Is it Ok to lock or unlock my suspension fork while riding?

Asked by: Erin White

Can you lock out suspension while riding?

Many rear shocks (as well as front forks) have a lockout feature, which essentially stops it from compressing, and “locks out” the shock in a fixed position. This is used to at specific times when riding to help prevent wasted pedalling energy in the form of bobbing of the suspension.

When should I lock my suspension fork?

Quote from video: So open you want to use that when you're just riding sort of routine rough trails where you just want a suspension to give you the maximum control and grip out.

When should you lock bike suspension?

The best time to lock out the suspension on your mountain bike is when you are doing a long non-technical trail climb or riding a long distance on a flat surface. Lockouts are typically used at specific times to help prevent wasting pedaling energy in the form of bobbing of the suspension.

Is fork lockout important?

Locking out your fork actually slackens your head tube angle for climbing as you’re not sagging into it. It also causes your bike to feed back over small bumps and rocks and steals momentum instead of soaking it up to move forward. I race XC often and I do not, and would not use a lockout for xc racing.

Do I need suspension lockout?

If you don’t need the suspension, it’s going to be much more efficient to be able to disable it. If you know that you’re never (or close to never) going to be riding the bike on paved surfaces then you probably won’t need the lockout, but if that’s not the case, then you almost certainly should favour the lockout.

How do lockout forks work?

A lockout is a small switch placed atop the front right stanchion of your mountain bike’s suspension which when engaged decreases the low speed compression rate of the front fork, adjustable to the point of being fully rigid. This switch can also be routed to the handle bar.

What does lockout suspension mean?

WHAT IS A LOCKOUT SUSPENSION ON A MOUNTAIN/HYBRID BICYCLE (MTB) FORK? A Lockout is a small switch placed atop the front right stanchion of your MTB/Hybrid Bicycle’s suspension which when engaged decreases the low speed compression rate of the front fork, adjustable to the point of being fully rigid.

How do you maintain Forks on a mountain bike?

Quote from video: Using Whistler performance lubricant's awesome product called Fork boost you can lubricate condition. And clean your seals all at the same time.

How does a lockout work?

In contrast to a strike, in which employees refuse to work, a lockout is initiated by employers or industry owners. Lockouts are usually implemented by simply refusing to admit employees onto company premises, and may include changing locks or hiring security guards for the premises.

What is fork travel on a bike?

Travel is simply the maximum distance that either the front or rear suspension of the Mountain Bike can compress, when absorbing force, before bottoming out. The higher the travel the more force the suspension can comfortably absorb.

What is suspension preload?

Preload is used to adjust the shock or spring to the correct range of operation within the suspension’s travel-more preload will raise the bike up on its suspension, keeping you near the top of its travel. With less preload, the bike sits lower and closer to the bottom of its suspension travel.

Do coil shocks have lockout?

For the Super Deluxe Coil RCT shock this lock-out is via a lever on the shock body. For the Super Deluxe Coil RT Remote it’s done via a bar-mounted remote. In a sense, it’s bringing XC-style bar-mounted lock-outs to trail and enduro disciplines too.

What is a fork lock motorcycle?

The fork lock knob is on the dash panel. Using the fork lock immediately after parking your motorcycle will discourage unauthorized use or theft. The fork lock knob can be locked with the key, key fob lock button, or power lock switches in the fairing cap.

How do you adjust air suspension forks?

Adjusting compression damping and compression speed of the air suspension fork can be adjusted with the adjustment knob at the upper right end of the suspension fork. To increase compression speed and reduce compression damping, turn the adjustment knob clockwise.

How do I know if my mountain bike shocks are bad?

Quote from video: First. See if there's any air loss if there's air loss there's usually a broken seal check your external adjusters to make sure they're working properly. First take your rebound adjuster.

What is suspension lockout?

WHAT IS A LOCKOUT SUSPENSION ON A MOUNTAIN/HYBRID BICYCLE (MTB) FORK? A Lockout is a small switch placed atop the front right stanchion of your MTB/Hybrid Bicycle’s suspension which when engaged decreases the low speed compression rate of the front fork, adjustable to the point of being fully rigid.

Do coil shocks have lockout?

For the Super Deluxe Coil RCT shock this lock-out is via a lever on the shock body. For the Super Deluxe Coil RT Remote it’s done via a bar-mounted remote. In a sense, it’s bringing XC-style bar-mounted lock-outs to trail and enduro disciplines too.

How do I know if my mountain bike shocks are bad?

Quote from video: First. See if there's any air loss if there's air loss there's usually a broken seal check your external adjusters to make sure they're working properly. First take your rebound adjuster.

How do you choose a fork?

Quote from video: The width is available in two sizes either the standard hundred mil or what's known as boost which is 110 Millwood. So to measure the distance. Between the dropouts.

Why are carbon forks better?

From commuting to traveling short distances, carbon forks have become a cyclist’s choice for every type of ride due to their lightweight and high tensile strength. Replacing a steel fork with a carbon fork can reduce the weight of your bike to up to 50% of the weight of the fork.

How do I know if my fork traveled?

Use a zip tie around the stanchion to make the measurement. Push the zip tie down to the wiper seal and then compress the fork all the way. This is your total travel. Then fill the fork to your regular pressure, push the zip tie back down to the wiper, and go ride your favorite trail.