Originally Posted by
gregjones
My hybrid has 2" travel RST front forks on it. I don't ride on anything except pavement. It's been suggested that I "lockout" the front suspension, which I take to mean make solid or stiff for most efficient hard road riding.
I've Googled and forum searched all that I know how and have not yet came up with the right terms to provide me with an answer as to "how" do I lock my forks.
I put a tie wrap around the "piston" on a fork tube. After several rides it has moved up just shy of 1 1/2 inches, indicating that is how much travel I'm getting out of the forks.
My fork tubes have a knob on top with + & - symbols. I'm not gonna touch them till I get you all's advice.
1: Do I just turn the knob all the way to the + side to get the most stiff setting?
2: Should I leave a bit of travel to prevent damage in case of a blow (chuckhole, trash)?
3: Should I take them apart and put a dowel or something in them to lock them?
In the case that they should be locked solid I guess I should look into different forks to save weight.......however that option is down the road.
Thanks.
The + and - signs on the knob are for what is called preload. Preload is used to put a small amount of compression on the spring to adjust for weight differences. A shock that is adjusted for a 100 lb rider would be too plush...i.e. soft...for a 200 lb rider and one that is made for a 200 lb rider would be too harsh for a 100 lb rider. I assume that your fork is a spring model and, from past experience with spring forks, the preload doesn't really do all that much. You could screw it down and make the fork somewhat stiffer but it probably won't be rigid.
Taking the fork apart and using a dowel probably wouldn't be the best idea. First taking the fork apart isn't trivial...it's pretty easy but not trivial... and the parts that you would use a dowel on may not be strong enough to take the forces. Rigid replacement forks are cheap...some as low as $40...and easy to install. I'd suggest that route over just about any other.