Tom hutton’s top tips
Scree, rubble, ‘babies’ heads’ – loose rock can be unnerving, but with practice it becomes loads of fun to ride. The key when the ground is shifting around beneath you is body position. Stay balanced over the centre of your bike with your weight distributed evenly between the wheels. Arms and legs should be slightly bent, ready to absorb hits or push into hollows, and your cranks should be level, with heels dropped, ready to soak up hits with your legs. Command the bike but stay relaxed at the same time. It won’t go where you want it to, but if you’re loose and ready to react as it gets kicked around, you’ll be able to respond without getting chucked off course. Momentum is your friend, so once you’ve scoped your line, commit to it and look ahead – not at your front wheel. Trust that your speed will see you though – you’ll be amazed at what your tyres can roll over!
trying to figure out exactly what’ll work with what!
Jess Miller, via email
Yes, there are a number of different clipless pedal systems out there. Some are cross-compatible, but many aren’t. This is fine if you have one pair of shoes and one bike, but if you’re lucky enough to have multiples, it can be a pain. The two most common systems are from Crankbrothers and Shimano. If you buy Shimano pedals they’ll come with cleats that’ll work with any Shimano (MTB) pedals, and the same with Crankbrothers. Both these companies offer a choice of cleats, however.
The standard Crankbrothers cleat (gold-coloured) has a 15-degree release angle, with six degrees of float (free movement). They also offer a silver cleat with the same release angle but no float, or cleats with a 10-degree release angle and either six (rosegold) or zero (brown) degrees of float. Shimano’s standard cleat (SH51) has four degrees of float, but there’s also a multi-release version (SH56) available aftermarket with easier disengagement. These can appeal to new clipless pedal users but tend to be less popular with more seasoned riders – in our experience, they’re more prone to your shoes popping out unexpectedly.
Further complicating things is the fact that there are other pedal brands out there that use similar cleat designs. Nukeproof, Look, Wellgo, DMR and Ritchey all use a Shimano-lookalike cleat, and are cross-compatible. Finishing off the group are Time and HT. They both have their own cleat designs that can’t be used with other pedals.
We wouldn’t say that there are any pedal or cleat designs that necessarily suit beginners better or worse these days. The standard cleats should be OK for you, but make sure that you reduce the pedal’s spring tension where possible (ie. on Shimano-cleatcompatible pedals). If you struggle, then it may be worth trying multi/ easy-release cleats, at least until you’re starting to feel more confident with clipping-in.
Remove the rebound adjuster from the base of the fork – using a 2.5mm Allen key, loosen the grub screw (if there is one) two turns, then pull the adjuster dial o and set it aside. Adjust the workstand so the fork is at 45 degrees, then place an oil pan (any old large container) below it.
Spray isopropyl alcohol into the lowers. Wrap a lint-free rag around a thin dowel or similar stout stick (making sure the rag completely covers the dowel/stick) and thoroughly clean inside the lowers. Clean the wiper seals and upper bushing using paper towel wrapped around your finger.
Ensuring the fork arch is facing the right way, slide the lowers over the shafts until the seals meet the upper tubes. Patiently, wiggle the seals over the uppers so they slide easily without the seal lips folding under. Slide the lowers a couple of inches over the upper tubes.
Using a 5mm Allen key, loosen each bottom bolt three to four turns (anticlockwise). Then strike the Allen key with a mallet until the bolt becomes loose inside the fork lowers. Remove the bolts and set them aside.
If replacing the wiper seals, first lever the old ones out with a strong plastic tyre lever or ring spanner (without scratching the metal!). They can be tight. Clean away any oil inside the seal housing with isopropyl alcohol and rags, to stop the new seals popping out in use.
Check the SRAM service website for the lower-leg oil weights and volumes required for your fork. All current Lyrik, Pike and Yari forks require 10ml of 0W-30 oil in each leg. Using a clean syringe, measure out the exact volume of oil needed and squirt it into the lowers through the bolt holes.
Slide the fork lowers o the upper tubes. If stuck, reinstall the bottom bolts and repeat step 4. Oil will start draining into the oil pan. Carefully slide the lowers o and put them in the oil pan, upright, to drain. Clean the upper tubes with isopropyl alcohol and paper towel.
RockShox’s dust seal installation tool (£34) is ideal for installing new seals, but you can push them in by hand. Push the seal in as straight as possible, then press firmly all the way around the seal rim with your thumb until it sits flush with the metal.
Slide the lowers onto the upper tubes until they stop. Thread the solid black bottom bolt into the spring-side bolt hole and the hollow one into the damper side. Tighten them to the torque specified for your fork (7.3Nm for the current Lyrik, Pike and Yari).
Tease out the foam rings from under the wiper seals with a 2mm Allen key. If re-using them, clean them by squeezing them in paper towel to soak up all the old oil. Soak the new/cleaned foam rings in a small tub containing the required suspension oil for your fork (www.servicearchive.sram.com/service).
Liberally coat the inner surface of the wiper seals with SRAM suspension grease. Slide the oil-soaked foam rings into the recess under the seals;
Orientate the bike/fork so that the exposed shafts point upwards at 45 degrees.
Reinstall the rebound knob and nip up the grub screw to 1.1Nm. Clean the fork and refit the brake and wheel. Inflate the spring to the pre-recorded pressure, compress the fork a few times and reset the pressure. Replace the valve cap. You may need to adjust the rebound setting to account for reduced friction.