Progressive Fork springs

[Bonz]

I should have been more clear that I will take a tunable air portion of a fork combined with springs vs ditching the air and using aftermarket springs only. Having the XS's and doing spring upgrades to a couple non-air forks on other bikes, the adjuabilty of the XS's with air is favorable to me.

In the grand scheme, my mountain bike with full air forks and shock, is one compliant riding bike and gives "big hit" absorption that no spring fork can match when considering the overall picture based on having ridden both. The only reason an air fork would blow through its travel is if it was set up wrong or the hit was so big it blew the seals, which would mean damage to a spring fork for sure as well, in my opinion fwiw.

[jetmechmarty]

Bonz,

I think there may be a misunderstanding of where the air leaks on the air fork. Not by you, of course. The air can not get out the fork seals unless the oil is gone. The air sits on top of the oil in the top of the fork. So long as the cap doesn't leak, the air isn't going anywhere. You can blow oil out of the fork seals, yet the air pressure will remain.

Even if you don't use the air portion of the fork, the air space you leave on top of the oil is a part of tuning the front suspension. Air compresses. Oil does not.

[Bonz]

I would add to that saying if you blow the fork seals (oil), the air pressure would be lower due to lower oil volume. When CZ gave me a hand rebuilding the forks on my project 80G this summer, he suggested a bit more oil (ATF) in each fork leg and I like the way the extra fluid firmed things up.

I am comparing a mountain bike fork that is three decades newer than than the XS fork, maybe my reference isn't as accurate when comparing the mtn bike fork to what as XS fork could ride like with just springs set up for the rider and road.

[Yahman]

The high end mountain bike air suspension that I have seen, usually has special valves to control the flow of air in the shock. The same basic idea as the valves to control the oil in modern motorcycle suspension .

Ride safe,
Larry

[jetmechmarty]

The same basic idea as the valves to control the oil in modern motorcycle suspension .

Ride safe,
Larry

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