Let's offroad / mountain bike / mtb / ride dirt

That's a long review!

In short - it's decent.

All-or-nothing proprietary package

I think I should get one.

The Structure Works does look very interesting. Would love to to try one.

Finally got the blue discs on - thanks @Howard!

Tall person problems; when XL bikes aren't long enough...
Added a NOS Hope 110mm stem (up from 90mm) + ESI Extra Chunky grips (if you have big hands, why not bigger grips?) and my lower back pain has gone. Handling isn't shabby, don't believe everything you read on the internet. I actually prefer the straight line stability.

Grabbed some Onza tyres in the sale at CRC too, think it was sub £30 for the pair. Very impressed so far! Much grip compared to my Aspens of old - they'll be back for summer though. 2.4 Ibex up front & 2.25 Canis bringing up the rear. Haven't got stuck in the winter gloop yet.
Why do bike tyres cost as much as car tyres???

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Anyone know anything about Fox FIT4 damper servicing?

Pretty sure my fork could do with an oil change in the damper, as it makes a bit of wooshing noise in compression, and there is some free travel at the top which disappears if i wind out the rebound.

The full service looks a bit beyond me, with 40 odd steps and some specific tools required.

However, youtube does show this guy just changing the oil of a similar, if slightly different, damper. I'd like to have a go at this so see if it solves my issues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paQtjVv7jnU&t=21s

The question - can i change the damper oil in a FOX fit 4 by just whipping the unit out and then removing the bleed nut/ball bearing, purging the system of old oil and then adding new oil back in with plenty of "bladder massage" to get rid of air bubbles a la the youtube dude, or is more tricky in the fit4 34? The official service guide has you adding oil at various points of reassembly, but maybe this just makes it quicker at end, with less squishy squishy massage required?

Alternatively, I see that a fork service at TF tuned is only about £100, but its not clear if this includes the damper. They offer a load of damper specific services which all seem to include upgrades, but somehow their description of the basic service is unclear if it includes a damper rebuild. This seems unlikely for £100 as it looks like quite a lot of work. I should just ask them, but as i'm asking here anyway, yous might know...

Tall person problems; when XL bikes aren't long enough

That's what XXL bikes are for ;-)

Looks like you'd benefit from modern geometry. Not only the longer reach, but also the steeper seat angle

Geometron for you.

DIY linkage fork

What in the ass

Get a pro to do it.

I think USE made something like that.

I know this is always your advice (and you're no doubt right) but I'm tight and this looks like it could cost me £200?

I don't think the issue I have at the moment is £200 worth of annoying. Plus I'd have to remove the forks/ pack them up and post them, which is also annoying.

If I can bleed the system myself it's circa £5 in 8mm tube/syringe as I already have some 5wt oil.

I've done the lowers myself in the past and had that Cannondale headshock apart a few times so back myself to not fuck the bleed up, if its as simple as I think. If it works temporarily because the seals are shot I'll know it needs the full works and won't be out of pocket by more than a pint.

Just wondering if anyone else has done it before and what the results were like/ if there is some show stopper I'm not aware of.

Mario at LMNH (although he may have moved on?) fully serviced my forks and rear shock for ~£150 IIRC.

.

Sounds reasonable - but did it include a damper strip down/rebuild? This seems above and beyond the "normal" service of lowers plus air chamber, which is a comparatively simple process, but would still take a mechanic an hour or so I'd have guessed.
I also don't want to pay someone to just change the damper oil if its as easy it looks.

I know - i'll message TF Tuned and find out.

Mario did my pike with damper work for £100.

Not London based but in Southend

Morné is an exceptionally diligent and professional mechanic and is a Fox Dealer and can service all brands of shocks.

Would thoroughly recommend*
https://instagram.com/bicycleworx?igshid=hizgpg3k0pht

*wish he was closer to South Wales :(

Plus I'd have to remove the forks/ pack them up and post them, which is also annoying.

This. So much time. So much faff.

As for getting the pros to do it, unless there are special tools required which aren't available to Public Scum, what special skills are the pros going to have which a reasonably competent home mechanic won't?

what special skills are the pros going to have which a reasonably competent home mechanic won't?

Intimate knowledge of all the ways you can accidentally fuck the fork up beyond repair. Specially adapted tools to minimise the chances of this happening. And a really great understanding of how suspension works.

I'm not saying someone at home couldn't do it, but if you can't afford to get it serviced properly, you can't afford to fuck it up, either.

If boxing it up is massive faff just take it to Evans and they'll post it off for you.

Very much this!

Right - so TF Tuned got back to me right away - £105 is the works and includes damper strip down/rebuild - so its not as pricey as I'd feared.

That said, I'm still going to give it a go. Found another thread which suggests the method is as I thought.

There is some discussion at the bottom about whether you need to invert it some how / create a vacuum, but I'll give it a go an see if I can manage to not destroy anything.Nothing ventured - nothing gained!

https://forums.mtbr.com/shocks-suspension/fox-fit-cartridge-simple-oil-fill-1052185.html

Last thing - does anyone have a supply of cheap crush washers? (I need 8 and 13mm) They are like £4 a set on ebay which seems crazy for two bits of basic plastic. I've reused them in the past - but it's probably time for some fresh ones. I'd hope to buy a bag of them for a couple of quid so I can use fresh each time. I'll be doing the lowers on the misses bike later and need 8mm for them too.

I know this is always your advice

I think for dampers they've got quite complex now - well at least the RS and Fox ones are - and it's quite hard for a home mechanic to do it well and economically. If air is getting in it means oil is leaving somewhere which means seals need doing.

Lowers and even air spring stuff can definitely be done at home although you've got to be really careful with the later. One slip with a tool and it's new CSU tiem!

Can you remove the damper as a cartridge? That way you could just post that off rather than the entire fork.

@BareNecessities what MTB should I buy? Up to £1.5k. I was thinking the Canyon Exceed. This is for the Kent woods, tiny jumps, SDW, NDW and the ultrcycling race Ring of Russia where I will be riding the Russian border starting at St Petersberg and then in a counter clockwise loop finished after an overlap in Crimea over the course of 5 days

Though if I don't sleep it may only take four

I was thinking the Canyon Exceed. This is for the Kent woods,

Cool

tiny jumps,

Right

SDW, NDW

Uhuh I see

and the ultrcycling race Ring of Russia where I will be riding the Russian border starting at St Petersberg and then in a counter clockwise loop finished after an overlap in Crimea over the course of 5 days

Quickly escalates