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Sometimes Ya Gotta Get Some SUN!

I Went Mountain Biking – And I Trapped ALL of the Data!


The purpose of this exercise and series of blogs is to share my thought processes, as a coach, on how to interpret data from instruments. With that data, I can then make more informed decisions on my own training, recovery, and performance. When the cold snap hit, I went indoors; it’s a controlled environment. But when I moved to Nevada, we specifically purchased a home right next to some of the best mountain biking trails available. We’re at 5200′ MSL. The peak behind my house, which I can ride to from my front door, is at 8400′ MSL. My mailbox signals the end of a Strava and RWGPS segment that equals a Cat 4 Climb for roadies.

In other words, we moved here so we could RIDE! Today, after a lot of distractions and work on other projects, I pulled out the mountain bike and just RODE!

The ride included the following:

  • Vo2master with display on my iphone in realtime.
  • Left Shoulder Moxy Muscle Oxygen
  • Right Rectus Femoris Moxy Muscle Oxygen.
  • Left Vastus Lateralis Moxy Muscle Oxygen.
  • Polar H10 recording in BLE on Garmin 1030.
  • Quarq ShockWiz on both Front and Rear Suspension.

And MAN, did I get some good data!

The temps were perfect, the trail a little less dusty thanks to some rain and snow last weekend, and the sun was on my arms and back as I rode one of my favorite anti-clockwise loops.

Here’s the fun part: I hit a 57 Vo2max, and climbed steadily just below 20% of Smo2 for the first hill, and then just above 20% SmO2 for the second hill.

After the descent, I took a look at my Quarq ShockWiz data. Front Suspension was at a 96/100, and rear was at a 92/100. The descent was my 3rd-fastest ever on that segment.

I know I was not ‘feeling it’ this morning. But I needed to free my soul. This ride provided that, and more.

Here’s the video:

Thanks for reading, thanks for watching, and as always, ENJOY THE RIDE!

18 Rides With the Fox DPX2 and ShockWiz

The Fox DPX2 With the ShockWiz Suspension Tuner Reveals a LOT of information!

My Quarq ShockWiz connected to my Fox DPX2 Rear Shock
My Quarq ShockWiz connected to my Fox DPX2 Rear Shock

After several months spent on Peavine Peak in Northern Nevada, I have been able to come to several conclusions about my Fox DPX2 Rear Suspension. To review; I have a 2012 Trek Superfly 100 Pro, with just 100mm of rear travel. The front fork is a 2020 Fox 32. When I used the ShockWiz Tuner on the fork, I was able to add spacers and adjust the air until I consistently got about 96 points out of 100 possible points on the ShockWiz app. It DID make a difference in my confidence, competence and comfort when riding.

However, the rear shock, a 2012 Fox RP23, was unable to keep up with the demands of my riding. Therefore, in March of 2021, I replaced the RP23 with a Fox DPX2.

Don’t Use the ShockWiz for just one ride. Use it for a LOT of rides.

ShockWiz Tuner App
Most of my rides have earned between 84 and 96 Points on the ShockWiz Tuner App

The Shockwiz from Quarq is designed to measure compression and rebound via air pressure. I THINK it also looks at G forces, compression and rebound velocity, preload, and time spent airborne. My goal for this experiment was to try and stick to trails that I know, and to be as consistent with the bike and my cycling as possible. I chose the local XC race course as my primary loop. I also performed several shorter loops and a few out-and-back rides, to challenge myself and the rear shock.

One ride alone will give some information, but it is in detecting a long-term TREND from cycling that can determine just how best to tune the DPX2. I chose the DPX2 because it IS infinitely adjustable for compression, rebound, air pressure, and volume. It can also run different oil densities.

The Results

After 18 rides of at least one hour, the ShockWiz Suspension Tuner revealed two major issues that I believe need to be tweaked, but again, I will not perform these tweaks until I earn 20 rides.

Here’s a video with my results so far. Enjoy!

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Fox DPX2 and Quarq ShockWiz – First Ride!

Fox DPX2 and Quarq ShockWiz Suspension Tuner Gives Me Some First-Ride Knowledge!

In Early March, I purchased and installed a 2021 Fox DPX2 Rear Suspension Shock, and began recording data from a ShockWiz Suspension Tuning System. At the beginning of every ride, I save the previous ride profile, and then clear the memory. I will continue to record my results and my thoughts regularly through the summer of 2021.

I’m not going to alter the Shock Settings much, other than air pressure, until the 20-hour/20 ride mark. I want to break the shock seals in, and I want to determine any trends for Suspension compression, rebound, damping, sag, etc.

Fox DPX2 and Quarq ShockWiz First Ride Results

My mountain bike is a 2012 Trek SuperFly 100 Pro, with a 2020 Fox 32 Factory SC front. I tuned the front  with Shockwiz throughout 2020, to the point where it routinely scores 92-96 points, and I’ve been very happy with my control and performance. Now, it’s time to use a modern rear suspension to get the bike better dialed-in. I used Factory Settings and air pressure. I also looked at the pressure that had been used by my original RP23 rear suspension.

Basically, I’m lucky to have gotten off the mountain in one piece! Air pressure was too low, and I bottomed out the shock too much. I’m going to add a lot of air pressure for the next ride, and we’ll see what the Fox DPX2 and Quarq Shockwiz app says after that.

Here’s the video – have a look and let me know what you think!

If you like what you see or read, please consider buying me a cup of coffee of a beer! Just click on the link below, and I’ll keep posting relevant and fun blog posts and videos for you to review!

Have Fun and Enjoy the Ride!

Tuning Mountain Bike Rear Suspension With the Shockwiz

Mountain Bike Rear Suspension Does Not Have to be a Mystery! Use the ShockWiz!

If you know my story, you know that I began my journey in cycling as a mountain biker. My first Mountain Bike Rear Suspension System was purchased in 1995; a Trek Y-Bike. I have owned probably half a dozen Mountain bikes with Rear Suspension, but tuning them and understanding how to make them work for me and my cycling, was really a frustrating mystery. However, in 2017, a project was announced on KickStarter that promised to enlighten me; the ShockWiz. I’ll be tuning my mountain bike rear suspension with the shockwiz from day one.

What is the ShockWiz?

Shockwiz is a sensor that attaches to the outside of a front fork or rear shock. It uses a short hose to connect to the air chamber, and it measures air compression, rebound, damping, time spent in the air, and how many times a rider bottomed out over the period of measurement. I was an early investor, and was more excited when Quarq purchased the company before it even released the ShockWiz.

Tuning Mountain Bike Rear Suspension With the Shockwiz.

When I moved to Northern Nevada in August of 2019, I was incredibly excited about the opportunities to mountain bike from my front door! Since that first day, EVERY RIDE has been ridden with the ShockWiz, front and rear.

The bad news is that my mountain bike is a 2012 Trek Superfly 100. It is NOT the optimal bike for this type of terrain! After about 80 hours of attempting to optimize my RockShox Sid XX, I reached out to Mike Davis of MAD RACING in Reno, and we began to discuss the data that was being revealed by my ShockWiz. I quickly realized that the Sid XX would not work well in this rocky, vertical terrain. So I purchased a Fox 32 Factory SC in late 2019, placed the ShockWiz on the fork, and accumulated over 200 hours in 2020, testing different air pressures, damping, rebound, and compression.

The result was a consistent 92 to 96 points on the Fork.

But the rear was another story.

The 2012 Fox RP23 was altered and rebuilt by Mike at MAD Racing several times, to try and optimize the values the ShockWiz was providing. However, we never got more than 88 points on the App. Furthermore, the most consistent and revealing metric showed that Low and High-Speed Compression needed to be “Softer”.

Getting a New Rear Shock

As my experience and skills progressed, I quickly came to realize over the course of 2020, that modern-geometry bikes and suspension would completely elevate my confidence and competence when riding.

However, the Covid pandemic led to an incredible crisis in supply for bicycles on a global scale. I decided to ride my current bike for the entire year, and wait for the supply chain to catch up.

It never did.

So early this year, I decided to invest in a rear shock upgrade, and to use this as an opportunity to record and optimize the shock, using the ShockWiz.

The Fox DPX2

The Rear Shock that I decided to buy is the Fox DPX2. It is slightly heavier than the older RP23, but it is MUCH more adjustable! The shock has settings for Dampening, Rebound, Air and Nitrogen. It has 13 settings for Low and High Speed Compression, which is exactly where my old RP23 said needed attention.

Let’s Get Started!

This video is about the installation of the Fox DPX2 Rear Shock. I got help from David Simon. He owns my local bike shop, Bicycle Service Center in Reno. I’ll be recording and blogging the lessons I’m learning from this new shock via the ShockWiz, every hour that I ride. It’s a bit nerdy, but I don’t believe anyone has shared a long-term experience with the public, and I’m excited about the opportunity.

So watch the video, and feel free to leave a comment, either here or on the YouTube page. I’ll get back with you as soon as I can.

Thanks for watching, and enjoy the ride!

 

ShockWiz Suspension Tuning device- Getting Suspension “Just Right”

Shockwiz Suspension Tuner on a Front XC Sid Fork. Richard Wharton, 2017.
The ShockWiz Suspension Tuning device works with most air-compressed forks and rear shocks. It first came out in 2016, and was purchased by Quarq/SRAM in 2017. The product measures compression, rebound, and 'air time' to help you tune your suspension. For me, suspension has ALWAYS been tricky. My first bicycle with suspension was a
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