I have been riding something of a weird construction for the last year or so (Aluminum hard tail outfitted wtih AlexRims DM24s, Avid discs, 2.25" tires), and finally decided to upgrade to a full suspension because my freeriding style has just outgrown my hard tail. I've been taking 4-6' drops on my hard tail, so I figured I needed to pretty heavily expand upward. I got a Santa Cruz VP-Free :devil: , and I am completely blown away with the capability of the bike. However, my frustration is in jumping and taking drops. I am used to "popping" off a lip with my hard tail, and my bunny-hopping ability is just awful on the Santa Cruz. Am I missing some technique aspect, or is the force-absorbing nature of a freeride bike supposed to drop my bunny-hops from about 2 feet to more like 8-10 inches?
I recently built up a FS after being a solely HT rider and I wondered the same thing....
After riding the FS for some time and just playing with it, I can hop it just as high as I can my HT. I rode the FS so much that my HT felt funny for a little while, but you'll get used to having both (if you keep the HT-- which I think you should do, FS will make you lazy and the HT will keep yo' skills sharp. Plus if you do any Dj or urban stuff, you'll like the HT)
a vp -free really isnt made for" popping" of lips or dirt jumping for that you use your HT but if you must DJ a vp -free, preload of the lip for more pop
The point of the suspension is to dampen any force traveling trough the frame, whether they are from the ground (impact from a drop for example) or ridder induced. So the suspension is going to absorbe some of the energy that you "preload" into it.
if there was no dampening in the shock it would be like ridding a pogo stick or a crappy wall-mart bike. This is why you do not see the optium dj street frame as a hardtail.
You need to learn to shift your weight and use some of your drive train to keep the front wheel up when dropping.
Thanks for the help. I guess I'm just used to people looking strangely at me for pedal kicking and rolling stoppies. After a bit of work, I think it involves using my arms even more than I am used to doing in trials moves. Also, I went for a night ride and hit a 6' stair with a 4' flat into an 8' stair and was blown away that I could just clear the whole flat and land on the lower stair section without any difficulty. I have to love that full suspension. It's like hitting the park for the first time with twin tip skis. Wow.
I live in the unfortunate plains of the Kansas City Midwest, and have been riding almost exclusively urban recently, so there is no way I am giving up on my hard tail before I move out to CO (few months---thus the VP). I far prefer hopping curbs and steps to riding a road bike. Glad to hear a compatriot out there. Thanks. I will certainly stick with messing around with it.
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