Conference noted::bicycle

    	RE: front shocks
    
    	The latest BICYCLING has an article wherein the writer
    	indicates that front shocks are not that much help during
    	downhill races.
    
    	Your mileage may vary.
    
    	Scott

    	Hmmm...
    
    	I'd have to read that article...
    
    	Front end suspension would help to keep the front wheel on the
    	slope. And it would also reduce fatigue. Especially downhill !!
    
    	If I could afford it, I'd go with front-end suspension!
    
    	But downhill KAMIKAZE?
    
    	That's another (bloody) story altogether.

    	Hold on a minute.
    
    	I just checked my latest BICYCLING mag and I didn't find the
    	article I was talking about. It might have been in VeloNews.
    
    	I'll check this evening and maybe add it tomorrow.
    
    	Scott

    I'm spoiled now I guess... I can't imagine going down a ski slope
    without a front shock.  People still do that?  ;-)
    -kb

A word about the S-Bike.

It was introduced in 1991, was created by a Swiss guy called Fabio Cavalli 
and designed by Francesco Quinn (Anthony Quinn's son).

It's technology is called "poutre" in french (beam). It's supposed to be very
rigid, nervous and expensive :-). It's quite funny to see it used in downhill 
races because it's a bike that was originaly built for climbing.

It really look undestructible.

Several models exist today including one with a rear suspension. They use Shimano
XTR and 6061 aluminium.

I could post more details if people like.

Didier

    	Well, I checked a couple magazines and couldn't find what
    	I was looking for, so I'm gonna forget it.
    
    	Scott

    After a race last weekend in Switzerland I know my next purchase will
    be front shocks as the vibration really makes my hands sore during and
    after an event. 
    
    I would also assume that shocks would make it easier to steer a
    straight line.
    
    Am I mistaken ? Any pointers on the merits of different shocks (eg Rock
    Shox, Mantiou (sp?) etc...) I have a Klien Rascal with Mission Control
    bars.
    
    John

Not that I have a great amount of wisdom in this area but from what I've seen
and read the Rock Shox II is the one most people like. It has a lock out
feature that stops the suspension from working. This comes in handy on long 
out of the saddle climbs where you don't what the suspension bouncing.

     When Suspension Is Not The Right Answer



     (Copied w/o permission from VeloNews Volume 21, Number 14)





     Suspension sucks on super technical terrain.  I'm referring to the

     one- or two-mph,

     big-rock-stop-and-hop-almost-vertical-prove-you're-brain-dead kind of

     ride that many people don't really consider riding.  Most intelligent

     people walk through these sections, although for some reason, I really

     enjoy this type of riding - and I'm not alone.



     The situation I encounter most frequently - when I really curse

     suspension - is on steep descents with lots of rocks.  In these cases,

     the front wheel often hits, a rock, the suspension fork compresses as

     your body continues on its course of gravitational destiny, and - as

     the travel in the suspension is used up - your weight shifts too far

     forward (and down in elevation).  In short, the bike endos rather than

     rolls over the rock.  The leading link suspensions are better in these

     situations than are telescoping forks, because the wheel has more of a

     tendency to roll up and over rocks.  And these situations aren't

     really that rare; they're encountered in a variety of places,

     including some of the more screwball races.



     Picking a line through extremely tight terrain while riding suspension

     can be a bummer, too.  I like to rely on the wheel to do exactly what

     I tell it to - and at the same time I need to rely on the bike to

     leave my balance alone.  When a suspension fork compresses, it can

     throw your balance off, especially when you're redistributing your

     weight after the initial wheel placement, preparing to move over or

     around an obstacle.



     You may ask:  "How come trials motorcycles have suspensions then?"

     It's the old apples and oranges syndrome; we're talking many

     horsepower and a weight of up to 200 pounds on the motorcycle - not at

     all the same animal as a bicycle.





     But then, when it works, it can save you a lot of grief.



     Suspension may suck on super technical riding, but it is very

     forgiving, and will cover up quite a few judgment errors if you choose

     the wrong line.  On many occasions when I would have "kissed it

     goodbye" long before on an unsuspended bike, a suspended fork helped

     me keep the rubber side down, much to my surprise.  (Conversely,

     suspension can trick you into getting in over your head in the

     velocity department, and it's possible to make a very big mistake that

     suspension can't forgive.)



     Of course, suspension is famous for reducing hand, writs, forearm and

     upper-body fatigue.  This is particularly useful to those of use who

     are finding that our bodies are aging faster than our minds.

     Suspension is a cool thing, here to stay.  If you're going to be

     competitive on the mountain bike circuit, it's going to be very tough

     without it.  You will frequently encounter situations, though, in


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     which a rigid bike has a suspension bike beaten to hell for the pure

     aesthetic of the trail-riding experience.  Face it, you need at least

     two mountain bikes.  S.N.

    With suspension I find it very difficult to bunny-hop over a small
    obstacle. The front wheel just won't come off the ground. It just kind
    of hangs there with the front suspension.

    Just takes practice... I can hop open railroad tracks now with a front
    suspension with regularity.
    
    Early attempts were not pretty, however... ;-)  kratz