Worth checking your forks

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Pale Rider

Legendary Member
I left the bike shop a very happy bunny yesterday after the mechanic set up the front forks on my trekking bike.

They are cheap and cheerful Suntour NCX Lite, but they do have air adjustment.

I tried to follow the sag setting in the instructions when i got the bike 18 months ago, but gave up and just accepted their average performance - there seemed to be plenty of boing in them, so I thought that was that.

The mechanic did them by feel, and his adjustment didn't amount to a lot more than a squirt of silicone spray and putting in 150 psi, with reference to me being, er, a biggish lad.

I'm not for one minute suggesting the forks are high quality, but they now soak up dropped kerbs and shallow potholes in a way they never did before.

Moral of the story is it's well worth doing the job properly, and that cheapish suspension forks can perform quite well.
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
Talking of checking stuff, make sure your cranks are the same length or allow for any difference when setting saddle height as i just measured mine on the winter hack and they are 5 mm longer even thought the tech specs on the website listed them the same, no wonder the back of my knees has been playing up.
 
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Pale Rider

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
I would have put a £5 on that last bit when I read the OP if I was a betting man.

It's a bet you would now lose because I have purchased a fork pump.

I wasn't going to bother, but when I called in to see the mechanic today to thank him, he told me the pressure would need checking every month or six weeks, particularly as I am running quite high.

He didn't charge me for setting up the forks, but going in there every six weeks for a lend of the pump would have been a bit cheeky.

Plus I can now bore my cycling buddies on the topic and offer to set their forks for them.
 

screenman

Legendary Member
I am suprised how few people I know that do own a pump for the forks. I check mine about once a month, makes a big difference as you have found out.
 

screenman

Legendary Member
Quite so, one lives and learns, but in my case not always at the same time.

At my age I think I am living and unlearning.
 
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