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Dirt Rag Fresh Dirt
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2.15.2007
Microbytes: Shockspital
By: Brad Quartuccio
Regular service is essential to protect your suspension investment, and it is nearly inevitable that at some point those fancy hydraulic brakes will need some work. There is no doubt that suspension and disc brakes have added a whole new layer of complexity to mountain bike maintenance. Potentially noxious fluids, specialized tools and hard to source spare parts are just the beginning—the subtleties of each given system make it hard enough for a shop mechanic to keep up with, let alone the home wrench.
Don't get me wrong, working on your own suspension or disc brakes can be done, its just out of the realm of most home mechanics, and many shop mechanics as well. Most folks simply don't see a given model enough to really learn the ins and outs of the system. I am one of those people—I can bleed a brake alright, but replacing the seals is a whole other ballgame.
Enter Shockspital. Former Pittsburgh local Brian Rose is a suspension and disc brake guru. Over the past few years as an employee of the largest domestic parts distributor, Quality Bicycle Parts, he helped implement their shop mail-in suspension service. By his own estimates, he has rebuilt more suspension forks than anyone else out there. Hearing the call of being his own boss, B Rose has left QBP and set up the Shockspital as a consumer and shop direct suspension and disc brake service. Routine maintenance to complete overhauls, he does it all with his own two hands. And he's quick—expect a turnaround time of about two weeks.
Eventually the shop space with feature B Rose's personal retro shock collection. Anything you can imagine form the forks lusted after in the mid-nineties to total freakshow forks from Europe and beyond. Conveniently, Shockspital is located just across the street from CRC Coffee Bar and Cykel Garage, but we'll save that for another time.
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