Oh man have I...I had ridden Bob's when it was Bob's, and I spent an hour on Tracy's (AP) and both times I wanted my Steely back, but both times it was in AZ.
I love how this AF turns and handles, I have it all set up for me, my way, with all my chosen controls. I resprung the thing even stiffer than Bob had it, put even taller bars than Bob had on it, have my grips and controls, a cable clutch, Cycra handguards....I can't even ride without handguards anymore I have them on my sand bike, this thing has all the stuff I like. It is very precise and when I'm on my game I can go pretty good on this thing. It's a beast in the whoops and a scalpel in the woods. It is awesome for hopping around on and I find myself flying through the air more...perfect for where I live. In AZ I'm not sure I won't wish I had my bucket of mush Steely back, we will see.
So I will come clean with a little story. I smoke pot once in a while (don't tell anyone...haha) Well as I am getting older and my kids are getting older it has turned into extremely occasional. It was pretty much a just with the boys thing which for me has turned into my riding time. For the last few years I noticed it effects my riding and makes me slow so I have pretty much stopped it while riding as well. So I go out the other day with the boys and I'm ripping this AF. I'm giving them the business and I can tell they are tired because they are both pulling the "we will follow you" the bike is feeling magic, it's turning anywhere I wan't to go, I'm launching it over ever little hit in the woods, I'm killing it in the whoops...straight magic, and the boys know it, the game has changed. Anyway end of the day we go to the top of the hill about 8500' and I decide to pull a little puff. Talk about game changer, I'm terrified, the rutts that I had been killing all day I can't seem to stay out of. The rocks are having their way with me. My buddies were seriously putting miles on me everwhere and joking about how bad I suck now when I'm baked.
So my buddy who owns the local shop RMS who has been helping me with this suspension because it's my first time messing with twin chambers calls me up to see how I'm liking my setup, I said "Paul this thing works great pretty much everywhere but I'm having a small issue under certain circumstances and we might need to do a revalve"
Paul says "whats the issue? is it the chatter on braking? that can be a problem sometimes with the Showas" he mumbles something about a mid valve I think
Me "No Paul it seems O.K. there"
Paul says something like this... "Does it need more rebound, are the springs too much for the rebound? or do you think it's on the compression side? You know adding stiffer springs essentially adds compression and sometimes requires more rebound or softer compression. Are you maxed out on your clickers? How is the overall stroke of the suspension, have you checked to see your overall percentage of use, are you used to the bike at all or are you just putting around on the thing? you said you wanted to be able to roll on this thing and the spring rate is pretty close for your weight if you are just cruising it's not going to feel like a big couch you said you wanted it to rip"
Me " No Paul it feels great everywhere until I get super baked and then it feels really stiff and it doesn't handle for shit, it's too precise on the steering and I find myself all over the place"
