ouch		 RockShox Camp - a look at 2005
Goodies sweeter than Krispy Kreme in the Arizona Desert
Cam McRae

Never fly Americas West - also known as America's Worst.  On my flight from Vancouver to Phoenix we left about a little over an hour late and despite our delay there didn't seem to be time to go over safety procedures.  I managed to figure out where the safety exits were but it didn't inspire a lot of confidence.  I also missed my connection from Phoenix to Tucson so I finally arrived at the C.O.D. ranch - north of Tucson - just before midnight.  The next morning I was awoken by the cooks at 5:45 - or 4:45 Vancouver time.  It was an incredible morning however and I was jonesin' to get riding.  The folks at C.O.D. cooked us a great breakfast that included biscuits and gravy down-home style. I was thinking about putting the bike I had brought together but the tech guys were way ahead of me;  not only did they assemble my borrowed Rocky Mountain Slayer in no time flat - they changed out the fork and replaced the Shimano gear with a SRAM XO changer and X9 Triggers. So once the tank was full I was given a run through of some of the new products.

 
Sunrise at C.O.D.
I was looking primarily at 2005 stuff and there wasn't much new on the SRAM horizon.  The Trigger shifters have been so well received that there isn't much need for any revamping.  They shift precisely and, mated to an X9. X7 or XO rear derailleur they inspire the confidence to shift in the nastiest conditions.  No - the big news was Motion Control - a new compression damping system from RockShox.

SRAM engineers were given the task of developing a new damping system.  So without prior experience building fork internals they started with a clean slate and came up with some revolutionary stuff.  A fresh approach often produces ground-breaking results because preconceptions don't get in the way. The result is Motion Control - a damping system that is very simply executed but amazingly versatile and adjustable.

Essentially there is a platform within the damping assembly called the Floodgate.  On the way up you can close the Floodgate and your fork will feel nice and rigid when you are out of the saddle.  Even when the floodgate is completely closed you can blow past it if you get into trouble which I managed to do on both of my rides in Arizona.
Bill in his pimped Golf Cart. Things are different in Arizona.

Andy (don't call me Drew!) and Jon setting up my borrowed Rocky Mountain Slayer with SRAM and 2005 Rockshox treats.

I hadn't spent any time on a single crown RockShox since my Judy Long Travel (with 4 inches!) back in maybe 97.  I remember worrying if all that travel was going to mess up the geometry of my pretty Dekerf.  Front suspension has come a long way since then and Rockshox has been through some trying times.  After an lacklustre foray into the clothing business and an expensive move to Colorado , RockShox was snapped up by SRAM in February of 2002.  I was riding a cherry red Boxxer at the time and despite the lack of rebound damping adjustment I came to love it. When SRAM took over production of the Boxxer for the 2003 model there were some hiccups and the forks weren't up to the standard of the previous incarnations - despite having an effective external rebound damping adjustment for the first time.  A rebuild kit is available now that is said to address the spiking issues of 2003 - I'll be installing a kit in an 03 Boxxer in the next while to let you know how well it works.

Another issue with recent Boxxers has been crown clearance.  The stanchions are relatively short and the crown drops dramatically - so much so that on many frames the crown comes into contact with the frame when it is turned to lock reducing the turning radius and potentially damaging the frame.  The new crown addresses this with a less radical drop and fore-mounted clamps.  This makes for a less artful but more functional crown - but the old crowns were about the prettiest out there.  You'll also notice provision for a new integrated stem.  RockShox is working with a couple of other companies on this so you should have some cool options.  I can't tell you what that knob is but it could make the fork pictured at left the most versatile dual crown ever.
The new Boxxer Crown should provide plenty of top tube clearance.  You'll also note provision for an integrated stem - something a group of companies are working on so you'll have some choice.  I can't tell you about that dial but it's a great idea.

So while the SRAM/RockShox marriage was settling in Manitou leapt ahead to add Progressive Suspension's valving technology to their forks, calling it Stable Platform Valving or SPV.  You could say that Motion Control is a response to this technology but they really did start from scratch to develop a system that is uniquely their own - and one that addresses what they felt were shortcomings in SPV - poor small bump sensitivity, confusing set-up and an absence of on the fly adjustability (in their own words).

There are certain things I can tell you about the new forks and other details that I have sworn to conceal.  The most significant detail is the name of each of the two forks that take advantage of Motion Control technology.  The first platform I rode - which I will call 'Forkin A or FA for short - was aimed at that margin between full-on freeride and all-mountain.  It weighs about 4.75 lbs. and it sports a beefy crown and 32mm stanchions and it's obvious that some high level engineering has gone into the platform to keep it under 5 lbs.  The crowning achievement of FA in my eyes is the fabulously simply and effective Maxle thru axle design.  The dropouts have no clips or small parts and they even lack any sort of clamp or bolts in the fork itself.  Instead the 20mm quick release slides through the axle and fork and then threads into the far side of the fork.  Once it is in place you close the QR and you are ready to go.  It is the first really quick and toolless 20mm QR system I have seen - very well done. Click here to see the Maxle in action. (thanks to James at angryasian.com)
Forkin A is beefy and it incorporates the Maxle 20mm QR system
One of the things that impressed me most about SRAM and RockShox was the people.  A great bunch of folks bar none.  Everyone was amazingly helpful and friendly and they even invited me into the 'man stew' - their code for the hot tub at C.O.D. ranch were women were as scarce as avalanches. The evenings were spent racing the RC cars that Greg 'HB' Herbold had brought along.  HB drove down from Colorado with a huge trailer full of bikes and motor cycles - the man knows how to live.

HB (right) with SRAM/Rockshox North American Team Manager John Dawson and a friend.
Before we arrived at COD Kirt Voreis and Jeff Lenosky had been there ripping it up and shooting some video of the new products with Bjørn Enga.  The built some cool stunts around the property and everyone was keen to just have a good time on their bikes.  The riding was certainly nothing like I'm used to though. 

The morning riding on Forkin A involved a climb of nearly two hours and then a descent down a combination of rutted, rocky double track and fun slick rock.  The area was beautiful and the boys were nice enough not to put the boots to me on the climb.  After the gravity portion was done there was a short climb out of a gully to get back to the vehicles and it just about killed me.

Forkin A was amazing for this ride.  The first portion was almost all climbing but there were a few short downhill sections and I had the floodgate cranked.  It was really stable and solid when I was up out of the saddle honking but if I hit something at higher speed it would blow through and respond nicely.  I also used the U-Turn to reduce the travel to 95mm from the maximum of 140mm (5.5") which helped my winter weary legs get me to the top without too much suffering.  On the way down I cranked the travel back up to 140 and opened everything up.


Jon Cancellier of the SRAM/RockShox race support crew riding free.
Now I'm used to riding the Shore so you may think that Arizona would be a piece of cake for me but nothing could be further from the truth.  I have spent most of the winter riding a Specialized Big Hit with a 5th element shock and I was on a 32lb Rocky Mountain Slayer in the desert.  On the Shore the speeds don't get very high and the trails are rough but generally not very loose.  This trail had a few sections fully stocked with baby heads and ball bearings and a few times I went in way too fast for my meagre skills.  What impressed me most was the poise FA gave me.  It tracked beautifully through the rough stuff when I needed the extra support and the 5.5" of travel felt like all of that and more.  This is a fork I want to get more time on.


Jed Douglas dominating some Arizona slick rock riding a secret 05 Boxxer.

After our first ride we came back to the ranch to eat some lunch and get ready for our round two.  I wasn't sure I would be up for a second XC ride just a couple of hours after getting boot humped by these fit bastards but after some fine Mexican cuisine my spirit had returned.  The tech wizards had switched out FA and replaced it with Forkin B - a lighter platform aimed at the growing All-Mountain segment. Travel maxes out at 115 mm or a little over 4.5" and the fork is packed with features.  Like Forkin A, FB is equipped with U-Turn and you can dial it down to 85mm - or just over 3".  A difference between the two forks is that this model comes equipped with a beautiful remote adjuster that controls the floodgate.  I can't show this to you because of the non-disclosure agreement and I have photo shopped it, along with the name, out of this photo but I can tell you it works beautifully.
Forkin B - an All Mountain Fork.
So off we went on our second XC hurtfest of the day.  This ride was all single track and it started out with a series of short climbs interrupted by longer climbs.  The view at the top was worth it though and you could even see Biosphere 2 from our highest point. I think it was about half way through the climb when I began to remember why I used to wear lycra in the old days.  On our rides at home I don't spend much time in the saddle so I wear baggies and boxers - but in the desert my boxers began to betray me and feel like cactus impregnated sandpaper against my nether regions.  If I'm invited back I'll splurge and buy some old school shorts for under my baggies. The fork handled everything admirably and I was again impressed by the poise this fork showed under torsion.  It was certainly noticeably less stiff than Forkin A but it also weighs in at a svelte 3.5 lbs.  Again dialling the fork down and closing the floodgate helped drag my sorry ass up the hill and opening things up on the way down was like pushing the plush button.  This fork wouldn't be most people's first choice on the Shore but for an aggressive but weight conscious XC rider this could be just the ticket.

Sunset from COD Ranch.

After the man stew and a great feast we dragged our tired carcasses over to the barn to crash RC cars, drink beer and laugh at each other.  After that, and a ride on HB's 20" wheel full-size duallie, it was time to sit by the fire and listen to Bjørn and HB discuss the 'true' meaning of freeride.

At about 2 am it was just Señor Enga and I but I had to crash.  The stars were incredible and the company was great but I was one beaten down Canuck.
Greg Herbold's portable fun house.
The hospitality at the C.O.D. Ranch was as impressive as the view from the front porch - look them up if you are in need of a cross country vacation in the desert - or if you want to visit the land of golf cart gangs - call them Tiger's Angels. Thanks Steve and Brent for the food and for not putting any scorpions in my bed.  I would also like to thank Michael Zellmann and Jed Douglas for inviting me along, Andy and Jon for tuning my bike to perfection and to HB and the rest of the crowd for keeping us entertained. 

Michael Zellmann, Bjørn Enga and John Dawson

Keep your eyes open for Rock Shox  in 2005 - there have some tasty morsels roasting on the camp fire.

For a more in-depth technical analysis of the new forks check out what James had to say at angryasian.com.

Cam McRae