In the ramp up to the Snotcycle I changed the oil and replaced seals on a few suspension forks and I was struck by a few things. First of all, I am quite careful to catch all the oil that drains out of the fork when I disassemble it. A large plastic bin on the ground below the work stand is a great catch basin. Once the lower legs (sliders) have been removed it is a simple process to clean all the surfaces, pry the old seals out with a large flat head screwdriver from the top of the sliders and then press the new seals in place. Then it is a matter of re-assembling the fork and then filling the fork back up with the appropriate shock oil of the correct weight and the correct volume. As I was pumping the oil into the various chambers of the suspension fork I thought back on all the forks I have overhauled in such a manner and I realized that the amount of oil that had drained out of the fork was perhaps 1/5th the amount that I was re-filling it with. Where in the world did all the oil go? This has occurred even when I have changed the oil on a fairly new fork, usually for the purpose of adding or removing a spacer to change the travel. Even then, hardly any oil pours out into the oil pan. Perhaps manufacturers cut of few corners and save money by skimping a bit on fork oil during assembly in the factory. On the forks that have seen many months of hard riding, perhaps the oil slowly migrates out of the seals and is then washed away when the bike’s owner fastidiously cleans his bike after a few muddy rides? Either way, almost all of the forks I have taken apart have not had the correct volume of oil in them, not even close!
Fox recommends the oil and seals be changed every 50 hours of use. Rock Shox has no stated guidelines but recommends a regular inspection. In every case the forks that I have re-filled have worked markedly better which makes sense since they were running effectively dry before I got my hands on them.
On the scale of mechanical difficulty, changing oil and seals in most suspension forks ranks easy to moderate. Most cyclists I know are fairly diligent about cleaning their bikes and keeping the chain properly lubricated. I would consider this process to be about as easy and not very time consuming. Considering the amount of money some of these shocks cost and the impact they can have on the quality of your ride experience, I think everyone should take the plunge and get oily!
Tom Stokes
Here are some more pictures from the Snotcycle race over the weekend. Thanks Bruce!
Tom Stokes
Cat 2 men’s competitor, Jason Gull from Wheels of Justice fame rode with his fancy new helmet camera and has uploaded footage to YouTube. Next best thing to riding snow covered single track through the woods is watching someone else do it! Thanks Jason.
Who could have imagined weather like this for the 2010 version of the Snotcycle?? Temps in the teens as I showed up at 6:45 in the dark with five gallons of coffee from Starbucks promised a perfectly frozen and firm race course. Stoking the fires was just as important as matching transponders to racer numbers on this frosty day. The Cat 3 men and women shoved off with prime conditions as the snow had yet to begin falling. When the Cat 1’s took off a dusting was beginning to show, and after their first lap they had to change pace and tactics to account for the snow covered rocks and roots. By the time the Cat 2’s and Single Speeders launched there was about six inches of powdery snow covering pasture and woods and blowing all over the place!
From our vantage point on Farm Lane where the course crossed, you could see periods of white out as the wind knocked snow accumulation from the branches. I can’t tell you how awesome that looked as racers appeared out of white nothingness to pedal past our firepit and disappear again into the rows of pine trees. I was amazed at the number of people who either raced or came to just spectate on a day when most people would pile wood on the fireplace and draw straws to see who had to shovel the sidewalk.
Once again, all of us at Plum Grove Cyclery and Go Time Racing hit the jackpot with perfect weather and the best crowd of racers anyone could hope for. Also, a huge thanks to all our volunteers who braved the weather to help pull this event off for only a hot cup of coffee and a pair of wool socks. We could not have done it without all of your help. Finally, thanks to the Brown Family and Rockland Farm for letting us enjoy an amazing day on an amazing piece of property!!
With the wind kicking up, Mike and I checked out the race course for downed trees and limbs that might slow down the intrepid competitors showing up this Saturday at the Farm. Lots of dead wood littered the course and we had to resort to the chain saw to remove one large tree that would have ruined the flow as you get ready to take a hard left turn and gain a little elevation. The wind did do a nice job of drying the ground up a little bit. It is still pretty soft but not nearly as much as it was earlier in the week. The weather is showing temperatures that should keep the trail frozen for the race which means lots of speed! For those competitors coming across the river be aware that White’s Ferry has been closed for the last few days. Make sure you call ahead before you drive to the boat ramp! Only two days to go! See you there.
Tom Stokes
Getting set up for the our winter race the Snotcycle put on by Go Time Racing and Plum Grove Cyclery at Rockland Farm, we made sure to pile up a whole lot of wood in the field right by the race course. Just past the Start/Finish tent down the hill will be a fire that will keep everyone toasty warm within 25 feet! Weather still shows good chance of snow the day of the race with high temps only reaching the high 20’s. Looks like a perfect day for a race in the woods!
Tom Stokes
Intrepid Snotcycle racers take note of the current weather reports. Although it is still a few days out and weather forecasting is notoriously inaccurate, looks as if we will be racing in the snow for the Snotcycle on Saturday! Those travelling up from the south should take care since current predictions put some of the heaviest snow starting overnight Friday into Saturday morning. This storm appears to be very similar to the December storm that dumped well over a foot of the powdery stuff on us. Could be a VERY interesting bike race. See you there!!
Tom Stokes
Matt, Erik, Quinten and I managed to carve out 35 miles on the road in what turns out was the only part of the day it wasn’t raining. Started off at the Loudoun County High School and did the traditional Waterford loop in the counterclockwise direction. We felt the sprinkles begin as we motored through Taylorstown but it never got past a mist. Quinten is enjoying any excuse to get out on his Independent Fabrication Ti Crown Jewel since he just upgraded his components to the Campagnolo Super Record 11! Sweet stuff!!. I have to make do with my older Campy Record 10 speed components hung on my lovely Storck Fascenario 0.7
Tom Stokes
After The Ride
My Storck
. I do love to ride that machine, even if it is misting and 37 degrees.
Above Rt 15 in the Pines
Managed to roll out of bed early enough to be on the trails before it got above freezing. Wanted to assess the trail conditions heading into the week before our annual winter race The Snotcycle. You will be happy to know that the course is in good condition for the middle of winter. Not as fast as it would be in the spring when it is dry but the surface was firm and not too soft. If the temps stay cold it should be a very fast race this coming Saturday. If temps stay consistently above freezing it will be slow going and a very very good workout for those that stick it out!
Just before you come out of the pine trees and cut across the pasture.
One week to go before the second annual Snotcycle mountain bike race on Rockland Farm. The weather has warmed up a bit from our bitter cold snap a few weeks ago. The ground is pretty saturated but the trail is usually quite firm. Going to ride a lap or two tomorrow morning to check out the conditions. Will post a report.
Tom Stokes
