Remote lockouts, are they worthwhile?

DigDug

DigDug

Member
I'm just getting back into mountain biking after many years away. I recently picked up a used bike that included a (broken) pushloc remote. I thought I'd be able to replace the broken part(s) but that's not turning out to be an easy task (I can't find the parts available anywhere). So instead I bought a replacement remote. But now I'm wondering if I should have instead looked into converting the fork to "non-remote", if that's what you call it.

My old bikes never had any suspension, so this is all new to me. The idea of a remote sounded great since I may be riding on roads to get to trails, and being able to switch it on the fly sounded good. Just wondering if anyone with remotes recommends them, or is it just something else that can break (and I'd be better off without it)?
 
Welcome back to the sport! Personally the cleaner my handlebars are, the better. Also one of the reasons I switched to a 1x10 drive. If you're riding recreationally, it's not hard to reach down and flip the lock out once you hit a road section. Even on trail, I don't think I ever locked out my fork or rear shock for any climbs in NY/NJ. If you race and you feel that you prefer to lock out for climbing, then a remote would be a good option since you don't want your hands off the bar on singletrack or at speed. That's all I got.
 
Overall, I'd say you'll probably be happier having it. The lockout on my race bike is on the stanchion and there have been times when I flicked off my race bike's suspension and then hit a very techy section and couldn't flick it on right away for fear of going down. That would never be a problem with a remote.
 
Thanks for the replies. I think you guys are both saying what I was thinking... that I will probably appreciate having it, but it may not be essential. I should have done some more riding first to see when/where I would use it.

Oh well, it's only money.

Thanks again!
 
put a lockout on my bars 3 years ago but never cabled it, still uncabled so never used it

sits like an engagement ring but too lazy to remove
 
DigDug said:
Thanks for the replies. I think you guys are both saying what I was thinking... that I will probably appreciate having it, but it may not be essential. I should have done some more riding first to see when/where I would use it.



Oh well, it's only money.



Thanks again!
Click to expand...


Hey Dug,

Just to give you some perspective, 1speed is a VERY good mountain bike rider in general, but particularly as a single speeder.

When you ride single speed, you're constantly standing up to put power to the pedals. When you do so, if your suspension bounces all over the place, you're wasting a lot of effort.

You said this was an older bike and you're just getting back into the swing of things... Soooo...Unless you're constantly mashing on the pedals, I say save your money and just add it to the new bike wish-list fund[emoji6]

Edit: Sorry, I missed the part where you said you already did it.[emoji15]

It certainly won't hurt to have it........

Dan-
 
Last edited:
i really like mine standing on fire road climbs, long ones. that and really technical, steep, slow drops. otherwise, is it really necessary? not really. its a great feature you would like to use 1% of the time. but for that 1%, it's nice. if you're feeling a bob when climbing, just need to not lean on the bars so much. technique yo!
 
they are not exactly maintance free. I had a mecanical push-lock and had to clean and lube cable once in few months. Then I got fancy hydro xloc, it worked fine for year but then got sticky (bleeding did not help). Now I enjoy new non-remote motion control which is set to provide some platform for peddaling.
 
Juggernaut said:
You said this was an older bike and you're just getting back into the swing of things...
Click to expand...

Yes, it's a GT Avalanche 2.0 with upgraded components. The fork is a Rockshox Reba Race. If the fork wasn't already set up to use a remote I doubt I would have even looked into getting a remote. But as it stands now, if I don't connect a remote it will always be in the "default" unlocked state (with no way to lock it). I think my choices were to buy a remote, convert the fork to a manual switch, or swap the fork to the original (which also came with the bike). Buying a new remote seemed like the best solution for now, but I can see myself changing it in the future.

The new remote came today so it's not hooked up yet. But I now see that it doesn't have the same hinged bracket as the pushloc has to easily connect to the handle bars. I'll need to remove the grip, shifter, and brake in order to slide it on. I was trying to think of a good excuse to buy new grips... I think I found it.

Thanks for all the replies... this is a great site!
 
Keep posting as you progress..... One day soon, you'll look back at your posts and be amazed how far you will have come.[emoji1]
 
It's a great feature for racing (assuming you remember to use it during the race).
It came with my bike and has been relatively maintenance free.
I have it on my full suspension which also has a 1X10 - so I cleaned up the handle bars a little by getting rid of the front shifter. If you are only recreational riding, I most likely wouldn't bother. Good luck and welcome back to the fold!
 
I installed one the my Manitou Tower fork on my hardtail and like having it for fire road or smooth double-track sections. Might be a mental thing, but whatever... I need all the help I can get. :rolleyes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom