Scotts steering damper
Posted: 10:18 am Jun 03 2005
I got my damper mounted, which was a chore because I was using bars that are a KX low bar type. Scotts recommends that the crossbar be 40mm over the handlebar center, or higher. Mine were way tight, so I ended up bending the crossbar up, which is difficult, and stupid. Eventually I'll change out my bars, but I'm waiting on that till I figure out if I'm going to convert to KX forks or not. None of this is Scotts's fault though, their instructions are very clear and their phone support is good.
After getting it installed, I checked to make sure the steering stops were still functioning. You don't want the damper to be stopping motion before the stops. I had a problem here on one side only. Adjusting the position of the frame clamp solved that.
I went riding last night and put on about 40 miles over mostly tight, twisty trails. It was raining hard and there was a fair amount of exposed roots and the trails were rutted in places. I've never ridden with a damper before, so I was curious how it would feel. I left the adjustments as they came from the factory, and I didn't deliberately try to hit things at an angle, but it happened occasionally.
What I noticed so far:
1) Even though the damper has a lot of resistance when it's in your hand, you really don't notice it when you turn the bars. If I sit on the bike and turn through the range of movement, I can feel where it goes out of it's active range, but while riding, I don't notice it.
2) It's hard for me to compare the bike before and after due to my primitive nervous system, but I think it is quite a bit less inclined to follow angled tree roots and rocks. I did hit a couple 4-6" diameter angle roots, and instead of pointing in another direction, the bike seemed to stay straight, but shift over a couple inches. To me this is a lot more desirable than taking an off-trail excursion. I think this may well have saved me from breaking ribs last year after being deflected into a boulder at a good clip.
3) My bike has always had a problem in loose sand in that it would wander side to side and be difficult to steer. Last night there was a dramatic improvement, but the sand was very wet and heavy, so that may have been a bigger factor than the damper.
4) I felt like I was not working as hard. more like I was steering the bike instead of correcting a lot and doing a little steering. I have never really had an arm-pump problem, but I did feel more relaxed and could keep a looser grip on the bars.
5) I seemed to be able to stay out of ruts on the trail better, and if I got in one, I think I could steer out of them easier.
Keep in mind that anyone who has paid around $400.00 for a device that is supposed to make his bike handle better is going to want to believe that it worked. These are all preliminary observations, and were made in conditions that were somewhat abnormal for my riding area, so take them for what they're worth. I plan to ride again tonight, and will report back after a few more rides for a better evaluation.
Be safe,
After getting it installed, I checked to make sure the steering stops were still functioning. You don't want the damper to be stopping motion before the stops. I had a problem here on one side only. Adjusting the position of the frame clamp solved that.
I went riding last night and put on about 40 miles over mostly tight, twisty trails. It was raining hard and there was a fair amount of exposed roots and the trails were rutted in places. I've never ridden with a damper before, so I was curious how it would feel. I left the adjustments as they came from the factory, and I didn't deliberately try to hit things at an angle, but it happened occasionally.
What I noticed so far:
1) Even though the damper has a lot of resistance when it's in your hand, you really don't notice it when you turn the bars. If I sit on the bike and turn through the range of movement, I can feel where it goes out of it's active range, but while riding, I don't notice it.
2) It's hard for me to compare the bike before and after due to my primitive nervous system, but I think it is quite a bit less inclined to follow angled tree roots and rocks. I did hit a couple 4-6" diameter angle roots, and instead of pointing in another direction, the bike seemed to stay straight, but shift over a couple inches. To me this is a lot more desirable than taking an off-trail excursion. I think this may well have saved me from breaking ribs last year after being deflected into a boulder at a good clip.
3) My bike has always had a problem in loose sand in that it would wander side to side and be difficult to steer. Last night there was a dramatic improvement, but the sand was very wet and heavy, so that may have been a bigger factor than the damper.
4) I felt like I was not working as hard. more like I was steering the bike instead of correcting a lot and doing a little steering. I have never really had an arm-pump problem, but I did feel more relaxed and could keep a looser grip on the bars.
5) I seemed to be able to stay out of ruts on the trail better, and if I got in one, I think I could steer out of them easier.
Keep in mind that anyone who has paid around $400.00 for a device that is supposed to make his bike handle better is going to want to believe that it worked. These are all preliminary observations, and were made in conditions that were somewhat abnormal for my riding area, so take them for what they're worth. I plan to ride again tonight, and will report back after a few more rides for a better evaluation.
Be safe,