Fine tuning Reba RLT Ti

portland_bill

Ok first question: Am I correct in thinking that there are different types of Rock Shox Reba RLT Ti or is that wrong? When I'm looking for information, some sites seem to refer to them as a couple of examples Rock Shox Reba RLT Ti U-Turn or Reba RLT Ti 120? As far as I'm aware, the ones I've bought are simply called Reba RLT Ti and that's it.

Second question is: Where on earth do you find any info about tuning them? I'm a complete novice when it comes to suspension. I've never spent enough time thinking about it to properly understand it. I understand the basic principles of Sag, compression and rebound, but as for the way you tweak them to work alongside each other, it just goes over my head.

Problem is, the manual I got with them tells you how to install them and that's it. It didn't even tell me how to install the poploc (fortunately that's pretty obvious), and it certainly doesn't mention anything about the operating of them. I've been on the Rock Shox website and the only other literature you can get hold of is the technical manual which tells you how to take them apart, but again tells you nothing of operating them.

The main reason I'm bothered is basically coz I'm not huge but I'm well built and weigh just over 95kg. The pressure guide on the forks says 130psi+ for >90kg which is a little vague to say the least, but the lads who I was out with yesterday up at Thrunton were sayong those guides are for people who do little ash path tracks around lakes and the odd bit of light off-road and I'll need a good bit more pressure in mine to stop them bottoming out on decent trails.

But how much? Is it just something I'm going to have to keep playing with until I get it right? I was quite happy with the rebound I set it at yesterday, but I'm a little puzzled by the "gate" knob which sits on top of the lock-out mechanism. What the hell is "Gate"?

The only adjustments I seem to have on the forks are: +Air, - Air, Gate, and Rebound. While it may seem simple, I definitely am, and I'm a little confused.

nicklouse

yes there are more than 1 version.

see the FAQ on setting up dual air RS forks.

flood gate is when the fork "gate" opens when locked out.

portland_bill

I just found:

My brain is literally fried... :?

Will check out FAQ. Who'd have thought it...

portland_bill

Brilliant, thank you. That was a little easier to understand.

portland_bill

Nope no good.

I did exactly what the FAQ said and when I brought the -air up to match the +air pressure, they just went all soft and bottom out really easily.

For some reason, with no pressure in the -ve chamber, I found my sag was right at around 80psi which can't be right considering the pressures recommended on the chart are 135+ for my weight.

It also felt nice and firm with nothing in the -ve but anyway, I brought the -ve up as recommended and as soon as I got on the bike, it was sitting at about half travel, and even slowly rolling off the ramped curb at the bottom of my drive it was nearly bottoming out. That clearly isn't going to handle a technical section of downhill or singletrack.

I'm quite happy to have them pretty firm. I'm not too bothered about ironing out every root I come across, but a little less judder would be nice, but when I roll over some reasonable steps or rocks it would be nice to know I'm not going to be hitting the bottom of the legs.

nicklouse

ok so now add more positive air to seduce the sag. as the second part of the FAQ says the newer dual airs seem to need more air in the neg when starting set up.

portland_bill

Ah so does the first part not apply to the newer dual air versions? I thought they meant you had to do what the first part says, then the second part, but as I said when I was equalising with -ve pressure, I wasn't getting the right sag at all.

I'll just keep playing around with it until I get it right. I guess if there's a +/-10-15psi, it can't be that difficult to find it.

I'm just worried about over pressurising them. Although the chart says 135+psi for my weight bracket, they don't say what the max pressure is.

The last thing I want to do is wreck my new forks before I've even used them properly.

ddraver

The pressures on the fork leg are a waste of time, set sag with the graduations on the stantion or with a zip tie and a ruler

I could weigh exactly the same as you but be running the same forks on a bike with a long top tube, short top tube, different head angle, bar sweep, width, stem length, stem height, set up for XC, set up for hardcore trail riding, set up for the road. A change in any number of those things will need a different air pressure. I ran my first set of forks with about 50psi too much in them for 2 years before someone sorted me out because I followed the pressure on the fork leg.

bails87

My Rebas were far too hard with 'X'PSI in the postive and 0 in the negative, as soon as I brought the negative up to match the positive I got the right amount of sag, and I was bottoming them out once or twice per ride, which is about right.

Likewise, if I put in enough air to give 20% sag when the negative was empty, I'd match the neg to the positive and end up with 50%+ sag.

Set your forks up so that when -ve and +ve are equal, you get about 25% sag. Then see if they're better than setting up by measuring sag with an empty negative chamber.

supafly1982

also negative chambers are smaller so when you remove the pump the air that escapes has more value than what it does on the positive

supersonic

No air escapes from the chambers when you remove the pump - the noise is it escaping from the pump.