Suspension

[riverfever]

I'm riding an Orbea Alma 29er with a Reba 80mm fork. For the most part I'm ok with this fork but it bottoms out a lot. I've played around quite a bit with the positive and negative pressures but still can't seem to find a combination that feels like it soaks up the smaller stuff while still being effective on the big hits. When I'm fully loaded I end up running about 20psi more. When I got back from this years CTR, I did not readjust the pressure and I realized this once I was in Moab doing the Whole Enchilada. I came down off a decent dropp off and was as close as I could get to going end over end but managed to save it. After this I began to think about it more. Even on a pretty mild ride with no load around here I end up bottoming it out. I am not a Clydesdale by any means (I fluctuate between 155-165) and I've been told that I ride very smoothly in rough terrain so I'm not bashing.

I've always been a Rock Shox fan. Years ago I did ride a XC season on a Cannondale with their top of the line Headshock and I hated it. I guess I'm eager to hear about other riders and how they like their suspension forks when loaded up. Do you feel it works well all around? I'm actually kinda interested in talking about the Lefty so hopefully Matt can chime in. I don't know many running that fork other than him and Harlan Price. Aesthetically speaking, I have a hard time getting around the look of the Lefty but everyone that I talk to that has experience with it raves about it. Some of the things that I have consistently heard about the fork are how light it is, how stiff it is, and how it doesn't seem to ever bottom out.   

[riverfever]

During the CTR and Moab I was at 125+ and 100-. I wonder if the damper isn't working properly?

[naked indian]

Because  I use my bike fully loaded at times I pump it up as high as the specification states to compensate for the extra pack weight AND I like it to be stiff.

[Slowerthensnot]

If your bottoming out every now and then i think thats ok...  if your bottoming out alot then maybe your running to low...  if you have the travel use it all 

[Cereal_Killer]

Are you able to adjust the compression on the fork?  It may be blowing through that too fast.  If you can, adjust it go slower.  That may do the trick.

As far as the Lefty "fork" goes, I had one on a Prophet, and it was great.  It seemed odd at first when riding, from looking down and seeing it.  But for ride feel, it was pretty stiff and tracked straight as an arrow.  I liked it quite a bit, never bottomed it out, and would recommend it.

[Rob]

Maybe you should convert it to 100mm. 

[AZTtripper]

Assuming the frame is optimized for 80 and I am guessing you don't want to screw with the travel tho the Reba is easily set up for 100 and you could always put it back.

Where do you set the dampening/lock out nob I usually keep mine in about the middle of the range slowing down the travel so you don't use it up so fast. Try setting it close to locked out that's just a guess on my part.

[riverfever]

Alma is built around 80 so not interested in going to 100.

I think I know the issue now. I've been playing with pos. and neg. pressures all along. Tonight I went to mess with the compression. The dial doesn't do d!ck. It's either locked or nothing. It's no wonder I'm running through all the travel. It rides like a turd b/c the increased pressures been trying to compensate for the lack of adjustment on compression. This is probably why I haven't felt like I've been able to get the thing dialed in for small stuff and big hits as well. I suppose I'll be overhauling it. 

[AZTtripper]

Sounds like it needs a some work alright I have heard people rave about Push cost more then you average overhaul but you get more as well.

[AZTtripper]

Funny this was the add at the time I was writing the last post http://www.shockspital.com/?gclid=CMuu3JbChZ8CFSBJagodNTf-Tg

[riverfever]

Sounds like it needs a some work alright I have heard people rave about Push cost more then you average overhaul but you get more as well.

Yeah I talked to those guys last year about doing an overhaul. Money's a bit tightright now so I'll likely not go that route.

[adski71]

You need to increase the negative chamber to get more small bump sensitive and try setting your rebound at full fast and work back from there.I set my + & - at the same pressure or sometimes a little more in the negative chamber and rebound 2 or 3 clicks in from full fast...

[scuppy]

If you get a White Brothers 80mm M29 with vbrake mounts, you'll be able to put a front rack on. RST have a 29er 80mm with vbrake mounts too if you want to go cheap.

[timroz]

I had a similar problem.  Lock out / compression gate quit working 1 day, next day travel went to about 5mm total.  I took it to the local Performance shop and they said it was a Rock Shox warranty issue and fixed it for free.  I didn't even buy it there, they didn't care.

[Slim]

I saw the Shockspital add too. I've had a fair bit of work done there (including tuning the shock on the trailer from my kid's set-up) and they do a great job at very good rates. I live in Minneapolis but you can mail in stuff too.