Blowing through 160mm of travel......

Relaxitscool

Hi all, I have a 2012 Canyon Strive with 160mm of travel. The rear shock is a fox RP2 with a high volume can, medium velocity and rebound. The boost valve is set at 225. The trouble is even with around 10% sag riding off a curb will see the bike use half its rear wheel travel. At places like Greno woods it will easily use all the travel although bottom out isn't so noticeable.

For info I weigh about 78 kilos and like to think I'm pretty light on the bike.
Is using this much travel normal or was I just spoilt by my old bike, a trek ex.

Cheers and sorry for the long post.

Rob

nicklouse

so what is the problem?

you are meant to use all the travel that is what is there for.

Relaxitscool

This is true, I just don't expect to use it in places where I wouldn't expect to, for instance rolling off a normal kerb will use half of the shock stroke....

Relaxitscool

Not that I spend all my time rolling off kerbs, that's just an example :-)

The Rookie

As Nick says, I'm not sure what the issue is, if you were having harsh bottom outs then it may be an issue.

The Canyons are continental orientated which is why it has the large can (less ramp up) and will tend to use it's travel more readily than a UK or North America orientated bike.

You can
1/ Up the static air pressure
2/ Fit a smaller can for more ramp up
3/ Increase the compression damping.

Relaxitscool

I see, perhaps I just have it in my head that bottoming out is bad and that the amount of travel used on a bike correlates to the terrain its used on. I guess I just didn't expect to be using all the travel.

Rob

Dirtydog11

Relaxitscool wrote:

Hi all, I have a 2012 Canyon Strive with 160mm of travel. The rear shock is a fox RP2 with a high volume can, medium velocity and rebound. The boost valve is set at 225. The trouble is even with around 10% sag riding off a curb will see the bike use half its rear wheel travel. At places like Greno woods it will easily use all the travel although bottom out isn't so noticeable.

For info I weigh about 78 kilos and like to think I'm pretty light on the bike.
Is using this much travel normal or was I just spoilt by my old bike, a trek ex.

Cheers and sorry for the long post.

Rob

Have a look at this

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/tech-tuesd ... -2011.html

available here

http://www.mojostore.co.uk/acatalog/Air ... g_Kit.html

Got to be worth a try for £20.00

Relaxitscool

Thanks I'll have a look :-)

Rob

cooldad

Or just cut some sheets of plastic and roll them up. All you are trying to do is reduce the air volume.

Relaxitscool

Would some foam pipe insulation do the job? The type you normally find around central heating pipes etc?

Rob

supersonic

Reducing the air volume might do the opposite of what you are trying to achieve. The shock will ramp up more at the end of the travel. You may then reduce the pressure (increase sag) so that you achieve the full travel that you have now stopped getting. Then you drop off a kerb, and use MORE travel!

I'd send it away and get the damping tuned.

Relaxitscool

Confused, I will be

Think I'll give Mojo a ring on Monday..

The Rookie

Relaxitscool wrote:

Would some foam pipe insulation do the job? The type you normally find around central heating pipes etc?

Rob

No, it's voids are air so you're not reducing air volume.

Relaxitscool

Yeah I thought that after I sat down to mull over if with a brandy ( wife has some left over from the Xmas cake, seems a shame to waste it )

steve_n

I've also got a 2012 Strive and I weigh 65kg so I have to set my shock pressure low to keep it supple on the small stuff. I'm running about 190psi and I too find it blows straight through the travel too easily. I've often bombed through 160 on the back and only 140 or so on the front. Landing 3-4 ft to flat it feels a bit harsh on the bike as it bottoms, although normally the bottom out is very soft. I'm thinking some more high speed compression would be welcome. Let me know how you get on with any changes.

Relaxitscool

Hi, I went ahead and reduced the volume of the air can by putting some plastic discs above the top washer. Because of the weather I haven't had a chance to try but will let you know how I go on.

Regards

Rob

YeehaaMcgee

Don;t get hung up on how much travel you use up dropping off a kerb. I can make my marin use all of it's travel off a kerb if I want, but it also handles 6-foot drops fine.

ThePriory1978

I too had the same issue on my Canyon Nerve AM.

I bought an Air Spring Volume Tuning Kit from Mojo and used the smallest size washer I’m 12 stone geared up and have 210psi in the rear shock.
It made a small but worth while difference, the shock now dosent wallow around so much in the middle of the travel as it used too on trail rides without the washer. I still run the shock with a slightly higher pressure than I think I should (210psi = about 15% sag) as it still uses full travel regularly on the big hits off of bigger drops which i’m doing more and more of, but then I would expect that.
I tried the medium spacer and dropped the pressure to 195psi but I personally didn’t like the feel. With that set-up it felt plush at the beginning of the stroke but like a block of wood deeper into the travel.

Woody80

My Strive is exactly the same but I can't say I've ever seen it as a problem. There doesn't seem to be a harsh bottom out or anything that would interfere with my riding. Just seems like the bike will use the travel it was designed with.