K2 / Proflex Riders Group
General => Tech Forum => Topic started by: Carbon_Kiwi on March 10, 2003, 10:55:34 am
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hey guys,
well - thanks to my friend epac, i've got an oZm frame winging it's way to me at this very moment!! ;D
so it's now time for me to start thinking about a new shock for it.
i'm average height/weight, riding style is xc, and i tend to be very light on my gear [i've never had any breakages of any kind].
so i'm thinking something lightweight, with compression/rebound adjustment [lock out doesn't really bother me], so to this end i was thinking a fox float [currently an nr2 on there].
i would of quite happily just swapped my 957's nr4 over to my oZ, but of course it won't fit.
can anyone give me the length/stroke specs etc, or anything else i need to consider? just so i can start tracking the prices of shocks on ebay so i know what sort of $$ i'll be expecting to pay...
oh yeah - i've got a 100mm duke xc fork, so maybe something complimentary to this??
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a FOX float RL might be a good choice for you...
good luck..
http://www.foxracingshox.com/mountainbike/html/airshocks.html
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yep - was thinking of this one IFO.
what about the rock shox rear air shocks??
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Progressive Suspension 5th Element!
If I recall, you want an 8.25 inch i2i with anything over 2 inches of stroke. The 5th element from a Santa Cruz Bullit will fit - that's what OP has on his.
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if you are XC type rider, maybe an Astro 5 (Risse) would suit you best. it has a matching i2i and stroke (or very close) to the Nr, too. if you are going to continue to do your xc ridsing style you will want to keep things pretty close to the Nr i2i and stroke
the 5th is a nice shock, set up right, too
a 100mm float forx would be sweet for the front
i envy your predicament :P
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actually teh rockshoX SiD Air shock is a realyl nice unit..
it has the best air valaving in teh world of air shocks..
if u can get one long enuf thats a fine choice.. :-/.
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Cool, how is the frame being shipped? ;D
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excellent - quite a few leads to follow up on there, thanks guys ;)
jimbo - the frame is coming airfreight, plain old united states postal service. not fedex or ups, they were 3 - 5x more expensive!
epac was great, if it wasn't for his hard work - this wouldn't be happening, so i owe him ;)
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personal opinion -
set the bike up and run it stock. keep your eye out for a good upgrade shock over time and try to snag one at your price. many shocks come an go over time and there's no real sense in changing the shock right up front. with the current state of technology upgrades in the shock industry, many of todays hottest items will be discards not long down the trail as mtb buffs try to keep up with the latest and greatest.
i've passed on many items 'cause i didn't get it at my price, used. but i've had much success staying on something that didn't sell and was still sitting in someone's box in their garage - cheap.
plus, you'll have the added benefit of seeing what the bike rode like stock and then you'll really appreciate the upgrade, whatever that will be.
congrats on the big score. (and yeah, the one in the box is gonna stay there for a while - not for sale)
OP
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OP is right on the "money" here-I've seen two 5th Elements, brand new and the proper i to i, go for $250-275 on MTBR so bide your time.
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I think you should go for the fox. It is a really nice shock dosent bob much to notice and can handle anything you can. 8) enjoy!
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yeah - i will bide my time [my maxed out visa gives me no other option] ;)
so will ride stock over autumn/winter and then will probably look at a fox late winter/early spring.
most of my training will be in the gym or on the road from now on anyway ;)
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Southern_Kiwi is it fall in New Zeland right now?
and how do you like living there, were you born there too?
Just wandering, can't stay that damn[smiley=bleh.gif] cold here in Chicago, want to move somethere, thinking about Hawaii or maybe South Cali.
New Zeland probably great too, looks like it from everything I've seen in lord of the rings.
peace,
Vitaliy.
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hey Vitality :)
yep - it's just about to turn into autumn [fall]
do i like living here? well, i wouldn't live anywhere else to tell u the truth.
check out my gallery, i added a pic there yesterday from my sunday ride, it'll give u an idea of y i like this country so much.
i am biased of course, cause i was born here too ;)
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New Zeland looks beautiful[smiley=nod.gif],
(http://idriders.com/proflex/galleries/Southern_Kiwi/072.jpg)
maybe one day i'll come there for vocation.
How cold is it in winter? Do you have any snow?
Thanks.
P.S. BTW is it your picture in forum
(http://www.southlanddcwaste.govt.nz/images/074.jpg)
I guess it is. [smiley=laughing.gif]
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Risse Astro 5 has been very good to me.
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yeah - pretty amazing huh.
and yes - we do get snow, although not very often where i am [i'm at sea level] - but that means i get to go surfing in the summer as well ;)
the beach is about 10 min away.
the spot in the picture is about a 1.5 hr drive and 40 minute boat ride from here...
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Hi I have a Nr4 on my 4500 and its been pretty good to me in the UK, but it has blow a head seal and the spring wore into the piggy back resevoir and had to be repaired, I'm saving for a Risse astro 5 you get a custom revalve on purchase in the UK plus they are lighter if that sort of thing is important to you. Simon.
[smiley=laughing.gif]
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how about this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2718431331&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1
???
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That's the one i was thinking to get too, i think they took it of from some other bike beacuse it's an OEM only model(means come only as original eqipment on new bikes, not sold as aftermarket) shock, if you check http://www.foxracingshox.com/mountainbike/html/shocks.html you will see that only OE (original eqipment) doesn't have have red color on decal like here (http://www.foxracingshox.com/mountainbike/images/float_Small.jpeg)
you can learn some more info from that link, cuz i posted same question about 2 weeks ago
http://idriders.com/cgi-bin/YaBB_K2/YaBB.pl?board=news;action=display;num=1046515321
Good Luck on bidding, I thinking to get one too from same seller, it seems like he have more than a few( he was selling a lot of them for about month now).
Maybe in cople of weeks, after I'll get my taxes back (if i'll get any).
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Be careful here-there's grinding to be done for this Fox to fit. Look in our galleries to see someone who's done it. BTW I recall him saying engineer friends from work did calculations showing the grinding would not affect strength of the lower mount. Please let us know how the ride is.
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Simon -
take an old handlebar grip and cut about a 3/8" to 1/2" section. slide it over the reservoir up to near near the top of the spring. spin the spring as you move it up the reserviour and let it sit near the top of the spring wedged between the coils - this will keep the spring from rubbing into the reservoir and keeps that noise down as well
(http://home.pacbell.net/nph/nr-4_keeper.jpg)
works great
OP
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hey southn kiwi,where abouts are you and where is that pic taken????
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hey Kiwi,
i'm way down in Invercargill. i was in Auckland the past week for biz & couldn't wait 2 get back home!
lived in wellington 4 a while [loved it], if i was gonna live in a 'city' wellington would b it.
the pic was taken on top of the wilmont pass, looking down in2 doubtful sound [deep cove].
awesome ride, i have loads more pics that i'll get online shortly...
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Be careful here-there's grinding to be done for this Fox to fit. Look in our galleries to see someone who's done it. BTW I recall him saying engineer friends from work did calculations showing the grinding would not affect strength of the lower mount. Please let us know how the ride is.
Can you find this in the galleries? I'm curious since I would say the Fox RL is the best afermarket shock out there, but I never thought it fit the k2 Oz frame.
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It's in the files.
http://idriders.com/proflex/files/102-0226_IMG.JPG
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ok - the fox float. has anyone ever thought of getting a little alloy extension/adaptor machined so that no grinding needs to be done?
i haven't taken too hard a look at it yet, but maybe [if it was feasible] it might also bring the eye to eye up to the same length as the original noleen...???
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It's in the files.
[url]http://idriders.com/proflex/files/102-0226_IMG.JPG[/url]
Thanks. So it's the air valve hitting the lower mount...
I can't quite see why it can't be rotated and fit better. I don't mean flipped, so the air valve is at the top mount. I mean rotated so the valve is closer to the wheel.
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wouldn't you then have a problem with the lock out lever or the damping knob [depending on which model fox you get]???
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I'd go for a Vanilla RC, I can't see you are going to notice much in the extra weight, I'm not sure about fitting of a RC on a OZ but supergo have them cheap at the moment, The Fox is the best upgrade I've ever did to my Evo, I guess it comes down to if you want abit bit more travel or not I can't see that it would a bad thing even if you only want to do crosscountry. dmc