tomcat

This was done a couple of years ago.

@Andykmn: Canadian (Kitamaat) sourced Aluminum will have a way lower environmental impact. Aluminum smelting is super energy intense so your energy source really matters (the enviro footprint of shipping would be small in comparison). The smelter in Kitamaat uses hydro electric has a much lower carbon footprint and environmental impact than Alu produced using Coal based electricity (or even other sources).

@Ttimer: I partially agree. The upper body orientation and positioning is a big part of the equation here is well, the relative hand position to saddle and pedals (i.e. reach, stack). The hand position is much more consistent on other bikes so the same basic rules tend to work (and the relationship is static where it is dynamic on a suspension bike). Knee over pedal makes sense in some instances, but the rule ignores a lot of complexity in a mountain bike situation.

@jclnv: Svinyard is right. I think you are missing what a shock (damper) actually does. The fundamental physics of damper is the conversion of kinetic energy to heat through a fluid medium (i.e oil). Yes that 'tiny volume' of oil is creating almost all the heat. No heat = no suspension. The seal friction is pretty minimal. The fundamental mistake you are making is assuming the temperature of a shock is directly related to how much heat is being generated. The main difference between different types of shocks is their ability to dissipate heat. The issue isn't how much heat is generated it's how it is how effective a shock is at transferring that heat to the surrounding air. The weak point of air shocks (especially inline) is that the air sleeve surrounds the damping circuit as the shock compresses and insulates it. The oil is heating up the air sleeve as this is the only path to disapate heat. In a coil shocks the damping circuit is inside the threaded shock body and there is a much more direct path to transfer heat outside the shock, thus cooler temps. Piggybacks are great for any type of shock as they provide a much greater surface area for heat transfer, but they make a bigger difference for air shocks.