[Sandwich]

Anybody dealt with these guys? Looks like it's run by Adrian Cortina of Cortina bikes fame, but I don't know for sure.

I'm toying with ideas to make my DHX not suck, and having them tune it seems like a reasonable idea. With the pinkbike discount, it's cheaper than PUSH, and PUSH always seems to be hyper busy.

 

[IH8Rice]

it is Adrian from Cortina Bikes.

i see they finally have a website though...it was no existent for a while

 

[gemini2k]

Stay away. I know several people who have had them "tune" their stuff. The results were just sad.

 

[Inclag]

Stay away. I know several people who have had them "tune" their stuff. The results were just sad.

Care to elaborate???

 

[Sandwich]

me too...what?

 

[IH8Rice]

doesnt one of the brothers post on here?

 

[Zark]

Stay away. I know several people who have had them "tune" their stuff. The results were just sad.

Sad? I wasn't. My DHX feels way better after he 'tuned' it. He also overhauled my 36 Talas a year ago, its been flawless.

 

[KavuRider]

I hate it when people post vague statements like that.

 

[Banshee Rider]

I hate it when people post vague statements like that.

You mean like "my push stuff rides amazing after I got it back"? I have the same response. Why exactly does it ride better?

 

[Beheaded]

Adrian has rebuilt a couple of rear shocks for me and they are awesome.He worked wonders on the compression damping, the parts he uses (sealheads,neadles ect. are all top quality) and his boxxer upgrade looks sweet.

 

[norbar]

So what is exactly that they are doing? What are the changes in your shock? I'm curious as most of the companies besides push are not so keen to inform you that so basicaly you don't know what you get unless you know someone who tried and even then I'd be sceptical.

 

[ianjenn]

So what is exactly that they are doing? What are the changes in your shock? I'm curious as most of the companies besides push are not so keen to inform you that so basicaly you don't know what you get unless you know someone who tried and even then I'd be sceptical.

This?

 

[Pegboy]

Sand, I've read numerous posts with you contemplating what to do about the suspension on your Sunday and most recently comments by other people and the Sunday in general in the "elite" thread. I bought a Sunday ('08) this year from a friend and to be honest, I didn't really want a Sunday (nervous about the low bb) but I did want a new bike and wanted to help out the friend. After riding it I noticed that it instantly cornered better than my old chumba F4 but I didn't feel as comfortable jumping it and also found it to blow through its travel on fast G outs. It was to the point where I was having to slow down in sections because I just wasn't sure what was going to happen and I had smashed pedals a few times that almost wrecked me. I had pretty much decided to sell the bike at the end of the season because the bike was not for me (great bike but maybe not for me).

I then read dave p's comments about the Push results and figured what the hell, I'll give it a shot. Result: Best money I've spent on biking components/upgrade. Again, after reading stuff by General about the Revolt vs Sunday, and davep's results I told Push that I would like the bike to ride more in it's mid travel range, remain supple on small bumps and ramp up a bit more at the end to prevent bottoming on G outs etc.. The bike now does exactly that and rides far better; feels like a different bike. It even jumps better because it seems more predictable on take off and doesn't bottom (kinda vague I know, but I am much more confident boosting off big stuff). I say go for it, you won't be dissapointed. Best money I've spent upgrading...period.

Edit: fogot to mention the key component; shock is a DHX 3.0 with a 350 ti spring for my 174 lb riding weight.

 

[gemini2k]

Sad? I wasn't. My DHX feels way better after he 'tuned' it. He also overhauled my 36 Talas a year ago, its been flawless.

Really? I didn't know you had them work on your 36. Maybe it's sorta hit or miss?

I've talked to at least 3 people where either A. Shock/fork/both blew up on their first run, and the Cortina response was "Ya I was afraid that might happen"

or B. Shock/fork/both leaked oil all their kitchen table/counter before it was ever even installed.

(and now Zark is maybe the 2nd or 3rd positive, with a few other neutrals thrown in there, in the interest of full disclosure )

Either way, their stuff is over priced IMO ($500 for a new sealed damper fork cart !), as are most MTB suspension tuners. I mean look at what moto tunes cost, and how much more they do.

And even if their tunes/products are good, QC seems questionable. Maybe they've gotten better recently? Who knows, give it a shot and report back.

Edit:
Those guys are SICK riders though.

 

[Sandwich]

Sand, I've read numerous posts with you contemplating what to do about the suspension on your Sunday

dude, thanks for the reply. I feel just about exactly the same as everybody else does/did. The bike is great but the suspension ratio is a bit too linear and the DHX doesn't do a good job of correcting it. I have a hell of a time popping off of jumps and I feel like I blow through travel on G outs and even hard berms.

I probably need a firmer spring, but I've actually been content with the spring ratio. It might sag a little too much, but I like the more supple feel (my boxxer WC was way undersprung when I checked it...and I liked it that way).

It sounds like one of these guys is the way to go...CR1 is a bit cheaper with the pinkbike discount, but I wanted to find out how real world people are enjoying their shock valving/performance. I don't need the latest and greatest, or even ALL the adjustments in the world, but getting a custom tuned shock to my needs/wants seems pretty appealing. I had tossed around the idea of selling the near-new DHX on the bike and grabbing a different shock (Used Avy, Avy-tuned 5th, or a previously PUSHed DHX), but I'm getting no bites and custom tuning sounds better for my fat backside.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[bobsten]

I had Adrian redo my Manitou Sherman. He valved it for 4X and DJ. He worked with me a lot to get in a desirable price range (not using the TPC cartridge and using the stock). He also lowered it to 80mm from 100mm. Though I still need to get a stiffer spring for the fork, as it is far to supple, it does feel very good and ramps up better than any other fork I've had.

Overall, good dude. Daniel, his brother, is also a super cool dude.

I will write quick about one experience (not mine) regarding Adrian:
At Fontana NMBS in Feb 2008, some Aussie dude was riding around on a blown Swinger 6-Way on a Sunday. Adrian took the shock home at the end of the day saturday, valved it, brought it back Sunday. Aussie dude had nothing but good things to say about the shock after that.

 

[Zark]

I'll write a bit more about my DHX experience. My shock was pretty smoked after 3 seasons and no rebuild, so I took it to Adrian to get it sorted. I did a basic rebuild, but it needed to be re shimmed for the lighter shock oil (3wt instead of 7.5wt) to get enough rebound control. Adrian uses the 3wt for a number of reasons, and after talking with him it makes sense. Fox uses the 7.5 to get some effective tuning range out of a stock valving for all bikes. Using the lighter oil provides more consistant viscosity and less breakdown (I'm paraphrasing, don't remember exactly) So using the lighter oil means needing to revalve it, but it seems worth it!

The end result is my shock is more supple and sits deeper in the travel, but doesn't bottom harsh. The shock is much more lively than before and encourages all sorts of shenanigans on the trail, like bunnyhopping over rock piles and jumping anything that looks vaguely like a lip. The bike sits lower, which for my Shocker is a good thing in corners. I rock-strike more frequently, but its worth it. So it plows better, jumps better and corners better than stock.... yeah, money well spent.

My friend John has an '05 Demo 8 with a Manitou Swinger 4 on it. He had Adrian do the works for it. New everything, and the bits he makes for the swinger shocks are trick! So no more SPV, the shock is tons more lively and suck up bumps like a champ. John loves it and hasn't touched it for a year.

I've heard of some problems too, but thats to be expected to some extent.You are working with used suspension products on used bikes from a variety of bikes and mfg's. I've heard positive end results with most of the problems too. As long as CR1 is standing by their work they are going to be a success. I gotta root for the local boys too Adrian and the whole Cortina family are good people.

 

[Kanye West]

Their tuning is impressive and they do seem to know their stuff. It's cool that they offer their services on more forks and shocks than PUSH does. I don't think I'd ever let them work on my bike however.

 

[eater]

any link to their website?

 

[P.T.W]

any link to their website?

Here you go http://www.cr1engineering.com/ took me about 30sec to find it on google

 

[captainspauldin]

Anybody know what happened to these guys? Got a buddy with a boxxer cartridge that seems to have blown, he was going to send it off to suspension experts or hippie tech to see what they could do..

 

[blindboxx2334]

well, they still have a working site with email and phone number.. you could always call them?

 

[captainspauldin]

well, they still have a working site with email and phone number.. you could always call them?

Weird, I get a error when I try to access their webpage(might be the work web-filter), and last post I saw on their facebook page was 2010..

 

[BMCarter]

(805) 569-0003

Don't know if that is still Adrian's number or not, but give him a call. I know he is not doing suspension work full time anymore, but it may still be a "hobby" business for him. Best to give him a call and ask, he's a super nice guy.

 

[captainspauldin]

Back from the dead... anybody know Adrian or have a way to get ahold of him? My buddy sent his fork out to Adrian to get fixed the end of last season(he talked to Adrian before sending it out), and now he's not returning his calls/emails/faxes/telexes/smoke signlas... With the lift-assisted season fast approaching he wanted to have his fork back. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Scrub]

facebook

try it now

 

[TrumbullHucker]

Care to elaborate???

repped for volta avi

 

[troy]

He is on a trip with Aaron Franklin from Lahar.

















I'm sorry, couldn't resist

 

[xy9ine]

on a 'trip' for sure. i googled aaron recently (i'm still riding the trusty lahar; curious if the guy had emerged from hiding) - apparently he's deep into some sort of climate engineering scheme now (as a response to global warming). still treading the fine line between brilliant and bat shit insane, so it seems.

http://arctic-news.blogspot.ca/2013/03/the-greatest-war-ever.html

 

[IH8Rice]

on a 'trip' for sure. i googled aaron recently (i'm still riding the trusty lahar; curious if the guy had emerged from hiding)

this local guy emerges every so often with his at my local trails. im sure ill see it again at this weekend Duryea race

 

[xy9ine]

cool. say what you will about the man, but his bikes were well ahead of their time; worked great - and still work great, 8 years later.

 

[Udi]

i googled aaron recently. still treading the fine line between brilliant and bat shit insane, so it seems. http://arctic-news.blogspot.ca/2013/03/the-greatest-war-ever.html

When the Sun has finished growing it will suffer a violent transformation. It will collapse rapidly to become a tiny red dwarf. This fierce little mother will be, like our nearest neighbor Proxima Centauri, an ancient solar system whose lifecycle has ended, whats known as a flare star. Her energy output will oscilate wildly and colossal flares and coronal mass ejections would scorch with radiation any planet we put near enough her to be warmed.
But we could help her give birth.

Is this NSFW? I can't tell.

 

[kidwoo]

Is this NSFW? I can't tell.

looks pretty SFGR

Safe for guffawing ridicule.

 

[yd35]

looks pretty SFGR

Safe for guffawing ridicule.

I'm pretty sure that's an excerpt from Dianetics, the Scientology manual. So sure, you can guffaw, but your thetan could be corrupted by implant stations.