[pntballpunk51]

hey guys im going to be building my first freeride bike. I do stuff like drops (biggest one 10 feet) and jumps and northshore type stuff and some downhill. I am on a budget so keep that in mind. I am starting with a Soul Cycles Titan frame and I am thinking about putting a Z1 Drop off 2 on it. Can you guys help me come up with what componets, wheels, etc. to put on my bike? Thanks alot. remember: the cheaper the better thanks

 

[dump]

what's your budget?

 

[MikeD]

You might check out the build kits at www.unrealcycles.com. Ben there can help you put together an affordable kit. V-drive cranks, Ryno Lite XL rims, FSA bottom brackets and headsets, etc., are some solid products that come dirt cheap. I'd put the money into a good fork (best Z1 you can afford, at the cost of other parts), brakes (get Shimanos or Hayes Mags if you can afford them, Avid cable discs if not-avoid HFX-9s, even though they're cheap) and good wheels/tires (hubs especially; if you can't afford much, get Shimano XTs, if you can, get Hope or Hugi hubs, again at the expense of a nicer seatpost or something). Your seatpost, stem, handlebars, pedals, etc., aren't the most critical of items, as long as they're the right sizes, and can be upgraded relatively cheaply in the future.

FSA generally puts out a good product for the cash: headsets, cranks, BBs, and handlebars especially.

MD

 

[mcA896]

stay away from the drop off 2 or any other ssv/ssvf dampened fork for anything other than jump and *possibly* hucks.

 

[pntballpunk51]

why is ssv dampening bad? can u explain ?

 

[MikeD]

There's no such thing as dampening...it's 'damping,' unless you're talking about getting something wet. Along the same lines, if use IM shorthand here (like "u"="you" and UR="you're" or "your"), you won't be taken seriously. That's not an asschewing; it's just advice.

As to SSV damping, here's my best explaination; I'm not an engineer, although I play one on the Internet. This is the way I understand it, and I think it's pretty easy to communicate it to someone else who's as non-technical as I am.

SSV is a simple form of damping in which oil flows through a set of holes, slowing the movement of the fork. If the hit is fast enough, it will exceed the ability of the holes to pass oil through, and will thus stop soaking up the hit. This is called 'hydraulic lock' or 'spiking.' "Why not make the holes bigger?," you may ask... If you did, the holes would work better at high speed but have no effect at low speed. Whatever the size holes the manufacturer chooses, it's a compromise.

More sophisticated valving systems use stacks of metal discs called shims (or other, similar arrangements that do the same thing, depending on the manufacturer). When the fork takes a hit, the oil is forced through the shims, which bend to allow the oil through. The faster the hit, the more pressure the oil makes and the more the shims bend...in this way, the shim stack lets the damping adjust to the force of the hit, more or less, unlike the simpler valving, which stays constant regardless of the force it's under.

Hope that helped...in practice, it means that when you're hauling butt, the fork won't feel very good. You'll notice it getting really harsh at times. Simpler valving is fine when the hits come from jumping or dropping impacts spaced out over time; these are relatively slow compressions compared to what the fork undergoes when you're doing 20-40 mph downhill and running over a constant barrage of rocks and ruts.

MD

 

[pntballpunk51]

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it. Do you have any suggestions for a fork around 320 dollars that doesn't use SSV damping? I will be mostly riding drops, northshore, technical downhill (not neccessarily fast ), and some jumping too.

I appreciate the help! Thanks.

 

[MikeD]

No prob...you could look at the lower-end Shermans like the Flick, or find a good used Marzocchi, perhaps.

Also, if you can, borrow a bike with a Dirtjumper or dropoff fork, and see how it feels where you normally ride. There's a chance that it might be perfect for you, regardless of what a bunch of us tools on the Internet say... Best bet is to ride several forks if you can, though, because while the dropoff might feel great to you at first, it might still feel like poo if you have another fork to compare it to.

MD

 

[mcA896]

now i know some people dont agree with me on this, but i personally like psylos. if you choose one, try to get one above the xc model (i.e. one with pure damping). also, like mikeD said, a used sherman or mazoccchi (z1 fr,z150, z1fr sl)

 

[MikeD]

You might also look at a Fox Vanilla, but some people would warn you off them...dropouts on the older ones have cracked, bushings have caused some people problems, and they're a little noisy. Running 8" rotors in the QR dropouts is a no-no according to Fox as well.

I put one on an "XC" bike I just built (kind of a freeride bike with good climbing geometry) and I think it's awesome. It is a little rattly, but it's super smooth and stiff. Time will tell...

You can find leftover 2004 models cheap sometimes, and used ones, too.

MD

 

[fuzzynutz]

I rode keystone dh trail on a kona scrap 03 with a z1 drop off 2 and never once bottomed out. The fork felt quite nice.

 

[pntballpunk51]

Maybe as you said in your previous post MikeD the holes where the oil flows out of in SSV damping on the Drop Off 2 are quite large hence the name Drop off where it is built to sustain big hits. Just my theory on this.

BTW thanks for all your input on this thread.

 

[Jm_]

hey guys im going to be building my first freeride bike. I do stuff like drops (biggest one 10 feet)

Thanks alot. remember: the cheaper the better thanks

I do not have quite the same death wish.

 

[MikeD]

Maybe as you said in your previous post MikeD the holes where the oil flows out of in SSV damping on the Drop Off 2 are quite large hence the name Drop off where it is built to sustain big hits. Just my theory on this.

I don't think that's quite the case, and I'm pretty sure the jumper and the dropoff have the exact same valving. Plus, you need to remember that the damping is only a fine-tune for the springs...it's your spring rate that primarily determines how your fork will behave.

Good luck with the bike build. I hope you find Ridemonkey to be a valuable resource...just respect everyone here, try to communicate effectively, and try searching for answers before you ask a question.

Later,

MD

 

[pntballpunk51]

:d Hope fully the sponsorship I am trying to get at Soul Cycles will cut down on my expenses...key word: hopefully lol

 

[The Kadvang]

I do not have quite the same death wish.

LMAO! ink:

 

[bsphere]

I just installed a new Z150 on my Haro Extreme X3 2004, the previous fork was a Dirt Jumper II 130mm, and it's a whole new world.
the Z150 has hscv cartridges and it works so much better than the SSV in the DJ 2.
I got to ride only 4 freeride runs with the new Z150 and I was alot faster and my hands didn't hurt in a fast run over a long rock garden.

bottom line, if you are planning to do more than urban and dirt jumping, invest some $$$ and get a Z1, Z150 or the new 66, it worth it, my Haro has turned from a starter's bike on a budget to a very nice freeride machine.

here's a link to pics of the Haro with the Z150 FR

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94245