Suspension Tuning

I'm putting these thoughts into words - before I forget them again - mostly for my own use in the future, but hopefully others will find this guide useful too.

First off, Manitou Suspension rocks. Their forks and shocks are some of the must tune-able on the market with simple but effective shim stacks to control brake dive and pedal bob. Also the ride quality to price ratio is unbeatable. This tune-ability means they can be finicky to set up, but spending the time to do so is well worth it. I've previously owned the Tower Pro fork and currently ride the Marvel fork and Radium rear shock.

1. The Spring.
   Start with air spring pressure. Set the sag at 20% front, 30% rear. You'll probably change this later, but it's a good starting point. A proper suspension setup should bottom out once every ride or two; otherwise, you're not using all of the available travel and carrying around extra weight for nothing. Higher air pressure, while it does work, is the wrong way to achieve reduced pedal bob. We'll get to that in a minute.
   
   If you have a fork like the Tower Pro with coil assist, things get a little trickier. If you can barely achieve the desired sag with low air pressure and it bounces around like a pogo stick when you stand and pedal, try installing a lighter coil. If you have too much sag, even with high pressure, try a heavier coil.
   
2. Rebound.
   There are a few ways to find the ideal rebound setting. One way is to start with fast rebound and work your way down until the bike feels stable. The problem with this, is that you may think the bike rides well, but you could be sacrificing traction without knowing it. You can also start in the middle, which is probably close to the ideal position, but this can leave you wondering which way to adjust it to get it just right. My suggestion is start slow and work you're way up. Slower rebound will result in better traction but run it too slow and the shock will pack down and ride harshly. Slower rebound will also help reduce inefficiency from pedal bob.
   
   *edit: Racing last weekend, I ran the compression damping wide open and slowed down the rebound for a fast, flat trail with small, infrequent bumps. The result was good compliance and more traction.
   
3.  Compression Damping.
   Compression speed should be proportional to rebound speed. Fast compression and slow rebound will make the fork pack down and handling will suffer. Similarly, slow compression and fast rebound produces a strange ride too. Best bet is to match the rebound speed. You'll know you have it right when pedal bob and brake dive are minimized. Manitou makes this nice and easy with the ABS+ knob.
   
4. Lockouts.
   Say 'no' to lockouts! I hear a lot of people say they want/like lockouts so that their bike will "climb like a hardtail/rigid". This is wrong. A properly tuned full suspension bike, with much better traction, will out-climb a hardtail. The exception to this is if you're sprinting up a paved hill, but we're talking about dirt in this post.
   
5. Tire Pressure.
   I might as well throw this in here too. With a full suspension bike, you might be able to get away with a little bit lower tire pressure. The biggest issue is cornering. You don't wont the tire rolling sideways; I find this is the limiting factor with low pressures. A little bit higher pressures can result in faster rolling with all the traction of properly tuned suspension.
   
6. Racing.
   In my opinion, a good trail day setup is exactly the same as race day setup. Partly because this is what you're used to, and partly because it should already be optimized for traction, efficiency, handling, and comfort. At the most you might want to turn up the compression damping, especially if it's a short sprint. Even then, I've found the reduced traction and bump absorption can throw off your handling expectations.
   
   Of course you may want to tweak the settings for different types of trails. Fast trails with small bumps require different settings than slower trails with bigger hits or fast trails with big hits. If you have the suspension set up properly for your home trails, it shouldn't be difficult to adjust it to another trail after a practice lap or two.
   
   Most rear shocks have multiple compression rates like forks. The Radium has firm and soft settings, no lockout. I always run it on the soft setting, but I'll reserve the firm setting for race courses with short steep climbs for a little extra power transfer out of the saddle.

One last thing. Most suspension setup guides I've read end here and imply that each adjustment is something to be tuned individually. But that's wrong. Spring pressure, rebound, and compression damping are all interrelated. Rebound and compression should be proportional to each other, and both are inversely proportional to spring pressure. For any rider, there's a small range that will work well for a specific trail. As you increase spring pressure, you should open up the compression damping to keep the fork moving and rebound should be adjusted to match. Similarly, as you decrease spring pressure, you should increase compression damping to keep the fork from blowing through the mid-stroke, and rebound should be slowed as well to keep things under control.

So that concludes Suspension Theory 101. I'll try to keep this post updated if/when my ideas change or expand.

It's almost race season!

The latest addition to the fleet.

After months of ordering parts, the new rig is finally rolling, with only two weeks until the first race of the season. I spent this weekend roughly tuning the suspension, trying different tire pressures and putting the bike through it's paces. And it's fast. It's ridiculously fast. But in a more controlled manor. In three days of riding it, I've gotten 6 King of the Mountain's and 5 other personal records on Strava, despite crashing once, sliding out in some corners, and awkwardly coming off of a jump. I don't really know how to ride this thing yet. Previously, I was lucky to crack the top ten on Strava segments.

Leading up to this, I've been training on my single speed and really pushing the limits of what that bike is capable of: cornering hard enough to make it flex like a wet noodle, rolling/burping tires, two-wheeled drifting, etc. One could argue that my technique can't keep up with how fast I want to ride, but after almost four years on that bike, I'm going to say it's the bike. 

Before building my new bike, I had a total of maybe five hours of ride time with rear suspension, so I wasn't sure just how much of a difference it would make. I assumed it would be faster downhill, but it's faster in the corners and even faster uphill. I can apply full power to the pedals without worrying about the rear wheel spinning out, losing traction, or bouncing off course. Today I was actually 14% faster on an uphill sprint compared to my old personal record; consequently claiming that KOM from a semi-professional roadie who was on a cross bike at the time.

So, now that I have almost four functional bikes, I've come to the conclusion that the ideal number of bikes is five - coincidentally one more than I currently own (n+1). There's the racing mountain bike, the club-ride/racing road bike, a back-up mountain bike/dog-hauler (rigid, single speed), a commuter (something lightweight, minimal maintenance, cheap - fixed gear), and a wet-weather commuter/training bike/grocery getter with rack and fenders. Maintenance on more than two bikes can start to be a hassle, so the commuters/back-ups need to be simple, reliable, and somewhat cheap. Let the race bikes be the high maintenance, performance machines. Of course, depending on location and interests, you could add in fat bikes, bmx, touring, cargo, downhill, enduro, vintage, track, tandem, recumbent, trials,....

Rickshaw Part 2

In the rickshaw business, we often use fishing analogies to describe our work. You can troll, or you can cast in one spot and wait. When I first started, I wasn't given much direction. I was set free to work how and where I wished. At first I took note of other drivers to learn their methods. For the most part their techniques were random, and a lot was left to chance, like a fisherman drifting down river, casting at whatever looked good. Being the primary driver this season, I've decided to take a more systematic approach.

For instance, trolling is a great way to get exposure and attract customers, but it's very inefficient and should be reserved for certain situations. Like when there's a lot of activity, but all the other cabs are parked. With a high supply of taxis, I need to put in extra effort to get customers. The opposite of this is football game days when there are no other taxis in sight and customers are competing with each other to get a ride.

I much prefer the sit and wait method to conserve my energy. But, there are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a location. For the beginning of a smaller sporting event (like baseball), you can't be too close, because a ride isn't worth the cost. And you can't be too far; you'll get too few customers. So, I'm working on identifying the converging points for foot traffic, while avoiding parking at the bottom of a hill.

Pricing is another issue. In general we charge $5 per person, but for short trips, I usually leave it up to the customer. Most people tip well, and some pay two or three times what I tell them. Still, a few think $5 is too much, and in a way, I agree. It's strange asking people to pay for something that I would never pay for myself. But then, I'm almost always on my bike.

The other issue I have is that we really don't drive outside of walking distance, so I often feel like I'm depriving people of (much needed) exercise and capitalizing on others' laziness. I suppose plenty of other industries do that too and usually charge more. Not that it makes it right, but it could be worse.

Recently, while out working one evening, I got an unsolicited job offer from a "real" taxi service with the promise of making more money. It was tempting from the thought of being in a warm, enclosed vehicle, and of course more money is usually a good thing too. But, I decided not to take it. Working for that company would mean taking orders from a dispatch system and/or taking calls along with stricter, longer hours and the stress of driving a monstrous vehicle in crowded areas and sometimes grid-locked traffic. No thanks. Sadly, several coworkers have succumbed to the allure of bigger profits. 

The freedom of the rickshaw isn't something I'll readily give up. It's a low stress job with semi-flexible hours, and it's just generally enjoyable. Also the customers often think it's fun, whereas an SUV/van taxi is just an expensive form of transportation. Another factor in turning down the "real" taxi job was that earlier that same day, I accepted an offer to take over the maintenance of the rickshaws starting in the fall, along with some other supervisory duties.

Trans North Georgia

I've discovered a pattern in my thought processes. Basically, if I get an idea in my head, it's going to happen sooner or later unless I can convince myself that the outcome would be total misery and destruction. Realizing this pattern, I've tried to quit second guessing myself without being too impulsive. I've even gone through with some bad ideas, knowing they were bad at the time, because eventhough the chance of failure was high, the consequences were manageable.

The most prominent case being the time I tested out my Hobie 16 homemade solo righting system. I think it goes without saying, that flipping a boat over on purpose, when you're out by yourself, knowing there's a good chance you won't be able to right it, is a bad idea. But it just so happened, that the conditions were favorable that day: minimal tidal movement and a mild south wind. So, worst case I'd drift into the beach. I even lined up with a specific part of the beach I wanted to drift into. Long story short, my righting system failed, I drifted into shallow water and still spent twenty minutes trying to get it upright. I even attracted a few spectators on the beach. Eventually, I righted the boat and went on my way.

Following that same pattern, I've had the idea of racing the Trans North Georgia for a few months now. Admittedly, it's a bad idea. The TNGA is a 350 mile mountain bike ride/race from South Carolina to Alabama, through Georgia's roughest terrain complete with bears, snakes, and hillbillies. See Deliverance for reference. Technically it's not a race, but, as all cyclists should know, when two or more bikes are in close proximity, it is always a race. Sadly, the mileage of this event isn't even the bad part. The real kicker is the 56,000ft of elevation gain. That's nearly twice the height of Mt Everest, ridden in two or three days.

So why put myself through this? Because it's there. Because there's a ~50% failure rate for first timers, and that chance of failure is enticing. Also, if I don't do it this year, I'll be waiting until 2018. I've already got plans to see the solar eclipse in 2017.

Luckily, I have a pretty good starting point as far as training goes. I really don't plan on doing much fitness-wise. But, I want to get used to eating while riding and maybe experiment with riding while fatigued. I also need to perfect my gear set-up: shoes/pedals, saddle, handlebar position/grips. And, of course I'll need to decide what to bring and which bike to bring, which means coming up with a strategy. Some people recommend riding twenty hours a week to prepare for such a long race, but I think that's unnecessary. After a certain point, endurance is all about being mentally strong and staying fuelled up.

The race starts August 20th, which gives me six months to get things sorted out. I'll be posting training/gear updates between now and then along with the usual topics of work, racing, inefficiency of cars, etc. Stay tuned!

Gravel and High Points

While researching Thacker Mountain - a known high point near the Whirlpool Trails - I came across this website. Apparently some people make a hobby out of finding local high points in places where there are no mountains to summit. Thacker "Mountain" is one of the high points listed, but unfortunately, it is now private property. The other two high points listed for Lafayette County are off of some back-roads in Holly Springs National Forest.

Fast forward a few months, and I finally decide to go explore the area and maybe get lost on some dirt roads. There's been a recent rise in popularity of riding road bikes on gravel/dirt roads, so I figured I'd see what the fuss was all about and took the road bike.

Getting to the county road that goes into Holly Springs, requires about two miles of travel on Hwy 30, which isn't a major highway but still has plenty of drivers who are in a hurry. After getting off the highway as quickly as possible, I find out that there's a logging operation on the narrow road of CR 225. Great. About a mile after the deforestation, things get really quiet and the road turns to gravel. The only sounds are my breathing, the wind in the tops of the pine trees, and rocks shooting out from under my high pressure tires as I slowly grind up the biggest hill I've seen near Oxford.

The road finally levels off. The two high points are nearby, but I can't distinguish which hill tops are the highest. A couple of times, I get off to scramble up the hill in search of the survey marker but no luck. Back on the bike, the road smooths out to hard-packed dirt and I pick up speed. Too much speed as the road quickly turns back to chunky gravel. I feel rim hit rock multiple times before I can stop. Pinch flat. Luckily it was only the front wheel, and I had a spare tube.

I'd have to be more careful for the rest of the ride. More chunky gravel. I realize I brought the wrong tool for this job and decide to head back to civilization. I find some (rough) pavement again and come up on a turn that will take me back towards town when two dogs start barking at me. No big deal, they're not acting aggressively, just barking. Except there's another sound. A few hundred pound pig comes out of the woods, blocking my way and trotting towards me, grunting. Now, I'm unfamiliar with the do's and dont's around livestock. All I know is big heavy animals can trample me. I turn the other way and ride away from it, but it keeps following me. I gain enough ground to check the map; a possible detour would add several miles to the trip and dump me out in a bad place on Hwy 30. Taking my chances with the pig, I ride towards it slowly as it trots towards me, now near the edge of the road. I get as close as I dare, then sprint passed it. Passed the dogs who've settled down.

I climb a big hill up to the highway, cross it, and descend again. The road starts to level out, and I see more gravel up ahead. No big deal, I'll just go slow. But there's something else. A big dog barking aggressively and leading a small pack, all running full speed trying to head me off. The logical decision here is to slow down and face the dogs, since most dogs just want to bark. Unfortunately, my fight or flight response system overrides any logical thinking. Since I'm already moving at a good speed and know I can out-sprint a dog, my brain selects flight. I press harder on the pedals and hit the gravel at almost 30mph. I'll admit, running on adrenaline and sprinting away from a big dog on an unstable surface was pretty exciting and a little bit fun.

I get chased for about a quarter mile before he lets up. I slow down only to find the other thing I was afraid of. Another pinch flat. Now I'm stranded in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, a cycling club member came through for me and picked me up. Good thing I had a phone. It would've been a long walk back.

I didn't get to explore nearly as much as I wanted, but at least I now know that there are some cool gravel roads in the area. I'll have to rethink how to get to them though. And bring a better bike next time. A cross bike would be ok, but that gravel is thick enough that a geared mountain bike wouldn't be overkill. Also, there were some closed and abandoned double track trails that looked interesting. I may start making frequent rides out there as the area seems to be a good place to train for the Trans North Georgia! More on that next time.

Lesson learned: road bikes and gravel don't mix. I don't care what others say.

Carless?

I've recently convinced myself that I don't need a car. Oxford is actually a great town for bike commuting, and I've even trained Lucy to ride in a basket. For those few out of town trips, I could ride with friends, rent a car, or if I have time, bikepack. The remaining issue is what to do on mornings like this. It's 40 degrees and pouring rain, nevermind the lightning. Fortunately, this morning I was able to stay home and work towards perfecting my waffle recipe*. But, the day will come when I need to be somewhere.

My current residence is a mile from the bus stop and about 2.5 from campus. Even if I drove to campus, it's still at least a 5 minute walk to class. Might as well just ride. I've got fenders, a good rain jacket, and waterproof boots. I usually feel goofy in rain pants, but they might be warranted on days like this.

Eventhough I don't need a car, I have to admit they are quite convenient at times. They're also extremely expensive when you add up all the associated costs. My little truck is about 40% of my monthly expenses**. Too much for something that stays in the driveway most days. I at least want to downsize. I don't need a car that's big enough to live in.

Another interesting way to think about it is in terms of miles driven divided by hours spent driving plus hours spent working to pay for said car, shown here. The numbers may need some adjusting, but the outcome is that driving and biking equate to about the same speed. Except with biking you end up with more money and better fitness. When did we start thinking that everyone 16+ must have a car? I suppose it comes down to status symbols, indoctrination, bad urban development, yada, yada...

*At the heart of cooking is simple chemistry and thermodynamics. So what makes a lighter crispier waffle? Thinner batter with more oil for crispiness, baking powder for more expansion, and a higher temperature because a lighter waffle doesn't take as long to cook. Also, a waffle maker with more thermal mass would probably produce more consistent waffles.

**Of course that will go down when it's paid off with minimal insurance, but I would still need to budget for repairs.

It Begins Again

The search for the perfect mountain bike. N + 1. Although in this case N isn't really changing since I'm parting out my hardtail. There's also another saying, "as the number of bikes owned increases so do the odds that none of those bikes are working correctly".

As of this moment that rings more true than ever. I bought a new saddle for my road bike, but it didn't fit the seatpost. So, I swapped it for the seatpost on my single speed, but being a setback post, it puts me too far back on my road bike. Also, my road bike seatpost is too short for my single speed. On top of that, my hardtail is completely disassembled in my bedroom right next to 2/3rds of an old steel road bike. It's starting to look like a bike shop in there. Seriously. Tools in one corner, frames/wheels in another, small parts in a third corner, and a bed somewhere in the mix.
#firstworldproblems

On the positive side, my new fork arrived. It's bigger, stronger, and lighter. I've come to the conclusion that if your going to have multiple bikes, they need to be different or at least serve different purposes. A short travel hardtail is just too similar to my rigid bike, but there's also another problem with hardtails. A rigid bike can corner well because it slides predictably; both wheels have similar traction. But with a hardtail, the front wheel has better traction than the rear. One can equalize the traction by increasing the spring rate or increasing the compression damping at the loss of some of the benefits of suspension. In theory, a full suspension bike should have better and equal traction front and rear.

I'll be ordering the wheels and frame in the next month or so. I should be able to get it dialed just in time for next race season.