Forks in cold weather
10-25-04 | 08:46 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Perpetual n00b
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,918
Likes: 2
From: Farmington, NM
Bikes: '18 Kona Explosif, '18 Sunday Primer BMX, Giant Roam (ss converted), Old Peugeot (SS converted, broken)
Forks in cold weather
Do most forks basically stop working in cold weather?
I'm having that problem with mine (RST), and I wondered if it's normal. The weather isn't really *that* cold... Maybe low-50's, high-40's when the problem occurs.
For instance, I did about a 2.5 foot drop last evening, and the fork barely moved 10 mm or so. It was travelling fine earlier, when it was warm. No adjustements made, nothing.
Should I upgrade the fork (or the bike?
)? Or, is it possibly a defective fork (I'd probably rather try to get my money back, and upgrade than get it replaced...)
I'm having that problem with mine (RST), and I wondered if it's normal. The weather isn't really *that* cold... Maybe low-50's, high-40's when the problem occurs.
For instance, I did about a 2.5 foot drop last evening, and the fork barely moved 10 mm or so. It was travelling fine earlier, when it was warm. No adjustements made, nothing.
Should I upgrade the fork (or the bike?
)? Or, is it possibly a defective fork (I'd probably rather try to get my money back, and upgrade than get it replaced...)
10-25-04 | 09:18 AM
#2
Go big or go home
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 269
Likes: 0
From: Gainesville, VA
Bikes: Cannondale Ironman 800
Back in my racing day with motorcycles (sportbikes) we would have to warm suspension components up before we took our first hot laps. I think no matter what components you get they are all effected my temp. Some just more than others...
10-25-04 | 12:18 PM
#3
Eschew Obfuscation!
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 591
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From: over here!
Bikes: 2005 Rocky Mountain ETSX, Surly Crosscheck, 2000 Enduro Expert (sold), 1999 Rockhopper, 1984 Trek 520 (STOLEN-but recovered!), $7 rigid MTB from a police auction (broken, then stolen)
The RST fork is probably an elastomer fork...so the flexibility of the elastomer would be very much affected by temperature. Air or coil spring forks don't experience such significant performance variations with temperature.
10-26-04 | 01:46 AM
#4
Ride bike or bike ride?
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,447
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From: Adelaide, Australia
Bikes: MongoosePro DH, Dart custom road bike, .243 Racing FR street bike
Yes forks are effected by temperature, the colder it is the harder they are. But RST's do get very stiff, the ones on my old hardtail get hard, it just adds to the fun
