Is it a cheater switch and do you use it?

[teK--]

I'm so convinced of the traction benefits that I feel hard tails are something of a novelty item for everyday trail riding.

True I would never own one as an only bike, but rather it would be a training tool and occasional bike trekking bike (depends on the course). They are also good for first time MTB riders to learn proper technique and line selection.

 

[Oddjob]

I thought you didn't climb anyway....

Oi! My climbing is bad, very bad, but it still happens.

I'll have you know I've climbed the most challenging cols in Asia (Hehuanshan, Taiwan) and Italy (Stelvio) on a fully laden tourer.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

 

[DMan]

Oi! My climbing is bad, very bad, but it still happens.

I'll have you know I've climbed the most challenging cols in Asia (Hehuanshan, Taiwan) and Italy (Stelvio) on a fully laden tourer.

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Lol. When I get older, than just old like I am now, I'm going to pay someone to climb for me. That way I won't need a climb switch

 

[droenn]

heavy boi on a low and squishy Process = yes I use it, unashamedly.

I'm so convinced of the traction benefits that I feel hard tails are something of a novelty item for everyday trail riding.

If by "novelty" you mean MAKING TRAILS GREAT AGAIN, then sure. It is one of life's simple pleasures having the back wheel bouncing and skidding about when you're trying to control speed over choppy stuff!

 

[DMan]

heavy boi on a low and squishy Process = yes I use it, unashamedly.



If by "novelty" you mean MAKING TRAILS GREAT AGAIN, then sure. It is one of life's simple pleasures having the back wheel bouncing and skidding about when you're trying to control speed over choppy stuff!

Not if you have a bad back it's not.

 

[Scotty T]

Not if you have a bad back it's not.

Haha yeah I will have to get on one again after 15 years of squish. I've even got rid of my bad back in recent years by doing core strength excercises so I should be able to go out and flog it round the park without crippling myself

 

[DMan]

Haha yeah I will have to get on one again after 15 years of squish. I've even got rid of my bad back in recent years by doing core strength excercises so I should be able to go out and flog it round the park without crippling myself

Yeah that's what I thought when I built up a Nukeproof Scout in 17. It amazes me, even when it's "locked" out how much a duallie still soaks up compared to a hardtail. I lasted a month. I'm definitely not dissing hardtails, but sadly my hardtail days are done.

 

[Nambra]

Horses for courses I reckon. Have one of each at the moment and I find myself reaching for the hardtail for the weekday arvo ride - which is all about 60-90 minutes of workout on fairly tame local trails. The hardtail eats it, but you still need to make smarter line choices to avoid getting too beat up. Admittedly it’s a 27.5+ Chameleon, so the 2.8” tyres definitely take the edge off the bumps. It’s also a shitload of fun to ride.

Never really felt the need to use the climb switch on the dually though, but we really don’t have that many long steep climbs at the places I usually ride.

 

[hellmansam]

Whilst doing my homework on FS bikes I noted a few comments about the better ones working well enough to not bother with using the 'cheater switch' and thought to myself yeah that sounds desirable. I've used it a little bit (Trek Fuel EX) and didn't notice one time at Linga Longa when it somehow got bumped to the Firm position. The main factor for me though, is I don't pedal hard enough to get much benefit from it when doing steep climbs. My fitness is defo better but I still have to sit and spin, I'm light years away from powering up any hills. I reckon I get traction benefits from leaving it open up technical-ish climbs.
I only just saw the term the other day and thought meh you're a dick...

 

[Scotty T]

Yeah that's what I thought when I built up a Nukeproof Scout in 17. It amazes me, even when it's "locked" out how much a duallie still soaks up compared to a hardtail. I lasted a month. I'm definitely not dissing hardtails, but sadly my hardtail days are done.

My mate went full rigid once a few years back for an unkown reason, for he was far from an XC machine man. Lasted one ride.

 

[DMan]

My mate went full rigid once a few years back for an unkown reason, for he was far from an XC machine man. Lasted one ride.

That reminds me of a group ride I did where there was a dude riding a full rigid. I was following him over a roller that sort of dropped away on the end. He obviously wasn't prepared and he bit it big time. I remember thinking "you'd have made that on even a hardtail" as it would have soaked up the drop and allowed him to keep going. Unforgiving creatures full rigid bikes.

 

[Scotty T]

I remember thinking "you'd have made that on even a hardtail" as it would have soaked up the drop and allowed him to keep going. Unforgiving creatures full rigid bikes.

It often amazes me when I get a line totally wrong with a bit of speed and just hang on tight and let the fork (or both ends) fix it for me.

 

[Cardy George]

My mate went full rigid once a few years back for an unkown reason, for he was far from an XC machine man. Lasted one ride.

Even I'm not THAT stupid

 

[Chriso_29er]

Never heard the term, cheat switch.
For me doesn't seem to make a lot of difference sitting spinning but ok for the odd stand up and power.
I don't bother unless it is a killer climb or a long smooth climb.

 

[ozzybmx]

I have twin lock on my Scott and it's fucking awesome. It's a bit more than just a "climb" switch though

Same on my SuperFly, single bar mounted CTD lever does twin lockout of front and back on C. I use all 3 of them on every ride.

 

[Litenbror]

I'm so convinced of the traction benefits that I feel hard tails are something of a novelty item for everyday trail riding.

I might know where this question came from, cough, I forgot to flick the switch on our first decent on Thursday night and had to pull off the trail.

I think the tune of the shock plays a huge part in this. The fox that came on the Spectral never needed the flick and just lived open. The duair I was playing with definitely needed the switch flicked. My thought is it's because the tune on the duair is completely wrong for the spectral while the fox is tuned for the bike.

 

[Scotty T]

I might know where this question came from, cough, I forgot to flick the switch on our first decent on Thursday night and had to pull off the trail.

I think the tune of the shock plays a huge part in this.

You and another mate I rode with on the weekend who's a switch fan and has forgotten before too. Haven't gone down the road of getting my shock tuned but when it needs servicing might as well.

 

[downunderdallas]

I use my for long smooth climbs sometimes not always, depends if I remember, everything else is open, apart from when I forget and get to the bottom and think...wow that was harsh...oh forgot the switch...

 

[Flow-Rider]

There's people on here that are riding across different spectrums of mountain biking and have different needs, like if I'm going to climb 1km of trail in one hit and I need to cover 20 meters of technical trail in the climb, I'm not going to bother to move out of climb mode. There's other ways of getting traction and over obstacles without softening your rear shock. Some pedal platforms are still pretty good in climb for traction in anycase and it's also dependant on the bike and how it's been set up.

 

[Scotty T]

There's other ways of getting traction and over obstacles without softening your rear shock.

Technique? Do you reckon that goes both ways though? In that good uphill pedalling technique can reduce bob if you're in DH mode?

I guess on bikes I was generalising on the 120-160mm things where the switch is a feature and those bikes are trying for uphill capability, non or casual racing setups most of us ride. Most are doing it quite well with geometry and suspension design that the switch seems to be less needed in that category.