How the hell does anyone ride suspension on a SS???

[PutAwayWet]

Seriously - how do you do it? Everytime I try it I become a slow-speed climbing endo machine. I'll be mashing up a hill or through some tech stuff, I'll get caught a bit forward on the bike, and wham - the front wheel bumps a root/rock and the fork compresses transferring all the energy of my pedal stroke forward, sending me catapulting over the bars and the bike off to the side. I never have this problem when riding a rigid fork.

[myron]

That's a major reason why I moved away from a suspension fork, but when I did... I used a Dj fork pumped up to -squish only on hard hits-

[Hand/of/Midas]

one of guys at specialized(i think john thompson?) rides a single speed epic full susser as his main bike.

[RickB]

Uh, ride a bit lighter in the front end? Setup your fork properly? Seriously...it shouldn't be this painful if your setup is correct, and the dynamics are no different geared or single. Just that you're often at a much lower cadence and the "impact" of the "impact" is more "impactful" on your spin.

[jerman]

I do like Myron said. Just keep my fork air pressure higher than normal. Seems to work fine for me.

[tryandgetme]

the dynamics are different. I can climb much better when my front end isn't sucking my mashing energy away. And when a down-mash is unfortunately timed with a hard fork compression from a bump, yeah, I can see where it can go squirly.

When I do ride suspension on the singlespeed, I set it up fairly hard for my weight compared to when I had that fork on a geared bike. It's just plain easier climbing on a ridged fork. Got a lockout on it?

I love my 29" wheels, it's like a non-energy-sucking free 2" of suspension.

[mutantvan]

I recently discovered I had been running the pressure on my tires too high. That was due to a long history of snakebit tubes when I was younger. I had always run fairly lean tires and at higher 40-45 lbs on my full suspension bike. I was on a ride the other day and didn't have a pump along. I think the pressure was in the high 20's so they were soft, but not squishy. Felt pretty good on a trail with wicked amounts of baby head rocks.
I think everyone needs to have a full suspension bike, and a non sus single speed.
I haven't ridden the full suspension in a couple of seasons. The single speed is just so simple and fun.

[bdee]

I'm the same way, never really enjoyed SS with suspension. It was OK with a Marz Marathon for a while. If I get a REBA for the KM I'll be getting the pop loc thingy as well. For the stuff around here even a properly set up fork can be a real PITA. For me it's due to the grade of the steep climbs combined with the little step ups you have to get up/over on the way up the climbs. It just feels more efficient to have the bike go where you point it and not rob you of energy. All that said I'd say play with the settings and see if you don't eventually get used to it and adapt your riding style.

[2dumb4gears]

I've always prefered rigid for the same reason--until I got a Fox f100x for my single. It really does ride locked out until you hit something substantial, and then gets plush. On steep fire-road climbs (out of the saddle sawing on the bars) it doesn't move. Spendy, but so worth it.

[50 Mission Cap]

Seriously - how do you do it? Everytime I try it I become a slow-speed climbing endo machine. I'll be mashing up a hill or through some tech stuff, I'll get caught a bit forward on the bike, and wham - the front wheel bumps a root/rock and the fork compresses transferring all the energy of my pedal stroke forward, sending me catapulting over the bars and the bike off to the side. I never have this problem when riding a rigid fork.

Buddy of mine runs some sort of fox fork w/ a lock out on his ss. Seems to work well for him. I have considered this myself; if I sell my geared bike in favor of going SS all the time. He says it's great to have a suspension fork when things start to get hairy, but when your riding to the store for beer, or in some god awful climb - ala clinton - hit the lock out, and yer set.

[PutAwayWet]

Thanks for the responses to my rant! :D

Seriously though, the only time I like the squish is on screaming downhills. I was having so much fun on that ride last night just blasting through stuff at speed. But then reality sets in and you have to climb or be tech again, and you've already forgotten how to pick lines. :rolleyes: The fork's set up way stiff, so that's not the issue. I think it has to do with 'arm geometry strength'. On the rigid fork, the bike and my body are usually in the same relative position for a given ground feature. When you add in the squish, all of a sudden my body/bike starts pivoting around the rear wheel as the fork compresses. With no squish, the gravity vector usually points down between my arms and my body...but when the fork compresses and my whole body rotates clockwise around the rear wheel, my arms are more closely in line with the gravity vector meaning that the torque required from my shoulders to keep my body from going over the bars is significantly greater. In english: When the fork compresses I'm farther forward on the bike, and I'm an endo king.

None of this would be an issue if my LBS would just order that damn rigid fork for me. Going on almost a month now..."We'll get right on it, sorry about that". I'm just going to order it on line and get it over with.

[davkatreb]

Seems to me like squish would defeat the purpose of singlespeed. You know, a simpler, cleaner ride without a bunch of needless extra crap to worry about. But I only get in the woods about once in a blue moon, so what do I know?

[wigger thomas]

Sorry PAW,you're too old for screaming downhills. Give up the squish.

[cMc]

I used to roll with various lockout forks. Now I have a rigid 29'er. No need fer squish there. ;)

[thirtyfour18]

Been hammering this summer on FSSS. There is a flow you have to achieve with your suspension. When you get it, you don't spin out anymore, you get less picky about your line on climbs, and you may even find yourself preloading that fork before your mini-wheelie over that rock or root. All of this fits well with the violent passive/aggressive nature of singlespeed climbing.

I'll say it for you: FREAK! NONCONFORMIST BLASPHEMY! FULL SQUISH WEENIE!

See you back at the car.

[thirtyfour18]

Oh yes - keeping your weight over the rear tire and pedaling harder seems to help with this whole mountain biking uphill thing.

[Mo0se]

I am firmly planted in the rigid 29 SS camp.
It's much more enjoyable for me because I
can predict, and trust, how my bike is gonna
react to technical trail. I know when I drop off
that 2 ft rock, I have a solid platform that will
not have me over the bars. Suspension forks
have their place, but not on my SS.

[rockyrider]

I'm not sure why mashing up a hill on an SS with suspension is any different than mashing up a hill on a gearie bike with suspension. I've been very happy with an FSSS and it's ability to climb over things that might otherwise cause the drive wheel to bounce and spin out.

With an 80mmfork I've never been bothered by any degree of fork compression, it's just not enough of a change to be a problem going up hills, but I tend to ride light on the front wheel in more of a wheelie/hover mode uphills.

[WunSpeedWunder]

Raced all last season on my Heckler converted to SS ,was plush,a bit heavy by comparison to the Budgies KM but my body was nowhere near as trashed after the racing was done.This year have raced/ridden a converted Wheeler 7800 full rigid SS,body gets more beat up while racing ,but the lack of weight means I can go further before the body starts to feel like S_ _t.
Previously rode a converted KHS softail,this was a nice comfy Light SS racebike until the chainstays cracked from too many cycles of flex,it now hangs up in the shame frame dept.
As for which is better,it all depends on what/where you ride as each area is different and different bikes suit different terrain,so as I found i didn't really need an FSSS for SouthOz but If I were say hangin out on The NorthShore I definitely would run an FSSS but if Moab was my backyard a fullrigid would be the choice......

[real_ss_budgie]

by the looks of that moose, you havent ridden it yet. showroom condish, mate!

i ss-ed my fsr and that was a neat little race steed till the swingarm gave way. so now im old and crunchy a rigid ss 29er is the way to go

[davkatreb]

im old and crunchy
Welcome to the club, mate. Your membership card is in the mail.

[real_ss_budgie]

Welcome to the club, mate. Your membership card is in the mail.
coi i cant wait....i'll dash to the letterbox now!!!
thanks chopper

[hophead]

Seriously - how do you do it? Everytime I try it I become a slow-speed climbing endo machine. I'll be mashing up a hill or through some tech stuff, I'll get caught a bit forward on the bike, and wham - the front wheel bumps a root/rock and the fork compresses transferring all the energy of my pedal stroke forward, sending me catapulting over the bars and the bike off to the side. I never have this problem when riding a rigid fork.
Bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!! !

That's freakin' hilarious. Sorry to laugh at your rant PAW, but it could have easily been me that wrote it. My gf says that she has never seen someone go otb as often as I do. I can't blame it on my squishy front fork though. I do it on my fully rigid ss as well.

I'm getting better. It's all a matter of maintaining your momentum and keeping your body over the rear wheel. 99% of the time that I endo is due to hitting something at too slow a speed while being too far forward on the bike.

Good luck and keep the rubber side down.

[Mo0se]

by the looks of that moose, you havent ridden it yet. showroom condish, mate!

i ss-ed my fsr and that was a neat little race steed till the swingarm gave way. so now im old and crunchy a rigid ss 29er is the way to go

It's not that way anymore... pics to come. :D

[cMc]

I rode with a guy today who had a full suspension Kona Cowan SS. It's like the "A" but mo' burlier. He likes it; I would pass.

[PutAwayWet]

I did 45 miles on my newly converted SS yesterday. Still waiting on a rigid fork, so I rode the entire thing with my Rock Shox Duke Race locked out. :rolleyes: It did ok except for the drops :D

[OTBSkinloss]

Why doncha go back to wearing animal skins and living in a cave ya frikkin Luddites! Call me old fashioned, but I think fire is magic and it scares me! I'm tellin ya, that cotton gin is gonna be the death of us all! :D

Muddy Waters invented 'lectricity, boy. Use it!

[PutAwayWet]

Call me stubborn if you will, but I'm just plain old stubborn.

[Jahnov]

PAW,
Who is yer local shop? Go to Bob's in Portsmouth. He'll order you the Salsa or Surly rigid fork ASAP!

[Wazu]

IMO you should set your front fork up a bit stiffer. Forks don't send people flying over handlebars. Riding styles do. With or without front suspension your weight should be further back. Trust me. Especially on climbs and baby heads at speed. Hypothetically, any fork set up can work as long as you are armed with the knowledge of its inherent charactaristics prior to the ride. I have a RockShox Reba Dual Air set up to nicely absorb moderate rocks, for instance while climbing seated. When I stand for any reason I lock out the fork with a remote lock out lever by my thumb. You don't even really need front suspension, especially if you have a 29" front wheel ( I prefer 26 in the rear ). Happy trails.:)

[PutAwayWet]

IMO you should set your front fork up a bit stiffer. Forks don't send people flying over handlebars. Riding styles do. With or without front suspension your weight should be further back. Trust me. Especially on climbs and baby heads at speed.

Okay, so my tongue in cheek post has made people think I'm fresh off the training wheels. :)

And no, I won't trust you. Not until I ride with you. And maybe not even then.

[Wazu]

OH no no not at all. I didn't mean to imply that you don't ride well, not at ALL. I only know what I know from flying over my bars dozens of times for various different reasons, ONE of them being riding too far forward, especially with a fork that's not stiff enough. If you post questions, expect people to give an answer. I suppose you will have to trust someone's answer even if it ain't mine. The only time I answer is if I think I might be able to help. I guess when I heard the question, "How the hell does anyone ride suspension on a SS??" I should have answered the most truthfully, " The same way you ride suspension on any other bike." But that would have sounded sarcastic now wouldn't it have? Happy trails.

[PutAwayWet]

I hate how hard it is to get sarcasm across on these things. No offense taken, none meant in return. Just having a little fun venting at one of my less graceful moments on a bike. :)