Cheap Apollo Child's Bike - Please help me understand what type of suspension this is & what can be adjusted

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jimster99
Posts: 210
Joined: 18 Jun 2012, 7:00pm

Cheap Apollo Child's Bike - Please help me understand what type of suspension this is & what can be adjusted

Post by jimster99 »

Hello! I have acquired a terribly heavy full suspension Apollo Charm bike for my 7 year old (yes I know, probably not an ideal choice but it is what it is!). I'm a rigid-bike rider and have absolutely no idea about how to adjust bike suspension. So apologies for the idiotic questions:

1. What type of suspension /pivot system is this? I assume springs only? Does it contain any oil?

2: What settings can I adjust on this suspension? Is there a guide to basic suspension systems I can find tailored to this type of system (the ones I looked at all assumed high end setups with multiple adjustments)?

The rear suspension has a giant screw that if turned tightens the suspension spring (located beneath the saddle). I assume this is to adjust how soft/firm the rear suspension is. Tighter spring = firmer ride and looser spring = softer ride? There is also a rubber bushing at the top of the rear shock cylinder (which I didn't remove for fear of springs pinging about).

The front suspension forks each have a similar looking knob above them. Google suggests one might be for firmness (pre-loading) and the other for damping. Or perhaps they're both for firmness? I can't find any other adjustments on it.

Finally, the rear suspension is creaking nastily (but adjusting the spring tension reduces this somewhat). Can I grease it somehow?

This is the bike (no instruction manual anywhere, sadly!): https://www.halfords.com/bikes/junior-b ... 31470.html

Video of the creaking rear suspension spring: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwOud0w ... e=youtu.be

Photos of the suspension:
01.JPEG
02.JPEG
03.JPEG
04.JPEG
05.JPEG
Thanks again :)
peetee
Posts: 4287
Joined: 4 May 2010, 10:20pm
Location: Upon a lumpy, scarred granite massif.

Re: Cheap Apollo Child's Bike - Please help me understand what type of suspension this is & what can be adjusted

Post by peetee »

The aluminium collar on the rear spring is the only adjustment you have. It will set the spring in a position that suits the weight of the rider so some compression is still possible.
It’s difficult to say for sure but it is very likely that the plastic caps on the fork legs are ‘dummy’ and there is no adjustment possible.
Also, the front brake cable (and maybe the rear) is unnecessarily long. Cutting to a suitable length and lubricating the cables can make a significant improvement to your child’s ability to operate what are, by design, heavy to operate and inefficient brakes.
The older I get the more I’m inclined to act my shoe size, not my age.
jimster99
Posts: 210
Joined: 18 Jun 2012, 7:00pm

Re: Cheap Apollo Child's Bike - Please help me understand what type of suspension this is & what can be adjusted

Post by jimster99 »

Thanks Petee! Very helpful re: the suspension.

On the brake cables, yes I did notice they are very long (and also the rear brake cable is ziptied to the frame instead of slotted into the holder on the brake). Someone at Halfords was not having a good day when they did this bike...
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531colin
Posts: 16034
Joined: 4 Dec 2009, 6:56pm
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: Cheap Apollo Child's Bike - Please help me understand what type of suspension this is & what can be adjusted

Post by 531colin »

Are they those black-painted "steel" Vee brakes which look like they have been pressed out of used baked bean tins?
.....almost anything (eg from somebody's scrap bin) made of alloy is better than those, they are as flexible as wet lettuce

I guess the 2 zip ties on the brake bridge are a previous mudguard attempt
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