our ride that tend to be dusted with a loose dirt / rock “crust”. During the day it’s not too hard to see and kind of change a tire width one way or the other to stay on the high grip area. At night? Well, you learn to let go of the brake and catch the bike when the traction comes back! Again, kind of goes back to learning to let the bike work and not being OCD in charge of every second of your ride.

When you take this confidence to your day riding you’ll find you’re more competent at higher speeds.

Night Riding with BikeCo on The Luge

Other Night Riding Tips (that I remember)

It’s been a few years so this list isn’t necessarily comprehensive – but I’m getting it back quick…

Want some tips to help you have more fun on your MTB night ride? Here are a few that I find make a big difference.

Don’t look people in the eye. With your light on at least… sucks to get blinded by your buddy!

Bike Setup:

Your bike is likely to “feel harsh”. You’re riding slower which usually requires less compression and slower rebound. If you’re like me, just remember that on your ride. I’m not going to adjust my bike for a “slower” ride because I have 100% faith that I will forget I did that and hate my next “fast” ride. I can deal with a bike feeling “harsh” better than I can deal with having a slow setup the next time I drop in fast and turn myself into a lawn dart or bury the bike in a big hole I usually blast over…

Can you adjust your suspension? Sure. If it’s really, really cold you might consider that too – but – for me personally, it’s going to be very unusual for me to make those adjustments.

Well I could lower my tire PSI right? In fact, good on you for reading so much about where a lot of compliance is on these modern bikes here on BikeCo.com! But, I personally wouldn’t lower the PSI either. You’re likely to have some, ah, adventurous line choices at night. This stresses sidewalls, etc. Running a lower PSI to compensate for the suspension being a bit “fast” increases your likelihood of a pinch flat or cutting a tire on a bottom out. Which, we mentioned above – hiking at night isn’t as fun…

Wear Eye Protection

This is partly a reminder to myself. I’m pretty bad about this recently. At night though, whether it’s psychosomatic because you can “see” the dust in the air with the powerful riding lights or if its’ real – I feel like you get more stuff in your eyes at night. Also – with the occasional off-line adventure you don’t want to be in the bushes or whatever without protection on your eyes.

I’ve had a bit of an eye opening experience here recently – I got this far with only a couple cheap puns! I didn’t have any clear lens around before one of our recent rides. But, in my laptop bag I had a trusty pair of blue light glasses. Well – those became part of my night riding gear that night. And I really liked it. So, I reached out to my eye doctor to ask if it was just a reaction to my “new toy” or if it had some logic.

What I asked:

Quick question if you want to answer for a blog I’m throwing together (if you  want we will quote you and link your site – if you’re busy or have no interest or not sure absolutely no hard feelings either)

Would blue light glasses improve night riding?
I wore a pair of computer glasses a couple nights ago and I swear it cut a lot of the glare out of the lights we use – which are super high output LED , about 1500 lumens at full tilt boogie.

Is there any science you might know of that would make this more than in my head?

From Charles at Modern Eyewear Optometry:

“Blue blocker glasses are traditionally used for reducing strain and possible protection while on electronic devices.

I do prescribe them also for migraine  and light sensitive patients who wear them all day and do really well with them.

You may have just come up with another excellent use of them! Cycling night lights are bright! And LED! So for sure blue blockers could help cut out some of the high energy wavelengths of the spectrum that interfere with vision while riding. If you felt it helped you see better I would continue to use them. I would add that everyone has different prescription and what may work for you may not work for others.

Do some research on the visible spectrum of light and how different tints cut out reflections and glare.

I personally like light yellow tints for evening dusk riding and clear anti reflective for night rides. But again everyone is different.

I’m a big fan of Rudy Project, which is one brand we offer at the office. That’s what I wear for riding. I believe they also have some info in their sight on optics of tints etc.

Hope that helps! Let me know if you have more questions.

Here’s a good site from trustworthy docs:

https://www.allaboutvision.com/cvs/blue-light.htm

Optics are rad!

One Last Note on LED and Blue Light

I started down this rabbit hole, but I’ve been swamped with a bunch of other things. BUT, I’m wondering if the blue light lens have something special because of how “white” light is actually produced from an LED. (and, I never liked yellow lens outdoors if makes all the bushes, etc feel off to me)

Anyhow – you can check out the Wikipedia LED entry if you wanna take over this rabbit hole on blue light riding glasses for these powerful modern LED lights!

Seeing what you see…

It’s different at night – enjoy the view!

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Ibis OSO eMTB: 155mm DW Rear Travel with 170mm Fork

Ibis Oso Storm Blue eMTB

Ibis launched their long awaited entry into the eMTB realm with the Ibis Oso! With 155mm of Dave Weagle rear suspension paired to a 170mm fork and powered by the powerful Bosch Performance CX motor this is a bike that lives up to its marketing of #DownhillBothWays

Enjoy some detail shots and descriptions of some of the stand out design of the new Ibis below.

Ibis Oso

Already know this is the ebike for you? Reach out now to get on some of the first Ibis Oso’s available here at BikeCo.com!

Call 949-470-1099, Hit us on webchat or use the Contact Form Below!

Ibis Oso ebike Storm Blue eMTB rear Profile

The Oso has a divergent rear triangle design philosophy than you see on the Mondraker Crafty or the Yeti 160E – more like what we’re used to seeing on a motorcycle – however once you look closer you’ll see familiar details.

The Ibis eBike isn’t a single pivot rear end, instead you’ll see the upper and lower linkage that makes it a DW eBike.

Ibis ebike Oso Storm Blue DW linkage Float X2 Performance
Ibis Oso Storm Blue linkage Float X2 Performance
Ibis Oso Storm Blue Bosch ePowered DW Upper Linkage Close Up

DW eMTB

eMTB puts additional stresses on drivetrain and suspension for a variety of reasons. The bikes are heavier for one, they have the capacity for more power, but even more than that as the Ibis marketing mentioned earlier – they tend to make the riding “Downhill Both Ways” allowing riders to attack climbs previously out of the question.

However this requires another consideration to the suspension and drivetrain interaction as riders are now using more power, much deeper into the rear travel. Top tier designers have to factor this into the functionality of the bike. The stresses on the chain, cassette and freehub body have to be managed as well as ensuring eMTB bikes don’t have drivetrain forces that “lock” or resist fluid suspension movement.

Ibis Oso linkage profile non drive side emtb
Ibis Oso ebike Swing Arm Drive Side Detail
Ibis Oso eMTB Swing Arm Detail Drive Side
Ibis Oso eMTB Swing Arm Detail chainstay protector

Designed for Riders

Ibis designed the Oso around the rider. With a size range capable of stretching from about 5′ to 6’6″ chances are we can get you fit on the Oso.

To improve performance for smaller riders the Ibis eBike features “mixed” (I guess that’s the new, new term for Mullet?) wheels with a 29″ front and a 27.5″ rear.

The larger diameter 29″ front wheel provides the best roll over with a minimized angle of attack over terrain. Smaller riders will appreciate the smaller rear wheel when cornering or jumping the bike as it provides additional room to move behind the saddle.

BOSCH Performance CX

Medium, Large and X-Large Oso eBikes feature the 750wh battery. The Small Oso features a 625wh battery due to size and weight considerations – but – most small riders are lighter so the performance tends to even out when looking at mileage…

We’ve highlighted the BOSCH Performance’s performance (is duplicating words still considered alliteration? I’m not sure…) but we’ve talked about how the BOSCH mode selection provides riders with unrivaled capacity to balance the power output for their riding needs.

The setup on the Oso is no different in that manner.

Ibis Oso Bosch Bosch Controls PerformanceLine CX Motor Control and Display
Ibis Oso Bosch Performance CX Motor
Ibis Oso with Bosch Performance CX motor charge port detail
Ibis Oso battery panel Storm Blue Oso eMTB

Dialing in the Details

It sounds simple – but – you know, umm, simple isn’t always a thing anymore: but I love that the Ibis Oso features “integrated” front and rear lights. Now, for night riding, etc you’re still going to want a bit more (at least a headlamp in my opinion) but why not have the ability to increase your visibility and draw on the battery you’re sure to remember to charge!?

Ibis Oso eMTB with Lupine Headlight on Ibis BlkBrd bars
Ibis Oso Storm Blue eMTB with built in rear light

Custom Ibis Oso?!

Of course. It’s one of the things that sets BikeCo apart. Well, that, attention to detail, unmatched after sales service to help you fine tune suspension, tires, cockpit, etc, etc but back to the Custom Oso: Yes, we can do it!

Some common upgrades we’ve seen include upgrading to the Factory Kashima 38 or X2 shock. (Another popular update is to drop the GRIP2 damper into the Performance fork producing a Performance Elite fork with high and low speed compression as well as rebound)

Other riders may prefer Hope or Magura brakes. Not a problem.

AXS anyone? Of course. From GX AXS to XX1 we’ve got you setup with #thebestinMTB

Chat with our team about how you’d like to see your Ibis Oso eBike built up for your particular riding and BikeCo.com will get you on the right bike, at the right price – the first time!

Ibis Oso ebike Storm Blue Top Tube Logo
Ibis Oso Storm Blue Bosch ebike emtb
  • Ibis Oso Storm Blue eMTB
  • Ibis Oso Downtube Graphic
  • Ibis Oso Storm Blue Bosch ebike emtb
  • Ibis Oso ebike Storm Blue Top Tube Logo
  • Ibis Oso Storm Blue eMTB with built in rear light
  • Ibis Oso eMTB with Lupine Headlight on Ibis BlkBrd bars
  • Ibis Oso battery panel Storm Blue Oso eMTB
  • Ibis Oso with Bosch Performance CX motor charge port detail
  • Ibis Oso Bosch Performance CX Motor
  • Ibis Oso Bosch Bosch Controls PerformanceLine CX Motor Control and Display
  • Ibis Oso eMTB Swing Arm Detail chainstay protector
  • Ibis Oso eMTB Swing Arm Detail Drive Side
  • Ibis Oso ebike Swing Arm Drive Side Detail
  • Ibis Oso linkage profile non drive side emtb
  • Ibis Oso Storm Blue Bosch ePowered DW Upper Linkage Close Up
  • Ibis Oso Storm Blue linkage Float X2 Performance
  • Ibis ebike Oso Storm Blue DW linkage Float X2 Performance
  • Ibis Oso ebike Storm Blue eMTB rear Profile


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Mondraker FOXY Carbon Review: Extended Ride

Mondraker FOXY Carbon Extended Ride Review and Video

Well, I’ve put in some really enjoyable months and miles on my FOXY Carbon so, it’s time to put down my Mondraker FOXY carbon Review: Extended Ride.

The abridged version: I love this bike and build. Love it.

The FOXY Carbon is confident, predictable and it pedals amazingly well for what I would have considered a long travel 29er. Long travel compared to my previous SB130 Lunch Ride? Ya, I know we’re talking like 10mm in the fork and maybe 13mm in the rear – but we can get more into that down the trail.

For this review I think I’ll hit first on the “heart” of the FOXY – geo and suspension performance and then circle back onto the individual parts on my build as some of them are new to me on an extended review.

Mondraker FOXY Carbon Review Series!

This is the latest in a series of content focused on my Mondraker FOXY experience. You can learn more about how I’ve come to the conclusions here on the Mondraker FOXY Carbon review going through the timeline of posts here on BikeCo.com

Mondraker FOXY “First Ride” Review
Walk through the original setup and thoughts on my build!

Comparing the FOX Grip and Ohlins RXF forks
What led me away from the Ohlins and back to FOX? Check it out

Extra FOXY Mondraker: Foxy with 170mm Fox 38 and Float X2
The real start of my love affair with this bike…

 

Keep reading / watching for the latest on the Mondraker FOXY below!

Mondraker FOXY Carbon Review Forward Geometry La Costa NASCAR

The FOXY at home on a quick chunky loop in La Costa Preserve. Keeping your handlebar a bit taller will help provide a “power” position to push the bike through steep and chunky sections.

Mondraker Forward Geometry

This Mondraker Forward Geo branding launched several years ago. Mondraker was one of the first in the Longer, Slacker, Lower geometry that ended up taking the entire industry.

The longer bikes, shorter fork offsets, increased trail measurement all gave bikes notably more performance without ultra slack headtubes which compromise steering and direction changes.

In today’s marketplace the Mondraker geometry isn’t as “far forward” comparatively to competitive bikes but they are on the longer side of top tier manufacturers. For instance, I had been debating if my Large SB130 might be just a bit short and was debating about an XL. With the longer top tube on the FOXY I stayed in a Large but got the bit of extra length I was looking for.

As a sizing reference I’m 6’1” with long limbs about a 35” inseam and 76” fingertip to fingertip. This allows me to ride the Large using stems in my preferred range of 40/45mm. (you’ll note that’s right in the range of a modern 29 fork offset – I think there’s something to that but haven’t penciled out “why” to date)

Going back to the concern of a “bigger bike”: Was the slightly slacker headtube my FOXY had compared to the Lunch Ride going to create issues climbing or in less steep terrain?

Initially I rode the bike with the stock 160mm Ohlins fork which had its issues, but not in terms of geometry or headtube. The 160mm bike was well planted and didn’t wander even climbing in technical sections.

After moving away from the Ohlins I went slightly slacker with the 170mm FOX 38 fork. To date I haven’t noticed any issues even with the taller fork. The bike climbs well, tracks through steep switchbacks uphill and gets onto and over rocky sections well. Sliding a bit forward on some sections will help you stay in a position where you can easily add extra load through the grips if the front end feels a little light to you.

I left the flip chips in the stock position with the shorter chainstay measurements. The bike works so well I haven’t really felt like meddling with it – maybe one of these days, but I feel like the bike is slack enough especially with the longer fork which also raises the bottom bracket just slightly (similar to what the flip chips would do).

Mondraker FOXY Carbon Review Zero Suspension Mission Trails San Diego

I love bikes with long, straight, mean lines. The FOXY’s front triangle features a unique thin but wide top tube to maximize strength and trail compliance.  It looks fast on trail or sitting in my office! Mission Trails in San Diego

Mondraker ZERO Suspension

Like the fork I ended up going back to FOX on the rear shock – I’ve got another write up on that (in short as a heavier rider the Ohlins was overwhelmed, but I know lighter riders who love it) – but after that switch what are my thoughts? ZERO complaints…

What’s so special about the Mondraker ZERO Suspension design?

Well, a lot of work goes into balancing MTB suspension. Over-simplified: You’ve got to take into account how the wheel arcs, what it does to the drivetrain, what’s the leverage ratio overall, how does the sine angle change the leverage input on the shock? Rising rate mechanical leverage? Falling rate? Mixed? How does that mesh with the shock you’ve spec’d ramp rate? Damping capacity?

A lot of designs “look” similar – but the details simply aren’t that easy to replicate, either from the physics and math or the patents.

Unlike Geo, which has converged into a pretty similar realm depending on what level of bike you’re shopping, ie enduro, trail/enduro, trail, endurance/XC – look alike suspension isn’t a thing you can simply look at what the industry leaders are doing and say ya, I’ll take some of that and slap it on your design…

I’ve been riding a lot of years at this point. I’ve ridden tons of designs. I’ve owned most of the best. (last two bikes were an Ibis HD with DW Suspension and the Yeti SB130 with Switch Infinity Suspension – DW is plush and planted, Switch is poppy and fun). That said, the FOXY is my first bike with floating suspension.

The Mondraker ZERO mounts each side of the rear shock onto pivot linkage creating a “floating” design. This has a couple interesting advantages for designers to work with. Particularly the angle of input into the shock (which changes the mechanical leverage ratio through the spring’s ramp rate to give a bike the designed balance).

What’s this mean? Floating suspensions are known for being compliant. Mondraker Zero suspension takes that compliance and adds an efficient pedaling platform able to keep the bike planted and efficient under power. The FOXY’s suspension suspends and the drivetrain drives without one interfering with the other. It’s designed to have ZERO “cross contamination” if you will.

What’s that mean on trail?

Mondraker FOXY Carbon Extended Ride Review San Juan Corner

One of the places I’ve been most impressed is how well the “longer” FOXY gets through the tight stuff both uphill and downhill. This bike is easy to maintain control of both the front and rear wheel in a “normal” range of riding positions.

ZERO Suspension Uphill

The FOXY is the first bike I’ve owned that I don’t use the shock’s climbing “lock-out”. That’s a really interesting fact. The Mondraker climbs well enough I don’t feel like I need that additional compression setting. It doesn’t suffer bob, it doesn’t feel like it’s sitting too deep when you get headed up the steeps and weight shifts backwards.

Keeping the shock “open” provides another advantage when climbing the Mondraker – it increases the bike’s available traction climbing technical sections.

My FOXY is the best climbing bike I’ve owned. It has incredible traction – it doesn’t spin wheels (which I HATE as it hurts my lower back when bikes have that power on, off, on kick), it’s efficient – add power and the bike accelerates, and likely because I’m able to climb it in the shock’s open position the bike doesn’t have the reverse “pop” or kick back that other bikes might have when climbing up and over chunky rocks, etc.

Previously I had to be ready to really attack a rock face, and as a less fit rider that’s not always as easy as it sounds!

Riding the FOXY, even at lower power input, the bike uses all that traction and churns up and over .  This eliminates the “popping” back and needing that extra momentum from explosive pedaling. Now, some of this might be from some the drivetrain setup as well and I’ll come back to that in the spec review.

Mondraker FOXY Carbon Extended Ride Review San Juan Skyline

Leaning into the corner on San Juan Trail off Ortega. Since most of my riding isn’t in the gnarliest stuff it’s important to me a bike is fun on the flatter, faster stuff while having enough in the tank to tackle chunkier terrain too. The Mondraker FOXY checks that box – riding incredible for a 170mm front (modified from 160 stock) and 150mm rear Enduro bike.

Downhill – ZERO Complaints.

It’s interesting jumping on different bikes and feeling out how they want to behave and what they want from rider input.

I’m looking for a pretty specific feel downhill.

What does it take to control both wheels? I want a bike that in a range of normal riding positions I can get traction off both the front and rear wheel when I want it. Running VPP bikes it felt like you were hard pressed to control the front and rear wheel . Riding them fast particularly in fast corners it seemed like you had to choose whether to ride off the back and really drive through with your feet and hips or pushing the front end to hook up and almost “unicycling” through the corners. I think this hindered my riding for a long time until I got onto other suspension designs that allowed me to comfortably corner faster knowing I was basically doubling my traction…

I prefer bikes that “pop” when pumped on the trail. It’s a fun feel and gives you the ability to find “free” speed. The trick is finding suspension designs that offer that feel without compromising on the total traction and compliance. How much Pop versus Thump – like a bike with too much pop won’t allow you to power through terrain without feeling like you’re on a pogo stick. A bike with too much thump may feel numb until you get it up to speed (my last 26″ bike suffered terribly from that – it wasn’t fun until it was going soooo fast…)

My bikes need to balance compliance, support and ramp rate. I’m willing to trade some compliance (as I can find some in tires, etc) but the balance of support and ramp is important. Having a bike with enough support to corner fast or stay tall in the steep and chunky stuff is critical for a confident experience.

As another note on balance – and it’s not been a problem on any bike I’ve owned, but I’ve found it on some test bikes over the years: if the rear end can’t be balanced to the front it’s just not worth riding! Something else to think about when you see “look-alike” suspension…

Back to the FOXY Carbon Review: Mondraker Suspension has ZERO compromises and I have ZERO complaints (after setting it up with the dampers that accommodate my weight and ground speed)

The FOXY has a wide range of ground speed where its “lively”. I’ll use the word lively, I suppose I mean it changes direction with minimal input, kind of that floating or flying feel that I love in MTB.

It’s also a comfortable when you get going and start to find the limits. The bike is predictable and confident. The FOXY has a “soft” speed limit – meaning that it eases into the point of losing traction or being overwhelmed. It will give you some time to know, hmmm I need to get ready for a 2 wheel drift or the bike to start smashing travel. This is advantageous over bikes with a “hard” speed limit which hit the end of capacity quickly and don’t give riders as much time for correction.

I’ve had it in slower speed, chunky, consequence riding conditions and the FOXY is really sure footed. The suspension absorbs what it needs without jarring you back off the other end as the shock rebounds.

The FOXY is really good at holding a line at a wide range of speeds and terrain.

Where does the bike shine brightest? Well, push that bike into fast, burly stuff and it just begs for more. Makes sense for an EWS level Enduro bike right? Yup.

The FOXY manuals well, jumps better than I do and is easy to control both front and rear wheels.

With the taller front end, between both fork travel and cockpit setup, I can control the front end in steeps as I don’t have to ride way way off the back wheel.

Mondraker FOXY Carbon FOX 38 Magura Brakes

Modern MTB bike spec from industry leaders like Ibis, Mondraker and Yeti are great starting points. Want to take your performance a little further? Chat with our team about how a part here or there will fine tune your bike’s personality. Morning ride before work in Whiting Ranch.

Semi-Custom Mondraker FOXY Carbon Review: My Spec

So let’s get this on the table – I buy all my parts. So, if you see it on my bike, I believe in it and I want it on my bike.

BikeCo has a similar feeling as a business – we offer the best in MTB for a wide range of riders and a wide range of preferences. I’m not saying my spec is the absolute for everyone because a lot of preference goes into spec.

In the spec review I’m going to let you know if its new to me, some thoughts and opinions.

Suspension

FOX 38 GRIP2 Fork, 170mm

I’ve run the GRIP2 as long as it’s been around, but in the 36 160mm fork. The 38 chassis is new to me. I wondered if I would notice the “heavier” front end but I haven’t. The 38 features bleed valves meaning I’ve lot one of my favorite tips and tricks of burping and lubing seals! I never noticed the 36 having any flex issues for me, but the 38 will have even less theoretically…

Float X2 Rear Shock

This is THE shock. It’s been several years since I’ve run the X2 and I did like the SB130’s DPX2 (probably would have loved an X2 on that bike BTW but never made it happen between pandemic availability, etc, etc). The X2 is literally the most special shock I’ve ridden. When setup correctly the high and low speed compression on the X2 provide unbeatable control. In my opinion better than even the computer controlled shocks. Splitting low speed and high speed compression means you can have a shock that offers a lot of pedaling support, but has the ability to instantly open from a small weight shift to prepare for your descent. The X2 is tuneable with air pressure, volume spacing, and both high and low speed compression and rebound.

Getting the suspension setup right allows your bike to float where it needs to float, support where it needs support. BikeCo Pro Tunes take the FOX performance window and narrow it to a particular rider’s weight, ground speed, terrain, and abilities.

Suspension support is important as your ground speed increases and you ride in bigger terrain. There are a lot of ways to work on this and compression setup or PSI (sag) are typically the first you’ll look at. But, no one wants a bike that rattles your teeth out right? So where do we find more small bump compliance to make up for the stiffer suspension? Tires.

Tires

2.5” Maxxis Minion DHF EXO+ 3C MaxxTerra front
2.4” DHR II EXO+ 3C MaxxTerra rear

Love the original Mondraker spec. I’ve run these tread patterns on a bunch of my bikes over the years. This is the first time I’ve run the EXO+ on the front. I was a little concerned about adding weight to the front of my bike and how much it would change the amount of input needed for turning or manualing the bike. Haven’t really noticed it.

The EXO+ gives good support allowing me to maximize, err, well I suppose minimize the air pressures I run. Getting your PSI right means balancing grip with support in high load corners or terrain.

The Mondraker name is building in the USA but it’s been a staple in World Class racing in Europe for ages now. More than a sexy euro trailer queen the Mondraker lineup has proven it can provide riders trail experiences parallel with the top tier expectations from any brand in MTB.

Wheels / Rims

DT Swiss 350 hubs, straight pull spokes on EX 1700 rims

I’ve run DT 350 stock builds before although this is the first time with straight pull spokes and the smaller diameter hubs.

I love the EX1700 rims 30mm internals. It’s my favorite inner dimension as it gives a great shape to the typical 2.4/2.5” tires that most enduro or trail/enduro riders enjoy. I tend to ride pretty hard particularly on the rear wheels. The EX1700 have stayed true and have taken a pretty good beating. I haven’t put any rim protection on these wheels either. Oh, and they mount tires easily – which – on your own bike isn’t necessarily that big of a deal but helping at the shop I mount a lot of tires on a lot of wheels. It’s always a little easier to see those rims in my pile of work to do!

This is my first go around with straight pull spokes. No real input on that yet. I prefer J-bend for a lot of reasons we’ll see if I find my reasons justified or not over some time I suppose.

DT Swiss 350 hubs. I’ve had good luck with my last set of DT hubs. This might be set 3 for me but I can’t remember for sure. What I’ve learned about DT Swiss 350 hubs over the years:

First, the driver isn’t “fixed” onto the hub. Makes it super easy to service or mod parts. BUT! When you mount tires and are thumping them to slosh the tire sealant around MAKE SURE you have the cassette up and have a hand on it. I make this mistake about once a year. Mount a tire, banging the wheel and cassette, ratchet system and springs are all over the floor!

I run the 36t ratchet. The 18t feels clunky and the 54t is delicate in my opinion, not something I need as a heavier rider with poor pedaling technique.

This is my first go at the smaller diameter and smaller spoke flange design. I do notice that in really hard corners I can hear the front rotor “tinging” suggesting that there’s some flex somewhere. But, as long as it’s not leading to premature wear or failure it’s not a big deal to me at the moment. Makes you feel kinda cool like ya, that’s a corner. Haha…

Mondraker FOXY Review Whiting Ranch

Another morning ride in Whiting Ranch before work. What other sport consistently gets the views we get in MTB??

Drivetrain

I tend to run GX level drivetrains. I find the performance / value is hard to beat. I think that the XX1 and X01 likely has a slightly longer service life though. A well lubed SRAM drivetrain’s service interval overall is pretty much impossible to beat in my experience.

SRAM GX 10-52T Cassette (pinned)

This is my first 52t cassette. I find it’s a really notable bail out gear from the 48t – however – it does feel like a big shift so I don’t want to dump shift into it as I’m sure that’s hard on it. I could see a lot of riders preferring the 50t option if they’re strong climbers. I prefer the extra little bit available with the 52t so far.

KMC X-12ti Chain

While I run GX level bits I do spend a bit more on the chain. Typically I run XX1 chains as I feel like the surface conditioning as well as manufacturing techniques give better performance longer than the less expensive chains. On this bike I put the KMC X-12ti on as I wanted the gold highlights to remind me of my daughter’s cancer fight (gold is the universal kid cancer color fyi – we’ve got it removed and 6 months of clear scans so life’s good).

AbsoluteBlack Oval Chainring

The AbsoluteBlack Oval chainring is the first oval I’ve ridden more than say twice in a row. I’ve gotten used to it and really don’t feel it anymore. When I first rode it I felt like it was more notable as the leverage changed through the stroke. Since I’m kind of a churny climber I feel like the oval ring does give me some advantage. If you’re spinning high cadence it might feel a little funny. Setting up the Mondraker chainguide was a bit of a compromise but I haven’t had any issues dropping the chain thus far with the setup.

SRAM GX Alloy Cranks, 175mm

These new GX cranks are really, really nice in my opinion. They look good and are pretty light given their position in the SRAM Eagle lineup. I run 175mm cranks. I used to have a more distinct opinion on who should ride what – but then I measured 5mm. It’s like three quarters stacked on top of each other. Run what you want! I’m not sure that distance is causing or negating any pedal strikes for me…

RaceFace Atlas Pedals

The Atlas pedals have made it to either their third or fourth bike. Maybe this is the third. But, considering that they’ve been in service since Nov 2018 for a bigger rider without a rebuild – got my value out of those…

Seating

Ergon SM Enduro Men’s saddle

I can’t recall if I’ve run this exact Ergon saddle before. I ride Ergon saddles as they tend to have a comfortable balance between the seating area and the relief areas. I typically don’t notice them. Which is my goal with saddles.

175mm FOX Transfer post

Wondering if I want to go to the 200mm – not because I need any more drop when riding, but with the taller BB height compared to my last bike I can’t quite flat foot the bike getting on and off. Maybe I’m getting older and my leg doesn’t go as high when I kick over?

Mondraker FOXY Carbon Review Magura MT5

One of the tricks to spec’ing your dream bike: knowing where you can find extra performance at a great value. Magura MT5 brakes work excellent balancing unbeatable modulation and power. With a proper first bleed these brakes will work amazing with just an occasional bubble bleed for years.

Cockpit

Wolf Tooth Light Action Remote

I’ve been running these for several years too. I prefer the longer lever Light Action since it requires less force, although it does need further throw, to activate. I have bad hands and every little bit helps.

Ergon GE1 Evo Grips, Regular Diameter

I’d run WTB padloc grips for years – but – they seem to be a casualty to covid. So, I went beack to the Ergon GE1 Evo. They have some of the additional padding at the edge which was my favorite aspect of my previous grips. The GE1 grips are left and right specific and have a designed shape for improved ergonomics. With a single inner clamp they don’t need the raised outer edge required for a second clamp, which I absolutely hate the feel of. I tend to run my hands slightly off the grips and that rise hurts. The one complaint on the Ergons is they are slippery when wet. I climb without gloves and I have to be aware on any quick descent or whatever to wipe them well or the sweat makes them really slick. Gloves solve this so they’ve stayed on the bike so far.

RaceFace Turbine-R Stem 40mm

I’ve been running this stem since it was labeled Easton before the buyout! It’s an elegant shape with a nice finish but most importantly it was one of the first stems to come out machined flat at the top, so you tighten the faces together there and then torque the bottom bolts. I love attention to detail.

Tag T1 Carbon Bars, 40mm rise stock 800mm width

I went with the Tag T1 Carbon Bars as I like the concept of the ovalized design to fine tune and help damp trail vibration. It’s not something that you’re going to be like oh, I feel it so much – but every little bit helps. Some bars speed handling, typically not what I’m looking for at speed while others can slow handling (didn’t need it on this bike). The Tag sits in the middle as a neutral option.

Magura MT5 Brakes, 180mm HC Rotors

Figured I’d close with these. If you’ve read much of our stuff you’ve come across my love for Magura brakes. Unbeatable power and modulation (although, I’m told the new Hope V4 have brought more power to the Hope options which also have great modulation). I love the stock lever on the MT5 which is slightly longer adding to the modulation feel (like the seatpost remote – longer lever = longer throw to full engagement which translates to more modulation on brakes). Even as a larger rider I run 180mm rotors unless its really a big day or trip. I find the balance is good although more and more riders are setting up in the 203/180 or 203/203 range.

 

Hope you learned something in this Mondraker FOXY Carbon Review! Geo, suspension on trail personality and a bit on the what’s and why’s of my spec!

Mondraker FOXY Carbon Review: extended Trail Rides

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Understanding Maxxis MTB Tires

Understanding Maxxis Tire Technology: PSI, Sidewall, Compound & Tread

Want to learn more about the technical details of Maxxis MTB tires? BikeCo.com explains tires including PSI, sidewalls, compounds and tread patterns to help you fine tune your bike’s performance.

Maxxis MTB Tires

One of the things you’ll take away from this video is how riders are using sidewall technology to fine tune PSI as well as small bump compliance allowing them to ride firmer suspension for better support in corners and steeps. How does that work? Check out the video and read more below!

With the available options of SIdewall, Compound and Tread patterns the Maxxis lineup offers a wide range of riders the perfect tire.

Check out the 29″ Maxxis Tire Matrix below and shop the best in MTB 29″ tires here or 27.5″ tires here!

Maxxis 29 Tire Matrix for MTB

More on Maxxis Tires:

BikeCo Tactile Scale Durometer Surface Tension Damping Measurements

BikeCo Tactile Scale: Durometer, Surface Tension and Damping

In order to help our clients better compare products we’ve developed a Tactile Scale for items like Tires, Grips, Shoes, etc. We measure the durometer, surface tension and rebound to provide points that can be more accurately reviewed.
The higher the durometer the “harder” the material.
The higher the Surface Tension the “stickier” or more tacky the material is.
The higher the Damping number the more energy is absorbed by the product during a drop test.

Maxxis 3C Compounds

A hard compound or base layer supports a medium compound center tread section as well as a softer outer tread section of the tire. The softer cornering lugs provide additional grip at lean angles. The harder center section is faster rolling and longer lasting for those climbs before your favorite descents. Each 3C layup has three different layers of rubber compound utilized in varying depths.

3C tires are available in three different layups.

MaxxSpeed: is the fastest rolling and longest lasting of the 3C lineup. It accomplishes this with slightly harder rubber giving up a bit of grip.
MaxxSpeed Tactile Scale – Center: 63-tbd-0.96, Edge: 55-tbd-1.28

MaxxTerra: the intermediate option designed to offer more grip than the MaxxSpeed but is longer lasting with less rolling resistance than MaxxGrip options.
MaxxTerra Tactile Scale – Center: 55-7.56-0.87, Edge: 48-11.2-2.19

MaxxGrip: this 3C option is the stickiest layup. Along with the additional grip the rubber utilized in MaxxGrip tires also has damping properties to help control tire rebound. This adds a bit more confidence to your setup.
MaxxGrip Tactile Scale – Center: 47-8.36-2.39, Edge: 48-11.8-2.6

Maxxis Dual Compound

Features a softer edge and harder center section. Tends to offer less damping and slightly harder durometer for more miles, but gives up some grip.
Dual Compound Tactile Scale – Center: 59-6.71-1.27, Edge: 49-11.2-1.61

Sidewall Technologies

Various reinforcement options are available on modern MTB tires. These help minimize pinch flats and sidewall tears. Depending on speed, terrain and level of aggression riders have a variety to choose from. Recently more and more riders gravitate to the more burly sidewall technology as provides additional damping to help control tire rebound.

Instead of Weight vs. Protection we now see riders looking at Weight vs. Protection, Support and Damping as we look to improve trail feel through the tires allowing the suspension to run more support for cornering, steeps and other terrain.

 

Maxxis Sidewall Definitions: EXO, EXO and DoubleDown

EXO Sidewall: these tires feature a cut resistant material from the bead up the sidewall just below the cornering knobs. This additional layer is designed to be lightweight and flexible giving the tires a bit of support without compromising performance.

EXO Sidewall: As the name suggests this is the EXO sidewall plus an additional Silkshield layer stretched from bead to bead. Without adding too much weight this additional layer does provide notable improvement to tire damping and cut protection.

DoubleDown (DD) Sidewall: Want even more protection and trail damping? Check out the DoubleDown option.  Build with two 120 TPI casing layers with a butyl insert these offer the support and protection of a downhill tire but save a bit of weight on the scales!

DH Sidewall: Double 60 TPI casings. More Damping than Double Down tires.

TPI: Threads Per Inch

60 and 120 TPI comparison Maxxis MTB Tires

60 TPI shown on the left, 120 TPI on the right.

120 TPI provides improved performance and protection but is a bit heavier.

Interested in more details on our tactile scale? Check out some review footage we put together to see some of the differences in compound rebound between 3C MaxxGrip, 3C MaxxTerra and Dual Compound Maxxis Tires.

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Five Ten Stealth vs Ride Concepts Max Grip

Five Ten Stealth vs Ride Concepts Max Grip

A lot of flat pedal riders ask about the difference between the Five Ten Stealth vs Ride Concepts Max Grip soles. Well let’s take a look at why we stock both the Five Ten and Ride Concepts shoes here at BikeCo.com.

So what’s similar? They both work well. Confident and predictable grip is critical to enjoying your ride. Both of these shoes offer that.

Both the Stealth and Max Grip utilize lugs flat with the shoe’s edge and a gap left between pads.

The Five Ten use a circle while the Ride Concepts design features hexagons. Pretty close size between them as well.

Differences Five Ten Stealth vs Ride Concepts Max Grip

At BikeCo we’ve been working to provide our online shoppers as close to an in-store experience as possible. To that end we’ve developed a series of tests that allow us to publish a scale to help with product comparison.

With experience on both of these platforms the Five Ten and Ride Concepts shoes were a big part in developing a system that provided numbers that passed the experience test.

Let’s look at the three numbers in the scale and how they apply to the Stealth and Max Grip soles.

Durometer

Durometer is a basic “hardness” test – but if you really get researching it durometer is kind of vague on what it actual measures. In the world of MTB shoes it’s a decent barometer for wear as well as how easily pedal pins will “bite” into the shoe. When measuring durometer a series of readings are taken and averaged.

With our durometer scale Five Ten Stealth rubber measured 65 on average

Five Ten Stealth Rubber Durometer measurement

The Ride Concepts Max Grip sole on the TNT shoe measures a bit softer on the durometer scale coming in at 55.

Ride Concepts Max Grip Durometer measurement

Surface Tension, or Tack, or Grip, or Sticky…

So durometer doesn’t necessarily dictate how much “tack” there is on the sole of a shoe. A lot of variants go into that – but we wanted to have a repeatable test and developed this weighted drag reference.

Dragging this sled across the sole, averaging the results and taking into account the contact patch size we define a value (watch the video if you want to learn more about what we’re up to!)

Five Ten Stealth Rubber Surface Tension test

The Five Ten stealth rubber tested to 16.1 on the sled test.

As a reference, a standard pair of Puma casual shoes I had in my office tested to 5 and the Five Ten gum sole tested to 10.8…

Ride Concepts Max Grip Surface Tension

The Ride Concepts shoe came in with the highest surface tension of anything I’ve tested so far at 22.4.

This result compared to the Stealth rubber makes sense to the “finger test” when you have the shoes in your hand – which really was the goal of putting these metrics together. We want to have some tangible comparison for clients reviewing product here at BikeCo.com.

Finally we looked at the sole’s ability to damp impact.

Damping Test

Five Ten Stealth vs Ride Concepts Max Grip Damping

This is probably the most exciting test, with a drop rig, steel balls, electromagnets… And comparing shoes it’s probably pretty close overall since the shoes all went onto the same jig in about the same way.

We take an average of 3 to 5 drops, disregarding any way off the average since they might have hit funny or whatever. We divide the drop height by the average rebound distance (and move the decimal point) so that the higher the number the more damping it has (or the smaller rebound measurement on the bounce).

The Five Ten Stealth came in with the most damping of anything we’d tested so far, a 5.8.

The Ride Concepts also had good damping at 4.8.

Improved damping helps neutralize trail vibration back into the rider. As a reference the gum sole Five-Ten had much more rebound with a score of 3.2.

Riding the shoes I believe that the Ride Concepts insole actually provides a lot of additional damping as well, and I’m not sure how much of that is factored into this particular test.

The TNT is a slightly more “robust” or aggressive shoe and the insole feels slightly taller than the Freerider.

So, our final numbers came out as follows:

Five Ten Stealth: 65-16.1-5.8

Five Ten Stealth Rubber Sole design

The Ride Concepts Max Grip sole on the TNT model came out slightly softer and tackier.

Ride Concepts Max Grip: 55-22.4-4.8

Wrapping It Up…

My experience with the shoes, which I have to admit end up as both riding and work shoes – both at the shop and chores around the house, parallels what we’d expect to see from numbers like we calculated.

Both shoes are MUCH more tacky than others giving you great pedal feel and grip. Pedal pin penetration (how’s that for alliteration) is confident in both while you can still move your foot when you want.

It’s interesting that the Five Ten’s sole has more damping properties and that in general Ride Concepts uses a thicker, more aggressive in-sole. I imagine that’s how they end up with a similar trail feel between the two shoes.

If you’re using them solely (more shoe puns right?) as riding shoes both offer good wear intervals. Doing a bunch of walking and working in them? You’re going to notice the Ride Concepts will wear faster than the Five Ten. Both have good grip when hiking even in wet conditions (albeit I don’t get to test much in the wet here in SoCal…)

I would recommend either of these options – since we only offer the best in MTB it’s easy to get it right shopping at BikeCo.com. Other shoes may have one of these factors similar to the class leaders, but getting them all balanced and right is harder than it looks. The slight differences are really notable on trail.

For instance, the Five Ten gum soles I tested (my daily shoes since they’re non-marking) tested at 72-10.8-3.2. And those shoes are horrible to ride in frankly. Part of it is the model (which we don’t stock) is too soft and part of it is the sole is too slick.

Interested in learning more about this new scale?

Well we have you covered. Check out this quick video with more examples of how these tests will bring a better understanding to riders about the performance of grips, tires and shoes.

BTW, looking at Five Ten or Ride Concepts models that will be right for your riding? Shop them here!

BikeCo Tactile Scale

Over the years we’ve worked to provide online shoppers as close to an in-store experience as possible. One thing we felt could be expanded on was a scale to better define the feel, particularly of items like Tires, Shoes and Grips.

BikeCo.com wants shoppers to be able to have more than “it’s stickier, because that’s what they say” when picking #thebestinMTB

This video is a quick explanation of the system that you will see being applied across our site over the next few weeks and to new product offerings.

In short, we’re measuring the durometer (or surface “hardness”), the surface tension with a weighted drag test, and the damping with a drop test measuring rebound percentage. Our system will allow you to more easily compare apples to apples across a range of product manufacturers.

Shop the best in MTB at BikeCo.com including Ibis, Mondraker and Yeti factory completes, customs, semi-customs and more!

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Extra FOXY Mondraker FOXY Carbon…

Mondraker FOXY with FOX 38 and Float X2

Well, there’s good and then there’s great I suppose right? For me as a bigger rider I was pushing the stock FOXY suspension outside of it’s performance window – so it was time to make an extra FOXy Mondraker FOXY! Is this a total indictment of the Ohlins? By no means – but – wanting a little bit more punch out of my bike the FOX Float 38 GRIP2 and Float X2 were awesome additions to the FOXY.

You can watch and read about the riding conditions that led to this part swap here (essentially Ohlins RXF was pushed past its mid-stroke and rebound design parameters).
And watch and read about my extdended first ride thoughts on the Mondraker with Ohlins here. (it was SO close, but, I’m 100% happier with what you’ll see below).

I’ve got another write up coming with some extended ride details on the Mondraker FOXY with a FOX 38 and X2 that will go into more details – but for now enjoy a handful of shots and some basic details of this suspension swap.

8/31/22 Update: Check out my extended ride review on the Mondraker FOXY Carbon here!

Mondraker FOXY with FOX Float X2

Extra FOXY, Mondraker FOXY Carbon with 170mm Fork

Why did I swap the RXF 36 M.2 for the FOX 38 and not a FOX 36? I wanted the ability to run the fork at 170mm.

While this is possible with the Ohlins 36 the FOX 36 has a max travel of 160mm. The FOX 38 is a bit heavier fork, but not a ton.

This bike with the Ohlins suspension weighed in at 30.8 lbs. With the FOX 38 and the Float X2 the FOXY weighs 31.8 lbs. 1 lb overall on an enduro bike isn’t even a conversation to me until we get closer to 33 lbs maybe?

The GRIP2 fork has several design advantages to me as well. FOX’s GRIP2 has high and low speed rebound  (compared to the RXF low speed compression) as well as more finite adjust-ability in the high speed compression.

Float X2 on Mondraker FOXY Carbon

Like the fork the Ohlins rear shock was struggling to slow the rebound enough at the higher end of its PSI range. This created a harshness, particularly at speed.

Changing the spec to the FOX Float X2 I regained the rebound control and was able to increase the mid-stroke support as well. The X2 features high and low speed rebound as well as high and low speed compression and a climb switch. I haven’t used the climb switch at all on the Mondraker FOXY (either with the Ohlins or the FOX) as it pedals so efficiently in the open mode and having it remain open has benefits in tricky climbing conditions.

I’ll go into it further in another text – but I had an opportunity to run two different tunes on the X2 already. One that was for another bike with somewhat similar attributes. And that one was HORRIBLE. But, when I put on the X2 with a tune designed for the Mondraker Zero Suspension it was heavenly. (I almost wonder if Joe was just proving a point to me? hahaha…)

Mondraker FOXY FOX X2 Float 38 with Nate

Again, changing from the Ohlins to FOX suspension on my FOXY isn’t something that every rider will need to consider. But, as a heavier rider (around 270-275 right now – haven’t really been watching it too much this year with all the other stuff going on in my world and family haha…) and a rider who prefers punchy, supportive suspension the Ohlins was outside its design parameters.

For lighter riders the Ohlins versus FOX debate is a question on how plush you’re looking to go versus how much punch you prefer.

While the Ohlins was close, going to the FOX suspension was an eye opener on the difference between “almost” and “dialed” in the MTB world.

Much more to come on this 170mm fork 150mm rear travel Mondraker FOXY Carbon – or, since I guess the 170mm fork 160mm FOXY is the SuperFOXY I suppose I’m going to call this bike the Mondraker Extra FOXY? I mean, gotta tip my hat to the 38 and X2 unlocking the bike for me!

More to come with an extended ride review of the Mondraker FOXY Carbon with FOX 38 and Float X2!

Mondraker FOXY Carbon with FOX 38

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Comparing FOX GRIP2 and Ohlins RXF Forks

Comparing FOX GRIP2 and Ohlins RXF Forks Trail Test

It’s our goal to ensure we know what parts are right for what rider. Sometimes that means trying a new part, although mostly that’s left to our racers. Sometimes it means looking at a new tune option. This time, it meant finding the edge of the Ohlins suspension on my Mondraker Foxy Carbon. Let’s take a few minutes and compare the Ohlins RXF and the FOX GRIP2 platform.

Not currently shopping forks? Well, keep reading you might find some ways to improve your setup based on the notes on which fork did what on trail and how the fork’s controls affected that.

Take a look at some comparative footage and go through the details comparing the FOX GRIP2 and the Ohlins RXF 36 M.2 forks!

First, Mondraker spec’ing Ohlins on the FOXY is a good choice.

BikeCo owner Joe Binatena tested Ohlins forks as well as shocks, and it’s the first time I’ve seen him run stock suspension in, maybe ever. Joe ended up with Ohlins on his personal Crafty eMTB.

Our purchasing agent Mike has a FOXY Carbon with Ohlins RXF and TTX which he loves. Mike tends to prioritize compliance and traction to add to his riding confidence on bigger bikes. He’s told me that the RXF is notably more planted than this current Rock Shox fork on a similar sized bike.

Both Mike and Joe are on the slightly skinnier than average I would say. Between the two of them a good deal of trail disposition, ground speed and feel can be assessed.

I know both had the Ohlins suspension dialed in within a couple rides since I didn’t hear any behind the scenes chatter about it.

2022 Mondraker US Dealer BikeCo

BikeCo Owner Joe Binatena riding his Ohlins’ equipped Mondraker Crafty Carbon XR

First, Mondraker spec’ing Ohlins on the FOXY is a good choice.

BikeCo owner Joe Binatena tested Ohlins forks as well as shocks, and it’s the first time I’ve seen him run stock suspension in, maybe ever. Joe ended up with Ohlins on his personal Crafty eMTB.

Our purchasing agent Mike has a FOXY Carbon with Ohlins RXF and TTX which he loves. Mike tends to prioritize compliance and traction to add to his riding confidence on bigger bikes. He’s told me that the RXF is notably more planted than this current Rock Shox fork on a similar sized bike.

Both Mike and Joe are on the slightly skinnier than average I would say. Between the two of them a good deal of trail disposition, ground speed and feel can be assessed.

I know both had the Ohlins suspension dialed in within a couple rides since I didn’t hear any behind the scenes chatter about it.

Jumping ahead a couple months, I pulled the trigger on an Ohlin’s spec’d Mondraker.

Even has a heavier rider I didn’t have many reservations purchasing the FOXY with Ohlins suspension. After all, Joe’s riding an eMTB which carries additional mass, and he candidly speaks highly of the platforms.

I knew Ohlins design parameters and goals weren’t a mirror of my previous suspension: Ohlins was looking for a more plush and linear feel for ultimate traction.

Ohlins RXF Fork Main Air Spring Side

If you read my first ride thoughts on the Mondraker FOXY you’ll know I felt like I had the rear pretty close and the fork in a workable area, albeit I knew I could be looking a bit outside the box.

As I continued to ride I found the Ohlins, particularly the fork, lacked midstroke support at my weight and ground speed.

What it felt like and what it was doing on trail just wasn’t there for me. I felt some of it and put it in my notes. Some I spotted in footage. (BTW: the ride footage actually illustrated how well the HSC worked even as the rest of the fork was pushed past it’s limit for me)

Now, I’m not saying that the Ohlins RXF doesn’t work, I’m saying at 275 and looking for a punchy suspension it didn’t work for me. This review isn’t as fair as it could be since the RXF is pushed beyond its limits a bit. If you’re a lighter rider who wouldn’t have that issue keep reading to learn more about how a fork without enough mid-stroke support and too fast of a rebound setting will ride on trail – maybe you’ll unlock your existing or next fork with that knowledge!

Lack of Support: On Trail Symptoms & Adjustments

Here’s a look at the symptoms, why the RXF didn’t make the grade for me (and how the RXF does for both Joe and Mike) and a comparison to the FOX GRIP2 platform.

Early on I was looking for more mid-stroke support from the RXF. The front end would dive into the corners deeper than I expected. On lips or rocks it lacked a bit of the punch back that puts you up and over instead of driving you “backwards”.

I never quite found that in the fork settings.

2022 Mondraker FOXY Carbon RR Review

Ohlins RXF 36 M.2 Settings

I maxed the Ramp Up Chamber PSI. This would give the fork the maximum ramp rate like adding volume spacers. (make sure you fill the ramp up chamber prior to filling the main air spring – it makes a huge difference.)

I also maxed the main air spring. This put the sag into a fairly standard 15-20%, so I didn’t feel like oh no, I’m just plain too heavy for the RXF 36.

I began with Ohlins rebound and compression setup, but I steadily increased the low speed compression until it was maxed. I worked with the high speed compression as well (more on HSC later). I was running the rebound at max and it still was fast, working hard trying to compensate against the main chamber’s PSI.

After the early rides I chatted with our suspension tuners. We tore down the air shaft assembly (it is very very nicely made fyi) to get a better idea how the three chamber system was implemented.

Ohlins RXF Fork Air Spring Disassembled 1

Ohlins RXF Air Cartridge

At first glance the Ohlins system is reminiscent of an older design concept: adjust the main chamber PSI on top, adjust the negative chamber on bottom.
But, on the Ohlins’ lower port you’re not charging the negative chamber. As mentioned, the RXF uses a third chamber.

When setting up the Ohlins RXF you first charge the Ramp Up Chamber at the bottom of the fork. This controls how linear or progressive your fork will feel and there is a range of PSI suggestions assigned to your weight.

After setting the Ramp Up you set the main chamber PSI. As the fork cycles slightly the piston passes an equalization port and charges the negative air chamber.

In short:
Ramp Up = Ramp rate control. Adjustable. Set first during setup.
Main Chamber = Supports your weight. Adjustable.
Negative Chamber = Prevents top out and minimizes initial piston stiction. Fills based on main chamber PSI.

Early on the fork felt kinda close. But no matter what I did I couldn’t force it into a state of too much support, from which I would need to back down either Compression or Ramp Rate.

I didn’t even find a “this is the right amount of support but I have everything maxed” feel.

With more rides I noticed performance attributes I didn’t particularly like but hadn’t put my finger on the solution or given up on the product at that point. I spent some time looking at my notes and watching some footage.

Extended First Ride Mondraker FOXY Carbon Review

My initial riding notes: Ohlins RXF 36 M.2 Fork

Felt too soft into corners, couldn’t counter steer into turns and drive off feet. It felt like to change direction requires a lot of steering input.
(Turning in with your hands increases the chance of folding the front end and going over the bars compared to counter steering and leaning, which tends to generate and outward slide when traction is lost and is easier to “catch”.)

Too soft landing and taking up bumps on takeoff. Lacked “punch back” in rocky or chunky sections and pop off lips.

High speed compression is works WELL! With the fork notably soft, I tried to compensate with the HSC.

I was hoping to “cheat” the HSC into activating lower in the travel.

But, the RXF High Speed Compression seems truly isolated to high shaft speeds (which is how it’s supposed to work). The fork didn’t bottom out when I had the HSC cranked way up (like just short of a pedal platform feel) it kept me out of the last 20-30mm of travel. (more on this in just a second)

I started to come to terms that the RXF wasn’t for me when I began to work with lower tire pressures. My first few rides had been on aggressive tire pressures. As I started down in pressure the lack of midstoke support was much more notable.

Also, in bigger terrain I couldn’t slow the rebound down quite enough to maintain traction. I hadn’t noticed in the flatter terrain as I was able to compensate with knees and elbows, and a bit of slide didn’t hurt. But at speed in bigger terrain the bike wasn’t quite as sure footed as I expected.

The final straw, trying to new content angles I mounted a GoPro on the front triangle with the fork stanchion in frame. The video is choppy as hell (I was trying to pull stills from it) so I doubt I’ll publish it – but it showed an interesting attribute.

Through a series of bermed corners I noticed when I jumped (or more like floated I suppose is a better word) but if I was in the air, landed and changed direction the fork was riding taller in the travel compared to corners I just “rode” into.

I attributed this to landing pushing the fork at speeds that engage the HSC, even lower in the travel. This improved mid stroke support, albeit not in a way that was useful consistently. It also gave me an idea why sometimes I felt the bike cornered better than others.

Well, that was enough for me to call it a game.

Mondraker FOXY FOX X2 Float 38 with Nate

So why didn’t the Ohlins fork work for me?

Well, Mike and Joe are both notably lighter, even with the extra mass of Joe’s Crafty eMTB.

Mike runs the ramp up chamber at a higher psi then listed for his weight to fine tune the ramp of the RXF. But running at the top end of the PSI charts I didn’t have that adjustment window.

It seemed like adding standard volume spacing to the main chamber would have pushed the fork into the realm for me, but, based on the way the air shaft is produced it would be a lot of machining bits and would be difficult to adjust.

In short, I was looking at a lot of work that wasn’t very consumer friendly to try to make the Ohlins ride punchier, like a FOX GRIP2, when, you know, there’s a FOX GRIP2 on the market…

FOX Factory 38 GRIP2 170mm

I’ve got a lot of years on the GRIP2 at this point. My previous bike had the 36 GRIP2 and I find it’s personality very parallel to the FOX 38 that I put on the Mondraker FOXY.

Why the 38 on the FOXY? I wanted the 170mm option – but I’ll have another writeup on my Extra FOX FOXY… haha..

So. Put the 38 GRIP2 on the FOXY. I decided to set it up the air spring similarly to the RXF – so I looked at the leg and found the highest number and set it to 123 PSI (which it stated was for 250lb riders). When I looked deeper at the FOX manuals I found that the fork has a max PSI of 140, however I had pretty good sag at 123 so I’d probably keep it in that range either way.

I increased the stock 2 volume spacers (20cc) with an additional 10cc. At 170mm the fork has a max capacity for 5 volume spacers.

Even in the parking lot the bike had a better disposition. On trail it unlocked the bike.

I could counter steer and lean deeper into corners. The bike punched over the rocks and chunk instead of stuttering into it.

With more support in the front end the bike felt dramatically more confident in steep chutes or rocks by taking advantage of the headtube angle instead of nosing in making the bike “steeper”.

Rear braking, which was already ridiculously good on the FOXY, improved notably as well without as much front brake dive.

When the front end dives in it will slightly unload the rear wheel. Re-weighting your feet can help to drive the wheel back down into the ground, but simply having less rake change under braking is an easy way to achieve the same thing.

In short, the bike did all the things my previous GRIP2 bike did that I loved so much…

Mondraker FOXY Carbon with FOX 38

But what definitely seals the deal on it the rebound and compression controls were both in an adjustable range, not fully max’d out. Even if my bike works at a max adjustment it still sits in my head like “hmm, I wish I had one more just in case” hahaha…

With the 38 GRIP2 on my FOXY I have tons of low speed compression still available – although – if you go too high into the low speed settings it tends to make a bike harsh and hard to hold onto in big, fast terrain.

So I would say I’m in the proper range on the LSC – I wouldn’t want to add more than a click or two without starting to wonder about it.

High speed compression on the 38 is in the right setup range as well. It didn’t require a very polarized setup to adjust the bottom out and high shaft speed control.

Both high and low speed rebound are set with some adjustability in either direction.

After my first two rides on the 38, the same rides as the RXF, I reviewed my notes. Maybe the 38 could use just a touch more to balance with the X2 rear shocks setup (I changed rear shocks too – more on that in other posts!).

I chatted with Joe and we decided that going to the 4th volume spacer would probably be the play. But while researching a couple things for this writeup (never want to give you guys bad info – we appreciate the reads!) I found that the max PSI for the FOX 38 air chamber is higher than the 123 I saw on the sticker. (when all else fails check out Manual right?)

According to page 3 of the manual the 38 has a max PSI of 140. So, There are two choices to increase the PSI or increase the volume spacers and thus increate the ramp..

The beauty of options right? Which is really what I’m going to conclude on here.

Mondraker FOXY Carbon with 170mm FOX GRIP2

UPDATE: Soft Support & Fast Rebound = Harsh Ride

OK a quick addition to this blog. Working on the video supporting this FOX GRIP2 versus Ohlins RXF comparison (above) I sent rough footage to a handful of riding buddies and reviewed it with Joe and our suspension team to better understand what story the footage told versus what I felt versus what we knew mechanically about the different forks.

I hadn’t laid up any graphics or anything, just two images next to each other timed at the beginning of each section. When I mentioned one was the FOX with much better support almost everyone initially thought the fork that visually was riding harsh had to be stiffer option. Maybe I confused them since I had the FOX on the left and they knew I rode the Ohlins first? I dunno. But no, the harsher looking fork was actually the setup that was too plush overall for me.

The combination of running through travel and rebound that couldn’t be slowed into an ideal range created a harsh ride visible on the video. The harshness is probably mostly attributed to the rebound speed, although the overwhelmed LSC and air system weren’t helping that.

In the video you can see a handful of turns that the RXF does well at when landing before the turn engaging the HSC (which worked really well even on a fork that I was pushing outside it’s performance window).

The lack of support is notable in the footage by the increase in “hand” steering. As the fork would sit in deeper it would require more input to change direction and MUCH more input to exit the corner. Compared to the more supportive fork which would turn in easily, allow the bike to lean in to take the rest of the turn “through” my feet before exiting the corner, usually with an increased exit speed compared to the softer fork.

Like I mention in the video, and above – this isn’t a truly fair “comparison test” between the GRIP2 and the RXF since the Ohlins was pushed beyond its capacity. But, you can look at this data comparing a better setup versus a setup that’s too fast and without enough support.

Mondraker FOXY Carbon with FOX 38 GRIP2

Am I saying the FOX 38 GRIP2 is better than the Ohlins RXF?

For me? 100%. Done and done. Heavier rider, prefers punchy suspension, decent ground speeds. Ideally (even if its just mental) want to have a bit of range on my setup to fine tune.

The RXF didn’t have it in the tank at my size. (also, full disclosure having the BikeCo Pro Tune options on the FOX 38 and X2 allows me to improve my adjustability range even a bit more)

For you?

Not going to tell you the GRIP2 is better or worse than the RXF without knowing more about your size, riding style and preferences!

Riders I know well, who know suspension well, who really enjoy the Ohlins product.

Are you in the 140-220 range? Looking for a slightly more linear, high traction, planted setup? Well then the Ohlins is 100% on your short list for review.

As a product review, without being in my shoes, or similar shoes I suppose it’s hard to look at the two top suspension options and say you should always do “X”. In fact, maybe you’re on the right product with the wrong setup? That’s one of the reasons we continue to work with our clients after bike or suspension delivery to help continue to dial in performance to unlock your rigs full potential.

Like we mentioned at the top, even if you’re not shopping forks right now some of the ride notes might resonate with you and you can improve your setup. We work hard with our clients to ensure initial setup as well as helping with developing setup as their riding speeds and skills increase.

Check out some pics of the 170mm “Extra FOXY” Mondraker FOXY Carbon with FOX 38 and Float X2 here.

 

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FOX 38 Manual & Details: Fox’s Site

Ohlins RXF 36 M.2 Manual & Details: Ohlins’ Site

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Spec Swaps Performance or Preference: Yeti SB130 TLR T1 Build

Performance of Preference? SB130 TLR T1 Kit Review

Here’s a look at the Yeti SB130 TLR T1 build spec. What stands out? What bits are commonly swapped? What would we swap out if we were building it ourselves? Let’s jump right in.

Yeti SB130 TLR T1 Build

Carbon frame, Turq series 29” Enduro bike that’s a fun all day trail ripper as well. The TURQ or T series from Yeti denotes their top tier carbon fiber layout. This produces a bike that’s more crisp and lively for a longer period of time compared to the standard carbon layout. This is particularly important for heavier or aggressive riders who look to maximize their product service life.

137mm of rear travel with a 160mm fork. With a bit more travel the Lunch Ride SB130 have a slightly more relaxed headtube angle and a tiny bit higher bottom bracket compared to their 130/150 siblings.

The TLR T1build is the Lunch Ride’s XT build currently with a $8,200 MSRP. (7/7/22)

Spec Swaps: Performance or Preference?

Let’s go through the spec part by part. We’ll highlight some of the real gems and suggest some areas where riders might commonly look to swap a part or two.

OK, so we’re going to keep it reasonable in the budget (like I’m not going to saw I’m swapping all the bits into a 12k bike – that’s unreasonable). But let’s figure I have a little bit of budget to dial in my bike and I can swap some of the parts back at time of purchase (we do it all the time here at BikeCo)

Float X Rear Shock: seldom swapped, but if swapped it’s for the Float X2
The Float X offers a lot of notable performance improvements to the prior generations Float DPX. Revisions to the architecture provide improved rebound and compression tuning ranges. Easily fine tuned with volume spacers this shock fits well in the trail to medium enduro terrain. If you’re pushing bigger than that you might consider the bigger Float X2 which provides you both High and Low speed rebound as well as High and Low speed compression settings. For even better performance chat with our team about our Pro Tune services to narrow the performance window based on your size, speed, riding style and terrain.

FOX 36 GRIP2 Fork: seldom swapped on this build.
Pro Tune service is often done on this build.

Wheels: Seldom swapped on this build
DT Swiss EX or XM 1700 wheels with 30mm internal rims. A solid wheelset. If it was swapped it would typically be for i9 or King hubs on a variety of rim options. More and more riders are going to carbon rims – and few if any seem to come back…

Tires: If swapped it’s typically a preference change.
Front: Minion DHF 2.5 EXO. Some riders will prefer a heavier sidewall option for protection and damping. EXO+ in the DHF or Assegai is probably the most popular. A DD Assegai 3C MaxxGrip is a burly option for riders looking for ALL the grip…

Rear: Aggressor 2.3 EXO. Fairly commonly swapped at this point. Often a DHR II in EXO + or even the Double Down (DD) Aggressor is added for more damping control from the tire.

Brakes: If swapped its a preference, and if riders don’t prefer Shimano they almost 100% go to Magura MT7 or MT7 HC3 on this bike.
Shimano XT M8120 4 piston. The Shimano XT brake is really a pretty good barometer in the industry. Riders who like the quick power application from the Shimano master cylinder and short throw lever could go to the XTR, but the price to performance window keeps nearly all Shimano brake riders in XT.  A common swap for the XT 4 piston brakes is to go to the Magura MT7. The Magura MT7 has a variety of lever options including the ultra adjustable HC3 lever to fine tune throw, reach and leverage ratio.

Brake Rotors: Seldom changed on this build.
SM-RT66. Believe it or not this is the preferred Shimano rotor at BikeCo. Less exotic than the Ice Tech in material and manufacturing it tends to be more robust and slower wearing.

Cranks: Seldom changed on this build.
XT 170mm with 30t. Clean looking and stiff riding cranks. Unless you want a fancier material its hard to find a nicer crank.

Drivetrain: Seldom changed on this build.
XT M8100 12sp Shimano with 51t cassette. Shimano’s drivetrains are the smoothest on the market. They shift gears nearly effortlessly with a very sophisticated feel. To keep your Shimano drivetrain performing at its best its important to regularly wipe the dirt and debris from the chain, pulley wheels, chain ring and cassette and keep it properly lubed.

Headset: Seldom changed on this build.
Cane Creek 40. The 40 is a classic on bikes from Deore all the way to X01 builds. Robust and easy to maintain a properly installed Cane Creek 40 will give you crisp, quiet performance for a long time. If it’s changed its for a Chris King color option to highlight the build.

Handlebar and Stem: Performance change.
Yeti carbon bar and Race Face Aeffect stem. The Yeti carbon bar is actually pretty popular. There’s a bit of a sweet spot in the medium and “smaller” large rider who likes the rise on these bars and can trim a little bit off without making them super stiff. As riders start to get onto the longer end of the size large and into extra large we typically see bars with taller rise utilized such as the TAG 40mm, OneUp 35mm rise bars, etc.

Grips: Preference swap if swapped
ODI Elite Pro. Grips are really personal. The ODI Elite Pro are a very good grip. But,  if you already know what you like though this is another common place for swaps.

Seatpost: Seldom changed on this build.
FOX Transfer.

Saddle: Preference swap if changed, but one of THE BEST stock saddle options on the market.
Silverado Custom. Like grips, saddle choice is really personal. The WTB Silverado is probably one of the most widely fitting saddles on the market. Ibis hasn’t picked a strange saddle to save a buck or two at the cost of you never wanting to really ride it… With the Silverado riders have a proper size and shape MTB saddle for the type of riding the Ripmo AF is designed for.

Other Performance or Preference Posts:

Ibis Ripmo AF Deore

Shop In-Stock SB130’s as well other Ibis, Mondraker and Yeti Completes at BikeCo.com!

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Custom Mondraker RAZE Carbon Build

Custom Mondraker RAZE Carbon Complete

Enjoy some pics of this banging Custom Mondraker RAZE Carbon Complete.

The RAZE is a 130mm travel frame and pairs with 150mm or 160mm fork options depending on your terrain and geometry preference.

The 150mm stock setup gives the RAZE a quick handling feel comfortable in a wide range of terrain and into the enduro category. Adding the additional 10mm of fork travel gives the bike a little bit more “punch” in the enduro terrain by slightly slackening the headtube angle, raising the bottom bracket a touch as well as adding a little more travel for those big moments.

Custom Mondraker RAZE Carbon Pics

Mondraker RAZE Carbon with XX1 AXS and AbsoluteBlack Oval Chainring

This rider went with the SRAM AXS wireless setup, subtracting one cable from the cockpit for an even cleaner look and crisp performance.

Cable routing is done through the headtube for an ultra modern look on the Mondraker lineup.

An AbsoluteBlack oval chainring compliments the 52t Eagle cassette.

SRAM XX1 AXS on Mondraker Raze Carbon

Mondraker’s Zero Suspension mounts both upper and lower shock points to the linkage creating a floating suspension that is very compliant while still being notably efficient.

The FOX DPS rear shock provides riders volume tuning as well as low and high speed compression settings and rebound to fine tune its performance.

ONYX hubs on custom wheels by BikeCo on Mondraker RAZE Complete

ONYX silent, instant engagement hubs are seen on more and more builds.

Available in a variety of colors and finishes to compliment your build, this build features my very favorite option. Blacked out!

Mondraker RAZE Cockpit and Headtube

This Mondraker RAZE weighed in at 28 lbs! Impressive for a bike comfortable well into enduro level terrain. Note the EXO+ front tire as well…

Shopping the Best in MTB

Are you in the market for a 2022 Mondraker? or Ibis or Yeti? At BikeCo.com we have #thebestinMTB : products and support staff to keep you dialed in.

Mondraker RAZE headtube, downtube and toptube junction

Shop In-Stock MTB  and eMTB from Ibis, Mondraker and Yeti here!

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4 Common Reasons Your MTB Shock is Losing Air

4 Common Reasons your shock is losing air

You’ll hear this a lot from MTB and eMTB riders: my shock (or fork) is losing air. Every time I check it it’s lower than I left it.

Well there are a few reasons that a functioning shock will show lower PSI.

Are you Pre-Charging your Pump?

The most common is not pre-charging the pump line prior threading the pump on and opening the Schrader valve.

This one is pretty easy to explain – the gauge is located at the end of a volume of hose. If you do not pre-charge that hose to approximately what you have in the shock when you open the Schrader valve to your air spring you increase the volume of the main chamber which will lower the overall PSI.

The smaller the suspension’s main chamber the more dramatic the PSI drop will be.

That’s why it’s a good idea to pre-charge your suspension pump. Thread the pump on until it makes a seal with the shock but hasn’t yet opened the valve.

Charge the pump to approximately what is in the main chamber.

Finish threading the pump onto the fork or shock. It will show a more accurate pressure of the main air spring as it doesn’t have the volume loss as a non-charged pump.

Like I mentioned this is the most common cause for “air loss” in suspension. It is seen in both the fork and rear shock.

Did You Cycle the Shock and Charge the Negative Air Chamber?

Another common cause for lower pressure, particularly in rear shocks, is setting the pressure and not charging the negative air chamber.

This is typically seen when large PSI jumps are made in the shock such as a brand new piece of equipment.

What does it look like? You set the pressure to the suggested PSI. You jump on the bike and go ride. Bike feels soft. You check the air and it’s dropped from the beginning of your pedal.

Unlike most forks, which usually charge the negative air chamber at full extension and thus see less of this, your rear shock most likely has an air divot to charge the negative chamber somewhere a bit into the stroke.

That means it takes a few compressions of the suspension to engage the negative air chamber. And once the piston allows the negative air chamber to fill it effectively drops the volume of the main chamber. Then when the shock extends and you check the PSI it will be lower.

It is a good practice to give a rear shock a few bounces during setup, especially when large PSI changes are made to ensure that the negative air chamber has charged and the shock will have the support you expect.

Does it Need Seals? Or Just Had Seals Installed?

It is actually more rare for a shock to be truly bleeding off PSI than for one of the above two to be the culprit on new suspension.

As the suspension ages seals may degrade and can be the cause of air loss. Suspension manufacturers have suggested service intervals based on hours of operation, but if your more aggressive on your equipment, such as a racer, you may find that shortening the service window keeps your bike running smoothly.

Some common causes of premature seal wear include dirt ingress, which is why it is so important to keep your stanchions as clean as you can before each ride. The less dirt the suspension pulls into the seals the less abuse on the seals, shafts, etc is incurred.

Occasionally a recently serviced fork or shock may ‘roll’ a seal or have been nicked during installation. Typically you’ll find this out when you’re setting back up for your ride or on your first ride. This is very rare on a professional level as the quality control of parts and service techniques eliminates the chance for most of this. But, there’s typically a handful of small to medium seals which make create an air-tight chamber and if one of them isn’t working you might have a slow leak.

Dirty or loose Schrader valves can cause air loss, although most shocks have a decently sealed cap these days.

Extreme temperature or altitude changes will effect your PSI and should be accommodated for. Check your sag before your chair lift day at altitude!

A less common cause, but it is out there: chemical degradation. Seal materials are susceptible to being attacked by other chemicals – so be aware of what comes in contact with your suspension.

A typical way to test for faulty seals is to set the shock at a test pressure, say 100psi, and allow it to sit overnight. Pre-charge a pump and check the pressure. A notable drop, ie more than might be expected from the pump increasing the main chamber volume, is likely worth an additional look.

Another test, although I must disclaim this one a bit, is to submerge the shock and watch for bubbles. I try to avoid this option as much as possible personally as I find it has to be a pretty decent leak for me it to be losing air visibly and can tend to be detected using the overnight pressure test. If it is leaking and pulls water in you’re going to have remove the water and any contaminated oil or grease since you don’t want water diluting or boiling in your suspension’s air chamber.

Very Rare PSI Loss Causes

The least common cause of air loss would be a crack or micro-crack in a casting. This can be a hard one to determine, particularly as it may require the shock to cycle and load up before the pressure rises enough to “open” the crack and vent air pressure.

Occasionally seals will have a similar end of service life where the air loss is occurring as the PSI increases, but, it’s fairly uncommon.

 

In conclusion, most of the air loss attributed to new or newly serviced product can be traced back to the pump increasing the volume, and thus lowering the pressure or in the case of rear shocks the negative air chamber charging.

If you’re using good practices with your setup and still noting air loss the next step is most likely to do a seal service, especially if the shock is near the service window or if its’ been used in extreme conditions.

If the new seals aren’t helping it’s probably worth digging a little deeper and possibly using a professional resource to help you locate the issue.

Local or ride in the South Orange County area? Come by and have our team service or tune your suspension. We are located at 21098 Bake Parkway #112 in Lake Forest near the corner of Bake and Trabuco.

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