Help me stop the bobbing

Technique for smooth standing pedaling

igorion said:

-> first, check your damping settings. add as much rebound as possible without sacrificing downhill performance.

-> then, maybe reduce sag a little but but don't overdo it, as that would give you a bad ride.

-> finally, stick with jayhem's advice: learn to pedal your bike smoothly!

i used to own one of specialized older enduro models and was very happy with the bike while i was still riding a considerable amount of miles each year (~1500-2000miles/year). after my daugther was born i did'nt ride at all for one year, and was unhappy ever after (with my bike, not my daugther) having forgotten how to pedal smoothly.

while the tendency to bob is a certain disadvantage of the fsr bikes, you get very good bump compliancy while pedalling on the other side, making that type of bikes a very good choice for experienced riders. yet, less experienced riders may want to look at bikes with higher (virtual) pivot points.

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While standing and pedaling, obviously you don't want to pedal more easily to be smoother, and spinning with a more (so called) "round" pedal stroke is impossible while standing.

But you can make the standing pedaling reaction more "oval" than "square".

While standing and pedaling, pull up on the same side handlebar grip as you push down on that side's pedal, and rock the bike sideways in opposite to the direction of your downward foot pressure (rocking slightly in the direction you pull on the grip). This will lengthen the range of each downward pedal stroke pressure to reduce the weakness gap between alternate foot pedal strokes. Some rhythm sense will come as you gain experience with this technique, to vary cadence with the conditions and the ability of the bike to react. The bike will still bob but not as deeply, and improve consistent traction and momentum.

Watch roadies as they stand and accelerate from a stop sign, or Lance as he starts a time-trial or attacks on a climb, waving the bike side to side at first as he stands and accelerates. This is similar in technique although mushy pedaling suspension like FSR's, ICT's, and low monopivots without lockouts or over damping require a slower cadence than the more advanced suspensions now or hardtails.



- ray

derby said:

You could send your Float to Push Industries and have a platform valve added. You might be able to add the SVP platform valve internals to your fork, call Manitou Tech Support to find out.

Otherwise you could over pressure and over damp the shock and fork like Ned Overand did when he raced FSR's with topped out suspension.

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FSR bikes don't need a platform. Any bike is going to bob out of the saddle when mashing the pedals due to weight transfer, unless it's got a platform cranked up, and in that case your bike will perform like crap because the platform keeps the suspension from performing to it's maximum potential.

These other bikes (reign, etc) will bob when you mash out of the saddle, and I've done it myself on them. They are good bikes that generally don't bob much at all during normal circumstances, but the weight shift and "pulses" of torque will cause the bike to bob, because it's the pedal torque that helps cancel out some of those tendancies, so if you're turning it "on and off" at a slower interval, you can induce bobbing quite easily.

What this really sounds like is a hardtail rider trying to transition to an FS bike. The bike is going to do some things, just like how a car unweights different ends when it's accellerating or deaccellerating. I'm not saying there are similer things going on, just that there are inherent properties of an FS bike that you have to get used to.

The biggest peice of advice I could give would be this; The bike doesn't go slower because it bobs a little, it's because it weighs a few more pounds more. A few more pounds seems to have a much more detrimental effect IMO, because every pedal stroke is an accelleration, and trying to accellerate a heavier mass really takes a toll on the body, even if it's not that much heavier.

If you make the bike more inactive with a platform, as derby is suggesting, you also decrease traction and can cause the bike to stall and skip easier when climbing up nasty steep rocky climbs. This can make these situations much worse, compared to a more active bike that bobs a little.

Jayem said:

...
These other bikes (reign, etc) will bob when you mash out of the saddle, and I've done it myself on them.
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Interesting. I pretty much agree with about everything you post that I have similar ride time experience with. I haven't ridden the Reign or any Maestro. From your description apparently the Reign isn't as close a DW-Link copy as it looks like. The DW link barely moves at all (and my 200 pounds of weight can move a suspension), even less than any VPP, when standing and pounding on the pedals climbing on smooth pavement. While it also has smoother pedaling feel than all but the lowest monopivots and FSR.

I also agree that bob isn't that big a deal for an expert suspension bike rider, unless heavier and taller than the average weight rider, like me, where weight is much higher above the wheels and wallow bob and inertia misdirection is exaggerated.

Small to average weight (165 lb.) riders just don't upset a suspension very much, and extraordinarily strong heavier riders can just power through awkward inefficiencies in design. I'll bet you don't weigh more than 170. Dougal weighs about 145. It always amazes and somewhat frustrates me when some 145 pound guy who rides once a month, even less, will just disappear past me up the start of a longer climb But then after about 20 minutes I'll catch and pass them and usually ride faster the rest of the ride due to better aerobic fitness. The lighter rider has huge advantages, especially if they ride a lot. I think that my heavier weight has given me the ability to notice suspension performance balance and efficiency improvements more than the average or small sized expert rider.

- ray