Using all the travel on my fork...

robst3

I've set my Revelation RLTs up with equal positive/negative air chamber and around 25% sag but I noticed I am using all of the travel whilst riding (going by the rubber o ring on the fork stanchions).

Should I up the pressure a bit? Or is this normal...

nicklouse

well that is what the travel is for. what is the travel?

sounds about right. but if you ride a trail with a bigger drop etc then a little more air may help.

robst3

150mm travel. The trail wasn't mental, just a downhill run with a small table top (babymaker @ swinley if anyone is familiar).

Chunkers1980

Surely that's the aim, use all the travel?

robst3

I was thinking you should only use all the travel on the biggest hit during a ride. If I am blowing through the travel on a moderate run then I'm not getting the most out of the suspension surely? Otherwise you could just set up for 100% sag and say great i'm using all the travel, mission accomplished.

Think i might bring my shock pump with me on next ride and have an experiment - see at which pressure I start using full travel.

Chunkers1980

Yes that would be an idea, take your pump and try things out. You've only got 2 extremes, to hard and not much travel, or bottoming out. You don't say you are bottoming out, so using all the travel sounds about perfect for the AM duties of your forks.

Chris`I

robst3 wrote:

150mm travel. The trail wasn't mental, just a downhill run with a small table top (babymaker @ swinley if anyone is familiar).

Personally I wouldnt use all my suspension on Babymaker, but not far off it depending on how hard you are hitting it. Try adding a bit more air and see how you like it. You can find that althought you are using all the travel which is what its for, it is a bit soft and leaves the front end wallows a bit. Only way to find out is to change the air pressure and see how you like it. Some like it harder, some softer.

Usual advice I see is ~20% for XC, ~30% for DH. Swinley is definately nearer the XC end of things, even on their DH like runs - unless doing the near by drop offs. You'll find with more sag its great for the DH like runs, but when you get back over towards the Lookout on things like tank traps, whole 9 yards and stickler, it might be a bit too soft and not as quick through the twisties.

ThePriory1978

Fox recommend i put in 70psi on my 150mm Talas fork however i run 80psi and get 20% sag.

http://www.foxracingshox.com/fox_tech_c ... las_rl.htm

Personally i like a firmer more supportive feel on my fork. At 70psi under late breaking the bike nose dives badly on, for example Deerstalkers switchbacks, and i hate the way it wallows around. Personal taste.

At Swinleys Babymaker/Deerstalker i nearly always have 20mm travel in reserve at the end of the run. However the drops on the other side of the hill off of the Camel run i still use every last mm.

robst3

Chunkers1980 wrote:

Yes that would be an idea, take your pump and try things out. You've only got 2 extremes, to hard and not much travel, or bottoming out. You don't say you are bottoming out, so using all the travel sounds about perfect for the AM duties of your forks.

Sorry, probably a thick question, but what is the difference between using all the travel and bottoming out? Thanks for the advice Chris`I & ThePriory1978

symanoy

Bottoming out normally comes with a bit of a clunk, and a hard feeling as the fork physically can't move any further. You can reach the end of the travel without bottoming out, but if you hit something larger that the fork can't cope with you'll probably hear about it, but I guess it depends on the fork!

vanamees

You have DA fork - why you set the same pressure in pos/neg chambers ?

nicklouse

ThePriory1978 wrote:

Fox recommend i put in 70psi on my 150mm Talas fork however i run 80psi and get 20% sag.

http://www.foxracingshox.com/fox_tech_c ... las_rl.htm

Personally i like a firmer more supportive feel on my fork. At 70psi under late breaking the bike nose dives badly on, for example Deerstalkers switchbacks, and i hate the way it wallows around. Personal taste.

At Swinleys Babymaker/Deerstalker i nearly always have 20mm travel in reserve at the end of the run. However the drops on the other side of the hill off of the Camel run i still use every last mm.

and that has nothing to do with the question asked.

nicklouse

vanamees wrote:

You have DA fork - why you set the same pressure in pos/neg chambers ?

read the manual? or the quide in the FAQs? that is how they are. and then change a little to suit.