Pike owners, which one do I want for xc/trail use?
- Thread starter dfinn
- Start date
I'm too fat for air forks, coil is my only option. I like the Pike coil and might put one on the next hard tail I build.
Not sure if there is one. I'm 240 and don't feel good on air forks because I end up putting so much air in them. I have the same problem with shocks too, I just run coils to be safe.dfinn said:
I've come to grips with my fatness, that's all.
J
JRB
Guest
I have a Z1 Light on my Reign, and really like it. It's a hybrid. It's coil and air. I weigh 200 and have a firm spring in the pike I have, and I don't like that fork. I am trying a Drop Off II right now, but I am not sure I love it. I would be leary of being more than 240 on a Pike because of coil. I have had several air forks and they were ok, but not great. The Z150 SL was best, but not super plush. If it had compression damping, it would have been better. I had a RS Duke that was air and it was nice.
I don't know what your budget is, but I really like the Z1 Light.
I don't know what your budget is, but I really like the Z1 Light.
J
JRB
Guest
Bulltek Sports has the Z1 Light for $649. I am sure other folks would match that.
http://www.bullteksports.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BS&Product_Code=MAR-Z1ETATAS-FK&Category_Code=Suspension
http://www.bullteksports.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BS&Product_Code=MAR-Z1ETATAS-FK&Category_Code=Suspension
J
JRB
Guest
It's right around 5 lbs. Maybe a snick more. I'll search. Someone posted it once.dfinn said:
jncarpenter says his is 5.5 lbs. He has a scale with it hanging, so I can't argue that.
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1954588&postcount=16
Zoke air forks have always sucked in my opinion. The coil with air assist ones feel pretty good. I had a 66 that felt great once it got broken in.
Just check for the one with the aluminum steerer. I don't know all the pike options out there but they do make an air one with a steel steerer.
Just check for the one with the aluminum steerer. I don't know all the pike options out there but they do make an air one with a steel steerer.
D, I got a pike 454 air uturn for my heckler earlier this year and I like it so much I bought a second one when I put together a chameleon. Haven't been on them that much but so far they've been great. Super adjustable and no blown seals, air leakage, or anything negative.
Be careful buying a used 36 TALAS, especially if it's cheap. Everyone I know with one has lost 5 - 10 mm of travel or more because of some weird thing about fluid getting caught on one side of the damper.
Be careful buying a used 36 TALAS, especially if it's cheap. Everyone I know with one has lost 5 - 10 mm of travel or more because of some weird thing about fluid getting caught on one side of the damper.
What kind of adjustability does that Pike have? i.e. What's the range of travel? I'm fairly certain that someday I'll have to put a new fork on my bike and I don't want to go much over 90mm on the minimum end. But I'd like 150mm on the maximum end.OGRipper said:
J
JRB
Guest
Don't do that on an NRS. You will end up with your head tube in your hands and your rear wheel up your ass when it rips apart.SkaredShtles said:What kind of adjustability does that Pike have? i.e. What's the range of travel? I'm fairly certain that someday I'll have to put a new fork on my bike and I don't want to go much over 90mm on the minimum end. But I'd like 150mm on the maximum end.
I have the 454 Air U-turn. Sweet fork. I'm 185-190 and ride like I'm 220; finesse has never been my forte. So far the fork has been great, but I've only got about 200 miles on it. Most of the miles have been at full travel, but I spend a lot of time using the floodgate / poplock to lock the fork out for climbing. I find it to be a stupid-simple system that is idiot proof. Often, when I don't take a break before descending from a long climb, I'll forget to unlock the fork. It still engages on larger hits without any abrupt lag in absorption.
It took a little while to get the dual-air dialed, but once I got it set up properly the fork became incredibly active. I don't find that any concession in either big or small hit performance is necessary, which is certainly a change for me.
The only reason I went with the 454 is because I won it at a fundraiser; I had been running the 05 Team (coil, and for sale at $300, by the way) and loving it. I like the 454 because the suspension feels a bit more active and lightened up my front end a bit (but maybe that's a placebo effect, as I don't know the actual weight difference between the forks). The negative air has definitely made small hits disappear regardless of my running high pressure for bigger hits. I'm excited to do some dirt jumping with the travel cut down, but haven't gotten around to it just yet.
Bottom line, I don't think you have anything to worry about in terms of typical air fork dilemmas. The fork is way stiff due to the easy-to-use "maxle", the suspension is very active and can be run with a wide range of pressures, and the adjustability is incredible (one click is noticeable on any dial, and the floodgate is fantastic).
My rating:
It took a little while to get the dual-air dialed, but once I got it set up properly the fork became incredibly active. I don't find that any concession in either big or small hit performance is necessary, which is certainly a change for me.
The only reason I went with the 454 is because I won it at a fundraiser; I had been running the 05 Team (coil, and for sale at $300, by the way) and loving it. I like the 454 because the suspension feels a bit more active and lightened up my front end a bit (but maybe that's a placebo effect, as I don't know the actual weight difference between the forks). The negative air has definitely made small hits disappear regardless of my running high pressure for bigger hits. I'm excited to do some dirt jumping with the travel cut down, but haven't gotten around to it just yet.
Bottom line, I don't think you have anything to worry about in terms of typical air fork dilemmas. The fork is way stiff due to the easy-to-use "maxle", the suspension is very active and can be run with a wide range of pressures, and the adjustability is incredible (one click is noticeable on any dial, and the floodgate is fantastic).
My rating:
Naw - remember, I'm a SLF. I've got an 80-125mm adjustable on it now that I :love:loco said:
J
JRB
Guest
I understand. I just don't want to see you rip it off. 125mm is pushing it past its limits.SkaredShtles said:
I'm smooove.......loco said:
ink:Watch - I'll get the Psylo rebuilt tomorrow and the frame will break next time I ride. :mumble:
Nice call, hope you like it. It's an international standard fork (not post mount), so you need the Avid adapter for running a 185 rotor on IS tabs. Pretty sure it says "185" on it so you can tell the diff between it and the ones for 160 or 203.dfinn said:
be sure to get the IS QR fork adapter, not the 20mm one. Even though it is a 20mm thru/axle, they use the IS QR standard.
Um, say what now? There is a different adapter for 20mm vs. QR? What is the difference?fiddy_ryder said:
Are you talking about the boxxer standard vs. regular IS?
J
JRB
Guest
You know the little spacers that come with a Marzocchi 20mm fork??? I am pretty sure there is an adapter that allows you to run without those.OGRipper said:
I loved my 05 Pike Team. I believe it is the most versatile fork on the market right now. I recently switched to the 06 Fox Van RC2 and really miss the U-Turn feature. With the U-turn, it really makes my Heckler a true do-it-all bike. While the extra travel/stiffness on the 36 is good for riding bigger lines, the increased height is not that great for XC and DJ. My only complaint with the Pike is the QR maxle. On the 05 Pike, the lever can only be positioned pointing up or down and it was very exposed even in a minor crash. Now, if only they implement the boxxer maxle on the Pike..............
Nope, don't know what you mean. I use a regular 203 mm adapter with a shimano caliper on my 888, no little spacers.loco said:
J
JRB
Guest
Hmmm - I have to use a little 3 or 4 mm spacer to move the caliper over on my Z1, and had to on my Z150.OGRipper said:
Any chance those adapters are for the boxxer standard or something? I don't claim to be the all-knowing expert but I've never needed to make a distinction between QR and 20mm IS adapters, and never needed more than the super slim alignment spacers.loco said:
J
JRB
Guest
Never had a Boxxer, but burlyshirley thought he was screwed when I sent my Z150 to him because he didn't have the spacers. When he realized I had sent them. I don't know why they are that way. To dilute the water more, now Marzocchi does post mounts on 66s, and I am sure 888s.OGRipper said:
I need a translator
"my ridemonkey" hurts my feelings.
dfinn said:
Sell me your skis before you go back to iceland.
I'll even give you the racy speedotard all the cool kids wear back east on the nastar course.