sick and tired of my 55eta

**pechelman** · 06-12-2009, 01:16 PM

and i cant find any spring to put in there to make it stiffer...if i was only a 130lb chick id be perfectly happy with the fork.

but i think im done now

Fox 36 or Lyrik?
air or coil

ive got a line on a 36 float r shipped to me brand new for about 520$
ive got another line on a lyrik uturn coil mission control for 483$ shipped brand new

ive always been a coil guy, front and rear. ive always felt suspension was the one place not to worry about weight, but i wouldnt mind my slopestyle being lighter as its my only rig.

i also wouldnt mind some sort of travel adjust for the climbs on my 66* head angle.

im worried if i go air, ill be generally unsatisfied and then later disappointed when someone makes the lightweight xc\4x style bike i want for my pedally rides, and then have a compromised air fork on my SS. i really envision never selling the SS with this plan in mind (ie 2 bike quiver)

im also not sure if im considering a solo air totem.
not sure i want my current only rig to be a 65* bike as much as i know id love it going down...(and no travel adjust for the climbs)
can you adjust a totem down an inch?
if so that could make for a great upgrade platform when\if i find my weight weenie xc\4x bike.

**Conundrum** · 06-12-2009, 01:37 PM

I really like my coil Lyric. I have it on the Enduro (you know how that bike rides) and it's working out really well. Marshal dialed for me-I don't what spring is in it but I never even have to lock it out for climbing and the U-turn travel adjust is nice.

Another fork to consider and this is a fairly unpopular suggestion is a Marz All Mountain SL 1. You can get them on the cheap now. I think it was the precursor to the 55. 120-160 ATA, air, etc. They had some issues with dialing down on the ATA when riding but the simple fix is to put a zip tie on the knob and it doesn't do it. The only reason I replaced it with a Lyric is I basically got the Lyric at no cost. At 200, I didn't have any trouble with it and it's pretty light.

**shirk** · 06-12-2009, 02:01 PM

Wotan 160.

Adjusts from 160 to 120.

Never ridden it myself, but a friend has run one and loved it. I think he had the seals swapped out to Fox 36mm seals and it was buttery smooth.

**pechelman** · 06-12-2009, 02:15 PM

why would i do that over the two i have listed?
its an air sprung fork that weighs as much as my coil 55. doesnt sound appealing.

there something wrong with a 36 or lyrik?
i dont see any of them less than 799 or so, so it doesnt make sense from that standpoint either

i can live without travel adjust so long as the forks not too much taller than 545.

i know maguras are relatively new to the fork game
id be hesitant to jump in not really knowing about reliability, service, parts, warranty, etc

Z · 06-12-2009, 02:18 PM

If you don't care about weight I'd go coil any day of the week. A van36 is still one of the best feeling forks out there.

**kidwoo** · 06-12-2009, 02:19 PM

Lyric or 36. Both badass

Go air

**pechelman** · 06-12-2009, 02:19 PM

^ Heh

and a 36 VAN just happens to be about a half pound lighter than my 55

thanks for the vote on coil

woo
why you so hot on air?
i know you love your rp23 on the enduro, but mine felt like soggy pants
both air sleeves. I really just need to go pedal some of these around.
also, woo, you definitely like the R over the RC2's on the floats?
just never use it or think it doesnt add much?
generally speaking, I leave my compression wide open on both ends.

**backcountry1pr** · 06-12-2009, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by pechelman

i know maguras are relatively new to the fork game
id be hesitant to jump in not really knowing about reliability, service, parts, warranty, etc

Can only speed to the Durin, but I really like mine on my single speed. Has worked well so far and is very smooth/stiff. I know people like their bigger stuff as well.

That being said, if you have a line on a 36, I dont see why you would go any other route. I havnt touched the new Rockshox stuff, but, I dont think I have ever owned/ridden on a Fox I didnt like.

**toast2266** · 06-12-2009, 03:13 PM

I'd vote air, but I'd also vote lyrik. I've had better luck w/ Rockshox than foxes (although that's admittedly a horrifically broad statement, and is mostly based on non-current models).

Air is easier to tune, and with the larger volume forks (bigger diameter legs), the air forks feel increasingly similar / linear to their coil counterparts. I also haven't found that air forks (especially ones w/ fixed travel) are significantly more maintenance intensive than coils.

If money were no issue, I'd get some flavor of air Lyrik. If money were an issue (as it always is), I'd get a coil lyrik, I'd get a coil lyrik for the relatively superficial reason that I like RS better. I would avoid Marz. and Manipoo at all costs. Those things are nothing but trouble.

**marshalolson** · 06-12-2009, 03:22 PM

fox 36 float rc2 - lightly used, freshly back from a full pimp over at fox. sitting here next to me. your name on it.

talk to jeffreyjim for details. it will change your life.

**marshalolson** · 06-12-2009, 03:24 PM

and mad cheap dawg. pechelman today only fire sale pricing applies.

**kidwoo** · 06-12-2009, 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by pechelman

woo
why you so hot on air?
i know you love your rp23 on the enduro, but mine felt like soggy pants
both air sleeves. I really just need to go pedal some of these around.
also, woo, you definitely like the R over the RC2's on the floats?
just never use it or think it doesnt add much?
generally speaking, I leave my compression wide open on both ends.

I've owned 4 fox forks. 3 air and one coil. Fox (and rockshox) do air right. They're basically indistinguishible between the coil counterparts. It has nothing to do with an RP3 and everything with having ridden a bunch of them.

With regards to fox specifically, the air forks are BETTER than the coils because an air spring has a nice intuitive ramp up. Their coils don't.

Plus you can fine tune an air spring much more incrementally than a coil. Think about it.

And you just answered your own question about the RC2. Get it for resale maybe but you're not going to get a big performance advantage out of it.
I've got air forks on my xc, freeride and dh bikes (that last one will change just because I can't afford an air boxxer....If I could, I would).

I will say though that the compression damping on the rockshox forks do in fact work as advertised for the most part. If you want to mess with compression damping, get the lyric.

Originally Posted by marshalolson

and mad cheap dawg. pechelman today only fire sale pricing applies.

Fuck'im What do you want for it?

**PeachesN'Cream** · 06-12-2009, 03:32 PM

I have a Float RC2 that has been great to me — got it cause Woo said so : ). No dicking around with springs just add or loose air. Done.

I put enduro seals on it this spring and changed the oil for the first time. The fork got much plusher with fresh oil and the seals probably helped a little too.

Another thing to keep in mind for the long term is being able to change the travel on the air forks. You could get a float, run it at 160 on the SS, then when the miracle slack trail / 4x bike comes along tear it apart, add some reducers and drop it to 140 (or less). Then get something bigger (Totem?) for the SS.

**PeachesN'Cream** · 06-12-2009, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by marshalolson

fox 36 float rc2 - lightly used, freshly back from a full pimp over at fox. sitting here next to me. your name on it.

talk to jeffreyjim for details. it will change your life.

There ya go!

Better hop on or Woo's gonna snipe your ass. I hear he's gentle tho

**shirk** · 06-12-2009, 03:42 PM

Someone needs to modify the U-turn system from the dual air Pike into a Solo Air Lyric.

**davep** · 06-12-2009, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by shirk

Someone needs to modify the U-turn system from the dual air Pike into a Solo Air Lyric.

and Totem and Boxxer, while you're at it

I'd love one of each.

**shirk** · 06-12-2009, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by davep

and Totem and Boxxer, while you're at it

I'd love one of each.

See I was going to let someone figure it out for the Lyric and then poach that into the Totem then I would claim it as my own and get mad internetz repz.

Then I might someday be almost 3.476% as internet famous as Kidwoo.

**lph** · 06-12-2009, 05:02 PM

I have the Talas 36 on my SS and couldn't be happier. Love the travel adjust, the fork rides fine at 110mm, 130 or 160. The fork in general is absolute butter, stiff, great QR 20mm system, and has been good to go right out of box. The suspension feels so balanced that i don't even give my suspension a single thought when riding. It feels perfectly matched to the SS. Also, I don't think you would gain anything significant by putting a totem on the SS. I considered it but after riding the bike alot, including steep technical terrain, I don't think it would help.

BTW, how much for the 55??? (dibs for watersnowdirt)

**brettf** · 06-12-2009, 05:24 PM

interesting how everyone has their own take. I'm a huge fan of coil forks and air shocks... given the right application of course. But some can't stand air anything, some love air everything... I dunno. I'm not a fan of air forks in general because of the comparison to the slight small bump sensitivity that a coil can have. But that's sort of out of whack for most people given that I run my forks (Fox anyway) at full low speed compression anyway...with almost no LSC dampening at the rear... weird, eh?

Anyway, what I'm getting at is that it is like tires. Basically, they are really personal and everyone has their opinion, but for the most part, they all kick ass compared to even a few years ago... speaking especially to air forks.

I say grab whatever gets you the most bang for your buck and rock on... and celebrate once you get rid of that goddamn 55.

FWIW, I love my 36 VAN also. RC2 of course. I think the stock spring is a little light though... but it comes with the others, so don't get all 55 on the VAN

**pechelman** · 06-12-2009, 06:05 PM

heh
so i went for a ride
before, i checked my fork pressure
it was like at 10psi....it needs about 30 to work decently
its much better now...

i think my valve core be a leakin'

**kidwoo** · 06-12-2009, 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by pechelman

heh
so i went for a ride
before, i checked my fork pressure
it was like at 10psi....it needs about 30 to work decently
its much better now...

i think my valve core be a leakin'

Dumbass.

Marshall: fork: talk to me.

**pechelman** · 06-13-2009, 12:03 AM

hah!

i am still considering that fork
just want to sleep on it and pedal one around.

and lph, if you're really interested, ill let you know after i hear what marshal wants for that fork.