Any reasons not to buy a Canfield F1

[flymybike]

I got about 54mm as well, and I get 38 for my D8 also.

That's about right. The big difference is that the F1 doesn't kick your pedals where the D8, you must wear clips to stay on top. I haven't run clips since the Fatty Fat, 2000.

 

[udi]

uDi... you do realise that you're talking .61 of an inch (15.49mm)... which is just .11 of an inch (2.79mm) more than the travel difference between the Canfield and the PDC. Honestly... you're saying that you can't dispute the figures and I agree... to a degree... but 2.8mm differece isn't that great (and neither is 15.49mm really) and that would most likely be made up in sag alone. Honestly, I don't see how 2.79mm is gonna make up that much of a difference.

.61 of an inch isn't a difference? We're talking BB height, that's a huge difference.

The lowest DH bike I know of is the sunday at 13.9" which is considered super low, compare that to say a shockwave 9.5 which at 15.7" I would consider almost unbearably high. An inch is a huge difference, and half an inch is no small difference either. I think if you bothered to compare two such bikes in action you'd see what I mean.

flybymike - Matt did bring up the 825 and not the solaris and hence I used that for my figures. a) I think 8.25" is more than enough for our tracks here, and b) I like the lighter/lower frame that goes with it. Also, there is no reason you can't have a low bike with 9"+ travel anyway - look at the M3, 14.125".

I don't really want to argue this one further, i've voiced my thoughts and will leave it at that. Still keen on hearing an accurate frame+shock weight on the F1 though - mainly because i've heard some surprisingly light-ish figures for it and would like to confirm.

And for all the canfield freaks, here's a nice one I saw on RM :

 

[flymybike]

Your right that .61" is a big difference in B-B height, no doubt. 1/2" less travel is also something to consider. We don't have a very low B-B but for hucks and the rocky terrain I ride it works well. I get annoyed when I drag my feet especially at speed so thats where I'm coming from. I totally agree that there is a big difference in feel in B-B height, I notice a 1/4" change, let alone a 1/2".
The 13.9 height is what I'm putting into our 7" race bike for 2007. Again not very low considering the travel but a great height for racing. If your trails are that smooth over there I think our Lucky 7-8" freeride/DH bike is a good choice for the not competive rider. The F1 is still a better race bike, just bloody fast.
A preview - the Lucky Proto will be done next week.

 

[S.]

Suspension curves

One thing to note with Linkage is that it uses an arbitrary scale AT ALL TIMES for the curves - it will basically stretch or compress the curve(s) in any direction to fit the size of the graph (that red line would be nearly dead flat on a scale from 0-1). While that looks like a huge difference in rate, if you look at the actual numbers on the right hand side of the graph (those are the "gradient" figures), the gradient varies from about 0.3025 to about 0.33, then back to 0.307ish. This is not a great deal. The easiest way to see this is by looking at how much the blue line (direct travel/stroke comparison) VARIES from being straight (as that scale is much larger on a relative scale). As you can see in that graph, it's nearly a straight line anyway, hence the suspension being very linear. You will also notice the scale thing more if you directly compare two bikes. Be super thorough if you do that though, because it doesn't take much of an inaccuracy to totally throw the shock rate out the window.

As for the chaingrowth thing, what's the big deal if there's a roller there to reduce it? Other than the chainstay length increasing, there aren't any adverse effects. Personally I like the way high-pivot bikes (eg BB7s) ride.

 

[top_dog]

it is only minimal and you could probably get away with calling it linear.

At 0mm it has a leverage ratio of 3.3:1
At 135mm it has a leverage ratio of 3.03:1
At 229mm it has a leverage ratio of 3.24:1

So not that big a deal it would have been nice to have a steady curve though.

I realise that S. thats why I said that when I posted the rates.

 

[j-ro]

Canfield F1

Hey guys,
Sorry i've taken so long to post.
Hey lance, good to hear from ya mate.

As far as this frame goes it is an unbelievable ride, to those of you who think you can take away from it by talking tech and sounding smart, i'd say this bike is a bit much for you. (jokes)

i only had a very limited chance to ride mine but my riding was never tame, boring or slow. I Could Not find this bikes limits in traction, feedback or strength.

For anybody who wants an edge on their competition or a bike that will do anything you ask and exceed your expectations, or just a pedal powered lambo-style exotica, this is the bike for you.

Unfortunately mine is sitting around collecting dust without forks or brakes, and i no longer have time to ride it with a hectic car-racing schedule. If anybody is interested in it contact me on 0412 32 42 50 or contact one_kill.

Mine is the only one in-country at this stage however i hope to see more.

Joel Rose,
Komatsu Motorsport.