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.

One other thing.....do I actually gain enough "efficiency" to make it worth it, considering my inexperience.

Not all forks have a lockout on them, take it to your lbs and they can tell you in a snap.

On my bike the + - is on one side and the lockout knob is on the other side.... but my lockout doesnt work. Someday I'll fix it. I got a demo at a LBS to show that it does actually lock the suspension when it does work.

-SP

I only ride rigid bikes, I don't like suspension since I only ride on pavement. Anyway, I recently rode my buddy's mountain bike with suspension. I was amazed at how much efficiency was lost when I pedaled and felt the front fork moving. I felt like I was doing quite a bit more work for the same amount of return.

Do a google of your fork for the manual. You might learn how to use it! Just try the settings and see what happens! It is unlikely you will break anything but your feeling of fear.

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.

Those RST forks are extremely basic - It's basically just a coil spring on one or both sides (wherever there is a +/- screw cap). To have an actual lockout, your fork needs to have oil damping with an adjustable compression valve. The way the lockout works is it closes the valve through which oil flows - that prevents the shock from moving in the compression direction. Your fork doesn't have oil damping - it just relies on friction in the mechanism to damp it.

The absolute best way to go rigid is a new fork, but you'll spend a lot for a replacement that fits properly.

Thanks to the helpful responders. I will crank up the preload and see what happens. It looks like rigid forks are over the horizon.

Otherwise Google is my friend and I did state that I had used it and the forum search with no results. I ALWAYS search for an answer before I post a question. If even ONE of the 649 people that populate the 1.6 square miles of my town ran a bike shop so there WAS a LBS, that would have been my first stop.

Nay. A Dimension fork, suspension corrected, can be had for around $40. Assuming that the bike has a threadless headset, the change would be trivial. If it has a threaded headset, changing the fork would be only slightly more complicated.

How do I lock out a fork with oil ports?
Can't find the manual online (it's a Manitou SX-R.)
TIA.

For a bike that came with a basic RST fork, $40+labor is "a lot".

You can't with the stock valving. I have no idea if there is aftermarket valving available that offers that function.