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Elastomer query
Hi all
I have a pair of elastomer forks, but can't find anywhere that supplys them, i don't wanna upgrade to gas or oil, as i commute inner city, but also go single track & off road up hilling, so elastomer forks are better. Does anyone know of where i can get these in South Yorks area & can anyone explain the colour grade with elastomers, mine are pink & light blue! Cheers Gaz |
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#2
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gary wrote:
i don't wanna upgrade to gas or oil, as i commute inner city, but also go single track & off road up hilling, so elastomer forks are better. Not wanting to upgrade is fine but the logic you present is badly flawed. If you do single track and off road climbing, air or sprung forks are much much better than elastomers. Tony |
#3
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in message , gary
') wrote: Hi all I have a pair of elastomer forks, but can't find anywhere that supplys them, i don't wanna upgrade to gas or oil, as i commute inner city, but also go single track & off road up hilling, so elastomer forks are better. Elastomers are not better, for any purpose. They're the bottom-of-the-market el cheapo solution and do not do anything well. They're not tunable; they're not fade free; they don't work in the cold; they have a short service life. Air shocks are better all round; coil springs are better for low maintenance or high stress applications. Does anyone know of where i can get these in South Yorks area & can anyone explain the colour grade with elastomers, mine are pink & light blue! Depends on the make. -- (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/ ... a mild, inoffensive sadist... |
#4
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just thought that as a i don't hit the routes fast & don't downhill, it'd be
better to stick with elastomers, i'd love a pair of air compressed forks, but feel that if i got new elastomers, i'd be ok! anyone know where i can get some!!!!, in Sheffield! Tony Raven wrote in message ... gary wrote: i don't wanna upgrade to gas or oil, as i commute inner city, but also go single track & off road up hilling, so elastomer forks are better. Not wanting to upgrade is fine but the logic you present is badly flawed. If you do single track and off road climbing, air or sprung forks are much much better than elastomers. Tony |
#5
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gary wrote:
just thought that as a i don't hit the routes fast & don't downhill, it'd be better to stick with elastomers, i'd love a pair of air compressed forks, but feel that if i got new elastomers, i'd be ok! anyone know where i can get some!!!!, in Sheffield! What make? Try J E James and if they can't help they might be able to point you towards who can Tony |
#6
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In article ,
Simon Brooke wrote: Elastomers are not better, for any purpose. I'd have to disagree there. For cheap forks that are mostly maintenance free, elastomers are usually less hassle than air or coil + oil damping. Elastomers done right have enough damping that you then don't need messy oil or flaky air damping systems. Up to say 70mm travel they're fine. After that, if you're using the travel then they stack up to quickly. Performance wise though, elastomers have certainly been passed but given the choice of an elastomer based fork and an air or coil fork for commuting or touring, I'd take the elastomer fork or better still a rigid one. They're the bottom-of-the-market el cheapo solution and do not do anything well. They're not tunable; Yes they are. You just stick softer or harder ones in. Or drill holes in them. ;-) they're not fade free; Huh? That's why they are used. The natural hysteresis of them means they stack up after a while but for lighter use they're fine and capable of rebounding back within a reasonable time. they don't work in the cold; See above - stick softer versions in in Winter. they have a short service life. A couple of years usually. Less hassle than oil/air forks IME and much easier to service as most forks you just unscrew the stack, swap some bits of rubber around, smear on some grease and you're done. No messing with pumps or syringes full of oil and old spokes. Air shocks are better all round; Except for long term reliability and get you home dependability. coil springs are better for low maintenance or high stress applications. You've still got oil damping to contend with and that IME is more hassle than plain elastomers. It's worth the hassle if you're concerned about performance but otherwise not. Shaun |
#7
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in message
, Shaun Murray ') wrote: In article , Simon Brooke wrote: Elastomers are not better, for any purpose. I'd have to disagree there. For cheap forks that are mostly maintenance free, elastomers are usually less hassle than air or coil + oil damping. Elastomers done right have enough damping that you then don't need messy oil or flaky air damping systems. Up to say 70mm travel they're fine. After that, if you're using the travel then they stack up to quickly. Performance wise though, elastomers have certainly been passed but given the choice of an elastomer based fork and an air or coil fork for commuting or touring, I'd take the elastomer fork or better still a rigid one. Well, there you are. If you really need suspension you need air; if you don't really need suspension, rigid is better. I see we're all agreed then. Simon, who has recently spent a fortune to upgrade his Cannondale from steel-sprung Lefty to air-sprung Lefty, and doesn't regret a penny. -- (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/ Morning had broken, and there was nothing we could do but wait patiently for the RAC to arrive. |
#8
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Hey Shaun, you've convinced me that for what i need my bike for & less
hassle, the elastomers will do for now! Cheers Gaz Shaun Murray wrote in message ... In article , Simon Brooke wrote: Elastomers are not better, for any purpose. I'd have to disagree there. For cheap forks that are mostly maintenance free, elastomers are usually less hassle than air or coil + oil damping. Elastomers done right have enough damping that you then don't need messy oil or flaky air damping systems. Up to say 70mm travel they're fine. After that, if you're using the travel then they stack up to quickly. Performance wise though, elastomers have certainly been passed but given the choice of an elastomer based fork and an air or coil fork for commuting or touring, I'd take the elastomer fork or better still a rigid one. They're the bottom-of-the-market el cheapo solution and do not do anything well. They're not tunable; Yes they are. You just stick softer or harder ones in. Or drill holes in them. ;-) they're not fade free; Huh? That's why they are used. The natural hysteresis of them means they stack up after a while but for lighter use they're fine and capable of rebounding back within a reasonable time. they don't work in the cold; See above - stick softer versions in in Winter. they have a short service life. A couple of years usually. Less hassle than oil/air forks IME and much easier to service as most forks you just unscrew the stack, swap some bits of rubber around, smear on some grease and you're done. No messing with pumps or syringes full of oil and old spokes. Air shocks are better all round; Except for long term reliability and get you home dependability. coil springs are better for low maintenance or high stress applications. You've still got oil damping to contend with and that IME is more hassle than plain elastomers. It's worth the hassle if you're concerned about performance but otherwise not. Shaun |
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