Mountain Biking - Rock Shox Pilot SL??? bottoming out???

Ok I was just riding around in my yard today, and was just goin off a small hill my front tire MIGHT have went 1 1/2 feet in the air and rear maybe 1 foot so NOT HIGH AT ALL and my fork felt like it was hitting rock bottom... so I drained the air out to 0 psi and pumped it back up to 20 psi (Im about 208 LBS) and it still did the same thing... is it normal me a fork to be that easy to bottom out? also if Im goin up a hill or pumping real hard on the pedals it does the same thing... IT WIERD!!! just want some more opinions before I take it back to the shop... oh yea the bike is about 1 week old...

Later
Jake

In a word, take it back to the shop... Pilot is a lower-end fork, but a jump that small should be no problem for even it to handle. Maybe your body position was too far to the front.?

Is that 20 psi or 200? Do you have a shock pump or are you using a standard floor or mini pump?

Read your owner's manual and set-up the fork properly.

I'm really hoping you meant 200. If you did, then pump it up to 220, then 230, then ... until it stops bottoming.

L8R

Ok I was just riding around in my yard today, and was just goin off a small hill my front tire MIGHT have went 1 1/2 feet in the air and rear maybe 1 foot so NOT HIGH AT ALL and my fork felt like it was hitting rock bottom... so I drained the air out to 0 psi and pumped it back up to 20 psi (Im about 208 LBS) and it still did the same thing... is it normal me a fork to be that easy to bottom out? also if Im goin up a hill or pumping real hard on the pedals it does the same thing... IT WIERD!!! just want some more opinions before I take it back to the shop... oh yea the bike is about 1 week old...

Later
Jake

It's the fork...Pilots are not set up for clydesdales. The springs are just too soft. You can safely pump up that fork to 50 psi before voiding the warranty. It didn't do me any good. I could still bottom it out by mashing on the flats. I was told that there was not a heavier spring kit available for it. It was also so flexy that it scared me. I weigh 240#. I gave up on it and bought a new fork.

Ok I'll put 50 into it... but this sucks, anyway what kinda fork did you buy? and I think that fork would explode if you put 200 psi into it... and I read the owners manual and went by the wieght/psi chart on the back of the fork... and yes I was using a shock pump...

Later
Jake

i was about to get the pilot, but was advised against it. i got a djIII instead, its a little on the steep side -- especially if you dont already have discbrakes.

but i also have a 2004 duke xc air, its great -- i can do 7 foot drops on my duke and it doesnt bottom out. of course it is mainly for xc, but it cna handle some pretty tuff stuff. i reccomend the djIII if u want to go over 7 ft. going 7 ft. with a duke xc is pushing it a lil tho

What about this one??? would it be good for my bike? Im not planning on doin any 6-7 foot drops anytime soon just mainly trailriding and some XC...

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/11846-315_ROCPS3-3-Parts-59-Forks/Accessories/2003-Rock-Shox-Psylo-SL.htm

Later
Jake

Ok I was just riding around in my yard today, and was just goin off a small hill my front tire MIGHT have went 1 1/2 feet in the air and rear maybe 1 foot so NOT HIGH AT ALL and my fork felt like it was hitting rock bottom... so I drained the air out to 0 psi and pumped it back up to 20 psi (Im about 208 LBS) and it still did the same thing... is it normal me a fork to be that easy to bottom out? also if Im goin up a hill or pumping real hard on the pedals it does the same thing... IT WIERD!!! just want some more opinions before I take it back to the shop... oh yea the bike is about 1 week old...

Later
Jake


uhhh ok thats just weird.... 1 of my bikes is olny a "ccm ax one" from wallmart with dubble crowns (walmart dubble crowned shocks) and last week i went off a 15 foot drop and they didnt bottom out.. .mind u the back wheel now spins around in circle side ways its so bent but thats pritty good for a 300$ wall mart bike... nothing else broke..and i do it all the time... acually come to think of it.. if i put a better set of wheels on it it could do the same dam thing as a norcoo drop with boomers... withc proves u dont gotta waste 3000$ on some bike thats olny gonan last a few months if drive them like me... plus i could get 20 walmart bikes for the price of 1 norcoo and that would last me... well 20 bike would last me a abotu a year but a life time if u dont drive extreamly werkless like me... but back to topic.. take the stupid thing back... a small jump like that shouldnt bottom them out....

i had the same problem. i just installed a pilot sl (from pricepoint )on my bike and at first i only had 20psi applied with a shock-pump i weigh 230lbs. it sucked so i said "ef-it" and went to 50psi and i'm ok with it but not totally, it should last me the summer but i'm shooting for the stuntjumper fsr during the middle of the summer

to be on the safe side if u can go for the psylo, i test rode a VT with one and i felt very confident on it

Yea think Im goin for the Phsylo... it looks and feels good... I test rode a Sugar 2+ that had one on it... it was nice and last years model is on sale now, lol

Thanks for the info guys...

Later
Jake

1 of my bikes is olny a "ccm ax one" from wallmart with dubble crowns (walmart dubble crowned shocks) and last week i went off a 15 foot drop and they didnt bottom out.. .mind u the back wheel now spins around in circle side ways its so bent but thats pritty good for a 300$ wall mart bike... nothing else broke..and i do it all the time...if i put a better set of wheels on it it could do the same dam thing as a norcoo drop with boomers... withc proves u dont gotta waste 3000$ on some bike thats olny gonan last a few months if drive them like me...
Probably not :rolleyes: But you could use the money you save for grammar lessons.

try this one or check it out atleast http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/12798-315_ROCDX4-3-Parts-59-Forks/Accessories/2004-Rock-Shox-Duke-XC-U-Turn.htm

uhhh ok thats just weird.... 1 of my bikes is olny a "ccm ax one" from wallmart with dubble crowns (walmart dubble crowned shocks) and last week i went off a 15 foot drop and they didnt bottom out.. .mind u the back wheel now spins around in circle side ways its so bent but thats pritty good for a 300$ wall mart bike... nothing else broke..and i do it all the time... acually come to think of it.. if i put a better set of wheels on it it could do the same dam thing as a norcoo drop with boomers... withc proves u dont gotta waste 3000$ on some bike thats olny gonan last a few months if drive them like me... plus i could get 20 walmart bikes for the price of 1 norcoo and that would last me... well 20 bike would last me a abotu a year but a life time if u dont drive extreamly werkless like me... but back to topic.. take the stupid thing back... a small jump like that shouldnt bottom them out....

cough*bull*****cough