The steps to tune in your full suspension bike: * You must have the proper stiffness of the fork and rear suspension coil springs for your weight. Too stiff of a spring, and you will loose travel! Too firm and you will bottom out or blow the seals! If you turn your rear shock collar more than a half-inch to set the preload, your spring may be too soft. If your bike is bouncy without any preload, then it is too stiff and you need a softer spring. The number on the spring tells you the weight that it is. Don't count on your bike shop to give you the correct spring weight unless you ask. This can be done when you setup your bike. This is necessary in order to optimize the function and proper travel of your shocks. If you have an air shock only, than you can only adjust the air pressure setting. (See below for the spring rates for the Rock Shox Psylo forks). * Adjust the spring weight by adjusting the "sag" on your bike while stationary. The "sag" is how much your shocks compress when you weight the bike. Sit on your bike without touching the ground (have a friend help or lean against a wall). The "sag" should be about 1/4 of the shock's travel. You can use a tape measure to get an idea of your travel length, or look at your manual. Have your friend use the tape measure to check the "sag" when you get on or off the bike. If you have 4" of travel, your "sag" should be 1". * Adjust the spring tension in front by rotating your screw knob on the top of your fork , clockwise will usually increase the tension and reduce "sag." For the rear shock, turn the threaded spring collar on the shock to adjust the "sag". Turning this clockwise will reduce the "sag." For an air shock, adjust the air pressure. * Set your rebound damping. This controls how fast your shock re-extends after it is compressed. Too fast, and the bike will spring like a pogo stick after a big hit. Too slow, and you will be riding with the spring compressed too much and it won't be able to extend to meet the next bump. Start by turning the rebound damping adjustment so that it is wide open, or counter-clockwise, which is all the way out. Then do a test ride over some bumps and then turn it in 1/2 turn at a time until it feels good. If you are bouncing a lot, then keep turning them in until they are not as bouncy. A test for the front fork is to push down on it while standing still, and then release it quickly and check that the rebound rate just about keeps up with your hands when you release the pressure. * Set your compression damping. This slows your suspension from compressing too quickly on big hits. If you ride smooth terrain you need little or no compression damping, and can turn your knob to the fully open position usually counterclockwise. Start the tune up in the fully open position, with the least amount of damping. Then ride over a big hit like a log or curb like object (we hope it is not a real curb). If you feel the fork bottom out, then you need to increase the damping (turn the knob in or clockwise). The rear shock may also say "harder" with an arrow. Bottoming out may also mean too soft a spring. Adjust the compression damping so that the shock will not hit bottom on the big hits. Conversely, if you feel every small bump, then you would unscrew or turn it counterclockwise to reduce the damping. * Do a final test ride. These settings are personal preference, so you must do what feels comfortable. While going slowly over smooth terrain, bounce on your bike with your weight centered over the cranks while standing on the pedals. The shocks should respond evenly by feel and by looking at them. If you plan to be doing a lot of climbing, then add some preload to the rear shock by turning the collar clockwise. For downhill riding, your front fork will have more weight on it, and you may want to increase the preload by turning the adjustment clockwise, and also increase the damping to prevent bottoming out. * Some bikes may not have a damping adjustment, in which case your only adjustment is the spring preload. Other bikes will have compression damping only, and not rebound damping. Usually, the rear shock, if it is a fox shock, will have both compression and rebound damping labeled on the knobs, and say "harder" and "softer" with an arrow. *Be sure to have adequate tire pressure if you have full suspension. We like to ride with 40-50 lbs. in each tire on the average with a full suspension bike. *Please check that the bolts on the front fork tubes are tight, and also verify that your rear shock pivot bolts are tight. Usually you can tighten these with a hex wrench on the fork, and on the rear pivots you may need a hex and a socket. Check the rear shock for any oil leaks if it is air/oil when checking for the pivot tightness. * If you have any comments you would like to add to this, please go to our message board and we will add them! |
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