"10" out of "10".
Talk about a kewl device!!...
I saw a demo at PedroFest a few years back. The front-end of a bike was parked onto a treadmill that was loaded with knobs and bumps (those things that are used on climbing walls). The treadmill could run at various speeds from zipping fast, to a crawl. As you turned the damper on and off, something remarkable happened.
I had one installed on my bike and proceeded to prove what HOPEY had already proven:
This device makes steering through the toughest babyhead-riddled trail a cakewalk.
My first true test was at Blue Mountain Peekskill, NY. The last mile section there is a nice downhill "payoff". I was so tired i could hardly hold the grips. The bike was chattering and being thrown a bit from side to side, sending shockwaves to my arms despite the plush fork i run. I turned up the damper and low and behold, i could practically take my hands off the bar and bike tracked right through the stuff. It allowed me to go faster with less worry and work.
Even climbing is enhanced. On a steep technical climb, root riddled and such, the damper helps to keep a good line and tracks up and over objects with no "kickback".
There is NO damping on return-to-center. This is a great feature which allows the wheel to quickly return to the neutral position. Damping occurs only when the wheel is kicked away from center.
It seems like a miracle. It's not. It's simply the HOPEY steering damper. ...And this product ROCKS.
There are a couple of models to choose from based on weight and riding style ie: A model for downhill, a model for XC (what i've got/very lightweight) and a couple of others.
If you've been wondering which kewl accessory to get, that's off the beaten path, this is the trick device you've been looking for. IMHO
So far, not a hitch nor glitch.
I give it a "10" for sure.
