How Much Difference Does Suspension Setup Make? | Suspension Basics
It may seem impossible to tune your fork and shock, especially with suspension systems being more confusing than ever. Anna is here to show you that it's a lot easier than you may think to get your suspension dialled! By showing how compression, rebound and tokens can affect the suspension. Anna hopes to provide you with the key ingredients needed to master the dark art of suspension tuning.
⏱️ Timestamps ⏱️
00:00 - Intro
01:01 - Volume Spacers
02:37 - Air Pressure And Sag
06:21 - Compression Damping
12:56 - Rebound
18:06 - Conclusion
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Great video Anna explaining and then showing the results. The more experienced you get as a rider the more you can feel and understand the little changes and results
Great video! Makes me want to try different configurations on my bike rn! 😁
The best video I’ve watched explaining fork setup and theirs a lot of videos out there
Brilliant. Thanks Anna. Always learn tons watching ur videos. Will feel more comfortable adjusting my fork as I explore my local trials. 😊
Great video. Using the slow mo really shows the effects of the changes you made. And you explained everything perfectly in a way anybody can understand 👍👍
Great video Anna 😎🤙
sounds like set everything to mid setting, sag to 30% and just ride!
Exactly unless your pro level looking for perfection on every track, and even so their settings change all the time. The average rider just needs factory recommended settings around mid and wouldn't notice a difference.
If all riders were average riders and average weight then yes😊
Funny this video just popped up... I made some minor changes to my setup yesterday (added tokens, lowered pressure, etc) and it was game changing. My bike felt so much more planted and gave me another level of confidence. Great video!
Great vidéo, thank you very much 😁
Thanks for the breakdown Anna, alsways good for newbies like me to get the expert info on these topic's
Gosh how far we've come I remember doing the old dragon downhill series on rst mozo forks
Great demonstration, one day maybe a graphic trace of four of the main parameters over a simulated section.
Really like your demonstration. You've given me a great idea: Mark the current settings on my bike (so I can get it back to normal) and try the extreme settings of each control to experience the effects. Then I should know generally what changes I should make. Thanks for another great video!
The best way to keep track is to write it down. I would usually count the total number of clicks you have by going from full stop to full stop the other way then set it in the middle. Then go out and ride a section of a trail you are comfortable on and start changing your settings and reside the same section.
I always feel like I’m twiddling the knobs for the right feel each day. It never feels the same day to day to me and I’ve never considered it’s the trail change. 😂😂😂
Doesn't the suspension change as the seals wear and the pivot points start to get a bit sticky? I'm often tinkering too
I think some guidelines on forks sag for riding conditions. Fast high speed or when it’s step or even massive jumps 18-22, 23-26 for aggressive riding, 27-30 for mellow trail riding. The harder you ride the stiffer fork will need to be, but becomes more taxing on your arms. For most people starting 27-30 for sag, and tune from there.
I’m over 200 lb and I’ve got coil, air, fox, Rockshox on 3 different bikes! Every time I dial in or out my suspension I crash so now I just set the PSI to 20-30% sag and open everything up and or factory setup and everything rides great, I stopped over thinking it.
Nice video
The e most clear explanation ever!! Thank you so so much!! I’m about to receive my first full sus MTB with fox 34 fit 4 and float x and now I feel really ready to start tuning my suspensions (just low speed compression and rebound though!) Go Anna, alé alé, luca from italy
Bravo, Anna! 👏🏻👏🏻☺️ Great expo of all the parameters. I’m just a scrawny, old XC rider so, at the “factory” setting of my 100 mm fork, I’ve never gone further than 80 mm. Might I want to go below the minimum recommended for my weight, just to filter out a bit more of the chatter? 🤔
Yes you can, but be careful with the sag. If you ride too low the geometry will be off and the bike won't feel as snappy. I added a volume spacer to my xc bike when I started riding more technical stuff.
“Buttery smooth on the mid stroke, and that’s how I like it!” Noted.
great video. #askgmbntech I have a Canyon Pahtlite 6 (my favourite bike along with the Roadlite) and it has a 75mm front suspension fork. I use it for road and light paths, but mostly road (of variablee quality). Should I lock the front suspension when on tarmac? I like to keep it open but my brother tells me I should lock it when on tarmac. However, there is a video of some Dylan Johnson mentioning there are studies where locking/unlocking your front fork makes no difference in your performance at all. I mean FRONT fork only of course, no rear suspension or anything like that
Great video. But all these videos covering suspension set-up fail to advise on where compression and rebound should be when setting sag. Does this make a difference? Thanks...
Compression should be set to open or fully anti clockwise when setting sag or initial PSI. Rebound shouldn’t impact sag, so a neutral/mid click setting is fine. One tip that’s helped me is to remember to cycle your fork/shock after adding/bleeding air so you equalize the positive and negative air chambers internally. Good luck!!
Anna: my fork is oversprung Fork: still only 2mm from bottoming out off a 1ft drop 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤦♂️
What about EXT ERA V2 versions with 2 air chaimbers?
any tips on how to make mid stroke firmer? I feel like I am blowing through mid stroke quiet easily. 160 fox36 grip2 with 0 tokens. , I was never using full travel even with 20/25% sag so removed all tokens. Using more travel now, and use about 90% on big drops and hits, but mid stroke is basically non existent.
Two things to try: 1. You could try reducing pressure while adding back a token. You'll sag a bit more but should bottom the same with more mid-stroke support. As a bonus, you should get a more supple off-the-top feel. 2. Play with increased levels of compression dampening.
Try adding 2 more clicks of low speed compression damping and open low speed rebound 1 extra click.
drops at average speed ( not slow) would be considered under HSC?
I have a fox rythym 34 and cant see any difference when i make any adjustments other than setting the air pressure to like 70-75 which is way under the recommended setting of sag for my weight
I have had that same fork and I can confirm that regarding rebound adjustment I couldnt feel any difference, no matter how much I turn that lower dial. But compresion setings was working fine...
Most suspension is tuned for a specific weight range and riding style, if you fall outside that you may need a custom tune.
Dialed suspension makes a world of difference
Sag, is the amount of 'preload' on the suspension from a static standpoint; bike & rider. 👌 Let's just clear some confusion up first, because for whatever reason there are so many people under the impression that they should have 30% or more sag! Which is ridiculous for the average rider...😆🙄 unless you are really really good, an expert or a pro downhiller 30% or more sag is absolutely unnecessary and way too softly sprung. 24% plus or minus 2% is usually ideal for most setups. For the fork you would probably aim between 15% and 22% plus-minus 2%. The key is to balance the front and rear as much as possible, you do not want a large delta of sag % from front to rear. Settings dependent on rider weight, level of skill and terrain...
I think you guys missed a great opportunity to add side by side videos while comparing to emphasize on it. Filmed from a static point, following you going down. Great video nonetheless. Taking the explanations out and showing them in action.
🎉
you beat me
The pros strive to save every 10th of a second!
The worst thing is when the rebound knob stops working correctly . I have seen this on many forks .
Reverse air chambers are better than tokens .
It’s a 6th video about setting the suspension with the same basic information
Complain about content? Give som constructive criticism, and som ideas for new videos 🤷♂️
GMBN seem to do this a lot. Like they obviously have a quota on content they need to get out, so they just make random videos and repeat the same information.
Its probably because people still google how to set suspension up.
best take away, "You do need air in your fork to support your body weight."
No faff for me... rigid single speed is all I need.
Got 5 mins into this and gave up. The comparison of air pressure made no actual comparison. The "oversprung" set up is within the suggested range Fox etc suggests for initial set up, and the undersprung is 50% sag? Not sure what the point here is...
Time and time again the real experts say measuring sag on the fork is rather pointless. Listen to the real expert's people for setting up suspension.
It's meant to be a starting point for those who are unfamiliar with suspension
you‘re riding realy flat bars🤔
99% of newbies are going to be completely lost, because the fork in your video was an Ohlins, with all of the controls on the opposite side. Plenty of people are going to be screwing and unscrewing the air caps on their Fox and Rock Shox, wondering why nothing is happening.
99% of newbies can't be that thick
Lmao is this a confession?
Just you pal.
Git Gud.
Instructions unclear, weewee stuck in air spring
Click bait fox damper with Ohlins what the hell
Oh, this does not apply to all forks just ohlins? you utter 🤡
Anna, your hands are very very beautiful...
Sorry but not the best explanation of how the front suspension adjustments work. There are better videos but nice try!
60% here for Anna, 40% here for an education.