Quantcast

Making the switch to FSR after so many years on a SP

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
I am borrowing a S-Works Enduro from a buddy (yes I know what a great friend). The bike came without a shock. I used my connections at Cane Creek to grab a DBAir for it. I have spent the last 6 years on Morewood single pivots. Either they suited my style or my style was developed from riding them. But they ride from the front and respond to a upright, heavy front bias riding posture.




You can see how upright I ride even in turns from these pictures. The back of the bike squats and to me really rails short radius turns and was so comfortable with a foot out. Man I miss those bikes.

Fast forward to the FSR Enduro. I have been struggling since July to get this bike tuned. I am slower on it. Period. I feel that when I go to weight the front for a turn the back doesn't squat equally, pitches me forward and causes the bike to tuck. If I lean back to get the bike to squat in the rear, the front become unweighted and pushes through the turn. Both result in me using too much brake.

I have tried to run an overly stiff front end and overly soft rear but as you can expect both have negative overall effects.

Am I just not riding the right bike for me or is there some magic to setting up and riding a Specialized bike?
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
You might just suck at bikes.


I've never ridden a morewood but most other bikes I have ridden with those high forward single pivots force you to ride forward because the rear end is always extending in corners and doesn't react well to leaning on the back wheel and pivoting. I hated them.

Now you're on a bike with a much better rear suspension and a short chainstay. Pull back on them bars and exit turns all gee atherton style yo.
 
Last edited:

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
Hmmmmmm. Maybe.

I figure I developed my style to suit the SP and it had become second nature to me. I'm obviously trying to ride this bike like that and its not working however I sessioned a section of trail tonight to tune the rear suspension and after 10 runs I was still looking for any kind of plus. It was so harsh, killing momentum and my confidence requiring me to brake early.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Rearward axle path bikes just let you hit shlt and get lazy. That's just the way it is. It has nothing to do with FSR vs single pivot. Specialized FSR bikes are barely 'not single pivot' anyway. But they'll corner better, pump a million times better and suck up things while you're on the pedals better. You just have to work with the bike a bit when you run into things.

If you don't like it, just give it back. Everyone has their preferences and priorities.
 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
Its interesting that you say that. I thought my Morewood was incredible about pumping out of stuff. One or two pumps and it was up to speed.

I'm having a hard time visualizing the suspension path and where this bike is riding in its travel. With the Morewood I would pick some point in the curve, point straight at it, the bike would compress and jump out of turns. Occasionally I have felt the benefit of the short chainstays, but to say it pedals better I just haven't experienced that yet. I am wondering if I'm not riding in the correct part of the suspension. I could run deep in the travel on a Morewood with little adverse effect. It had no problem returning from deep in its travel. I wonder if I should bias the FSR to the top part of the travel. Maybe the linkage in combo with the Double Barrel is causing the bike to ride too low and thus harsh?
 

denjen

Certified Lift Whore
Sep 16, 2001
1,691
36
Richmond VA
1- I noticed on my Stumpjumper EVO the more you ride centered on the bike the better. Stay centered, relaxed and let the bike do the work. Another friend of mine got a Stumpjumper last summer and he came off of a SP also, he said he noticed right away that the SJ needed way less effort to ride than his SP.

2- My bike does seem to work better when it is in the top part of the travel and not sagged to much. I did not like how the bike felt when I first got it so I increased the sag a little, the bike felt fine at first but once I got used to how low and slack it was the extra sag was too much. After a while on the bike I went back to the original sag and it rides much better.

3- I also noticed running a slightly faster rebound than I was used to helped it also. This probably has something to do with keeping it high up in its travel.

Hope this helps
 
Last edited:

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,001
1,693
Northern California
I am borrowing a S-Works Enduro from a buddy (yes I know what a great friend). The bike came without a shock. I used my connections at Cane Creek to grab a DBAir for it. I have spent the last 6 years on Morewood single pivots. Either they suited my style or my style was developed from riding them. But they ride from the front and respond to a upright, heavy front bias riding posture.




You can see how upright I ride even in turns from these pictures. The back of the bike squats and to me really rails short radius turns and was so comfortable with a foot out. Man I miss those bikes.

Fast forward to the FSR Enduro. I have been struggling since July to get this bike tuned. I am slower on it. Period. I feel that when I go to weight the front for a turn the back doesn't squat equally, pitches me forward and causes the bike to tuck. If I lean back to get the bike to squat in the rear, the front become unweighted and pushes through the turn. Both result in me using too much brake.

I have tried to run an overly stiff front end and overly soft rear but as you can expect both have negative overall effects.

Am I just not riding the right bike for me or is there some magic to setting up and riding a Specialized bike?
Sounds to me like a combo issue of geometry (short stays) and suspension. I don't think you're upright style is going to work well. Try getting lower over the front end to keep your weight more evenly distributed between the wheels and stick your rear end out.
 
Last edited:

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,862
4,159
Copenhagen, Denmark
Sorry to hear its not working out my new GT is the first bike I every had that just worked for me out of the box with a little setup help from Todd.

How wide bars do you ride on the bike. My 760mm bars really force me to lower and more over the front if that is what you need to do.

Sweet bike btw show us some pictures of the beast.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
If you've got a double barrel on that thing, got knows what you're feeling. It's really hard to say without being there.

But I ride clipless on specialized FSR bikes and DW link turners and most pics I have of me, I'm all over the front end (more than in your pics). That really has nothing to do with it.

Also.....you'd have to have something either really weird going on with your compression damping on the rear or really weird with your suspension balance with the front for sag to be that much of an issue. Most FSR bikes aren't like quad link setups where you really really need to be in the designed sag point. It just doesn't matter that much....the suspension curves aren't that complex.

I still think what you're describing sounds mostly like the difference in axle path.
 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
The above bike is a different linkage vs the pre 13 models, which is what I am on. I am providing feedback to Cane Creek possibly to offer a retro fit to the older models. So I'm kind of on my own.

I am begging to think it is an improper sag setting.I finished the session by trying less sag and adjusting the HSC to get full travel (just barely). What I noticed was that the suspension started to feel more supple. Before I could really hone in on suspension setting I sliced a tire and had to walk out.

Out of frustration, I rode this the following night. I forgot how much fun a hardtail can be. But I also forgot that the rear end does not compress in the turns.

 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
Update for those that care. I have upped my sag from 30% to close to 25% or less and its much better. I now feel like the suspension action is good. However I am still working on reworking my style to ride this long toptube, short chainstay frame.