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 Happy Holidays from Suspension Experts!
We know this is a hectic time of year, and it's no different here at the shop. We've been busy developing custom made parts for Maverick riders and they are ready for you, fresh from the machine shop. (See more in Headlock™ article below).
Thanks to all of you -- our customers, riders, and friends around the US, Canada and beyond who have made 2008 our best year yet. We look forward to 2009 and offering you even more custom parts and packages, and all around fast, perfect suspension service.
Kevin, Shelley and Phil
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Are you in a Headlock™?
We've had some interesting new developments lately down at the S.Ex shop. As a result of tinkering with forks and shocks all day long, we frequently come up with some ideas for making things work better.
We're lucky to be able to enlist the help of some very talented local machinists at Industry Nine to help us implement our threaded sealhead (Headlock™) for Maverick forks. These "upside down" style forks can sometimes suffer from main seals popping out and covering the disc brake caliper with oil.
The Headlock™ captures the seal permanently with a threaded collar. This upgrade is available for all Maverick current SC and DUC forks. Headlocks™ are available in blue or red (or redheads as we like to call 'em) for $60 installed. We're flattered by the fact that Maverick is likely to use this technology on the soon-to-be-released DUC 36 Carbon fork.
We've also developed an internal floating piston (IFP) for Maverick forks. IFP technology is commonly used in rear shocks as a means of separating oil from pressurized air. Utilizing an IFP for the Maverick fork offers more consistent damping and the ability to fine-tune the fork for all kinds of different riders... basically; it's just really really cool. And it's just $15.
Click on this mtbr.com thread to see photos and a ride report from one of our customers with the new Headlocks™.
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Making your ride
One of our top priorities is to provide every customer with one-of-a-kind, personalized service. Here are a few of the custom tuning packages we offer in addition to our regular service options.
Fox Float High Volume Air Spring
Don't feel like you're getting full travel out of your Fox Forx? Have no fear! With our High Volume modification, you'll get travel that is velvety smooth right to the end of the stroke, instead of the harsh ramp up that normally occurs with Fox Forx. This service is available on all non-TALAS Fox Float and F-Series Forx, including 36 Float Forx.
Fox DualAir Spring Upgrade
In the past we have seen two distinct problems related to Fox's coiled steel negative spring: (1) lightweight riders (people using less than 50psi) were not able to get full extension from their forks; and (2) clydesdale riders (people using over 100psi) were consistently breaking the springs. After considerable thought and the help of some local riders, we came up with the perfect solution: get rid of the darnn steel spring! Now available publicly for the first time is the Fox DualAir spring. Using both a positive and negative air spring, riders can infinitely adjust the feel of the fork, from pillowy-soft to racer-boy (and girl!) firm, and everything in between. Finally, riders of all sizes no longer have to compromise on the feel of their fork. Make your fork feel the way you want it to today!
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Out and About Once again, Suspension Experts has been on the trails and at races around the southeast. We were at 26 West, our local mountain bike park just outside of Asheville for a frigid downhill race in November. We snapped this photo of an unkown rider, so if you it's you -- let us know who you are and you'll be handsomely rewarded!
Kevin and Phil were in Vegas for Interbike in September where they tested all the fresh bikes and met with all the major suspension manufacturers to learn the latest tech news. We were also at the Windrock MTB Fall Festival in Tennessee and the first annual Gobbler over Thanksgiving weekend. |
Caution! For suspension geeks only
In an effort to provide some insight into the general workings of mountain bike suspension, we've come up with a little "teaser" of terminology often used in our corner of the world.
Damping: Frequently referred to incorrectly as "dampening", this is the ability of a shock absorbing device to control the spring. Hittin' stuff on your mountain bike creates a kind of energy that makes the bike want to move up and down, instead of forward. A damper must take some of that up and down energy and convert it into another form so we can keep moving forward. In this case we encounter kinetic energy as a result of moving over obstacles at speed. A damper changes this energy into heat, which is absorbed into the oil, and dissipates into the surrounding atmosphere.
Sag: The distance that the suspension compresses under the weight of rider and bicycle with no other forces acting on the suspension. Proper sag is critical in making suspension do its job correctly. Healthy suspension is a combination of a spring and damper that work well together. Too much spring, and the damper won't be able to do its job and consequently, a damper can easily overwhelm an undersprung suspension. Most suspension designs call for sag measurements between 15% - 25%.
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Don't forget yourself this holiday season. If you won't be getting that new Manitou Dorado ($2,700) this holiday, you can still treat yourself. Send us your fork or shock and we'll ship it back to you in 48 hours new and improved so you're ready to hit the trails for that New Year's Day ride. And keep an eye out for our spring specials in early 2009 to get all your gear in order for another year of great riding.
Sincerely,
Kevin Booth
President & Janitor Suspension Experts, Inc.
828-255-0205 |
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