C3 Di Pameran Sepeda KOARMABAR

Hari ini , Selasa 18 Januari 2011 komunitas kita Cibubur Cycling Community ( C3 ) kembali membuat kegiatan. Kali ini kita ikut mendukung program Pemasyarakatan Olah Raga Bersepeda di kalangan Perwira dan Prajurit TNI AL. Tidak tanggung tanggung sebagai komunitas sepeda yang terbesar dikawasan Cibubur dan sekitarnya C3 menggelar pameran bersama dengan produsen dan toko sepeda diantaranya POLYGON , Jericho , Koperasi TNI AL dll.

 

Pameran Sepeda KOARMABAR 2011 bertema ” SAYANGI JANTUNGMU DENGAN BERSEPEDA ” , dan dengan olah raga bersepeda kita akan mendapatkan kesehatan ( FIT ) dan kesenangan ( FUN ). Dengan demikian bukan hanya jantungnya saja yang sehat, tetapi jiwa kita pun ikut sehat karena dengan mengayuh sepeda bersama sama maka hati kita akan selalu dalam suasana yang menyenangkan.

Pameran ini berlangsung mulai tgl. 18 – s/d – 19 Januari 2011, bertempat di Sport club KOARMABAR TNI AL, Jl. Gunung Sahari no. 67 Jakarta Pusat.

Dimana pada waktu pembukaan pameran di sajikan atraksi Free Style BMX Indonesia dan iringan musik organ tunggal.

Di stand CIBUBUR CYCLING COMMUNITY dipamerkan berbagai aneka sepeda mulai dari sepeda Cross Country , sepeda All Mountain , sepeda Down Hill , sepeda Lipat, frame sepeda dll , termasuk pernak pernik tas punggung, helm , dan aksesories lainnya. Untuk melayani pengunjung stand C3 di jaga oleh dua orang SPG cantik Amel dan Erlyn, dihari kedua Amel digantikan oleh Arlestia.

 

  

Yang menarik di stand ini terpampang Spanduk : ” CIBUBUR CYCLING COMMUNITY , Komunitas sepeda terbesar di Cibubur ”. Spanduk ini terpasang ditengah atas stand sebagai pertanda stand C3. Di dinding stand dipajang dokumentasi photo – photo kegiatan Cibubur Cycling Community mulai dari Jumpa Komunitas C3 pertama , Jumpa komunitas C3 ke dua , gowes pasca lebaran ke RA , gowes akhir tahun mlipir toll keBogor sampai C3 ikut serta acara launching jalur baru New RA.

Tujuan Cibubur Cycling Community mengikuti pameran ini adalah sebagai rasa ikut aktif memasyarakatkan olah raga bersepeda , dimana dengan memberikan pengetahuan mengenai sepeda , teknik bersepeda dan calon pesepeda melihat langsung serta merasakan test drive akan lebih memudahkan mengambil keputusan mengikuti olah raga bersepeda dengan benar.

Hadir dalam pameran ini adalah para perwira dan prajurit TNI AL dimana stand Cibubur Cycling Community juga berkenan dikunjungi oleh Panglima Armabar : Laksamana Muda Hari Bowo Msc. Dengan didampingi oleh Dewan Suro C3 om Kolonel Suyono Thamrin dan om Anang , serta dipandu oleh sahabat kita om Trijono dari Jati Asih dengan penuh antusias seperti anak muda, Panglima kita mencoba sepeda mulai dari yang XC sampai sepeda DH.

Untuk memberikan semangat kepada om Anang , om Rudy Raw , om Trijono yang mempersiapkan acara ini dengan sangat rapi maka saya dan para senior Cibubur Cycling Community hadir mendampingi pameran hari pertama ini. Om Febby , Om Ogel ( Sebex ) , Om Rudy ( Jamcy ) , om Daniel ikut juga memberikan informasi kepada para pengunjung stand pameran bersama dengan dua orang dara cantik yang bertugas sebagai Female Presenter ( SPG ) nona Amel dan Rizky.

Salam C3 Fit & Fun ,

Eddy Susanto
Cibubur Cycling Community

Kategori Bersepedanya Om TT

Sedikit tulisan yang mudah-mudahan berguna buat kita semua. 

Ada beberapa kategori bersepeda, dan yang saya ketahui antara lain Fun Bike, Cross Country, Up-Hill, All-Mountain, Down-Hill, seperti-nya dari 5 jenis ini yang lebih dikenal dan familiar buat kita.

FUN BIKE - Untuk kategori ini dijamin semua jenis sepeda dapat kita gunakan, dan tidak ada batasan umur (cowok/cewek, anak2, orang dewasa, kakek/nenek semua bisa ikut), selain bisa berkumpul dengan teman, FUN sudah pasti dan Sehat juga didapat, apalagi kalau bisa dapat hadiah-nya ehm… bukan main senang-nya ;)

Kadang FUN-Bike buat kita identik sekali dengan sebuat Even besar, padahal dengan komunitas kecil-pun bisa dilakukan (Gowes + Kuliner).

Bahaya/Kecelakaan??? BISA/SEDIKIT sekali kemungkinan untuk ini, karena biasanya kecepatan sepeda hanya sekian KM/jam saja, karena lebih bersifat kebersamaan yang ujung-ujung-nya mudah-mudahan hadiah-nya jatuh ke gue hick!.

CROSS COUNTRY - Untuk kategori ini semua umur (cowok/cewek, anak2, orang dewasa, kakek/nenek semua masih bisa ikut),, hanya jenis sepeda sudah mulai ditentukan (XC-Hardtail/Fulsus), walau ada juga beberapa yang masih memakai jenis sepeda RETRO (jenis sepeda Merk FEDERAL - dulu ngetop banget dah) hanya kurang nyaman kalau harus melalui Trek Off-Road atau Makadam/berbatuan, karena Fork yang digunakan solit atau tidak menggunakan shockbreaker.

Bahaya/Kecelakan??? BISA terjadi jika tidak menggunakan sepeda yang bukan peruntukan-nya, karena untuk kategori ini sudah mulai dituntut tekhnik dan kepiawaian si pengendara dalam bersepeda, antara lain : Permainan Siffter (pemindahan GIR - bahasa gampang-nya gitu deh) sudah mulai lebih aktif, keseimbangan badan juga sudah mulai dituntut di-saat melintas Trek Of-Road kering maupun basah, Trek mendaki/menurun.

ALL-MOUNTAIN - Untuk kategori ini di dominasi oleh cowok/cewek dewasa seperti-nya(mungkin kita sangat familiar denga trek untuk kategori sepeda ini RA/TW1/TW2/TW3.

Bahaya/Kecelakaan??? BISA banget jika kita tidak menggunakan jenis sepeda yang juga sudah mempunyai spesifikasi khusus, artinya travel fork diatas 120mm, Full-Sus, ukuran Ban dst… sampai dengan pemakaian Body Protector, karena Trek yang disuguhkan lebih di dominasi oleh turunan Off-Road, Makadam/berbatuan dengan konsisi basah/lembab.

Kepiawaian si pengedara jelas lebih di utamakan, dimana ke-seimbangan badan dan konsentrasi juga di tuntuk banyak.

UP-HILL - Untuk Kategori ini (cowok/cewek, orang dewasa, kakek/nenek semua masih bisa ikut) hanya umur sudah mulai di batasi (mungkin max.65th kali ya) dan sepeda yang digunakan lebih spesifikasi lagi, mulai jenis sepeda-nya sampai komponen-nya itu sendiri, ukuran Ban, HandleBar, TravelFork, sampai-sampai berat dari sepeda itu menjadi bagian terpenting (untuk jenis sepeda MTB).

Bahaya/Kecelakaan??? BISA terjadi dimana dan kapanpun, jika tidak dapat mengukur kemampuan/memaksakan diri untuk tetap bertahan tidak berhenti, terus aja nge-gowes disaat kondisi tubuh sudah tidak memungkinkan (biasa-nya berhubungan dengan JANTUNG) lebih di sarankan untuk selalu memakai alat pengukur pacu jantung jika ada, kalau tidak ya harus berfikir secara rasional aja deh ;) kapan saat-nya berhenti untuk ber-istirahat. Manaklukan Tanjakan, bukan berarti nge-gowes tidak berhenti sampai Finish/TOP-nya.

DOWN-HILL - Untuk Kategori ini lebih khusus lagi dan khusus buat yang muda-muda aja kali ya, selain SEPEDA-nya, HARGA-nya, sampai PERLENGAKAPAN-nya juga semua serba KHUSUS ;))) Gak banyak yang saya tahu untuk kategori ini.

Bahaya/Kecelakaan??? BANYAK walau kita sudah menggunakan sepeda yang memang untuk peruntukan-nya, dimana semua Trek turunan Off-Road dengan Single Trek dan Drop-Off (bener gak ya tulisan-nya), bahasa gampang-nya ajrut-ajrutan ;) Tekhnik dan kepiawaian sipengendara benar-benar di tuntut banyak dan lebih, dari cara berkendara sampai tekhnik melakukan drop-off yang benar.

Pada akhir-nya saya hanya dapat menghimbau kepada semua teman-teman C3, dari semua kategari ini tinggal kita yang pilih mau bermain dimana, dengan sepeda jenis apa, umur kita berapa, kemampuan kita bagaimana dan seterusnya, mungkin ini awal dari cara Mudah, Sehat & Selamat dalam bersepeda.

Gunakanlah sepeda yang memang untuk peruntukan-nya, kadang sengaja atau tidak justru kita yang melanggar dan mendekati bahaya yang berakibat mencelakakan diri sendiri.

Mohon maaf jika ada kekurangan dan kesalahan dalam bahasa, mohon pencerahan dari para Dewan Suro, dan para Pakar Sepeda C3.

Salam Safety Riding, Fit and Fun.

BH-nya TT.

Berikut ini tanggapan Om Anang dan Om Yani terkait tulisan Om Toto di atas:

Dear All,
Sekedar menambahkan ulasan Om Toto yakni ada 3(tiga) cara agar kita dapat bermain sepeda dengan nyaman dan benar
1. Cara mendapatkan sepeda
2. Cara memelihara sepeda
3. Cara memahami sepeda dan bersepeda
Akan saya coba kupas satu persatu sbb:
1. Cara mendapatkan sepeda :
Yg ini jelas sudah tau semua gak perlu detail saya jelaskan yakni datang ke penjual sepeda dan atau dapat hibah. Selain itu hukum nya Haram serta dapat kena deportasi dari republic C3 ke Republik tetangga untuk proses KUHP
2. Cara memelihara sepeda :
Yg ini juga gak perlu panjang penjelasan karena setelah punya sepeda tentu akan gaul dengan sesama goweser
dan akan terjadi komunikasi hal2 persepedahan termasuk pemeliharaanya tapi yg penting setelah memiliki sepeda harus di pake jangan di angkrakin krn Itu termasuk tidak memelihara dll
3. Cara memahami sepeda dan bersepeda:
Nah yang ini perlu saya kupas tuntas tentang berbagai hal2 dan pandangan2 serta uraian2 sehingga kita rakyat
Republik ini punya pemahaman cukup dan tidak salah. Namun masalah ini akan coba saya Paparkan nanti di Majalah C3 edisi pertama …………Penasaran kan...qiqiqiqiqqiqiiqiq
Note : kalo yg sudah punya bahan boleh silahken menjelasken tentang point 3

Salam Bodor
Anang

Om Yani wrote:

Ada yg kurang nih Om Anang, bagaimana cara tuker tambah yang baik. Misalnya kita pingin sepeda trek, tapi punyanya firebird.

Langkah 1. Cari temen yg mau firebird.
Langkah 2. Bujuk rayu temen supaya mau tuker firebird dgn rocky mountain.
Langkah 3. Cari temen yg punya sepeda trek.
Langkah 4. Bujuk rayu temen supaya mau pakai rocky mountain.
Langkah 5. Tuker rocky mountain dgn trek.
Langkah 6. Kalau bosen trek, ulang lagi ke langkah 1. Begitu dan seterusnya.
Prinsip utama tukar tambah adalah saling menguntungkan dan tidak boleh keluar uang. Gitu Om. Mantab kan. Hahahaha.....
Xixixi... Top dah om Anang.

Do I need Clipless pedals? Which ones? How much will they cost? Will they cause me to fall over when I stop?

Whether you're looking at a road, mountain or hybrid bike, there may be a clipless pedal in your future. But before we get into details, we need to point out why pedals & shoes are so important, and then define what a clipless pedal is!

The pedals on your bike really serve only one purpose- as a means to transfer power from you to your bicycle. For riding around the block, they don't need to be very fancy...just plastic blocks with grooves or teeth to plant your feet onto. But if you want to go on longer rides (anything over 10 miles), you'll benefit greatly from something better, because:
Without something holding your foot securely to the pedal, it would be easy to slip off the pedal and send your foot into the wheel. Not so likely to happen on a trip around the block, but on a longer ride, when you're tired...
There is a correct placement for the position of your foot over the pedal axle
A good pedal/shoe system has to be able to transfer all of the power from your leg to the pedals without trying to bend your foot over the top of the pedal, which causes both fatigue and pain
You shouldn't have to think about how your feet connect to the bicycle while you're riding. You should be concentrating on having fun, not technique!

In the old days, bike pedals either were plain (with no straps to hold your foot in place) or they had toe clips & straps. The toe clip was usually steel (most are now plastic) and formed a space, or box, at the front side of the pedal that you slid your foot into. Keeping your foot there is the responsibility of either a leather or nylon mesh strap, which you can pull tight when you wanted to make sure your foot stays in place, or loosen so you can get your foot out when you stop.

Toe clips & straps are still the norm for nearly all bikes between $350 and $1000. They're very inexpensive and don't require the use of a special shoe. But when used with conventional shoes, they tend to focus pedal forces onto a small part of the bottom of your foot, creating fatigue & pain on longer rides as your foot tries to bend itself around the pedal. Also, if the straps are not loosened as you come to a stop... Of course, you can always leave the straps loose, but then your feet don't stay in place without conscious effort to keep them on the pedals. And if you've tightened them down, you need to reach down and loosen them prior to stopping (a somewhat risky operation).

It's time to enter the clipless pedal revolution!

With a clipless pedal system, you wear special cycling shoes (but don't let "special" put you off...many look similar to normal hiking or walking shoes!) that allow a "cleat" to be mounted to their sole. This cleat literally snaps into a receptacle on the pedal, allowing you to quickly (and without having to reach down!) connect your shoes to the pedals and take off.

But, of course, you weren't worried about taking off...you're more concerned about stopping without falling over! Well, that's far more easily accomplished with a properly-chosen and adjusted clipless pedal system than it would be with toe clips & straps. With nearly every clipless pedal on the market, all you need to do is pivot your heel outward and you snap right out of the pedals. It's that easy!

What about the shoes? What makes them so special?

A high-quality cycling shoe is designed to be lightweight, comfortable (some optimizing comfort for both riding and walking, while others are made for riding only), and efficient at transferring power from you to your bicycle without pain & fatigue. Popular brands include Nike, Shimano & Sidi (which, not coincidentally, are all lines Chain Reaction carries!), and prices range from $70-$350. Their durability is very good, and the workmanship is generally as good as, and sometimes better than, normal street shoes selling in the same price range.

And the different pedal systems?

There are two basic choices-
Cycling-only pedal/shoe systems, which will have a cleat that mounts below the shoe and is optimized for cycling (and will send you sliding across the freshly-waxed floors at Robert's supermarket in Woodside if you're not careful...just grab for something in the middle of one of those row-end displays on your way down!). These were designed originally for road bikes, and are inappropriate for mountain bikes, where getting off and walking occurs frequently.
The newer systems featuring a cleat that's recessed into the bottom of the shoe, allowing you to walk normally when required. These were initially designed for mountain bikes, but find their way onto more than half of the road bikes we sell as people like the convenience of being able to walk around without slipping or sounding like a tap dancer (which is what exposed cleats sound like on wood or concrete floors).

Why would you want a shoe that has an exposed cleat (making walking around impractical) when you can opt for one that's recessed? Mostly because the shoes will be a bit lighter weight (there's no extra rubber on the bottom of the sole, just a plastic bottom that the cleat mounts onto) and also because, with some systems (LOOK & Speedplay, for example), the interface between the shoe and pedal is larger and gives a more solid feeling while pedaling. However, great strides have been made with the recessed cleat designs, and they are now almost as light and efficient as the non-recessed designs.

What do the pedals cost?

For non-recessed (cycling-only) designs, very high quality pedals start around $80 for a basic LOOK pedal, to $125-$200 for the newer, lighter Shimano SL and Speedplays. All represent excellent choices and offer what's known as a "floating" cleat. This type of cleat is one of the most wonderful things to come along to cycling in years; it allows your foot and knee to determine their own alignment on the pedal, which is extraordinarily important in reducing knee stress and pain. Prior to these designs, an improperly-set cleat could actually cause serious knee injury!

For recessed-cleat designs, there are a number of designs out there, but it's tough to do much better than the basic Shimano SPD. Prices have come way down, with just $50 buying a great pedal (Shimano's M520). These are all dual-sided, meaning that you can step in from either the top or bottom, and, while originally designed for mountain bikes, are equally at home on road bikes. They also have rotational float, which makes them much easier on the knees than earlier designs.

Great deals that aren't. There are many other recessed-cleat pedals, but we generally don't recommend them because, in our experience, they are frequently far more difficult to get into and out of (Onza and Tioga are great examples from the past) and difficult to find cleats for due to continuous running changes in their designs. We've also seen some copycat Shimano-like pedals made for a major mailorder company. At first inspection they look pretty nice, but they interface very poorly with shoes. Check it out...a recessed-cleat pedal/shoe design requires that the shoe be supported at the outside edges of the pedal to keep from flopping around. But on these pedals and many shoes we've tried, the sole of the shoe sits well above the pedal, so the only thing supporting your foot is the tiny cleat itself. This is not enough for proper support; you get an uncomfortable, excessively-wobbly feel while pedaling. And they're not even that cheap, at $40/pair...sure, it's maybe $10 less than some others, but it's a bad place to save a small amount of money.

Proper cleat placement is important, even though the new floating-cleat designs have made it far less critical. There are basically two things to set up- approximate cleat angle and fore/aft positioning.

For the angle, we generally set up the cleats so that, when the shoe is moved inwards, your ankle won't quite hit the crank. With this position, all the pedal systems we offer allow a significant outward angle from neutral (in line with the bike), meaning that your foot can go just about anyplace it wants to. The only reason for changing the cleat position so it allows less outward movement is for those who have difficulty moving their heels out far enough to exit the pedals.

For fore/aft, we start by positioning the cleat so the ball of your foot is centered over the pedal. This position generally results in high energy transfer from foot-to-pedal without undue stress on the knee. However, for those who've experienced knee problems, the first thing that should be tried is to move the cleat towards the back of the shoe, dramatically reducing the amount of leverage that the pedal can exert against your foot and knee.

But will I fall over?

OK, we'll finally answer the BIG question. Once you get used to clipless pedals, the chances of coming to a stop before exiting your pedal (and thus falling over) are greatly reduced. BUT...chances are, in that first day or two, you'll forget that you need to twist your foot to the side (instead of pulling back) to get out. By the time you recognize your mistake, it's too late, as you've lost all forward speed. And, with no place to go but down...you get the picture. You will, in very slow motion, and nearly always with people around to see it happen, fall over. You're not likely to get hurt, but it's terribly embarrassing. And most likely there's nothing that makes you so special that you'll avoid the fate shared by just about everyone else. Just try and remember this...

It's almost impossible to come up with a truly original way to embarrass yourself on a bike. The rest of us have already, as they say, been there, done that.

(dikutip dari http://www.chainreaction.com/pedalfaq.htm)

BIKE ANATOMY

Exogrid: someday you'll be mine

 

Beauty is More Than Skin Deep.

The patented Exogrid Technology adds another dimension to the already proven performance of the Racer X. The multi-material makeup of the frame’s down tube works to absorb the small washboard bumps encountered at high speed that the suspension can’t respond to. When you combine the lightweight downtube with the most efficient rear suspension platform in cross country today, the end result is a thing of beauty.

Rider-centric custom geometry is available on all Exogrid and titanium frames. Hand-crafted in Tempe, Arizona all of our Exogrid and titanium frames are available with custom geometry. The perfect fit of man and machine is easily achieved through our extremely simple Custom Fit Program.

Features:

• Seamless 3Al/2.5V titanium front triangle featuring a patented, Exogrid downtube
• Hand-crafted in Tempe, Arizona
• Custom tuned Fox RP23 provides100mm of rear wheel travel
• Precision machined 6Al/4V titanium shock tabs
• Triple, oversize, sealed-bearing main pivot
• Compression molded, multi-direction carbon fiber X-Link
• Hydro-formed chain-stay
• Clevis Style Horst Link pivots captures each dropout eliminating independent dropout flex
• Carbon seat-stay
• Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, Custom

 

Next Generation Full Suspension

Just like any cutting edge industry, the top players eventually reach a point where the products in the market place that the customers can choose from are all generally good. It happens with cars, motorcycles, computers, and now full suspension mountain bikes. Sure, there's still plenty of basic single pivot bikes and a few other generally outdated designs out there, but the top performers in the suspension world have basically adopted three types of designs. Please keep in mind that not all bikes are created equal. As with almost anything you can buy, just because a company touts a cutting edge design does not mean they are automatically cutting edge or high quality for that matter. A Hyundai may use a similar suspension design to a BMW, but that does not make them a top performer (sorry Hyundai). We believe that there are plenty of "good" bikes out there, but there are only a few truly great ones. So how do you know what the best suspension design out there is? How do you know what to buy? Read on and I'll tell you at the end.

FLOATING BOTTOM BRACKET DESIGNS
Floating Bottom Bracket shell designs were developed by GT Bicycles for use in their I-Drive system. This design as well as similar ones used by Maverick and Klein, place the entire bottom bracket and crank assembly as a floating pivot between the front and rear triangle of the bike. This differs from most full suspension bike designs, where the bottom bracket is part of the bikes front triangle, or in the case of a unified rear triangle design, the bottom bracket is part of the rear triangle assembly. Floating bottom bracket designs can exhibit most of the great characteristics attributed to full-active 4-bar link style designs in that they can be designed to resist pedal bob and the suspension can remain active under braking (i.e.: it does not lock the suspension out, stiffen it up, or raise the rear end of the bike as the rear brake is applied) Overall, this suspension system has always had potential. However, current designs on the market are not perfect. The current I-drive configuration, although lighter then the previous generation, is still fairly complex and has not changed enough to take true advantage of stable platform shock technology. The Maverick/Klein style floating bottom bracket design is straight forward, and relatively simple. However, the design is tied to a special front derailleur and a very custom rear shock which cannot be switched out for different brands of shocks as technology moves forward. Also, the design's very slack seat tube angle makes it difficult for some riders to attain the correct positioning over the pedals and there are some front derailleur shifting issues that seem to plague the current design.

Bottom Line
Floating Bottom Bracket designs have potential but still need some additional fine tuning to achieve the level of refinement available from some of the other fully active suspension designs on the market today.

Companies that feature these designs
I-drive: GT, Schwinn, Mongoose. Other Variations: Maverick, Klein, Seven

VIRTUAL PIVOT DESIGNS
Bikes referred to as Virtual Pivot Designs feature a double linkage that connects the front and rear triangle of the frame. This differs from a fully-active 4-bar link style bikes which use one pivot between the front triangle and lower swing arm with a single linkage up top to activate the shock. With virtual pivot designs, the attachment points of the two separate linkages from the front and rear triangle plus the length of each linkage will decide the overall path that the rear triangle moves through space. This path is infinitely tunable and is not restricted to a specific straight line or arc. The rear end of the bike can pivot in virtually any path determined by the designer. Because the main pivot point is always moving depending on where the rear suspension sits in its travel, an exact main pivot location does not actually exist, hence the name "Virtual Pivot".

When most people think "Virtual Pivot", they think of the VPP bikes by Santa Cruz and Intense. These bikes use a specific type of Virtual Pivot design that was originally developed and patented by Outland Bicycles about 10 years ago. The patents cover a specific linkage configuration and rear wheel travel path that is designed to aid the pedaling performance of a rear suspension bike without negatively affecting the overall bump absorption capabilities of the suspension. VPP bikes feature an "S" shaped rear wheel path. As the suspension moves through its travel, it does not swing a standard arc or move in a vertical wheel travel path. The path is similar to a stretched out or elongated "S". In addition, as the two linkages guide the rear wheel through this path, they reach a point about 25-30% into the suspensions travel where the two linkages oppose each other and form what can be best described as a very light lock-out or stopping point in the suspension travel. This point typically coincides with the amount of sag (the amount the suspension settles from your body weight) that you would run on a rear suspension bike. It takes very little bump force to move the linkages past their opposing point. The result is a bike that pedals well at the "sag" point yet is still relatively free to pick up bumps. So what's the downside? The double link design on any virtual pivot design adds a lot of complexity to the frame, and small linkages are forced to handle the majority of the frame loads, so frame stiffness and durability suffer in order to keep the weight down, or in the case of down hill designs, the frames become very heavy. Also, having a link behind the cranks severely restricts tire clearance making lighter, cross-country based virtual pivot designs with short chain stays almost un-rideable in muddy conditions. From a ride standpoint, the bikes pedal well when at the sag point but will still oscillate or bob on fire road type climbs or under hard sprinting. VPP designs still benefit heavily from stable platform shock technology to aid pedaling at other points in the suspension travel. Some riders contend that the bikes lack the lively accelerative feel of some other designs and don't maintain traction as well on climbs as some of the designs on the market. Finally, like single pivot bikes, VPP bikes suffer from brake jack, which is a stiffening of the suspension as the rear brake is applied, resulting in reduced bump absorption or potentially locked out suspension under hard braking. This is a problem that does not plague fully-active 4-bar designs.

What about other "Virtual Pivot" designs? Because the designer is free to send the rear wheel in whatever path, he/she desires, the possibilities are endless. However, there is no getting around the amount of moving parts, and overall complexity of any virtual pivot type design.

Bottom Line
"Virtual Pivot" designs are generally good 3rd generation suspension designs. Pedaling performance is an improvement over most single pivot designs. However, the complexity, frame stiffness vs. weight, tire clearance and overall chassis feel still leave them a step behind some of the more cutting edge fully active designs today.

Companies that feature virtual pivot designs
Santa Cruz, Iron Horse, Ibis, and Giant

4 BAR LINKAGE DESIGNS: AKA HORST LINK
There's never been a more hotly contested suspension design on the market than the 4-Bar linkage design with the Horst Link. This design has been around only slightly longer then the original Outland VPP, but its instant success and many attributes have made it the most valued and fought over suspension design in the world. The original design was developed by Horst Leitner at AMP research. The driving goal behind the design was to isolate braking forces from affecting the suspension performance. The first generation Horst bikes did not stiffen up or lift (brake jack) under hard braking. They were and still are to this day "fully active". The icing on the cake was that the original bikes pedaled better than anything else at the time.

The original Horst patents were purchased by Specialized Bicycles and are selectively licensed to only a few companies in the USA. In Europe and Canada where the US patents don't apply, Horst Link style bikes are the dominant suspension design. Just like with virtual pivots, and floating bottom bracket designs, many of today's 4 bar designs are at least 3 generations beyond the original. Everything has been changed to make the already great pedaling design even better without affecting the bike's excellent performance under braking. Four bar bikes, are light, strong and can be built extremely stiff without the complexity and issues associated with other suspension designs, plus they don't stiffen up under braking. If you own a suspension bike, you want the suspension to work. One of the worst traits a suspension bike can exhibit is to have the shock get progressively more locked out as you are braking hard into a bump filled corner. This is when you need the suspension most and this is just one of the areas where the 4 bar delivers and others can't.

So what's the downside? There is almost nothing bad that can be said about a well made 4-bar design. However, nothing is perfect. Because of the way the suspension works, long travel 4 bar bikes frequently need to have an interrupted seat tube design to the front triangle. Although there is no performance or handling downside to this, some riders prefer the traditional look of a standard front triangle and/or like to have the wider range of seat post adjustment of non-interrupted seat tube bikes.

Bottom Line
Current 4-bar designs from high end companies have the edge over anything else on the market. The ability to build light, class leading bikes at any travel range with ample tire clearance, great pedaling feel, in a fully active chassis with the highest level of durability is a combination that cannot currently be matched by any of the competing designs on the market.

So, are we a little biased? Of course we are, but that's ok because it's our article and there's no real need to be politically correct. The reality is that all the above designs are excellent. If you read closely, all references to the downsides of any particular design said "currently". That's not to say that any of these and maybe some new ones will be better. Maybe they will tackle the short comings of the current designs. With every generation, every model year, etc., we all continue to get better. Our competitors are working just as hard as we are to make sure their latest performs better then the last and we continue to develop products to stay ahead of our competitors. It's a game that never ends. But right now, I can say with the utmost confidence, that the ride, performance, durability, and just about any other measurable aspect of a Titus bike is better then our competition because it is not just the suspension design, and it is certainly not the marketing or the hype. It's about the details, and Titus does the details better then anyone. It's not just a pretty paint job, but a perfectly designed main pivot, the right size tubing to optimize lateral stiffness, and a partnership with the shock manufacturers to give us what we want and to not just accept what they have to offer. These are just some of the details that make a Titus a Titus. Yes, we just happen to build the most kick ass 4 bar, Horst link bikes, in the world, but it wouldn't matter if we were building virtual pivot or floating BB designs either. They would still be great and they would still be better because we sweat the details to make it the best bikes in the world and being better is what makes a Titus the bike to have in the past, present and well into the future. So, if you don't already own a Titus, you have no idea what you're missing and if you do, tell them what they are missing. In the mean time, keep on riding and we hope to see you out on the trail.

source: www.titus.com

some of my dream bikes

Forks

Sizing

Do I need a 1” or 1 1/8” fork?

You can measure the diameter of the steerer tube of your current fork, which comes down out of your frame where your fork blades meet above the wheel. This is the part that runs up into your head tube. Most mountain bikes require 1 1/8". To be sure, simply measure the diameter of the tube, the distance from one side of the outside wall of the tube to the other.

What else do I need to know to determine fork compatibility for my bike?

Older forks are usually threaded. If your bike is newer, it may be outfitted with a threadless style fork. If this is the case, you need only worry about the diameter of the steerer tube (1-, 1 1/8, 1 ¼ or 1 ½ -inch). You can measure this by loosening and removing your stem from the fork and measuring the outer diameter of the steerer directly. Threadless forks need to use a threadless headset and stem. Threaded forks use a threaded headset and a stem with a quill.

In a threadless system the fork's steerer tube will pass through the head tube of your bike and the stem will clamp on to the portion of the steerer tube that rises above the headset. In a threaded system the fork's steerer tube goes into the head tube but does not pass through the top of your headset. In this system the stem (somewhat "L" shaped) inserts directly into the headset and fork's steerer tube.

The two systems are not compatible and you must use a threadless stem with a threadless fork, and a threaded stem with a threaded fork.

Threadless forks generally come with a steerer tube that is a standard length and must be cut once you determine the proper length for your bike.

Will I need any other parts to install my new fork?

All the new forks are set up for V-brakes and do not have a cable hanger on the brake arch. Since cantilever style brakes will not work without the cable hanger on the brake arc, you may need to upgrade to V-brakes (note you will also need to get V-brake levers). As long as you ordered the correct size fork, everything else should transfer over.

Threaded vs. Threadless

Is my fork threaded or threadless?

In a threadless system the fork's steerer tube will pass through the head tube of your bike and the stem will clamp on to the portion of the steerer tube that rises above the headset. In a threaded system the fork's steerer tube goes into the head tube but does not pass through the top of your headset. In this system the stem (somewhat "L" shaped) inserts directly into the headset and fork's steerer tube.

If your stem is threadless so is your fork. Older forks are usually threaded. If your bike is newer, it may be outfitted with a threadless style fork. If this is the case, you need only worry about the diameter of the steerer tube (1-, 1 1/8, 1 ¼, 1 ½ -inch). You can measure this by loosening and removing your stem from the fork and measuring the outer diameter of the steerer directly. Threadless forks need to use a threadless headset and stem. Threaded forks use a threaded headset and a stem with a quill.

Do you sell threaded forks?

No, all our forks are threadless. You can easily convert your bike to threadless by installing a new headset and new stem. Then you can get a threadless fork.


Travel/Damping

Would a long-travel fork or a short-travel fork be best for me?

It all depends on the kind of riding you do. Generally, long-travel forks are designed for downhilling and taking really big hits. But to be able to withstand this kind of abuse, they have to be a little beefier and therefore heavier. Most cross-country riders prefer the compromise of a shorter-travel fork – it will still smooth out the ride, but without adding as much weight as a true downhill fork will.

What is Damping?

Damping is how the fork controls the speed of movement through its travel. There are two kinds: Compression Damping refers to controlling the movement as the shock compresses as it hits a bump. Rebound Damping refers to controlling the movement as the shock extends back to its relaxed position.


Fork Selection

What kind of fork can I install on my bike?

The first thing you need to do is to determine what size of headset you have. To do this, measure the diameter of the steerer tube, which comes up out of where your fork blades meet above the wheel. This is the part that runs up into your head tube. Most mountain bikes require 1 1/8", while 1" is standard for most road applications.

This measurement, which is usually 1", 1 1/8" or 1 1/4", and will determine what fork you can mount on your bike. The standard size for '02 mountain forks is 1 1/8". The new forks will also require a "threadless" headset that will fit your head tube size and a new stem.

The new "threadless" system has several advantages over the old threaded system as it is a lighter weight and stiffer connection, meaning that you will have better control of your front end. Because of the complexity of mounting the new headset and cutting the new fork steerer, it is recommended that you have your local shop install your new fork for you.

We have several headsets and stems available on our web site when you are ready to proceed with that part of your conversion.

How will a new fork affect my frame geometry and the overall ride of my bike?

Before purchasing a fork, carefully consider the geometry of your frame. Unless your frame was designed specifically for a suspension fork, adding a shock with a large amount of travel will dramatically change the handling and geometry of your bike. If you do want to add a suspension fork, consider one with a travel of 80mm or less.

Similarly, if you already have a frame with a long travel rear suspension setup, you'll want to choose a suitable long travel front fork to complement the rear suspension.

How do I choose between a conventional and thru-axle fork?

A thru-axle fork provides maximum stiffness and better overall performance for downhill bikes. A conventional axle fork provides compatibility with older wheels and faster wheels changes in the event of a flat. Typically, a thru-axle fork will only be used on a downhill specific bike. Remember that your front hub must match your choice of fork.


Accessories

What kind of accessories are available for my suspension fork?

Pumps for specific brands of forks are available to maintain the proper air pressure, as well as shock boots fitted to specific brands/models.


Advantages of Suspension

What is the difference between a cross-country and a downhill fork?

Mt. Forks come in two general varieties, cross-country or downhill. Cross-country forks will vary from 63mm to 100 travel and are mainly mounted on front suspension frames. Downhill forks usually have a dual crown to beef up rigidity. Travel is from 100mm to 180mm and are mounted on full suspension frames built to handle this type of fork.

.................an article posted by sepedaku.com's moderator at sepedaku.com

Maxxis Crossmark

I bought crossmark 2.1 yesterday for my Patrol, thery subtitute my previous 2 years old maxxis highroller 1.95

. Here the review of crossmark from other, 

since I don't test it yet.

Maxxis CrossMark UST a review from mtbonline

I have been riding these for about 4 weeks now. Most of the riding has been on hardpack and a little in the mud (at Forest to Falls).

These tyres are intended for XC racing, so straight out of the box you expect them to roll fast. And they do. They do roll with ease. I find them “slower” than running the foldable Larssen TTs but this is because the foldables are significantly lighter than these, almost 200g.

Having said that, the new CrossMarks have a thing called LUST which stands for Lightweight Ultimate Sidewall Technology and what this means to you and me; is less chance of sidewall cuts, and it is in this department that I have been extremely impressed.

With all the sort of “urban” mountain biking that most of us do in JHB and Pretoria, tyres can take a real beating with glass, rocks etc. I have not had any problems with the CrossMarks. I have heard dreadful pinching noised as I speed over rocks, but no flats. In fact, I have not yet had a flat with these at all.

How do they look?

Well if you have seen the Larssen TT and the Mimo? You will notice some similarities with the CrossMark. The side knobs are a combination of the 2 tyres but then there is a big square knob running down the middle. Think if the TT and the Mimo had a love child, but because they are cousins there is sort of an abnormality. Giving birth to the CrossMark. The big square knob has sort of a cross in it resembling the Swiss flag.

The tyre was developed in conjunction with Christof Sausser. This was while he was riding for Siemens Cannondale last year, so ironically enough he will never be seen riding it as he can only ride the big S products this year.

By their own admission the tyre does not corner that well. On the box they only rate it 2 for cornering out of 4 and rate it 4 for rolling resistance. But I find that the tyre corners very well. Over the last couple of weeks I have grown more confident and have really been whipping my bike in the singletrack and the tyres have not let me down. I am running them at about 38 PSI and this seems to be the sweet spot. Lighter riders can push it down to 35 PSI.

I have also been impressed with the mud performance. Even though they are not intended for mud riding at all, I had them on at Forest to Falls and the mud cleared far better than the TT’s that I had on for Barberton and Haenertsburg.

We will be riding these for the Epic this year. Yes there is a weight penalty over running foldables! But the puncture and sidewall protection are a must for the event.

Oh, and they won’t break the bank! I paid R345 per tyre. Compared to my other favorite the Racing Ralph this is about R250 cheaper per tyre!!

www.maxxis.com