I installed the fork Friday night in hopes of going to Sugar to peep the new trail that Butch and the boys roughed in but the lack of a 8" adapter poiled my plans. So I focused my attention on a good break in session at windrock on Sunday.
My reasons for going to a slider plus were entirely due to wanting to run a lighter fork. I knew going in to the fork swap that I would be giving up 1" of travel, forgiving plushness, and ease of maintenance.
The trails at windrock on Sunday were perfect. IT rained a little the day before and alittle bit of soil moisture remained in the soil due to a fog that hangs in the lower valley until first light. Plus Joey had raked 4 out of 5 of the trails so I knew that the conditions would not affect my test.
Here we go:
I dropped in and instantly noticed that the slider + is fast. The fork pummeled that sharp inbedded rocks and roots with authority allowing me to remain in complete control right off the bat. This opening section leads to a series of drops that set the tone for the rest of the courses offered below. Anyway, I ran out across the first road crossing and intered the approach to a 4" drop to a slight tranny. In the past my shiver would smack the landing and remain "squished out" as it wallowed in its travel; not so with the slider+. I rumbled off the little drop and prepared for the landing. I knew from previous experience that this hit has more than meets the eye but when I set the bike down I was gone. The slider soaked it and kept me pointed precisely where I wanted to go with zero correction on my part. THe shiver would bounce off the track and steer me towards the two sheep sized rocks that you have to not hit because you have another drop on the heels of the first one so being on line is critical. Okay, that done I instantly knew that this fork had alittle something stashed up its stanctions. But one more section would seal the deal, the first rock garden to water fall. The fork slaughted the technical drops and tracked to perfection over the pelthora of square edge, lunchbox sized rocks typically found here. Before I knew it I was on the first trail junction but I already discovered that this little black beauty was the one I had been looking for.
I found that right out of the box without any tuning or preparation the fork blew my mind about what suspension is these days. The new fork lowered my bike down and I believe it shortened the wheelbase which, finally made my rig feel perfect to me. I had felt that the bike wanted to go out from under me or it would get lost in the front suspension.
I did 3 runs on trail 1, 2 snakerock runs, and 1 run down the race course from the finals. Six runs total with alittle bit of everything to test the slider on and from tight slowish singletrack to full on high speed big hits. After my third run I pumped the air chamber up to 70lbs and blammo, I found the fork to be a good match to my riding stylo.
I would highly reccomend this fork to anyone who is looking for a light dh race fork. I here that the maintenance will be an issue but we will see after the 20 hr breakin period. Oh yeah, this fork was not the super plush gobbler that the shiver is. THe slider was a "particularly hard on the little things", meaning that the small bump performance was not near the same as the shiver. (duh) But this fork does one thing that I really apreciate, it skips like a little school girl over the roughest sections I could find. The fork doesn't wallow in its travel as it tries to gobble up every bump like a hungry-hungry hippo, it is more hit it and quit it. And for me I like to do just that bust it and be off to the next episode. I have heard that the fork will breakin and become more forgiving on the small bumps but we will see right now I am stoked on the slider.
Weight: 165 lbs
Height: three apples
Bike: DH9
Shock setup
totally stock accept for increasing the air pressure to 70lbs.
My reasons for going to a slider plus were entirely due to wanting to run a lighter fork. I knew going in to the fork swap that I would be giving up 1" of travel, forgiving plushness, and ease of maintenance.
The trails at windrock on Sunday were perfect. IT rained a little the day before and alittle bit of soil moisture remained in the soil due to a fog that hangs in the lower valley until first light. Plus Joey had raked 4 out of 5 of the trails so I knew that the conditions would not affect my test.
Here we go:
I dropped in and instantly noticed that the slider + is fast. The fork pummeled that sharp inbedded rocks and roots with authority allowing me to remain in complete control right off the bat. This opening section leads to a series of drops that set the tone for the rest of the courses offered below. Anyway, I ran out across the first road crossing and intered the approach to a 4" drop to a slight tranny. In the past my shiver would smack the landing and remain "squished out" as it wallowed in its travel; not so with the slider+. I rumbled off the little drop and prepared for the landing. I knew from previous experience that this hit has more than meets the eye but when I set the bike down I was gone. The slider soaked it and kept me pointed precisely where I wanted to go with zero correction on my part. THe shiver would bounce off the track and steer me towards the two sheep sized rocks that you have to not hit because you have another drop on the heels of the first one so being on line is critical. Okay, that done I instantly knew that this fork had alittle something stashed up its stanctions. But one more section would seal the deal, the first rock garden to water fall. The fork slaughted the technical drops and tracked to perfection over the pelthora of square edge, lunchbox sized rocks typically found here. Before I knew it I was on the first trail junction but I already discovered that this little black beauty was the one I had been looking for.
I found that right out of the box without any tuning or preparation the fork blew my mind about what suspension is these days. The new fork lowered my bike down and I believe it shortened the wheelbase which, finally made my rig feel perfect to me. I had felt that the bike wanted to go out from under me or it would get lost in the front suspension.
I did 3 runs on trail 1, 2 snakerock runs, and 1 run down the race course from the finals. Six runs total with alittle bit of everything to test the slider on and from tight slowish singletrack to full on high speed big hits. After my third run I pumped the air chamber up to 70lbs and blammo, I found the fork to be a good match to my riding stylo.
I would highly reccomend this fork to anyone who is looking for a light dh race fork. I here that the maintenance will be an issue but we will see after the 20 hr breakin period. Oh yeah, this fork was not the super plush gobbler that the shiver is. THe slider was a "particularly hard on the little things", meaning that the small bump performance was not near the same as the shiver. (duh) But this fork does one thing that I really apreciate, it skips like a little school girl over the roughest sections I could find. The fork doesn't wallow in its travel as it tries to gobble up every bump like a hungry-hungry hippo, it is more hit it and quit it. And for me I like to do just that bust it and be off to the next episode. I have heard that the fork will breakin and become more forgiving on the small bumps but we will see right now I am stoked on the slider.
Weight: 165 lbs
Height: three apples
Bike: DH9
Shock setup
totally stock accept for increasing the air pressure to 70lbs.
