What would you buy?

DaveyDave

Plenty of experienced riders refuse to ride without knee and elbow pads because they're tired of getting banged up. It might not be necessary for most trails but you wouldn't say it's overkill? Same with gloves, plenty of people ride without them but wouldn't say they're unnecessary. It's personal preference and road rash sucks. A full face isn't any different.

If I can do something to mitigate injury without a big fuss/effort like simply picking a different helmet it's a no brainer. It's not like people are going out of their way or doing something bizarre, if someone wants to wear an extra layer of protection to be more comfortable and confident then by all means.

Tenzor07

Wear all the body armour and full face helmets you like if it makes you feel better on your cycle...

ednwireland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120198170#Comment_120198170

Funny I was on some coillte trails. Having come off bruised thumb was it, had gloves, knee pads, elbow pads (first time for knee and elbow pads).

Although chatting to a guy with body armour and full face helmet said "need to go to work on Monday morning". So I wouldn't knock anyone wanting to wear a full face and protection and as I get older I think I don't heal as quick as I used to !

Think I may get a full face !

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120209094#Comment_120209094

Theres a guy I used to race on the road. Loved it, was a decent rider in his youth and certainly had the potential to win a few A4 and A3 races but he would always sit up about 1km from the end and drift out the back. He said the same thing, his job doesn't pay if he doesn't show up.

Anyway, I hadn't really wanted this to go down helmet thread territory, each to their own.

Back to more impotrant questions, now that i have one of these dual suspension bikes, what type of maintainence do I have to regularly do above the normal I would have done for my rigid? Anything I have to watch out for that a new person to suspension should keep in mind.

Idleater

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120210167#Comment_120210167

::what type of maintainence do I have to regularly do

If you do your own servicing, getting familiar with stripping it down and rebuilding. I replaced the entire set of bearings on all the pivots. Presumably you want to get the shock and fork serviced by a specialist.

Week to week, checking all the bolts are tightened, as everything is designed to move (in contrast to the hardtail/road bike)

ednwireland

Haven't got to the pivot bearings on mine, but need to do them. But it's ten bearings bought a kit of them from kinetic bike bearings. I guess one day I will have to learn how to rebuild the shocks. Got a bleed kit for brakes. But never had to bleed any not even my ancient hydraulic rim brakes.

Gears is usual fettling that's about it.

Hydraulic dropper posts seem to need some work.

DaveyDave

At the very least the lower fork maintenance should be doable for anyone who's handy with a bit of DIY bike maintenance. Fresh seals and oil looks easy enough.

Just looking now there's zero service partners listed for Marzocchi/Fox in Ireland. Years ago I was looking out of curiosity, there was one place in a completely random shop somewhere like Crumlin, Dublin I believe and it was a few hundred euro for a service on a fork.

It would be a pain to have to ship a 2kg+ fork internationally for a service every year.

Idleater

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120213485#Comment_120213485

I saw some guy in Wicklow/Wexford runs a service centre and lists Fox anyway.

When I was collecting my frame before Christmas "we" reseated all the bearings in search of a tiny play in the rear axle. Ten minutes had 6 bearings out and back into the frame. Guaranteed I won't be able to do it that quickly myself.

fatbhoy

You might want to learn how to bleed your brakes. Check for YouTube videos showing how to do your particular brakes. You'll need a couple of syringes, some plastic tubing, some kind of connector for the tubing to go to the calliper/lever bleed port, and some fluid (mineral oil or dot 5.x).

Shock: you'll probably want to drop that into somewhere like RH Suspension, Bike Rack, Expert for full rebuild after about 200/300 hours (1 or 2 years). You're supposed to do a mini-service after 50 hours (air sleeve oil change and seals), but you'll get away with not doing that and just doing the full one, which would include the mini one. The full one is tricky to do because you might need specialist equipment to do the nitrogen, and even to take off the air sleeve (Fox X2, for example). So you're best off getting that done somewhere instead of doing it yourself. Costs 120 - 160 (RH Suspension is probably the best, but the most expensive).

Fork: full (uppers and lowers) 200 hours. You're supposed to do the lower leg service every 50 hours. That's taking off the lower legs, cleaning it out and changing the oil in each side (each leg: rebound damper side and air spring side), and changing the foam rings (foam seals at the top of the legs), and maybe the dust wiper seals. You'll need the oil (Fox needs the two types of oil usually, one for each leg), SRAM butter grease or the equivalent for the dust wipers, foam rings, crush washers (although you can reuse the ones on it usually), and maybe the dust wiper seals, but you can probably do 2 or 3 lower legs before you need to replace those. So just do the minimum oil/foam-ring change a few times, then do the full one (yourself or have the shop do it). Full includes loads of seals in the uppers as well as a bit of oil there too.

Loads of YouTubes on shock and fork services.

Tenzor07

I'd say half or more of a bike shops business is to fix the MTB of "YouTube mechanics"....

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120218875#Comment_120218875

I'm a dab hand at bike servicing, the only thing of concern would be the shocks as its something I have never worked on but if a full service in a shop is a couple of hundred euro, I will teach myself and replace if I f*ck it up

Gerry

Ive done full uppers and lowers on rockshox however fox are trickier. Bearings Im comfortable with and should be doable for a competent mechanic. will be dropping both the fox fork and rockshox shock to expert, I've not gotten around to them and they are well past due.

Have a read of the service manuals and see what you think.. if you have the tools go for it.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120246363#Comment_120246363

Just working through the manuals. Both are RockShox. So far, I'm quietly confident I'll save the price of replacement by self servicing based on the instructions. Even if I fail, it's actually more cost effective.

I say this as someone who has set a wheel on fire while doing late night work with a beer or two on board

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120198066#Comment_120198066

I thought it was Bree hill actually, was on my phone at the time I looked it up, more here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yLdxiXDtVs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN0npPqC6Nw

fatbhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120249130#Comment_120249130

Ah yes, it's Bree. I got mixed up. Hefty gap though.

kirving

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120218875#Comment_120218875

Ah people love to complicate mountain bikes, throw good money after bad at bike shops, and are totally lost when something breaks on a trail.

They're just nuts and bolts at the end of the day - biggest issue for most people is actually finding the right replacement part among a million standards.

I've come off plenty of times on Coiltte trails, have spent waaaaayy too much time and money on my teeth to not wear a full face. Giro Switchblade is expensive but fantastic I have to say.

Tenzor07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120254102#Comment_120254102

Well, horses for courses, I certainly won't be fluting around with suspension parts, bearings or spoke tensions myself, I would rather trust an actual bike mechanic...

Yes, sounds like the Fullface helmet is ideal for you...

CramCycle

I'll service my self after reading the manuals, the cost of services based on here, I'd be better off buying new every few years. I've a technical enough background and none of it seems difficult, always fun to learn a new skill.

Got up Bree Hill this morning, the local club have done a phenomenal job on the trails up there, must be 30 or 40 different ones. I won't lie, way more difficult than anything I have done up in Wicklow and I bottled it quite a few times so only got a few small jumps in. Need to build the confidence up a bit more.