As a result of a riding incident in Taupo, New Zealand recently, I have learnt a valuable lesson about adjusting the rebound settings on the fork of my Ripley.

I was having a fantastic ride through the forest around Lake Taupo, on the newly opened Great Lake Trail. This trail winds and twists up and down through the forest to headlands overlooking Lake Taupo. Such a stimulating ride that doesn’t have a single boring section of track – but in one particular spot I made the track too interesting!

Having already negotiated many 90 degree corners the upcoming one looked no different, except there was a sloping mound right on the corner that I could use as a berm. That being the case I didn’t slow down in a hurry, planning to break just before the makeshift berm. However, I didn’t make it to the mound for suddenly my front wheel slid out from under me toward the outside of the corner and down I went.

This is the view from where I landed…

And this is the view of where the wheel went out from under me. A little wet and muddy but not really a quagmire by any means…

And this may be the rider, still on the ground, nursing his sore shoulder and contemplating getting off the ground before another rider happens along …

And this is where the Ripley landed, short of the berm. Skids marks from the front wheel clearly visible and other marks where I lay!

And, yes, this is a better view of the harmless looking corner. (Pretty environment, hey? If you are going to come a cropper, what better spot for it!!)

I was on the ground long enough to wonder what went wrong. Was it the patch of mud? Was I a bit heavy on the front brake? Was I turning the front wheel into the corner instead of leaning the bike? Did I turn the wheel too abruptly, given the slippery mud under foot?

All these things may well have been contributing factors. However, when I was back home in Australia, riding my usual haunts, several times I felt like the front wheel was going to slide out from under me. (I also felt like there was a bit of “give” – as if something were loose – when lifting the front of the bike over obstacles.) Up until this point in time I always felt extremely steady and stable and confident on the Ripley when cornering – this was a new disturbing phenomenon.

For the trip to Lake Taupo (New Zealand) I had boxed up the Ripley which involved removing the front fork from the frame – a new experience for me. I did so carefully and was pretty sure I had put everything back together correctly both in NZ and in Australia when I returned. I was pretty sure that was not the cause of this change of handling prowess. Yet, something was awry, and being at a loss to work out what it was I took the bike to my LBS (local bike store).

Jarod took it for a short ride and in a few minutes pin pointed the problem to be the front fork rebound adjustment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is adjusted by turning the little red knob at the bottom of the fork. If it’s set so that rebound is too slow, your fork will “pack down and ride harshly”. ( see Fox Talas details) If set so rebound is too fast, your fork will experience “poor traction and wheel hop”. Apparently mine was set to 18 – the fastest rebound setting which would make it pretty easy to lose the front wheel when corning!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, mine is now set to the mid range. It felt much better for the short spin around the car park but I’m yet to hit the trail to properly test it out.

And, of course, can’t wait to test it out properly on the Lake Taupo trails!!!