"Michael Dart" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
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>
> "John Grossbohlin" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
>
news:[email protected]...
> >
> > "Michael Dart" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > >
> > > "whahoo" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
> > >
news:[email protected]...
> > > > Has any of tried the new 2004 Fox rear shock with the Pro Pedal Dampening. It's supposed to
> > > > filter out any rider induced bob while pedaling. I think they're offering the same thing the
> > > > Specialized
Epic
> > > > with the Ergo Brain offers. Any insight?
> > >
> > > I haven't ridden it yet but believe it's supposed to compete with Progressive's 5th Element
> > > stable platform shocks. There are no
> > adjustments
> > > to fiddle with (Fox's selling point) so you take what you get. The
5th
> is
> > 5
> > > way adjustable (6 if you count spring preload like Manitou does) and
the
> > > adjustments really work. The Ergo Brain is more of an automatic
lockout
> > > that doesn't open up until after the first hit. It rides like a
> hardtail
> > > until you slam a bump and the valve opens up allowing the shock to
work
> > for
> > > the next bump (assuming there is one).
> > >
> > > Mike
> >
> > I've got a Specialized Epic with the Fox fork and rear shock
(Specialized
> > sent dealers the Fox fork separately as a no-cost upgrade from the
Manitou
> > Skareb Comp fork). Mike's last statement isn't quite accurate... the
> inertia
> > valve opens on the bump and the shock works on that bump, not opens on
one
> > bump and the shock works on the next bump. I think that the typical
> inertia
> > seat belt in an automobile is a reasonable example in reverse... stop
> quick
> > enough and the inertia mechanism stops the seat belt from moving on that stop, not on the next
> > stop. The seat belts wouldn't be much good in an accident if you had to wait until the next
> > accident for them to work...
> much
> > the same with the Fox rear shock!
> >
> > BTW, it was this new technology that finally convinced me to buy my
third
> > mountain bike... bobbing with full suspension and having a bouncy rear
end
> > with suspension in the front only just didn't appeal to me. After having ridden full Reynolds,
> > full Campy, tubular clad road bikes and a decent hardtail Mountain bike for years, it was hard
> > to convince me it was
worth
> > upgrading from my old mountain bike. I had the first mountain bike for a year, the second one
> > for about 20 years (with a lot of upgrades and maintenance over the years) and now the Epic and
> > a Specialized road
bike.
> >
> > John
> >
>
> I think we're two examples of different impressions of the Epic I've
heard.
> I'm coming more from a downhiller full plush bike perspective and you're more hardtail, road bike.
> I didn't like the hardtail/locked out feeling
of
> the epic and wasn't interested in giving up a plush ride for pedaling efficiency. I did give it a
> test ride on a real trail and it just didn't
do
> it for me. I guess it's more what you're used to. Compared to what I normally ride that was the
> impression the inertia valve gave me. I like
the
> Progressive system more in that I can feel it resisting pedaling forces, putting more power to the
> wheel, but it is still active.
>
> Mike
Mike,
You're onto something there... the downhiller "ride" is exactly what I wasn't looking for! Where and
how I ride makes uphill efficiency more important than downhill comfort--I'm old school "stand up
and hang your butt out" on the down hill stretches and am more interested in making it down safely
than I am in hitting 60 mph...
John