care of sprung forks

[tgame]

I've never had sprung forks before, and the information that came with my Agattu is not very informative. Is there anything in particular that I should know about in terms of care and maintenance?

 

[flecc]

Probably the main thing is cleanliness of the sliders Tony, wiping off any dirt coating which can jam and wear the sliding join, preferably using a damp cloth. In general good forks should work trouble free for years.
.

 

[Joe]

a job the smallest kalkhoff does for you with the gaiters. i wonder why they were omitted from the larger wheel versions

 

[flecc]

I thgink it is a clearance problem Joe, the brake just a touch to close for the gaiter folds when under compression.

Personally that doesn't worry me and I prefer a rear mounted brake acting against the fork leg where there's room, minimising any chance of brake judder.

Motorbikes have almost never used gaiters, relying on the self cleaning action of precision slider sleeves, though admittedly cycle forks are nowhere near as well made usually.
.

 

[Joe]

right enough flecc though the east europeans liked a good gaiter (mz/cz etc).
and if you can see them you will likely clean them more often.

 

[tgame]

Thanks, Flecc. That is reassuring. I have been trying to sort out the German in some of the stuff I got and I'm all of a gewarlleisachtungwarts! I was looking at those forks this morning and wondering if I ought to have done things to them before starting to ride at all. In spite of my weight which must clearly give them a hard time, they seem to work extremely well.

 

[flecc]

right enough flecc though the east europeans liked a good gaiter (mz/cz etc).
and if you can see them you will likely clean them more often.

Yes, it was CZ I was thinking of when I typed "almost never used gaiters".

But then, they were always a bit weird.
.

 

[Joe]

i came close to that weirdness but eventually settled on a mz. a very particularly starting proceedure or it wouldnt. but big gaiters and full chainguard.

back to bicycles. flecc, based on your agattu review where comfort of wide tyres and sprung forks could do a good job on your local ravaged road surfaces would you opt for that model or go for a pro connect if you were in the market for a kalkhoff?

 

[flecc]

That's really a very personal choice issue Joe. I'd be likely to buy the Pro-Connect since I am a bit of a purist where suspension is concerned, and that would also be influenced by the fact that my Q bike does all the utility work so the Pro-Connect would just be an occasional distance riding pleasure bike.

If it was to be used for all my local utility work, shopping, the odd bit of load carrying or towing etc., I'd probably chose the step-through Agattu for the sheer convenience of that, though I'd still have the forks set hard!
.

 

[Footie]

I have suspension forks on my bike and your thread got me thinking.

An Internet search came up with the following advice.

Manufacturer's recommendations for servicing of suspension forks are typically measured in hours of use, often as low as 20 to 40 hours. For competition and severe off road riding prompt maintenance is critical. For most users however, its suggest a complete fork overhaul every 12 months or so. If travel becomes stiff then cleaning and greasing is appropriate. If there is play in the legs then wear has occurred in the bushes, with possible damage to the sliders, and more specialized overhaul is needed

It would seem to be down to how much use the bike gets.

I would think that most users are ok for a few years at least (like flecc says), just keep them clean, etc and watch for any problems.
.

 

[jimmyengland1000]

Thanks, Flecc. That is reassuring. I have been trying to sort out the German in some of the stuff I got and I'm all of a gewarlleisachtungwarts! I was looking at those forks this morning and wondering if I ought to have done things to them before starting to ride at all. In spite of my weight which must clearly give them a hard time, they seem to work extremely well.

Try this Dictionary.com/Translator I found it to be quite accurate and occasionally hilarious...