Some feedback on tyres and suspension issues on my KLE.
You guys may have seen me ranting and moaning about the handling of my KLE on gravel roads, and trying to work out what was going on with me, the tyres, the suspension and the bike in general.
I had got myself into such a negative frame of mind that I came very close to ditching the sport which has become an important part of my life. Dont know what I would have done with my weekends - bowls, bridge or possibly knitting riding socks, while dreaming of the past.
Anyway I think I have turned the corner - not quite there yet as I have a backlog of confidence in myself and the bike to recover, but I know a lot more about how the bike works now than I did before.
In particular I learned:-
Lesson 0. Don't settle into a rut or comfort zone - it's hard to get out of it.
Lesson 1. If anything goes wrong with the bike's handling, change just one thing at a time and see if it works.
Lesson 2. What you think may be tyres may be something else.
Lesson 3. Experts are not experts, but bit by bit they help when not muddying the water.
Lesson 4. Harder suspension may be a softer ride.
So, detail on the lessons:-
Lesson 0
I had always, since new, ridden the same bike, with the same tyres and probably the stame riding style, so when I changed the front to knobblies, and the back to DS tyres at the time the suspension was busy failing (with the benefit of hind-sight), I was totally thrown out of my comfort zone and had no idea how to ride it.
Maybe I should have tried a few different tyres just to get more experience with different setups over the past few years.
Lesson 1
I had suspected that something was wrong with the suspension for a while - the bike was bouncy - and I go out and change the tyres! - Dof!
I should have just fixed the suspension on the old tryes, and then ridden the old tyres until I was comfortable with the new feel. The failing suspension with new tyres to get used to was too much for the old man - me - to cope with.
Lesson 2
In retrospect I was blaming tyres for what was mainly a suspension problem. It was hard for me to believe that cornering issues came from the back suspension, but they did.
From being unable to get the bike to turn on gravel, I now have to control a bike that wants to turn too easily and the front now feels a bit "overslap" - but I am sure I will adapt to that.
Lesson 3
Don't take anyone's word as the truth - geting the bike right is like Morpheus in the Matrix said - you have to see it for yourself.
Lesson 4
Strange, but true. I sent the back shock/spring down to D.C. suspension in New Germany KZN to have it serviced and revalved and when it got back the bike was totally different :-
- Much less static sag - about 40mm higher at the saddle when seated.
- Sloooow rebound and stiff damping.
- Much firmer feel at slow speed - gravel or tar.
But out on Blazes' ride on Sunday the bike felt much softer at speeds over 50 on ruts and corrugations - the bike is, if anything, a little bouncier at slow speed over corrugations - she feels like she wants to go faster.
So what did it cost?
R 320 for the front fork service
R 130 *2 to courier the back to New Germany and back to Centurion
R1300 For the back renovation
-----
R1750 Total
A new back suspension for a KLE is a bit over R6000
So I think I did okay.
So lets go ride ride ride !
You guys may have seen me ranting and moaning about the handling of my KLE on gravel roads, and trying to work out what was going on with me, the tyres, the suspension and the bike in general.
I had got myself into such a negative frame of mind that I came very close to ditching the sport which has become an important part of my life. Dont know what I would have done with my weekends - bowls, bridge or possibly knitting riding socks, while dreaming of the past.
Anyway I think I have turned the corner - not quite there yet as I have a backlog of confidence in myself and the bike to recover, but I know a lot more about how the bike works now than I did before.
In particular I learned:-
Lesson 0. Don't settle into a rut or comfort zone - it's hard to get out of it.
Lesson 1. If anything goes wrong with the bike's handling, change just one thing at a time and see if it works.
Lesson 2. What you think may be tyres may be something else.
Lesson 3. Experts are not experts, but bit by bit they help when not muddying the water.
Lesson 4. Harder suspension may be a softer ride.
So, detail on the lessons:-
Lesson 0
I had always, since new, ridden the same bike, with the same tyres and probably the stame riding style, so when I changed the front to knobblies, and the back to DS tyres at the time the suspension was busy failing (with the benefit of hind-sight), I was totally thrown out of my comfort zone and had no idea how to ride it.
Maybe I should have tried a few different tyres just to get more experience with different setups over the past few years.
Lesson 1
I had suspected that something was wrong with the suspension for a while - the bike was bouncy - and I go out and change the tyres! - Dof!
I should have just fixed the suspension on the old tryes, and then ridden the old tyres until I was comfortable with the new feel. The failing suspension with new tyres to get used to was too much for the old man - me - to cope with.
Lesson 2
In retrospect I was blaming tyres for what was mainly a suspension problem. It was hard for me to believe that cornering issues came from the back suspension, but they did.
From being unable to get the bike to turn on gravel, I now have to control a bike that wants to turn too easily and the front now feels a bit "overslap" - but I am sure I will adapt to that.
Lesson 3
Don't take anyone's word as the truth - geting the bike right is like Morpheus in the Matrix said - you have to see it for yourself.
Lesson 4
Strange, but true. I sent the back shock/spring down to D.C. suspension in New Germany KZN to have it serviced and revalved and when it got back the bike was totally different :-
- Much less static sag - about 40mm higher at the saddle when seated.
- Sloooow rebound and stiff damping.
- Much firmer feel at slow speed - gravel or tar.
But out on Blazes' ride on Sunday the bike felt much softer at speeds over 50 on ruts and corrugations - the bike is, if anything, a little bouncier at slow speed over corrugations - she feels like she wants to go faster.
So what did it cost?
R 320 for the front fork service
R 130 *2 to courier the back to New Germany and back to Centurion
R1300 For the back renovation
-----
R1750 Total
A new back suspension for a KLE is a bit over R6000
So I think I did okay.
So lets go ride ride ride !
