rigid fork/on rear suspension

Tried a quick experiment today. Ran the rigid fork on the Azure. Took it up Old Farm. Good pace. Though too hard to clean the tough middle steep section, though everything else got cleaned. 17:20. My record was set in May at 17:08. That day was a motivated day too with people to chase and someone chasing me.

Was having problems with my rear tire today so the handling was all off. Tried pumping it up but the valve tore at the Stans rim strip so it wouldn't hold air and I had to change to a tube. Not sure if the pumping ripped it out or if it was already failing.

My handling has been off for awhile. My uber focused mindset jumps from one thing to another, and it's hard for me to maintain consitency and with the skills it has to be drilled constantly: vision, weight balance, cornering with the hips, chest low, elbows out. I'm trying to get back on the program and get back to where I was a few months ago.

I'm trying another method for checking positioning of the bar relative to the saddle. With the WTB Laser V saddle it's hard to run a straight edge across it for measuring the saddle angle and for measure from the drop from the saddle to the bar. This time I'm trying a 1 1/2" diameter length of PVC pipe that sides in the crook of the rear of the saddle.

My position on the hardtail with the rigid for felt really good so I'm using that as a reference. I can't do much w/o a fork on the dually. First I'll match the tilt of the saddle, then measure from the stem up to the bottom of the pipe to set handlebar height. The handle bars are the same and the stem is the same.