Suspension setup

The secret rider

Hoping you guys can help.

Now I've got some tyres on I am happy with and I a, learning to ride the bike and the trails almost one month into ownership how I'm looking for some support setting up the suspension

I have set the sag using the bike radar guide

I am now looking for som help / advise / explanations of the other functions of the suspension and when and where to adjust it

FORK
ROCKSHOX RECON GOLD TK, 120MM, SOLO AIR,TURN KEY LOCKOUT, REBOUND, 1.5"

REAR SHOCK
ROCKSHOX MONARCH RL 120MM

Any advise on where to starts as a newbie ? Currently set slap bang in the middle for rebount front and rear

Height 5'11 weight 14st 0lbs if this is needed

Thanks

nicklouse

It all depends on the trail and how you ride.

If it packs down you have too much rebound. If it feels like it is kicking you off not enough.

Go ride and play.

The secret rider

Thanks Nick, I will play next time I go out is it best to have it on full fast (hare setting) and back it off from there ?

cooldad

Stick it in the middle, and start from there.

The secret rider

cooldad wrote:

Stick it in the middle, and start from there.

That's where it is now, what I am struggling with is what to do from there and how it should feel.

Guess its trial and error ?

cooldad

nicklouse wrote:

If it packs down you have too much rebound. If it feels like it is kicking you off not enough.

Go ride and play.

WindyG

Just find a nice mixed section of trail, ride adjust and repeat the same section and get a feel for what the changes feel like and then get the sweet spot for you.

poah

to adjust rebound push the fork or shock down and try and lift the wheel off the ground before it springs back. turn the rebound fully and then turn back one at a time until you can't get the wheel off the ground before the fork/shock springs back. then click back once - go out on the trail and see what its like.

97th choice

nicklouse wrote:

It all depends on the trail and how you ride.

If it packs down you have too much rebound. If it feels like it is kicking you off not enough.

Go ride and play.

This generally. a fork normally packs down over repeated hits if the rebound damping is set too high, and can kick back on big hits if it is too low. So it all depends on the type of trail you ride.

The secret rider

POAH wrote:

to adjust rebound push the fork or shock down and try and lift the wheel off the ground before it springs back. turn the rebound fully and then turn back one at a time until you can't get the wheel off the ground before the fork/shock springs back. then click back once - go out on the trail and see what its like.

Great advice so far thanks

Poah - sorry to be dumb can you just explain this again I don't quiet follow

poah

The secret rider wrote:

POAH wrote:

to adjust rebound push the fork or shock down and try and lift the wheel off the ground before it springs back. turn the rebound fully and then turn back one at a time until you can't get the wheel off the ground before the fork/shock springs back. then click back once - go out on the trail and see what its like.

Great advice so far thanks

Poah - sorry to be dumb can you just explain this again I don't quiet follow

set your sag then turn the rebound all the way round. if you push the forks down you should be able to life the wheel off the ground before the fork springs back ( the rebound should be really slow). now adjust the rebound one click at a time until you can't lift the wheel off the ground before the fork springs back. then turn the rebound one click back. do the same for the shock. go for a ride and see how it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9vgrNqjwOA

The secret rider

Thanks for all the advise so far really useful

Can I ask some specific questions

I think from the advise on here and the video on rooted fast paced stuff I would turn the fork towards the hare speeding it up so it can bounce back quicker same with undulating surfaces such as small jumps that you can pump 6/8 in a row

On fast smoother stuff I can slow it down although I have to be honest I don't know of much stuff I ride where this would be appropriate.

What about on loose ground example the beging of Cannock is recently really loose with rocks and pebbles and thetford I rode Friday the trails had been re done and the trails were coated with shingle type hardcore stuff which clearly will pack down but Friday was super loose what would be best on this loose terrain.

Thanks

UKSaffer

The best advice I can give on setting up a fork is to keep it as simple as possible.
Your fork should have a compression dial, rebound adjustment and of course, air. There are great videos out there but a fork config is a very personal thing, what feels right to one person may feel horrible to another.

Air - The manufacturers weight guide is nothing more than that, a guide. Be mindful of the maximum or minimum pressures but everything else is fair game. Take your pump with you and only adjust in small increments.

Probably the best advice I was given, was that out of air, compression, rebound, only adjust one of these at a time when finding the sweet spot. Someone also suggested I keep a log of what I ran and how it felt.

I ride some pretty varying terrain, and once I've found my ideal fork setup, I leave it as is, no adjusting or the trail centre or tweaking for XC ride, simple is simple. Maybe I am simple....

cooldad

The OP doesn't have compression adjustment, just rebound. So set the sag and fiddle.