wstandis

I think I remember someone telling me somewhere not to hang my bike by the from tire from one of those garage hooks as it is bad for the fork . Can anyone confim or deny this?

I think they said it was bad for the fork to be extended like that for long periods of time.

ed 

Careful...fragile. I mean you wouldn't wanna put your full body weight on it at least.

wstandis

so youre saying id be okay?

frankenmike 

Compared to the abuse of trail riding, hanging by a hook is not even measurable. It will be fine.

johnnytheboy

do NOT hang it if it's got hydraulic brakes.

DX-MAN

This came from the old suss forks that leaked pretty regularly, back in the day.

The fork doesn't extend more from being hung; it's already at pretty much 'full pull' before you get on it, and that doesn't hurt it, either.

WorldIRC

Shoot, I been doing this for a couple weeks...didn't even think of that

Cyclist01012

Why not?

WorldIRC

^Could the fluid leak anywhere? I mean, that is the only thing I could think of.

bikinfool

Fox actually recommends: "As a general practice, the bicycle (or the fork) should be stored upside-down, to maintain lubrication of the dust wipers and foam rings".

As for hydraulic brakes with most current brakes if you already have air in the system it might migrate to the caliper and cause braking issues that weren't apparent before (but fine otherwise).

nachomc

My fork seals started to leak a little when I hung it by the front wheel. I started hanging it by the rear wheel and the problem went away. The larger cause is that it needs a service, but this works for now

Covalent Jello

fluid shouldnt leak out of a working shock if it's stored upside down i'd think..why would it unless a seal is bad, right?

i would avoid hanging mine on the front wheel, i dont like the idea of that kind of weird lateral force on the shocks
even though they could probably handle it..still wouldn't want to

i like putting my bike upside down tho. swish that oil nice and good and lube it all up.
maybe by doing this ill get another season out of the shocks in the long run? who knows.
it's easy and convenient so why not

bikinfool

Weird lateral force? Think about what happens to a fork when you ride it (and hanging wouldn't be a lateral force at all). If your seals are needing replacement or are of poor quality like on some older forks, or maybe if the bushings are shot, hanging the bike might cause a leak....maybe if such problems show when hanging it could be a reminder that you're slacking on maintenance or need a new fork

Covalent Jello

yea? well so WHAT if i dont know what im talkin about !!!!!!!!! lol
i think my stance is more psychological than rational but you're probably right

dminor 

Don't stand on your head . . . .

WorldIRC

Spoke to a couple mechanics at my LBS today. They agree that air bubbles "could" form from hanging a bike with hydraulics. They weren't very concerned about problems with the shock occurring though. It was recommended to hang the bike horizontally if possible.

acpeeps

I hung my wifes Specialazed FSR with a SID100 on it.....it was a easy way to find out she had a blown oil seal.......

Zan

You still have the LBDs on, right? If you do, I don't think you'll have a problem. If you're worried about it, hang from the rear wheel. Now we're thinking out of the box...

WorldIRC

I'm hanging my bike horizontally now

Chris_F

No problems with hanging a bike, just don't remove any load bearing decals.

Covalent Jello

o no not the lbds

Zan

Another option is to hang the bike by the seat. Hook it under the nose. The bike will still be horizontal then, too.

theador

...unless you have a dropper post then this is the worst thing you can do. I think the theory is that over extending the post encourages air to enter; something like that. After hanging my bike at bike parks under the saddle my dropper post became very spongy. Based on the same principle I now always hang my bike from the rear wheel not the front.

Kapusta

As mentioned earlier, hanging it by the front wheel is often GOOD for the fork as it keeps the oil in lowers up around the bushings.

As far as hydro brakes... it could be an issue if you have air in the lines, but if you just make sure not to cycle the brake lever (while it is upside down and for couple of minutes after you turn it back over), it will greatly reduce the chance of forcing it into the caliper. It probably depends on the model of brakes how big of a problem this is. With my XTs, getting a bubble out of the caliper can be a real b!tc#. But I’ve never had a problem on the few occasions I have stored the bike with the fork up. I have had issues with air in the rear line, but never the front.