FS - Is it supposed to be so bouncy?

Gav888

Hi,

I'm currently looking for a FS bike to buy having read various reviews and speaking to people, but tonight I borrowed a mates FS bike to try round my usual trails for a couple of hours, but I found the ride bouncy, more than expected and it almost made me feel sick at times :shock:

Just to give you an idea, these bumps are like loads of little dips and rises in a row amongst the trees, so you go up down up down up down and they are fairly smooth to ride but the shock compresses at the bottom and rebounds at the top.

I currently have an 08 Fury and my mates FS bike is a Iron Horse Azure Sport with Fox Float R shock and Reba SL forks, the front end feels good but I had the shock adjusted on the slowest rebound and the fastest and it didn't seem to make much difference to the bounce on most of the bumps.

The shock is pressurised to my weight in pounds, which is 180 psi as some people recommend, I also tried it with 140 psi for the last part of the ride as per the Fox guide, it didn't seem to feel much better on the bumps but felt softer on the roots.

I'm used to riding the HT but it feels like my legs are stretched one min then compressed the next and on the bumps it feels like im being bounced out the seat a lot more than I do on my HT, the HT is overall a rougher ride with lots of vibration from the seat and bars, but the FS is more like a smoother softer bouncy ride (cannot think of a word!! LOL).

I also found I cannot feel the rear end as much, on the HT I can feel a slide and control it, on the FS it didnt feel as stable at the rear (obviously) and I didn't get as much feeling from it, it felt uncontrolled at times and I wasnt able to hold the line.

Over flat ground with roots etc it feels much better than the HT, just coasts over the little bumps but I think it feels worse on the bigger bumps, it felt about the same climbing on the hills.

Anyway, would getting something like a Stumpy FSR or Anthem X frame with Fox RP23 shock still be bouncy like my mates, or is this a typical FS riding experience, or do you think my mates FS might be faulty or in need of a service so its not giving a true FS experience?

I plan to do a 3hr ride round the forest on Sunday and a few more rides next week on it just to give it a chance.

Chars.

supersonic

They take some getting used to - and different bikes will feel, well, different. You need the shcoks setting up to your weight and preference.

My advice is to try some more out, maybe with a Rp23 as you suggest, as this has more compression adjustment to resist bobbing.

Anonymous

On setting it up, did you measure sag? Don't just go by recommended settings for weight. Ensure the sag is right when sat on it. If it's sinking way down despite the pressure then it may need a service, and that can lead to an overly bouncy or sloppy feel.

They all differ though and design of the bike and pivot systems can affect the bobbing one way or the other.

If you really want to see a stupidly bouncy bike though, check out a £200 full sus in Halfords

cooldad

Depends on the bike but it sounds as if the back end at least was badly set up, or stuffed if this is anything to go by.
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... -08-32126/

Gav888

Yeah sag was setup, I wanted to make sure it was setup properly so I could get a good measure of what a FS bike was like compared to my HT.

I hadn't read the review, the bit at the bottom - It won’t suit riders looking for a tauter feel - must be me then!

Those that have a FS bike, how do you find the ride, or is it something you have just got used to over time?

cooldad

I have a 100mm light XC FS. Set up quite firm. I don't notice the suspension until I need it, then it's there.

eskachig

Could be your friend's shock (or fork) could use a rebuild. The fact that rebound damping settings didn't do anything is a hint in that direction - they should make quite a bit of a difference.

On older forks, after the seals blew and the oil was gone, the coils still worked fine - but the ride got bouncier and bouncier as rebound dampening deteriorated.

But I'm pretty new to modern FS rigs and have no experience with the Float so could be talking out of my ass. My RP23 equipped turner is most definitely not bouncy though, it's understated if anything.

MountainMonster

I'm with Cooldad, got basically same type of bike, and personally I wouldn't trade it for anything. Good pedaling efficiency, but once the going does get rough, you notice it smoothes things out for you.

In the words of sheepsteeth, FS is better. Or something like that.

Gav888

I now take back everything i said above. I spent a bit of time yesterday setting the bike up properly re checking the sag putting a longer stem on it and adjusting the seat better so it fits me perfect. Went out for the usual 3hr ride this morning with all the mates and it felt like a different bike to Friday!

Def want a FS bike now, and I'm surprised just how much of a difference it makes by making small adjustments to the bike fit on the riding experience!!

supersonic

You'll be surprised how different other FS bikes will feel too! Some still may feel horrible depending on rear sus design.

lawman

supersonic wrote:

You'll be surprised how different other FS bikes will feel too! Some still may feel horrible depending on rear sus design.

this, my 140mm travel am FS pedals andclimbs better than my all my mates 100mm race bikes

diy

I went from an enduro based FS to a stumpjumper base FS and the difference is amazing, even though every other component is identical.

The Enduro jumps better and descends better, the stumpy is more reactive and climbs better, but occasionally kicks up at the rear, there is about 3/4kg difference in weight.

For me you have to have an RP23 or equiv' shock otherwise they are like treacle climbing.

Gav888

Thanks diy for the info, i had been looking at those 2 bikes and having a rp23 shock fitted... I think you have just answered my questions I hadn't got around to asking

bails87

diy wrote:

I went from an enduro based FS to a stumpjumper base FS and the difference is amazing, even though every other component is identical.

The Enduro jumps better and descends better, the stumpy is more reactive and climbs better, but occasionally kicks up at the rear, there is about 3/4kg difference in weight.

Is that 'three quarters of a KG', or 'three or four KG' difference? I'm guessing the first, if it's purely the frame weigh difference.

diy

the stumpy is 0.75kg lighter built up than the enduro. Its actually a tiny bit more, more like 900g

Thewaylander

Yup there all differnet.

My Mondy Pedals like a bag of sh.... uphill with out pro pedal, but its soo smooth on the downs. With moving to FS try as many as you can, but also the more you ride them the more your taste in suspension is likely to change.

DickBarton

Did you just jump on and ride? If so, I bet the suspension wasn't set up for your weight...perhaps too little rebound (so the bike was springing back after compressing) and with repeated use would feel almost like a pogo stick?

Not enough pressure in the shocks? If the sag was all wrong then the thing is going to bob a lot more...

I'd give it another bash but spend a bit of time making sure the pressures are set on fork/shock to ensure correct sag then do some playing about off some kerbs to check how the rebound feels...

They aren't all like that - most (if not all) move whilst riding but properly set up it shouldn't be felt...well it'll be felt if you skelp something big hard, but then it should be felt...but for just riding along, you don't really want to be feeling the bike working...

cooldad

DickBarton wrote:

Did you just jump on and ride? If so, I bet the suspension wasn't set up for your weight...perhaps too little rebound (so the bike was springing back after compressing) and with repeated use would feel almost like a pogo stick?

Not enough pressure in the shocks? If the sag was all wrong then the thing is going to bob a lot more...

I'd give it another bash but spend a bit of time making sure the pressures are set on fork/shock to ensure correct sag then do some playing about off some kerbs to check how the rebound feels...

They aren't all like that - most (if not all) move whilst riding but properly set up it shouldn't be felt...well it'll be felt if you skelp something big hard, but then it should be felt...but for just riding along, you don't really want to be feeling the bike working...

Guess you didn't read the whole thread?

Gav888 wrote:

I now take back everything i said above. I spent a bit of time yesterday setting the bike up properly re checking the sag putting a longer stem on it and adjusting the seat better so it fits me perfect. Went out for the usual 3hr ride this morning with all the mates and it felt like a different bike to Friday!

Def want a FS bike now, and I'm surprised just how much of a difference it makes by making small adjustments to the bike fit on the riding experience!!

DickBarton

Nope, of course I didn't...there is only so much time I have whilst sitting on the toilet! ;-) I felt I needed to say something to add 'value' (although in this case I think I removed value!)...so spent the time typing instead of reading.