Is remote lockout useful (as against normal lockout)??

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Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
Further to my quest to understand forks:ohmy:
A LBS tells me remote lockout only comes with "more expensive" forks and is (in his opinion) of no real use.
Can anyone with/without remote give me an informed opinion ?
Thanks
 

Friz

The more you ride, the less your ass will hurt.
Location
Ireland
When I was looking at getting my current hardtail, the only difference between the one I got and the next runner up was the remote lockout. Personally, I couldn't see the point of it but figured what the heck. It's a bit of bling. Now, 15 months later, it's probably one of the most useful bits on the bike. Being able to lockout as soon as you get up out of the saddle on a climb is quite handy. It keeps the front from bouncing, thus, saving you loads of energy and you can hammer the climb much more efficiently.
 

yello

Guest
What is 'remote' lockout and opposed to normal lockout? Or perhaps I should ask that the other way around.

Friz's answer suggests that 'remote' is the dial(s) on the top of suspension forks. I thought that was normal. That is to say, I don't know any other kind!

Edit: dave's video link above answers my question.
 
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Dave7

Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
When I was looking at getting my current hardtail, the only difference between the one I got and the next runner up was the remote lockout. Personally, I couldn't see the point of it but figured what the heck. It's a bit of bling. Now, 15 months later, it's probably one of the most useful bits on the bike. Being able to lockout as soon as you get up out of the saddle on a climb is quite handy. It keeps the front from bouncing, thus, saving you loads of energy and you can hammer the climb much more efficiently.

Thats how I feel.....however as this is my first MTB and being unsure how far into the sport I will go (again-at my age) I didn't want to clutter the bars if uneccesary.
 

Friz

The more you ride, the less your ass will hurt.
Location
Ireland
remote is when it's on the handlebars. The switch is just between the grip and shifters. If you never use it it's not in the way at all. If, like me, you learn to depend on it, it's right at your fingertips. I don't think you can go wrong with it.
 

GrumpyGregry

Here for rides.
Two bits of bling I wish I had on my otherwise perfect for me mtb are

i) a handlebar mounted remote lock out
ii) a remotely adjustable seatpost

ii) is a simply case of cash. Upgrading to get i)? Would be less hassle just to buy a fork that already has it and sell the current fork than retro-fit to the existing fork.
 

MacB

Lover of things that come in 3's
Two bits of bling I wish I had on my otherwise perfect for me mtb are

i) a handlebar mounted remote lock out
ii) a remotely adjustable seatpost

ii) is a simply case of cash. Upgrading to get i)? Would be less hassle just to buy a fork that already has it and sell the current fork than retro-fit to the existing fork.

Hmmm, two areas I'm musing about/between, I'm looking at my first set of squishy forks and am curious on seatpost adjustment as well. I think I'm pretty sold on the remote lockout idea, as in why not, but still unsure on the seatpost thing.....have you seen the price of those remote seatpost thingies!!!!!!!

However I'm charitable enough that I think I could let you test out some of these seatposts and I'll await your reports eagerly.
 

subaqua

What’s the point
Location
Leytonstone
poploc can be retrofitted to most rockshox forks. quite easy to do apparently , as the video shows. its worth its weight in gold to me on the MTB as on tarmac it gets set locked and i can hammer the power down but when i go off road on parts of the commute i can set it to bounce all over the place. i thought it was a gimmick i wouldn't use but it really is good
 

GrumpyGregry

Here for rides.
poploc can be retrofitted to most rockshox forks. quite easy to do apparently , as the video shows. its worth its weight in gold to me on the MTB as on tarmac it gets set locked and i can hammer the power down but when i go off road on parts of the commute i can set it to bounce all over the place. i thought it was a gimmick i wouldn't use but it really is good
Easy to do? Yes. Cheap? No.(not the last time I looked for my forks anyway, nearly 50% of the cost of the forks because a lot, maybe even most, OEM forks aren't remote poploc ready meaning you have to replace the cartridge in the fork that has the lockout on it ) Cost effective? Unlikely.
 

GrumpyGregry

Here for rides.
However I'm charitable enough that I think I could let you test out some of these seatposts and I'll await your reports eagerly.
Gravity Dropper Turbo is on my wish list.

Used a Cane Creak Thudbuster for years when XC racing/polaris/trailquest etc.,
 

MacB

Lover of things that come in 3's
Gravity Dropper Turbo is on my wish list.

Used a Cane Creak Thudbuster for years when XC racing/polaris/trailquest etc.,

Aha, yep Gravity Dropper has topped my list due to mechanical nature/ability to self maintain if need be. Have you made any decisions on amount of drop and whether you need the basic 2 positions or the extra thrid mini drop one?

I've also wondered about a Thudbuster for the rigid, any chance of a mini review on your thoughts on that?
 

GrumpyGregry

Here for rides.
Aha, yep Gravity Dropper has topped my list due to mechanical nature/ability to self maintain if need be. Have you made any decisions on amount of drop and whether you need the basic 2 positions or the extra thrid mini drop one?

I've also wondered about a Thudbuster for the rigid, any chance of a mini review on your thoughts on that?
Gravity Dropper I want the max length of drop with the extra "multi" stop. Useful sometimes on climbs to stretch the legs a bit, given I have my saddle set about 1" lower on my mtb than on my road bike.

Mini-review of thudbuster? I had a Moxey originally that the elastomer died in so bought a Thudbuster ST to replace it as Cane Creek had put Moxey out of business. Ran that until I sold that bike (steel Rockhopper) three years ago. It worked. Not a lot of travel, less than the Moxey (which was more like a Thudbuster LT) but it reduced the sting and the constant battering you get and made day rides a lot less fatiguing and less of a pain in the back because you can sit down more. I can't be doing with the weight of a full boinger for the sort of riding I do; which is is 90% literally riding across country using as much off road as I can rather than trail park or all mountain stylee or real mountains which is the stuff of holidays only. I missed the Thudbuster in Spain last summer. (Boardman Hardtail)

If I was as serious about MTB as I used to be I'd fit an LT to the Boardman but I joined this weird cult that rides road bikes at night you see, and the tarmac has got in my blood...
 

subaqua

What’s the point
Location
Leytonstone
I never said cheap :smile: just that it was doable. if you needed to replace a bust cartridge it could be a good time to "upgrade "
 

Cubist

Still wavin'
Location
Ovver 'thill
My poploc stopped working reliably, and as I rode more and more off road I decided I wasn't missing it. I can reach down and lock the fork or simply pedal in a way that stops the fork from bobbing on 9 climbs out of 10. So, no, I wouldn't say it was vital.
 
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